Sydney — Where We Ate & Drank
We ate and drank our way through 25 Sydney restaurants and bars across two trips. From Cantina OK!'s mezcal closet to The Baxter Inn's whisky basement, here's where we went.
A December trip and a return in winter proved Sydney works year-round. Cantina OK!'s four-person mezcal closet and The Baxter Inn's whisky basement anchor one of the world's great small-bar scenes—we saved seven spots that made the World's 50 Best Bars list. Esteban and Alegre handle dinner beautifully.
The Rocks-to-Bondi tourist run is genuinely worth it, just eat away from it. We found the best meals and drinks in laneways and basements, places like Scala Lane and PS40 that locals actually use.
- 2 visits since 2022, most recently August 2025
- Best months to visit: year-round
- 7 Top-500 bars · 2 UNESCO sites
- Also covers The Rocks, Paddington, Newtown
- Worth timing: Vivid Sydney (May–June), New Year's Eve fireworks (31 December)
Plan your Sydney days with these picks →