Canley Vale and Canley Heights local bars are drawing locals away from the city

Upmarket, intimate venues featuring signature cocktails, fancy food and fine decor are delivering Sydney’s best to locals — without the long trip. See where to plan your next night out.

Canley Vale and Canley Heights have always had a strong nightlife with multiple venues, late-night dining and hotels, but now a new generation of small, upscale bars are bringing a CBD experience to Sydney’s south west.

Kicked off by Bar 53, which opened its doors in 2017, the new bars are all about bringing the experience of the city straight to the southwest.

Bar 53’s co-owners were motivated by creating a bar in the area free of pokies, where your mates don’t disappear for 20 minutes and come back upset their money was lost.

Bar 53 was part of the inspiration for Canley Heights residents Jason Buhach and Irene Eng to open Smokin’ Aces Cocktail Bar in December 2020.

It was all about creating a place they themselves would want to go to, and keeping it local.

The bar offers six signature cocktails in a friendly atmosphere, and fusion cuisine including salmon carpaccio with miso dressing, Laos beef tartare, and citrus-forward kingfish.

Outdoor of Smokin Aces, compete with faux grass and seating

“We didn’t want to do your usual fish and chips,” explains Eng.

Mr Buhach and Ms Eng usually head out to Bar 53 for their own nights out, having grown up visiting the venue.

“People don’t want to have to travel to the city to have a good time. You might as well stay in the area. You can catch an Uber home”, says Eng.

Just around the corner from Smokin Aces is a potential 110-person bar, also on Canley Vale Road, with a new development application recently submitted.

Neo Bar is promising ‘nothing but good times ahead’ according to its outdoor signage plans, and will be co-owner Aaron Lim’s first bar — if he gets approval from Fairfield Council.

Front facade of Neo Bar, computer generated image

The venue will have room for 80 indoors and 30 outside to make up its maximum of 110.

Mr Buhach is hoping they get the approval and says, “God bless them, the area needs more loving. It needs more places.”

In January, VIP Karaoke bar opened its long-planned Canley Heights venue, following the success of its first site in Liverpool, which includes a general bar and restaurant for the public in addition to the karaoke rooms for hire.

Visitors can share a MB6+ Wagyu tomahawk steak, oysters, seared scallops, and more, and unlike heading to the city, all the signature cocktails are priced under $20.

Interior of VIP Karaoke bar, empty, lit with pink neon.