The best places to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Sydney

Australia's oldest Irish pub goes all out with a days-long event of St Patrick's-themed fun. Some of their events, including their St Patrick's Day Breakfast and their St Patrick's Parade Day celebrations get sold out, but access on Friday and Saturday is free and open to whoever rocks up on the day. They'll have live musical performances throughout the weekend, plus $10 pints of Guinness and $19 Irish meals like Beef and Guinness Pies.

The Rocks will be rollicking with punters celebrating St Pat's Day, and the Glenmore's rooftop will be a prime spot to enjoy the action, from Friday March 15 and through the weekend (16-17). They'll have Irish music all weekend, plus Irish food specials and Guinness on tap. You can book here.

St Patrick's Day is PJ O'Brien's favourite day of the year. So they get started very early – with a full Irish breakfast, followed by lunch, which both usually get booked out fast. They also host live music all day – from 8am through to 1am.

The Australian is turning Irish on March 17 in celebration of St Pat's! This corner pub will be pumping out live music, pints of Guinness, Irish food, and a special edition "Jag The Joker" every 30 minutes from 2pm to 4pm – meaning you could walk away with a pot of gold.

This Rocks landmark with the beaut outdoor courtyard will be dishing up a full Irish breakfast on the big day Sunday (17th), and slinging $13 pints of Guinness and $12 Irish coffees all weekend long. Book the brekkie here to secure a spot. Their St Patrick's Day festivities will also include live music, from Friday to Sunday.

This is a pared-back Irish pub named after the Trinity College Dublin. On St Patrick's Day, they'll be serving up a proper Irish breakfast from 10am until 12 noon, plus pints of Guinness, live music and giveaways. You can make a booking here.

Sydney’s oldest pub is one of the city's OG establishments for celebrating St Pat's. The spirit of the Irish will be in plentiful supply, with live entertainment, menu specials (including a Guinness stew) and, of course, plenty of beer. 

Merivale's CBD drinking palace will be hosting live Irish music from 5pm on Sunday 17. Add a nip of Jamieson to your pint of Guinness for $6

Further east, The DOG Hotel in Randwick is hosting live music from 1pm until 4pm on the big day. Plus, if you buy four pints of Guiness you'll score yourself a free St Pat's Day bucket hat.

This mega-pub in Sydey's North West take their St Patrick's Day celebrations extremely seriously. Festivities will run all weekend, with Irish dancing, food and drink specials, giveaways and live music from 11am on the big day. If you don't make it on the weekend, you can swing by any day in March to try their St Patrick's Day menu specials (including a golden Guinness pie).

On St Pat's Day, Forresters will transform into an Irish tavern, with special Paddy’s Day steak and Guinness pies, "Irish spice bags" with Mcdonnell curry sauce, cocktail specials and (naturally) Guinness aplenty. 

Did you know that this sunken, sandstone lined cocktail bar in the rocks is owned by two Irish lads? It only stands to reason then that they know a thing or two about celebrating St Paddy's in style. Stop by for a proper Irish Whiskey.

Sister venue to aforementioned Doss House, Frank Mac's focuses more on the gin side of drinking. So it might be a good stop for you if you're not a big fan of Guinness or other beer (though they've got beer aplenty too, if that is what you're after). The sister venues are running a live music program from Friday until Sunday evening, so split your time between the two and you're sorted for a weekend of drinks and dancing. Sláinte!

For more on the interesting Irish-themed cocktails front, head to this Darlinghurst drinking hole. The Taphouse will be serving up kooky St Pat's Day drinks on the big day – including a coffee and Guinness concoction, a frozen green cockatil and a Guinness Old Fashioned. Soak it all up with a spice bag with house-made curry sauce.

Over on Paramatta Road, Anglo-Indian chef Brendan King will be paying homage to his Irish roots with St Patrick’s Day specials running all weekend. The Lady Hampshire's take on the Spice Bag (a medly of fried food in McDonnells Curry Sauce – as chaotically delicious as it sounds) will be availale Friday through Sunday for $17 a pop, plus you can score $9 Guinness all weekend and a loaded Irish breakfast if you swing by on the big day.

What's in a name? This year the Munich Brauhaus is checking its ancestry and finding its inner Irish. Guinness will be on tap in steins alongside curious green drinks and some classic Irish dishes, which are available for one day only. A $5 happy hour will be running from 8am until 11am, so this is the place to be early to get extra merry.