Time Out Sydney Food & Drink Awards 2025: Cocktail Bar Nominees

Found underground in Double Bay, Bobbie’s is a Martini bar at heart. Its eight editions are printed on the first page of the menu. On the whole, they’re a softer breed than the standard tipple, reading like a collection of perfect gateway drugs. And it turns out Bobbie’s is the bar we didn’t know we needed. Only a few months out of the blocks, maybe the highest compliment you can pay is that Neil Perry’s new joint already feels like a decades-old institution, flaunting mid-century glamour, a flock of loyal locals and some of the best drinks in town.

Centro 86 is hidden in a CBD basement on Pitt Street, in the centre of Sydney’s high-rolling and drinking action. Tequila and Margaritas are the specialty here – there are 100 tequilas on offer, including some ‘world's rarest’, plus five signature Margs. But there's lots more we love about it, including its charm, its happy and friendly staff, its carefully crafted cocktails, and its spot-a-new-thing-every-time-you-come-here décor and framed pictures. The popcorn is addictive but, really, we're addicted to the whole place.

There’s a reasonable explanation as to why the décor at Disco Pantera feels like a Saturday Night Fever dream. It’s because interior designer Cass Siow has beautifully articulated the vision of brothers Ross and Gordon Purnell (Hawksmoor, Panda & Sons): to capture the nostalgia of a New York cocktail bar from the 1970s. To venture into this vortex in Quay Quarter Laneways is to become part of an eclectic crowd keen to bop along to everyone from Kylie Minogue to Lenny Kravitz, David Bowie and Blondie. Prepare to be transformed by the music – curated by a rotating roster of weekly DJs – as well as the food and drinks brandished by charismatic venue manager Andy McCorquodale (ex-Old Mate’s Place, Tio’s), who deserves big-ups for his A-grade banter. Apart from the great disco vibe going on at the bar, the venue feels very inclusive and welcoming thanks to the culture created by McCorquodale and his team.

Sydney’s newest rooftop bar is a shimmering, Japanese-inspired showstopper in the CBD’s beating heart. Called Joji, this glamorous venue is perched above the Cartier flagship store in Sydney’s CBD, offering sweeping cityscape views. It’s the first bar from ESCA Group, the team behind Martin Place’s elegant Middle Eastern restaurant Aalia, Parramatta's pan-Asian spot Lilymu, pastel-pink Nour, and playful Japanese diner Ito. Featuring a sexy cocktail lounge, dining space and slick rooftop terrace, Joji is open until 2am most nights a week, so if you’re out and about (late) in the city, you know where to head. And don’t forget your Gucci.

As you take the elevator up to the 26th floor above the modern Skye Suites apartment tower from the corporate-leaning Macquarie Street, Parramatta, it’s hard to imagine you’re about to enter an impressive cocktail and Champagne bar. But as you step out, you launch into another world – it’s the world of Nick and Nora, the murder-solving, soirée-throwing New York duo from the novel (and films), The Thin Man. Nick & Nora’s is made up of a big, indoor area, sandwiched between two outdoor terraces. From the terraces you look out onto the contemporary Parramatta cityscape and far beyond, yet each piece of furniture and design detail – including the Art Deco-style light shades dotted around the room – screams old-world glamour. 

The Hook, Bayswater Road’s red-hued oyster, piano and cocktail bar, is the third venue by Dave Spanton and his partner Amy. They’re also behind the very tiny Piccolo Bar and European wine haunt Vermuteria (a nominee for Time Out’s Best Wine Bar Award 2023) – so they have a knack for creating a hit. With top-notch service, freshly shucked oysters and Frank Sinatra and Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, The Hook is helping make the Cross great again. And yeah, we're hooked. Hook, line and sinker.

Renowned for its striking scarlet colour, the waratah is one of Australia's best-known native flowers. It’s a fitting name for this Darlinghurst neighbourhood bar, which tells the story of modern Australia through its connection to growers, Indigenous communities, sustainability and seasonality. The two-storey boozer sources most of its produce from Aboriginal growers and NSW farmers, embracing a farm-to-glass ethos. And come the arvo, it’s a ripper spot for a cocktail or beer with friends.