Best pubs and bars in Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sydney is a great city, but does miss a few tricks with its pub and bar scene. There are too many big, barn-like pubs, too many horrible dives and too many pretentious bars full of preening would-be beautiful people.

It’s a place where it pays to be in the know. Sydney’s best bars and pubs are not in immediately obvious locations. But there are some crackers – and here are my personal top five.

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East Sydney Hotel

It’s a place where it pays to be in the know. Sydney’s best bars and pubs are not in immediately obvious locations. But there are some crackers – and here are my personal top five.

A resolutely old school bar with many a tale to tell. It’s the sort of place you only walk into at 1am or 2am once a little the worse for wear.

When you do so, there’s guaranteed to be an old soak perched on a stool with a story to tell.

 It’s not pretty – but it has a rare air of authenticity. And, best of all, it’s one of the few pubs in Australia spared from the blight of poker machines. The landlord refuses to bow down and let the pokies in.

Australian Youth Hotel

A rare Sydney pub that is not huge, not an absolute dive, and not full of besuited idiots trying to chat up princesses.

There’s a good range of beers and wines, and a few unexpected treats for those who take a proper look around. Downstairs looks pokey but homely, and often fills up with rugby union fans.

But it’s elsewhere that the Australian Youth really charms. Upstairs is the Nude Bar, which as the name would suggest is full of nude paintings.

And outside is a beer garden. You’d probably notice it there on first glance – it took me two years of regular attendance before I realised it existed.

It’s also a good place to eat – it’s not at the cheaper end of the scale for pub food, but the extra cash is generally worth it.

The Cricketers Arms

In recent years, Surry Hills has trendified. But the Cricketers has avoided the curse of generic slickness.

It has a grungified vibe, a young (but not vacuous young) clientele, and good music.

There’s also an open fire, and decent tapas for food. It’s the atmosphere that counts though. The princess crowd will never be seen in here, it’s not a place to be ’seen’ in and its extremely rare to have a bad night at The Cricketers.

Old Fitzroy Hotel

The Old Fitzroy is sandwiched between the swanky bars on the Woolloomooloo waterfront and the alternating sleaze and image-consciousness of Kings Cross.

And it’s nothing like either. It’s a fantastic old-style local with an artsy vibe (it has its own theatre), a good range of beers and excellent value Asian food.

It has free pool all day as well, making it a perfect spot for a winter all-dayer.

The Australian

There are a few good pubs in and around The Rocks – The Lord Nelson being a classic case in point – but The Australian is arguably the best.

It has a huge range of beers on offer, including the rather rare Scharer’s. It also has an innovatively Australian food menu. Pepper kangaroo or Thai crocodile pizza, anyone?

The pub sits on the corner of Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, and outdoor benches and tables sprawl round the bend. They’re hugely popular when the sun’s out, and are prime people-watching outposts.