Where to find Sydney’s finest rooftop bars this summer
If the summer heat has you craving a cold bevy, we've got you covered — here are the best sky-high spots to drink at in Sydney this summer.
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A drink always tastes better with a nice view, and when it comes to rooftop bars, Sydney’s spoiled for choice.
Right across the city, there are dozens of spots to enjoy a beverage, the summer sunshine and an epic backdrop.
So if you’re looking for the perfect venue high in the sky, The Daily Telegraph’s got you covered.
Here are some of Sydney’s best rooftop bars.
SYDNEY’S BEST ROOFTOP BARS
OLD MATE’S PLACE
Level 4, 199 Clarence St, Sydney
Open: Tuesday-Thursday| 4pm-2am, Friday-Sunday| 2pm-2am
Imagine a stately library with a fully stocked bar and a winning rooftop view of the CBD- this Clarence Street hidey hole makes it a reality. Tucked away amid the hustle and bustle of city streets, Old Mate’s boasts an everchanging array of delicious cocktails. And if you’re feeling a venue more underground, the bar’s sister venue Ginny’s canoe club is just downstairs in the basement.
UNTIED
Level 4, Exchange Place, 400 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo
Open: Monday-Wednesday| 12-10pm, Thursday-Friday| 11am-12am, Saturday| 11am-12am, Sunday| 11am-10pm
Bottomless frose at Barangaroo will keep you fresh and relaxed all summer long. For $49 a person, you can enjoy as much frozen rose as you like for two hours. The price also includes plenty of lollies top off your bubbly slushy with.
THE BUTLER
123 Victoria Street, Potts Point
Open: Monday- Tuesday | 4pm – late, Wednesday — Sunday | 12pm – late
If an uninterrupted 180-degree view of Sydney’s skyline tickles your fancy, this is the rooftop establishment for you. The lush surrounds of the terrace will have feeling as though you’re peeking out at the city through a tree canopy. There’s plenty of inventive cocktails to enjoy, and a share-plate menu if you’re peckish.
HENRY DEANE
35 Bettington St, Millers Point NSW 2000
Open: Tuesday-Wednesday | 4pm-10pm, Thursday-Saturday | 12pm-11pm, Sunday | 12pm-10pm
With uninterrupted views of Sydney’s most famous bridges, the Millers Point-based cocktail lounge is the perfect spot for a drink. There’s two levels to sprawl across, and a lunch and dinner menu to accompany any cocktails you order.
THE STRAND
99 William St, Darlinghurst
Open: Sunday and Monday| 10am – midnight, Tuesday to Saturday|10am – 3am
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy this Darlinghurst establishment’s newly-opened rooftop bar. DJs will keep the tunes pumping and there’s a live jazz band on Sunday afternoons. And for the night owls, there’s late-night happy hour between 12am and 2am every Saturday and Sunday.
BAR 83
Westfield Sydney, Level 4/108 Market St, Sydney
Open: Monday-Thursday| 3pm-11pm, Friday to Saturday | 2pm-12am, Sunday| 12pm-11pm
It’s hard to beat the highest view in Sydney. Aptly named after its 83-storey overview, the 70s-inspired cocktail lounge is housed inside the city’s iconic Sydney Tower and boasts floor to ceiling windows for a 260-degree view of the skyline.
THE LIBRARY BAR
1 Shakespeare Pl, Sydney
Open: Wednesday to Saturday, 4pm – 10pm
Perched on top of the State Library of NSW’s historic Mitchell building, this is one unique watering hole- it’s even got a secret entrance. You can enjoy cocktails and wine while enjoying the view of Sydney’s CBD, the harbour and lush parklands below. Seats are limited in this new space, so best to book ahead.
THE GLENMORE
96 Cumberland St, The Rocks
Open: Sunday-Thursday| 11am-12am, Friday-Saturday| 11am-1am
One of the city’s best views of Sydney Harbour can be found at this 101 year-old pub. Here, you can grab a $15 margarita from Monday to Thursday between 4-6pm. But if that’s not your style, there’s plenty of other tipples to choose from, plus live music — and a retractable roof to keep you dry should another summer downpour hit.
NICK AND NORA’S PARRAMATTA
Level 26/45 Macquarie St, Parramatta
Open: Wednesday-Thursday| 5pm-12am, Friday-Saturday| 4pm-12am, Sunday| 3pm-10pm
Twenty-six floors high on the Parramatta skyline, Nick and Nora’s is the perfect place to step back in time to the Prohibition era. The 1920s-styled establishment is themed named after novel The Thin Man, and offers an extensive medley of cocktails and champagne. The canape-style nibbles menu goes down smoothly with every drink.
IVY POOL CLUB
320 George Street, Sydney
Open: Wednesday| 5pm-late, Thursday-Friday| 12-late, Saturday| 5:30-late
A poolside European oasis awaits in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. One of the few rooftop bars in the city which boasts a pool, here you can dip your toes in while you sip a drink.
The beach-club style vibe is traded for party central on the weekend, when DJs hit the terrace.
BABYLON ROOFTOP
7/188 Pitt St, Sydney
Open: Monday| 12pm-10pm, Tuesday-Wednesday| 12pm-11pm. Friday| 12pm-12am, Saturday| 11:30am-12am, Sunday| 11:30am-10pm
Bringing the Middle East into metropolitan Sydney, you’ll think you’ve stepped back into the ancient city the venue is named after. Signature cocktails have an Old World influence, and there’s more than 200 whisky and wine options available.
COOGEE PAVILION
169 Dolphin St, Coogee
Open: Monday-Tuesday| 7:30am-10pm Wednesday-Thursday| 7:30am-12am, Friday-Sunday| 7:30am-late
With four indoor and outdoor bars and a wraparound balcony with ocean views, the ‘Coogee Pav’ is a summertime institution. If all the drink choices make you hungry, Charcoal chicken popup Jimmy’s Chicken has you covered from snacks to a sit-down meal.
LADY BANKS ROOFTOP
25 Restwell St, Bankstown
Open: Wednesday-Thursday| 12pm-3pm, 5pm-9pm, Friday| 12pm-3pm, 5pm-12am, Saturday| 12pm-12am, Sunday| 12pm-9pm
Sydney’s largest rooftop bar can be found in the heart of western Sydney. Styled after famed Australian botanist Sir Joseph Banks and named after his wife, the rooftop offers a 360-degree panorama stretching from the city to the Blue Mountains. The venue also blends its own rum and spirits, and brews its own beer in-house.
THEO’S ROOFTOP BAR, PENRITH
21-25 Woodriff St, Penrith
Open: Wednesday-Thursday| 12pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday| 12pm-12am, Sunday| 12pm-10pm
Penrith is home to Western Sydney’s only rooftop bar with a pool. The venue has unmatched views of the Blue Mountains, and offers both old favourite and signature cocktails.
Originally published as Where to find Sydney’s finest rooftop bars this summer
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