For the last half-decade, Sydney’s varied spread of wine bars (and wine bar-esque restaurants) has been of essential value to the Harbour City’s exciting hospitality scene.
Excellent by-the-glass programs and a pivot towards highlighting sommeliers — at establishments ranging from Love, Tilly Devine to Fix Wine Bar — are all measures that have had a net positive effect on how we drink, discuss and discover wine.
Once primarily thought of as the domain of Melburnians, wine bar culture in Sydney has come along in leaps and strides these last few years (perhaps one of the very few consolations associated with the infamous lock-out laws implemented from 2014-2020).
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But why focus on wine bars, as opposed to restaurants simply offering a great list of references?
According to Samantha Belt, Head Sommelier of QT Sydney, there are a few characteristics specific to the ‘wine bar’ format that you mightn’t be able to take advantage of at your typical restaurant. Chief among these, she cites “enthusiasm and knowledge” and (due to the innate set-up of many wine bars) a propensity toward “generosity” which means more wines in smaller formats, without breaking into bottle territory.
With those criteria in mind, here are literally dozens of the best wine bars in Sydney for you to sip and swirl your way through — WSET optional. To be sure: restaurant-esque venues make a few cameo appearances on our list, but dedicated bars, often small in format with similarly compact food menus, are the order of the day.
Table Of Contents
Sydney CBD
Monopole
The same team behind Bentley Restaurant and Yellow clearly have a fix on what makes a good wine list. Monopole’s Head Sommelier, Zoe Brunton and Group Sommelier Nick Hildebrandt have written a fantastic, award-winning wine menu stacked with around 500 rare and boutique wines tracking some of the best established and lesser-known wine regions around Europe.
What you’ll get is a masterclass at Monopole, with many of the wines exclusive to the venue and focused on highlighting organic and biodynamic wines that are best paired up with whatever’s on the kitchen’s reliable tasting menu at the time.
The best part? The wine menu is generous and accessible enough to include over 30 wines at a time poured by the glass or carafe, which again means you can try a great variety without committing to a few bottles.
Address: 16-20 Curtin Pl, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8080 9144
Opening Hours: Tuesday (5 pm – 10 pm); Wednesday – Friday (12 pm – 10 pm); Saturday (5 pm – 10 pm)
Restaurant Hubert
It is hard to not want to throw yourself into prime position directly in front of the stage in Restaurant Hubert’s main dining room. The place looks suspended in time, preserving a distinctly French 1920s jazz club with a swinging atmosphere and a true sense of romance. It has been years since Swillhouse opened this spectacular restaurant, and nothing has come close to matching its atmosphere.
And yet a decision equally as good as scoring a booking for the dining room is taking a hard right turn when you descend the staircase. This is the bar area, and it works just as well as a standalone wine bar given you’ve still got access to Hubert’s highly regarded and very well-balanced wine list. Grabbing a seat here as a walk-in doesn’t feel like a compromise when you tuck into one of those impeccable Normandy burgers and pair that up with some fine French wine.
Address: 15 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9232 0881
Opening Hours: Monday – Tuesday (5 pm – 12 am); Wednesday – Thursday (12 pm – 12 am); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 12:30 am)
Ragazzi
Some of the best handmade pasta in Sydney and a wine list that runs 250-bottles deep. There’s little more you can ask for when stepping into the quaint and ferociously atmospheric Ragazzi Wine & Pasta bar in Sydney CBD.
Just jutting out from the ivy precinct, this popular Italian restaurant is best experienced with the valuable $65pp set menu before you start dipping into that daily changing wine list of Italian varietals and Australian up-and-comers.
Address: 1 Angel Pl, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8964 3062
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (11:30 am – 12 am); Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (12 pm – 5 pm)
Fabbrica Pasta Shop
From the rock-n-roll minds behind Ragazzi (another worthy entrant on this list) comes Fabbrica: a similarly compact pasta shop, which also runs a tidy sideline in coffee, all-day pastry and, you guessed it, wine.
Amply supplied with a range of Italian varietals – often produced by the country’s own organic winemakers – it’s not uncommon for famished office workers to pry a bottle off the shelves (at retail prices mind you) and uncork them on the spot. Why settle for a macchiato when you can wash any of Fabbrica’s satisfying pasta courses down with a spot of Sangiovese?
Address: 161 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9064 8495
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri (10am – 10pm); Sat (11am – 10pm)
Palazzo Salato
A buzzy new opening for Sydney, somewhere between Gramercy Tavern and the most mega-sized of trattorias, Palazzo Salato is open 6 days a week in the heart of the CBD – welcome news for all the suppers and sippers keen on availing themselves of a late-night trippa alla Romana.
Much like its sister venue Ragazzi, dining at Palazzo Salato is a certified case of “the more, the merrier”: think small plates, reasonably portioned pasta courses (all consisting of noodles made daily in-house) and a handful of proteins geared toward sharing.
That arrangement obviously lends itself very well to the restaurant’s wine program: one that is daunting, in both scope and variety, at a headcount of around 600 bottles at any given time. All quadrants of Italy, including Sicily and the more obscure realms of Le Marche and Liguria, are given due attention; though a varied 3-page ‘by the carafe’ list is useful when you’d like a little hand-holding.
Address: 201 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 044 2554
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat (11.45am – 12am)
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Rockpool Bar & Grill
The former Rockpool Dining Group was split into Hunter St Hospitality and Pacific Concepts recently, but it’s still very much business as usual at Rockpool Bar & Grill. Of course, walking into this immense space is by no means comparable to an intimate, boutique wine bar but it’s still a great option if you’re looking to tap into the legacy Rockpool Dining Group’s team has continued to hold through the restaurant’s various changes.
It’s a testament to how strong Rockpool Bar & Grill’s position remains amongst Sydney diners, and while the substantial food is the star of the show, the wine by no means feels like it has been crudely tacked on to bump up sales. Here you’ll find a generous list of classics, all geared towards completing the sophisticated, fine-dining reputation Neil Perry has built so well over Rockpool’s many years of service.
Regardless of the various trends that sweep through Sydney’s wine bars, it pays a lot to be steadfast with the classics and offer somewhere wine lovers can come to revisit their favourites.
Address: 66 Hunter St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8099 7077
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday (12 – 2:30 pm, 6 pm – 9 pm); Thursday – Friday (12pm – 3 pm, 6pm – 10 pm); Saturday (5:30 pm – 10 pm)
Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant
Sommelier Stuart Knox is one of the most respected in the game, and his very conveniently located Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant is consistently referenced as the quintessential wine bar in Sydney CBD.
You’ll find Fix Wine Bar as you make your way from Hyde Park to Martin Place, located just off Elizabeth Street and almost directly opposite St James Station. You know the one; Fix has been standing in the same spot for years now, acting as somewhat of a pioneer with a penchant for exploration and a sincere desire to give guests much more than what they bargained for.
Many great wine bars have popped up since, but Fix remains one of the best.
The restaurant’s wine store and various curated wine packs are the way to go if you’re looking to recreate Stuart’s expertise at home, but nothing really beats sitting at the bar and letting staff take you through the immaculate wine list, where pretty much all wines can be enjoyed by the glass, flask or bottle. You can even request 75 ml tasters for most drops, reiterating just how generous Knox is with his wine, whether it’s the extensive Chardonnay selection, the several Nebbiolo drops or the long list of Shiraz essentials.
Wine list highlights range from the Domaine de Montbourgeau 2017 from L’Etoile, Jura in France and the Egly-Ouriet Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Champagne NV, to the super premium Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1989.
Address: 111 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9232 2767
Opening Hours: Monday (12 pm – 4 pm); Tuesday (10 am – 4 pm); Wednesday – Friday (10 am – 9 pm)
Alberto’s Lounge
Alberto’s Lounge is far from the only Italian restaurant and bar you’ll find on this best Sydney wine bars round-up, but to many it’s the finest. Grab some of that house-made ricotta with Sardinian flatbread and it’s hard not to join the cult of this Surry Hills essential, which comes from the same team behind hard-to-book Restaurant Hubert and pioneering cocktail bar Shady Pines Saloon.
That goes double when you’ve made the wise choice to dip into the Italian-leaning wine list, which favours Tuscany and Sicily to help give the wine program its own identity within Sydney’s busy wine bar scene.
Address: 17-19 Alberta St, Sydney NSW 2000
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (5 pm – 12 am); Thursday – Sunday (12 pm – 12 am)
Bentley Restaurant & Bar
Bentley isn’t exactly a wine bar, but as mentioned above, there are a few Sydney restaurants with great wine lists here that are a cut above the rest. Wine is nowhere near an after-thought at this premium dining institution, and quite often you’ll find that Bentley regulars will come just to dive deeper into the dynamic and generous wine list.
After all, Bentley Restaurant is widely regarded as one of the best wine restaurants in Australia, with more than 1,000 drops and a sense of eclecticism that has easily inspired some of the country’s top sommeliers. This is Nick Hildebrandt’s masterpiece and large selections of everything from Champagne and Riesling to wines from Italy, Australia, Spain and Germany feature proudly on the list.
Much like Monopole and the other Bentley group venues, all of which are heavily anchored by their strong wine selections, the by-the-glass wine menu is also quite extensive and generous so you never have to compromise on exploring different wine pairings.
Address: 27 O’Connell St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8214 0505
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday (5 pm – 11 pm); Thursday – Friday (12 pm – 3 pm, 5 pm – 11 pm); Saturday (6 pm – 11 pm)
Little Felix
Merivale has more than a few wine bars and wine restaurants under the umbrella, but Little Felix is the best of them. Unapologetically French, the elegant venue is the kind of dimly-lit date bait you’d want when you’re in need to impress and feel like splurging on some highly sought-after rare French wines.
Address: 2a Ash St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9114 7372
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday (5 pm – 12 am); Thursday (5 pm – 2 am); Friday (3 pm – 2 am); Saturday (4 pm – 2 am)
Gowings / Parlour
Here’s a little double bill for you. Head along to QT Sydney if you want two different dining options and one excellent wine list.
On the ground floor of the luxury boutique hotel, you’ve got Parlour sitting pretty with its charming interior, reliable bistro-inspired food and 100 wines mixing European and Australian favourites with more than a few surprises thrown in so that oenophiles are never left wanting.
Head upstairs and you’ve got the legendary Gowings, which has had a recent switch-up and channels New York’s Little Italy with its art-deco ambience and instant classics like octopus pasta and a Black Opal wagyu eye fillet MBS7+ served with a roasted portobello mushroom. Head Sommelier Samantha Belt does plenty of heavy-lifting here, working up a wine list that’s popping with quality all across the board, from texturally-rich orange wines to experimental Australian wines designed to showcase younger, lesser-known winemakers across the country.
Address: 49 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8262 0000
Gowings Opening Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday (6 pm – 10 pm); Thursday – Friday (12 pm – 3 pm, 6 pm – 10 pm); Saturday (6 pm – 10 pm)
Parlour Cucina Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (7 pm – 11 pm); Friday – Saturday (7 pm – 10 pm); Sunday (7 am – 11 pm)
Restaurant Leo
Slick service, exceptional food and a fantastic wine list curated by Fabio Sercecchi make Restaurant Leo one of the best wine bars in Sydney CBD by a long shot. Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla of Lumi Dining have done an incredible job muscling through with a wine bar that adds greatly to the Angel Place precinct, nearby favourites like Ragazzi Wine & Food and Merivale mainstay Little Felix.
Address: 1/2-12 Angel Pl, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9235 3383
Opening Hours: Wednesday (5:30 pm – 9 pm); Thursday (12 pm – 3 pm, 5:30 pm – 9 pm); Friday (12 pm – 3 pm, 7:30 pm – 9 pm); Saturday (5:30 pm – 9:30 pm).
Inner City
Lokal
A favourite of multiple BH staffers, Lokal is low-key among our top 3 Sydney wine bars for 2024. On paper little more than a truncated bar counter and smattering of tables; Lokal is able to put its diminutive premises to formidable use thanks to its lean and extremely knowledgeable team.
You won’t find scores of bewildered, professionally indifferent hospo casuals here. Instead, co-founders Nelson Cramp and Patrick Frawley (Lokal’s chef and barman respectively) do it all: marshalling together their considerable F&B expertise – much of it gleaned in Hong Kong and Canada – for a wine and food menu that is confidently hyper-focused.
At a single A4 page, Frawley’s wine program ranges across Western Europe and Australia’s lesser known grape-growing regions; largely focused on those producers with whom he shares a personal, well-established connection. The food too, chiefly conceived by Cramp to enhance one’s drinking pleasure, sticks the landing: a plateful of smoked chorizo, another round of Pfalz Riesling, and you’re off to the races.
Address: 104 Fitzroy St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact: N/A
Opening Hours: Tues – Thurs (5pm – 10pm); Fri – Sat (12.30pm – 10pm)
Bar Copains
Inarguably one of the most excitedly attended new openings of 2023, Bar Copains is yet another of the entrants on our list that walks a fine line (with plenty of self-confidence, we might add) between ‘wine bar’ and ‘full service restaurant’. The food menu certainly lists in the latter direction: with such meticulously crafted small plates as beef shin gnochetti or chicken liver parfait enriched with Sauternes jelly.
All of this establishes a fantastic baseline for co-owners Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone; both of whom conceived Bar Copains specifically with their love of superlative, terroir-focused winemaking in mind.
New releases by the bottle and/or glass make their debut once every few days on Instagram – a number of which are even generously offered up from the depths of Sasi and McGlone’s personal cellars. With names like Ganevat, Gutoggau and Joh Jus Prum bouncing around, you best believe we’re paying attention.
Address: 67 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact: [email protected]
Opening Hours: Mon – Thurs (4pm – late); Fri – Sat (12pm – late); Sun (1pm – late)
Paski Vineria Popolare
A newcomer for the Oxford Street set, Paski Vineria Popolare is looking to lead the next phase of the Sydney wine bar scene, with owner Giorgia De Maria curating two show-stopping levels of nothing but great Italian food and specialty wines.
It’s a bit of a jungle out there, with an anything-goes approach to wine, highlighting lesser-known drops alongside tried-and-tested favourites, expressing just why Maria is so highly regarded when it comes to leading Australia’s very open, very experimental wine industry.
Address: 239 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (5 pm – 12 am)
10 William St
When you’re talking about the best wine restaurants in Sydney, it’s impossible not to give special mention to 10 William St. The energetic and rather small space has always been referred to as one of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney, and that reputation wouldn’t be nearly as bulletproof if the team hadn’t put together such a solid wine list.
When you aren’t in the mood for something as wine-first, food-second as a wine bar, or something as food-first, wine-second as a restaurant, 10 William St represents a happy medium and the kind of balance you’d want on a date night.
Address: 10 William St, Paddington NSW 2021
Contact: (02) 9360 3310
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (12 pm – 12 am)
Porcine
More bistrot than it is wine bar, Porcine’s vaguely antediluvian name gives away its specialty in morsels of the piggy variety. This Paddington stalwart – serving up decadent dishes like oysters charentaise or a whole Berkshire chop – makes our list, in spite of the fact that it is most definitely not a wine bar, largely because of its hip-like attachment to P&V Merchants – Mike Bennie’s much-lauded retailer of small batch brews and lo-fi vino.
To clarify: the restaurant presents a well-rounded, thoughtfully curated list of references (predictably, wines from Jura and the Loire Valley feature prominently) but why constrain yourself to what’s written down when you have a veritable cellar waiting below?
Do yourself a favour: pick out a handful of your favourite bottles in the shop(some grower Champers here, a spot of Hunter Valley chard there) and huff them upstairs. The nominal corkage fee is a small price to pay.
Address: 268 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021
Contact: +61 423 015 032
Opening Hours: Thurs – Sat (6pm – 11pm); Sat – Sun (12pm – 4pm)
Bar Vincent
Small, classy and relatively low-key, Bar Vincent may fly under the radar amongst the most renowned names in inner Sydney, but this Darlinghurst wine bar is not something you’d want to count out. Much like 10 William Street and Ragazzi Wine, the pairings favour handmade pasta at this Italian restaurant, matched with delicious drops that skew natural and are very much geared towards highlighting just how far Australia has come on the global wine stage. You’ll of course get some European drops in there too, but the grip on hard-to-find local varietals should be a priority.
Address: 174 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Contact: (02) 8354 0881
Opening Hours: Tuesday (5 pm – 10 pm); Wednesday (12 pm – 10 pm); Thursday – Friday (12 pm – 10 pm); Saturday (5 pm – 10 pm)
Poly
Excellent bar snacks and organic wines define Poly, a sure-shot for Surry Hills and currently one of the best wine bars in Sydney. The entire bar echoes the same game-changing ethos Mat Lindsay and his team took with Ester, a reputation that Poly has quickly lived up to in just a few short years. This is in large part thanks to the extensive wine list which much like others on this list, such as Bibo and La Salut, doesn’t overwhelm but doesn’t skimp on range either.
Address: 74-76 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact: (02) 8860 0808
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Friday (5 pm – 11:30 pm); Saturday (12 pm – 4 pm, 5 pm – 11:30 pm)
The Dolphin Wine Room
You can’t take a crawl around the best wine bars in Surry Hills without stopping off at The Dolphin Wine Room. Although the multi-faceted gastropub offers plenty of different spaces for many different occasions, it’s more often than not just about everyone will end up at The Dolphin Wine Room with its consistently excellent cured meats and cheeses available to pair with an extensive wine list.
Address: 412 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Contact: (02) 9331 4800
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (12 pm – 10 pm)
La Salut
This Mediterranean wine bar from the Love, Tilly Devine team is now located in The Norfolk Hotel on the long stretch of Cleveland Street, boosting the team’s already considerable reputation amongst Sydney’s most fervent wine drinkers.
While Love Tilly Devine and Ragazzi take care of Italian, and Dear Saint Eloise skews a bit French, La Salut takes things to Spain and doesn’t waste a single ounce of the opportunity to show off this important side of the Mediterranean and its great variety of wine styles.
Address: 305 Cleveland St, Redfern NSW 2016
Contact: 0412 872 855
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday (5 pm – 12 am); Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (12 pm – 10 pm)
Dear Saint Eloise
The prolific Love Tilly Group are behind some of the most beloved restaurant and wine bars in Sydney, all of which get a mention on this list. That’s not coming from any sort of bias; the crew just know how to nail it when it comes to small-batch hospitality and highly personalised service.
It’s hard to pick the group’s number one out of show-stealers like the pasta-making prowess of Ragazzi and the hole-in-the-wall smokiness of signature venue, Love, Tilly Devine. But there’s something special about Potts Point mainstay and wine-obsessed Francophile Dear Saint Eloise, where wines are chosen based on an unmatched sense of place and each drop really captures the terroir of the growing region.
Complemented by some truly delicious homemade pasta, the list, from natural wine to fine wine, is as extensive as they come. As such, I’m not even going to attempt to pick any highlights that should be featured above all others. Just know that when you sit down at this busy wine bar on Llankely Place, you’ll walk away with a new favourite wine whether you intend to or not.
Address: 5/29 Orwell St, Potts Point NSW 2011
Contact: (02) 9326 9745
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (5 pm – 12 am); Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (12 pm – 10 pm)
Love, Tilly Devine
When it comes to writing a wine list of considerable range, it’s a go-hard-or-go-home affair. If Dear Saint Eloise didn’t hammer home this fact for you, just know that the Love Tilly Group are nothing if not incredibly studious when it comes to wine.
Opposite a barbers shop down the back of a Darlinghurst laneway, Love, Tilly Devine has a massive wine list that ranges everything from incredibly funky and wild pet nats and orange wines to light and unusual reds. Much like Dear Saint Eloise, it’s as much about an education and encyclopedic scope on wine as it is about simple, delicious food (mostly handmade pasta) paired up with some of the best drops in town.
Address: 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Contact: (02) 9326 9297
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday (5 pm – 12 am)
Bar Clementine
Although Bar Clementine – if you couldn’t tell by the name – has an unmistakably French accent when it comes to food, the wine list at this Pyrmont favourite is as open-minded and adventurous as any other on this list of the best Sydney wine bars.
Perfect for dates, you’ve got all the essentials of a wine bar boiled down to pure art – atmosphere, a generous by the glass list, and some truly delicious snacks that refuse to be tied down to any one cuisine. You’ll find just as much Korean here as you would French and Italian. Although the smartest way to play is to go straight for those well-sourced charcuterie and cheese platters.
Address: 52 Harris St, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Contact: (02) 8591 3660
Opening Hours: Monday (7:30 am – 11:30 pm); Tuesday (7:30 am – 2 am); Wednesday (7:30 am – 2 pm, 6 pm – 9 pm); Thursday (7:30 am – 2 pm, 5 pm – 9 pm); Friday (7:30 am – 2 pm, 6 pm – 9:30 pm); Saturday (6 pm – 9 pm)
Eastern Suburbs
Coogee Wine Room
You wouldn’t expect to find one of the best wine bars in Sydney perched up in Coogee and yet Coogee Wine Room is as good as it gets if you’re looking for an intimate, wine-forward space next to the beach.
With two levels of seaside elegance, this wine bar – much like Bar Vincent – is often unfairly overlooked by inner-west hipsters and anyone who sticks closer to Sydney CBD. That’s a shame, given the 400-deep wine list is an incredibly fun one to explore, with over 50 different varieties showcased from various winemaking regions across the world.
Address: 222 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee NSW 2034
Contact: (02) 9665 5478
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Friday (4 pm – 11 pm); Saturday (12 pm – 11 pm); Sunday (4 pm – 10 pm)
Bibo Wine Bar
Bibo is a neighbourhood wine bar perched up in leafy Double Bay, steered ever so confidently by an exceptional wine team headed by sommelier Louella Alice Mathews. The Head Sommelier has written a tight, beautifully selected wine menu that punches well above its weight, fitting in just enough range without approaching that bitter spot of choice anxiety that comes with massive wine lists.
Known as one of the most popular wine bars in Sydney for discerning drinkers, it’s not hard to fall in love with the moody space once those Portuguese inspired snacks roll out and you walk away with more than a few new favourite wines. As should be standard with Sydney wine bars, it’s as much about exploration at Bibo Wine Bar as it is about enjoying great wine in a relaxed European-style setting.
Address: 7 Bay St, Double Bay NSW 2028
Contact: (02) 9362 4680
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (4:30 pm – 11 pm); Friday (4:30 pm – 12 am); Saturday (12 am – 12 pm)
The Wine Library
Head a bit further up Oxford Street to the Woollahra end and find yourself immersed in The Wine Library. The passion for all things wine is unquestionable here, making it worth ignoring the best wine bars in Sydney CBD for the time being and digging around all the handpicked wine that’s been selected with nothing but love for the industry. That and a strong desire to showcase the entire scene across one very comprehensive yet concise list.
Address: 18 Oxford St, Woollahra NSW 2025
Contact: (02) 9368 7484
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Thursday (5 pm – 12 am); Friday – Saturday (12:30 pm – 12 am)
Inner West
Odd Culture
If you’re looking for natural wines in Newtown then your first stop should be the new Odd Culture. From the same team behind The Old Fitz, this incredibly trendy two-floor space pays equal attention to wine and beer, as well as hearty food like a blood pancake topped with pork jowl, fried egg and a smothering of maple syrup.
That’s a lot of fat for the wines to cut through, and thankfully the team have selected a brilliant range of drops that’ll expose you to new varietals and tempt you into the nearby Odd Culture bottle shop, where every wine on the menu is available at bottle shop prices.
Address: 266 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Contact: (02) 8317 3057
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (7 am – 12 pm); Thursday – Saturday (7 am – 2 am); Sunday (7 am – 10 pm)
She Loves You
Highly accomplished sommelier and wine educator Sophie Otton has taken care of the wine list at 40-seater She Loves You, a swift return to form for King Street, Newtown.
The inner-west hub has needed something like this for a very long time, and between all that impressive wine wall stocking and Mediterranean mezze style dishes, this small space more than atones for years of Newtown not really having a dedicated wine bar locals could be proud of.
Address: 530 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
Contact: 0402 611 783
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday (5 pm – 12 am); Saturday (3 pm – 12 am); Sunday (3 pm – 10 pm)
Northern Beaches
Bar Elvina
Bar Elvina is a bit of a wildcard for this list, given it’s up at Avalon Beach and it’s not exactly one you’d stumble upon after a night out in Sydney.
The question is whether or not it’s worth heading up to Northern Beaches for this cosy wine bar. It’s an obvious yes from me, with Bar Elvina mixing eclectic coastal wines and grilled seafood, offering something a bit different for anyone who has already stomped through some of the best wine bars closer to the heart of Sydney.
Address: 50 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach NSW 2107
Contact: (02) 8926 2340
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday (4 pm – 12 am); Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (12 pm – 10 pm)
Best Wine Bars In Sydney – Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best wine bars in Sydney?
For our money, the best wine bars in Sydney right now include (in no particular order) Lokal, Bar Copains, Palazzo Salato, Dear Sainte Eloise and Monopole.
What are the best wine bars in Sydney CBD?
In Sydney’s CBD, the best wine bars include Fix, Bentley, and Rockpool.
What are some other great wine bars in Sydney?
Honourable mentions (well-worth making it a point to check out) include Where’s Nick? in Marrickville, Odd Culture in Newtown and The Wine Library.
