An eclectic suburb occupying a sizable footprint, Surry Hills' bars include a Spanish sibling to a fine dining spot, joints dedicated to reinterpreting classics like Negronis and margaritas, and sunny outdoor areas where dogs are welcome.
Surry Hills just happens to be OB真人视讯's home turf in Sydney/Eora—so we know our way around the inner-city suburb's creative cocktail spots, wine bars and happy hours.
These are the best Surry Hills bars right now. If you're after a schnitty and schooner, check out our picks for the best Surry Hills pubs instead.
Tio’s
4/14 Foster Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Tio's | Website
is a go-to for Sydney margarita fans in the know, from the same crew who graced us with laser-focused spots Bar Planet and Cantina OK!.
This eclectic Mexican-ish Surry Hills bar does a banging list of margaritas (including a $12 frozen marg that's changed up to spotlight seasonal fruit weekly), imported Mexican beers and amped-up Micheladas, and free popcorn for nibbling. We love to park up at the outdoor tables.
Eileen’s
410 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Four Pillars Laboratory | Instagram
Explore the range of Four Pillars creations at their intimate Surry Hills bar, Eileen's, where signature G&T and highball serves, twists on classics and more experimental cocktails are on the cards.
The bar team's creativity shines in the lab signatures like The Nauticus with Rare Dry Gin, oloroso, Oscar.697 dry vermouth and papaya oleo saccharum, and there are a few wines and beers. Snacks are simple like Bloody Shiraz gin-cured Yarra Valley salmon roe with creme fraiche and chives on Pringles, jaffles, and cheese boards.
Lokal
104 Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Lokal | Instagram
This corner bar with a lot of love for its neighbours and Surry Hills community is a must-visit if you're on the hunt for a new favourite natural wine. Let yourself be guided through the list by Lokal's co-owner Patrick Frawley, who has bucketloads of passion and enthusiasm.
Food is casual but creative, with the likes of halloumi fries and rosemary honey, textural seasonal veggie dishes, croquettes and standout fried chicken to pair with your vino or spritz utilising native and locally foraged ingredients.
Bar Conte
340 Riley Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Bar Conte | Website
Dedicated to the timeless Negroni, Bar Conte is big on the Italian vibes with a sizable list of vermouth and rare amari that fans of the bitter spectrum need to explore.
Over 20 takes on the Negroni populate the cocktail list, with variations including the sbagliato, a Negroski replacing gin with Belvedere vodka, and a spin integrating rhubarb liqueur. Spritzes, sours, martinis and Italian wines and beers round out the drinks, and the kitchen plates up snacks, pastas and larger plates, so you could turn your afternoon sip or nightcap into a full meal.
Gildas
46-48 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Gildas | Instagram
Gildas is a sibling to Lennox Hastie's Firedoor restaurant in the form of a Spanish wine bar. It's inspired by his time in the Basque country, so sips like sherry, vermouth and Iberian wines are joined by classic cocktails and a must-try house martini with fino sherry.
Dishes include the likes of tartare with rock oyster cream and sorrel, spanner crab churros, and seasonal gildas with cheeky twists on the standard like the Grillda and Matilda. The sleek Surry Hills bar boasts a soft natural palette that invites you to drop in for a pre-dinner drink or settle in for the night.
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Ace Hotel Lobby Bar
47-53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Ace Hotel Sydney | Instagram
With sunken leather lounges, marble details, and a roster of some of Sydney's coolest DJs and live music on weekends, the lobby bar at Ace Hotel Sydney is the place to be on a Friday night.
This Surry Hills bar serves up Aussie wines by the glass (curated by P&V's Mike Bennie), craft beer, and signature cocktails including the must-try Olive Leaf Martini with Four Pillars olive leaf gin, vermouth and drops of olive oil on top, plus crowd-pleasing snacks.
Brix Distillers
350 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Brix Distillers | Instagram
The only dedicated rum distillery in Sydney, Brix Distillery's open-plan, industrial bar in the heart of Surry Hills is worth a visit to sample the goods.
Start with a flight of their core range of rums for just $18 before working your way through cocktails like the Brixenhurst with Brix Australian Rum, dry vermouth, Cynar and Maraschino liqueur, or a classic Pina Colada using the distillery's cane spirit. If it's a sunny arvo, opt for a spot at one of the street-side picnic tables.
Dead Ringer
413 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Dead Ringer | Website
They describe themselves as a "neighbourhood restaurant with a great bar", and we agree that Dead Ringer is just as suited to imbibing at happy hour as it is for settling in over a long lunch (or bottomless brunch).
Cocktails at this Surry Hills bar look like a stonefruit sour with bourbon, peach, lemon and gentiane, with a focus on more dry and bitter elements to prime you for pairing with snacks or plates from the kitchen. Dead Ringer stocks exclusively Australian wines, and also offers plenty of low- and no-ABV drinks.
Bar Copains
67 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Bar Copains | Website
A Surry Hills wine bar with a big focus on what's coming out of the kitchen (thanks to co-owners and chefs Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone), Bar Copains evokes an undeniably Parisian energy—especially when you nab a spot under the trees outside.
Pair a battered fish sandwich or pigs head croquette with a classic cocktail or pick from the wine list, which ticks off notable regions and winemakers with some emerging and new-school producers in the mix too.
Goros
84/86 Mary Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Goros | Instagram
One word: karaoke. Goros is a roaring Japanese-inspired Surry Hills bar with a pumping main dance floor and three karaoke rooms that are free for groups of four to 18 to belt their hearts out in, with a menu of snacks, cocktails, saké, Japanese whisky and more to keep your performance fuelled.
A late-night list of nibbles is available from 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays to order up with saké bombs, boozy bubble teas, or cocktails like the Ume +20 with Cazadores tequila, umeshu, hibiscus and lime.
Poly
74-76 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Poly | Website
is a wine bar and restaurant tucked under Surry Hills' buzzing Paramount House Hotel, and calls esteemed eatery Ester its older sister—so it's safe to say the food is solid too.
The wine list features organic and biodynamic producers from the leading regions of Australia, France and Italy plus a few curveballs, and there's a worth-inspecting selection of saké and cocktails. In place of structured dishes, Poly's menu lets you pick from snacks, grilled meat and seafood, veggies, sides and incredible sauces to create your perfect spread.
Tucano's
277 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Tucano's | Instagram
Tucano’s is a fun-filled Surry Hills bar blending a modern take on Tiki with a tropical-meets-Mediteranean food menu.
For drinks, expect an aperitivo twist on typical Tiki elements to balance the genre's typical sweetness, in drinks like the Bird of Paradise with tequila, apricot, mango, lime and chilli-infused Braulio, the Lilikoi with Makers Mark, Campari, bitter rhubarb and quandong, or a shared cocktail served in a flaming disco ball.
The Winery
285A Crown Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: The Winery | Instagram
A quirky, mostly outdoor space that's perfect for catch-ups with big groups, The Winery does Aussie and Euro wines by the glass, carafe and bottle, and bottomless brunches with drag queens and disco vibes.
Signature cocktails include the Matcha Queen with Gordon's Gin, lime, basil and matcha or the Spring Slipper with Four Pillars Yuzu Gin, Midori, lychee syrup, yuzu and mint, and there's a full menu of entrees, main dishes, and shared cheese and charcuterie boards perfect for girl dinner.
Now check out
- The Best Restaurants In Sydney Right Now
- The Best Barangaroo Restaurants
- The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants
Main image credit: Gildas | Instagram
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