Sip your way through the best our city has to offer as we reveal Sydney’s best wine bars.
From Pinot Noir to Pét Nat, our love for good wine continues to grow and thankfully in Sydney, we have plenty of choices when it comes to wine bars both diverse in nature and impeccable in reputation. From hidden candlelit hangouts to bustling CBD restaurants with a killer vino offering, here are the best wine bars in Sydney.
Millie Vini, Surry Hills
MV Bistro & Wine Bar of Surry Hills has turned into a luxe Italian restaurant and wine bar within the same space on Crown Street. The team has curated one of the largest ranges of Italian varieties going, with wines from Puglia, Piemonte, Tuscany, Veneto, Abruzzo, Sicily & Sardegna. The scene can be best described as moody but there’s a touch of elegance from the velvet drapes and brass and crystal chandeliers. It has a luxe, romantic atmosphere making it the perfect venue for your next date night. Find out more here.
De Vine Food & Wine, CBD
For a predominantly Italian wine list and a no-frills Italian menu, we recommend a visit to De Vine Food & Wine. Nestled on Market Street, escape the city’s hustle by tucking yourself away in their cosy, dimly lit bar/restaurant. Their team of wine connoisseurs provide quality banter while helping you navigate the 400+ wine list. There’s something for everyone with classics from Barolo to Chianti, as well as funky, minimal intervention style. As the perfect accompaniment, select from an array of share plates including Beef Tartare, Arancini Balls with pecorino cream, their signature Duck Liver Pate and the Beef & Pork Meatballs which make you think Nonna is working her magic in the background. For something hearty, the Wagyu Beef Ragu Parpadelle and Raviolo with zucchini, ricotta and burnt butter are pasta highlights, but ensure you save room for the ultra-light and fluffy Tiramisu. Book your table here.
Banco Manly
Beats, banter and bloody good wine are what’s being served at this Manly hotspot. This intimate bar/restaurant is nestled down an unassuming alleyway with a neon bottle sign as the only identification. Made up of just 32 seats, Banco is the perfect spot for date night providing a vibing atmosphere as beats by Biggie Smalls, ASAP Rocky and Anderson Paak are blasted. Start your night on a refreshing note with the Celerity Marg, before moving onto their list of minimal intervention wines highlighting independent and small batch producers. The menu is made up of British-inspired share plates and is quite nostalgic. You must try the Tuscan Bread with Vegemite butter, Traditional Scotch Egg with curry mayo, Beetroot Tartare with goat’s curd and puffed crackers, and the 12-Hour Braised Beef Cheek with creamy parsnip and charged sugarloaf cabbage. Banco has also become quite famous for Lobster Rolls. All dishes come with a side of quality banter. making for a fun and delicious night out. Find out more here.
La Salut, Redfern
The Love Tilly Group and The People have combined forces to welcome a new Catalan-inspired wine bar to Redfern. La Salut is set to open this spring so you can play catch-ups with your loved ones over Spanish vino and share plates. The wine on the shelves, friendly hospitality and culture will transport you straight to a bar in Barcelona. Find out more here.
bibo Wine Bar, Double Bay
While the chorizo is served quite literally on fire at this Portuguese wine bar, the wine list is equally as hot. Sommelier Louella Mathews has garnered an award-winning wine menu spanning the globe, supplemented by a private cellar that has been made available exclusively to bibo, guaranteed to pique any wino’s interest. Find out more here.
Handpicked Wines, Chippendale
An integral member of the Kensington Street precinct, this urban cellar door has developed a reputation for its alluring wine flights and matching cheese and charcuterie boards. Sip your way through Australia’s leading fine wine regions all without leaving the inner city. Find out more here.
Mister Percy, Pyrmont
Tucked away in Pyrmont is the aesthetically pleasing Mister Percy. What was once a former wool store has been transformed into a cozy oasis, complete with high ceilings, dark wooden beams and dim lighting. The wine menu will surprise and delight you, with many rare and vintage wines in the cellar just begging to be opened. Team it with Head Chef Luca Guiotto’s aperitivi and handmade pasta for a dining experience to remember. Find out more here.
Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point
Don’t be overwhelmed by the 400-strong wine list at this trendy Potts Point wine bar. The waitstaff will confidently guide you through the menu, tailoring plenty of recommendations to your palate with ease and finesse. Find out more here.
Coogee Wine Room, Coogee
While still fairly new to the Sydney wine bar scene, opening in late 2019, Coogee Wine Room was quick to make itself known in this beachside suburb. A stone’s throw from the beach, go for an afternoon dip, dust the sand off your feet and mosey straight towards this sleek two-level space for a great glass of wine. Find out more here.
Love, Tilly Devine, Darlinghurst
An ode to Sydney’s original bad girl and brothel owner, Matilda Devine, this Darlinghurst wine bar is cheeky in name with a wine list as rebellious as its namesake. Here it’s all about the low-intervention, boutique drops that continue to pave the way in Australian winemaking. Find out more here.
Where’s Nick, Marrickville
When Where’s Nick first opened its doors, it felt like an old friend you’ve known for years. Welcoming, unpretentious yet still living up to its Inner West charm, this cozy wine bar honours many emerging Australian wine producers with a penchant for minimal intervention, skin contact winemaking styles. Find out more here.
Reign at the QVB, CBD
A luxurious Champagne parlour and bar in the heart of the CBD, you say? How very regal. Light, bright and suitably adorned in marble and soft pink hues, lovers of a fine bubble in their wine will swoon over the 150+ Champagne and sparkling wine list. Find out more here.
poly, Surry Hills
With the team from Ester at the helm of this intimate wine bar, you know you’re in for a treat. Housed in the Paramount House building, poly shines in the realms of fine wine, exceptional bar snacks and well-executed main dishes. Expect plenty of quirky wines on the 16-page menu. Find out more here.
Monopole, Potts Point
Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt of Bentley are masters in blurring the line between wine bar and restaurant. At this moody Potts Point hangout, you could easily stay fixated on the 500+ rare and boutique wine list. However, after a glass of wine or two, it’s hard to resist the tasting menu. Find out more here.
Little Felix, CBD
One of the newer members of the Merivale clan and sister venue of Felix Bistro and Bar is Little Felix. Perfectly designed for a pre or post-meal tipple, Little Felix takes its cues from the great Parisian bars of the early twentieth century, with a French-centric wine and Champagne list. Find out more here.
Fix Wine Bar, CBD
With a 250+ bottle wine list, focusing on small and unusual wines from around the globe, wine aficionados need to put this much loved CBD bar and restaurant on their list. Find out more here.
Bartolo, Surry Hills
She Loves You, Newtown
At the helm of this intimate 40-seater bar is the talented Sydney Sommelier, Sophie Otton. With over 20 years of experience in the industry (having worked as Wine Director at Rockpool Bar & Grill), you can expect a quality wine menu spanning Australia-wide and beyond. Find out more here.
Vini Divini, CBD
Vini Divini is a Mediterranean wine bar in Sydney’s CBD offering one of the city’s most geographically diverse wine lists, with an impressive wine wall stocking more than 1000 bottles from 10 different countries (including Greece, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey), as curated by Raphael Mulligan, former head sommelier of Rockpool Dining Group. Find out more here.
