The best Sunday sessions in Sydney

A Sunday visit to this Surry Hills wine-room-in-a-pub should be on every Sydneysider's bucket list. Takeovers and themes vary from week to week, so you may get an interstate chef or a sushi master taking care of snacks (which are very reasonably priced at $5-$7 a pop). When the heavy hitters come in there will often be a queue, so get in early.

This LGBTQIA mainstay is big on fun from the rooftop to the basement every weekend with Express Yourself Sundays. You’ll find '80s DJs, drag, drink specials (including $20 cocktail jugs and $12 jugs of beer) and a late-night lip syncing competition.

The creative cocktail crafters and soda poppers at PS40 shake things up on Sundays and test out new drinks, dubbing the day Experimental Sundays. They are known for infusing, sous viding and emulsifying to get out-there flavours into your favourite drinks (Banana Bread Negroni, anyone?) so expect exciting work-in-progress tipples.

This Darlo favourite has a long tradition of keeping the weekend vibes going right into Sunday evening. Kick off with drinks in the lush courtyard (there are happy hour specials from 6-8pm) before making your way to the dancefloor to groove the weekend away. 

What can stave off the ol' Sunday scaries like nothing else? Smooth jazz, a golden chicken schnitzel, a pint and a round of pool. You can get all this at the Unicorn, with the Arthur Washington Quintet hitting the stage from 1pm.

This gussied up (yet still charmingly old-school) bowlo welcomes members to free bowls on Sunday, so you can roll your way out of the weekend. In cooler months they also do a $20 slow cook of the day – think warming chicken curries, lamb shanks and meatball stews. 

Do you know who also deserves a solid session? Your doggo. The Carrington delivers the late weekend vibes for both you and your four-legged friend as well, with a free doggy meal served when you order the Sunday roast. Add in $5 drinks from 4-6pm, plenty of comfy leather banquettes and plenty of friendly pooch friends and you've got a wonderful way to end the week. 

Do your Sundays need more live reptiles in them? The Newport can provide this on specified Sundays. This super pub and dining hub hosts both live music and reptile handlers, so you can see out your Sunday with beers, beats and critters. 

This Petersham boozer fires up the smoker on Sundays for a huge, smoked, Sunday roast. They'll also shake up a Bloody Mary for $12, an essential for that hair-of-the-dog hangover cure. 

Whether you're lingering for drinks after a big lunch at Totti's, take advantage of the $12 Espresso Martini and $8 Furphy pints at the Royal on a Sunday. Add in acoustic sets from local musicians followed by DJs and you've got a prime reason to stop here on your way home from the beach. 

You'll find locals leaning up against the wall of this charming Woollahra pub every single day, but there's something about Sundays that gives everyone some extra pep in their step. Maybe it's the solid collection of local doggos out the front, the warm fire on the inside, or the fact that it's nice to see out your Sunday with a crisp ale and a game of Scrabble.

This North Bondi eatery switches into Sunday session mode from 2.30pm, with $10 Spritzes or two hours of bottomless rosé for $50. If you prefer eating to drinking on a school night, then settle in with a roast or a plate of pasta.