
The bar is packed with a display of whiskies up to the wood beamed ceiling, too high to reach: the bartenders have a sliding ladder to climb up and find the whisky of your choice. In true prohibition style this bar is located in a refurbished basement with arched brick walls, low ceilings and dark wood furniture. Opened by the same owners of Shady Pines, in Sydney’s CBD, The Baxter Inn is famous for its Old Fashioned on tap – so there will be no waiting for this classic cocktail. The bar at The Baxter Inn (Photo: The Baxter Inn) Shady Pines is best to visit on Shirts off Sundays when the slick-haired bar tenders, normally in casual T’s, serve you topless. Shady Pines is a great place to start off with a cocktail loosener before you move on to shots, losing your inhibitions all together and getting lost in this western world. Décor consists of stuffed animal heads of all kinds, country and western music, played too loud to talk over, with monkey nuts in bowls on the bar and swinging saloon doors which all give the distinct feeling of a western saloon. Shady Pines is not a traditional speakeasy, other than it is very difficult to find the entrance: there isn’t even a name on the blacked-out door. The Barbour shop offers various services until 8pm most nights, serving a Little Creatures Pilsner beer as standard with all services after 2pm.
HIDDEN BAR SYDNEY WINDOWS
The back wall of the bar is made up of windows that look out onto a small courtyard this is the back entrance to the bar which is off Clarence Street, where punters can stand in the fresh air to enjoy their drinks.

There are some good old fashioned bar stools but seating is limited. The space is small with green painted walls and a white tiled bar that has a dark wood top and bear light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. To enter you walk through the male grooming parlour, to a partition at the back which leads into the cocktail bar. Eau de Vie is the French word for spirits and that is exactly what you get here, cocktails made with any base you ask for.Įntrance to the bar through The Barbour Shop (Photo: The Barbour Shop)Īs the name suggests this bar is linked to a Barbour shop.

Snack foods and sharing platters are also available. Popcorn is made fresh and served in bowls with your libations. There is a large central table with tall wood and leather studded stools that match the ones by the bar. Locked cabinets on the walls above the seating hold bottled treasure. Leather booth seats surround the edges, with low tables and small square stools. The smell of popcorn hits you as soon as you walk through the door, in front of you is a small space, well laid out, making it feel spacious. Like all prohibition bars the entrance to Eau De Vie is hidden you will find it behind the Kirketon Hotel.
HIDDEN BAR SYDNEY MAC
Traditional food such as Mac and Cheese and charcuterie are available from a hole in the wall. This is one of the more traditional speakeasies in Sydney where signatures are created seasonally and old time classics are available on request. Brick painted walls divide the room into smaller, secretive sections with painted signs, unframed pictures and cages of cured meat for decoration. On entrance it feels as though you have stepped into the 1920’s with pearled waitresses in long gowns and barmen wearing bowties, braces and garters. A brick building with a backdoor fire exit and a small sign with the name of the bar create the main entrance to this underground speakeasy. Walking down Abercrombie Lane just of George Street you would be forgiven for walking past the entrance to Palmer & co. Here are some of the best places in Sydney to lose yourself in the atmospheres created by bars stuck in time. There is nothing like walking into a hidden bar and feeling like you have stepped back in time to an era when alcohol was illegal. © Copyright 2022 Destination NSW.Hole in the wall at Palmer and Co. is the official tourism site for Destination NSW. Around the corner in Marrickville, it’s all about the tunes at Camelot Lounge, where live jazz sets a groovy scene for your night out. Or venture to Newtown for the rock 'n' roll vibes of The Midnight Special, the dive-bar atmosphere at Mary's, the saloon styling of Fortunate Son, and the cool cocktails of Earl’s Juke Joint, hidden behind the façade of an old butcher’s shop. In Enmore, drink tiki-inspired cocktails at Jacoby’ s.

As a bonus, they're all within a few hundred metres of each other.

Then there’s Misfits, which also serves tasty pastas and burgers The Noble Hops, with a jaw-dropping craft beer menu and The Bearded Tit. The line-up includes dive bar The Dock – yes, you can drink beer from a can – and Arcadia Liquors, with its western saloon vibes. Redfern is an urban, laid-back locale of cool, so the list of small bars is long. Love Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst - Credit: Daniel Boud Destination NSW Redfern & Inner West
