When you want what’s in your glass to be the star of the show, rather than play second fiddle to the food, a good wine bar is on the menu. Sip, savour – and thank us later.
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Bar Copains
Where: Surry Hills
‘Copains’ is a French word for ‘mates’, and that’s exactly the vibe at this friendly neighbourhood wine bar. Opened by two chefs, it’s the place for a relaxed drink, a few delicious snacks and some top-notch people watching. Many of the bottles come from the owners’ personal collections and there will be something different to try every time you visit. Don’t leave without trying the amaro-flavoured crème caramel.
Bar Copains, Surry Hills - Credit: Bar Copains
Paski Vineria Popolare
Where: Darlinghurst
Three Sydney wine legends came together to create this two-storey bar on Oxford Street, bringing with them decades of experience. The bar and bottle shop on the ground floor is inspired by the enotecas (wine shops) of Italy and the shelves are packed with more than 450 bottles from small-scale producers. Dine from the bar menu down here or head upstairs to the restaurant, where even more special wines await.
Paski Vineria Popolare, Darlinghurst - Credit: Paski Vineria Popolare
Busby’s
Where: Paddington
Part of the chic Oxford House hotel, Busby’s is one of the new wave of ‘listening bars’ that are popping up around the city. Here, it pairs natural wines with vinyl records, creating an atmosphere of laid-back cool under moody lighting. Wines are mostly from Australia, Italy and France, and even the cocktails lean towards wine, built from grape-forward liqueurs like grappa and vermouth.
Busby's, Paddington - Credit: Steven Woodburn
Famelia
Where: Newtown
This tiny wine bar on Enmore Road has just 25 seats and often feels more like a friend’s lounge room than a bar. Owner and sommelier Amelia Birch focuses on female winemakers and women-led wineries when putting together her list – quite a feat when they make up only around 20% of the industry. Each month she offers 12 interesting wines by the glass or you can choose a wine flight of three half glasses. You can also choose something from the bottle shop and drink it there with a reasonable corkage charge.
Famelia, Newtown - Credit: Famelia
Lokal
Where: Surry Hills
With just 45 square metres of space, Lokal has to keep things simple. That applies to the wine list too – there's around 50 natural wines by the bottle and a dozen by the glass. The owner has visited most of the vineyards and is happy to talk shop as he pours. The food menu is similarly compact, with snacks, larger share plates and a cheese board to finish.
Lokal, Surry Hills - Credit: Dan's Daily Drinks Directory | Lokal
Henry G’s Wine Parlour
Where: Manly
Step back in time at Henry G’s, named after the man who established Manly as a tourist destination in the 1830s. The walls are lined with antique books, there’s a 19th century piano and lots of plush leather seating. On the menu you’ll find over 170 wines, mostly from smaller European vineyards, to be paired with charcuterie, cheese, olives and Spanish pinxtos.
Henry G's Wine Parlour, Manly - Credit: Henry G's Wine Parlour
Gilda’s
Where: Surry Hills
A gilda is the most famous pinxto (bar snack) from the Basque region – a simple skewer of a guindilla pepper, an olive, and an anchovy. Chef Lennox Hastie (of Firedoor fame) was so inspired by his time there that he created this Surry Hills wine bar. As you would expect, the wine list is packed with bottles from Spain as well as a huge range of traditional sherries. Salud!
Gildas, Surry Hills - Credit: Nikki To
Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant
Where: City Centre
The 60-seat Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant lets you dive into its cellar for a taste, glass or bottle of handcrafted wines from around the globe – or opt for a nip of whisky if that is more your style. Your drop of choice accompanied by small bites like roast beetroot, pork terrine and beef tartare, or larger mains such as cheeseburgers, moules frites and steak.
Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant, Sydney CBD - Credit: Fix Wine Bar + Restaurant
Poly
Where: Surry Hills
Part of the historic Paramount House building in Surry Hills, Poly takes its beverages seriously. Sommelier Julien Dromgool has crafted a wine list based around small-scale producers using organic and biodynamic methods. Expect to see some varieties you’ve never heard of before. And there are plenty of options when it comes time to refuel – how does Moreton Bay bug with fermented hot sauce butter sound?
Poly, Surry Hills - Credit: Poly
Continental Deli
Where: Newtown
A little slice of Europe in the back streets of Newtown, the sunny downstairs room of Continental Deli is always packed with people enjoying tasty plates of meat and cheese, tinned seafood, and overstuffed sandwiches, all washed down with one of their carefully chosen wines. If it’s a special occasion, the Reserve List has remarkable bottles you’ll never forget. The team here also make a mean cocktail and are famous for their Mar-Tinny.
Continental Deli, Newtown
Love, Tilly Devine
Where: Darlinghurst
One of Sydney’s original laneway wine bars is named after a figure from Sydney 1920s underbelly and has a suitably speakeasy feel. Its dark and cosy, with lots of exposed brick, rough timber, hanging ferns and intimate tables for two. The wine list is predominantly Australian with additions from countries you would expect and those you wouldn’t (Greek wine anyone?). Grab one of the seats by the window, order some snacks and sip the night away.
Love Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst - Credit: Daniel Boud | Destination NSW
P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants
Where: Newtown & Paddington
A pioneer of the bottle shop/wine bar hybrid, P&V opened its first outpost in a distinctive chalk-blue building on Enmore Road. Cloudy, funky and decidedly delicious, natural (minimal intervention) wine stars here and you can even sign up for wine school. A second space in Paddington followed, offering a sunny courtyard out the back and a French bistro upstairs. Look out for regular events like masterclasses, meet the maker and pop ups.
P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants, Paddington - Credit: P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants
Where’s Nick
Where: Marrickville
Boutique, natural and minimal intervention wines are also the hero at Where’s Nick, a buzzy wine bar that spills out onto Marrickville Road. There’s a rotating selection of 35 wines by the glass and more than 450 by the bottle, and the expert staff can always find something to your taste. The furniture is eclectic, the lights are low and the atmosphere is welcoming. Next door, Goblin Wine Shop stocks even more low intervention drops.
Where's Nick, Marrickville - Credit: Where's Nick
Dear Saint Eloise
Where: Potts Point
Though it takes its name from a George Orwell novel, Dear Saint Eloise remains unpretentious. Hidden down a laneway in Potts Point, it describes itself simply as ‘a place for wine and things to eat’. The enormous wine list is divided by variety and by country of origin, evidence that the team understand the power of a wine to transport you somewhere new. They even have whole sections dedicated to the unsung heroes of wine production, like Georgia.
Dear Saint Eloise, Potts Point - Credit: James Thompson
The Wine Library
Where: Woollahra
Opening in 2010, The Wine Library in Woollahra was one of Sydney's first true wine bars, and it’s still a pioneer when it comes to boutique and hard-to-find bottles. The 500-strong list has an emphasis on French and Italian short runs (meaning limited bottles have been produced). If you have a group of wine buffs, you can organise a private guided tasting or sign up to their wine club for regular bottles delivered to your door.
The Wine Library, Woollahra - Credit: The Wine Library
Cittavino
Where: Newtown
Part wine bar, part wine shop, Newtown’s Cittavino stocks an incredible range of unique wines. You can sample more than 25 vintages by the glass – many of them stocked here, and only here. Take a seat at the large table in the centre, tell the sommelier what you like and they’ll find the perfect wine for you. Then pick up a bottle (or two) to impress friends at your next dinner party.
Cittavino, Newtown - Credit: Cittavino
Coogee Wine Room
Where: Coogee
The Coogee Wine Room sits pretty just a few steps from one of the most show-stopping beaches in the east. It’s not for the indecisive – there are more than 400 wines to choose from, touching most continents, alongside a Mediterranean-inspired menu. It’s casual enough that you can stop for a glass at one of the outside tables after a swim but still stylish enough for a long lunch on a special occasion.
Coogee Wine Room, Coogee
Annata
Where: Crows Nest
Straddling the line between wine bar and restaurant for a decade, Annata has an award-winning wine list from around the world. There’s a long list available by the glass or half bottle, including premium wines. On the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month, special Wine Degustation Events celebrate top wine regions or winemakers with a five-course menu and 10 matched wines.
Annata, Crows Nest - Credit: Annata
Bibo Wine Bar
Where: Double Bay
The team at bibo wine bar believes wine is all about connection, both connecting with friends and with the winemakers who make that magic in a bottle. They want customers to be transported to the vineyard and taste everything that goes into their glass. That translates to unusual varietals from Australia and around the world, as well as an exclusive private cellar of bottles you won’t find anywhere else.
bibo wine bar, Double Bay - Credit: bibo wine bar
Handpicked Cellar Door
Where: City Centre
Taking the wine bar concept to the next level, Handpicked Cellar Door offers vineyard-style wine tasting in the city. Set on the ground floor of the stylish Porterhouse Hotel, you can choose one of the four-glass wine flights of drops from their own vineyards (cheese pairing optional) or just relax over a glass or two from the list. If you like what you taste, sign up for the wine club for regular deliveries.
Wine tasting at Handpicked Cellar Door, Chippendale
Bar Morris
Where: Haymarket
With glitzy chandeliers, red velvet curtains and a pink marble bar, Bar Morris is part old world Art Deco and part flamboyant theatre. It sits behind the lobby of Hotel Morris, which rises for 14 floors above. The wine list is a fairly even split between Australia and Italy, but the food menu is all Italian – don't miss the fluffy panfocaccia.
Bar Morris, Haymarket
Bambini Trust Restaurants & Wine Room
Where: City Centre
Tucked behind the grand sandstone facade and ornate columns of the 1920 St James Trust building, Bambini Trust Restaurant & Wine Room has broodingly dark and handsome interiors transport you to Paris at first glance. The huge wine list spans the globe, with a strong Australian contingent as well as French and Italian bottles. You can even order Bollinger by the glass. If you’re hungry, there’s a compact Mediterranean menu with luxe options like caviar and rock lobster.
10 William Street
Where: Paddington
Minimal intervention wines are everywhere now, but it was 10 William Street that started the trend. One of Sydney’s most influential wine bars since it opened in 2010, the narrow space has the day's wines by the glass written on the blackboard, a handful of tables and some coveted stools at the bar. Some of the city’s best chefs have been in the kitchen here and the seasonal, Italian-inspired menu is always delicious.
