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The Best Bars in Potts Point for a Memorable Night Out
Wine and dine at the best bars in Potts Point.
Potts Point’s best bars range from Caravin’s Parisian, 30-seat intimacy on Ward Avenue to Dear Sainte Eloise’s 400-bottle wine list on Orwell Street, with Jude’s Basement Bar bringing a disco-lit, Studio 54 mood down a Bayswater Road staircase. This small but mighty enclave has always had a knack for setting the scene, and its leafy, inner-city streets are home to an array of elegant, intimate bars built for a proper night out, whether you’re after nostalgia on tap or a fleeting sense of being somewhere in Paris.
Round out the night with Armslength’s fig-tree happy hour or The Butler’s skyline terrace, and you’ve got a stretch of Potts Point that runs from quiet wine bars to late-night hideaways, all within a few blocks of each other. Ready to lean in? Read on for our edit of the best bars in Potts Point.
In This Guide:
Editor’s Pick
Caravin
From the brains behind Bar Suze, Caravin is a little slice of European bar culture in Potts Point. The intimate, two-level space has all the hallmarks of a Parisian neighbourhood spot, from its art deco details and pavement seating to the easy, come-as-you-are atmosphere. The food leans French but doesn’t put itself in a box, with a constantly shifting menu of seasonal plates made for sharing, while the wine list moves between natural drops and old-world classics. With just 30 seats, it has the kind of intimacy that makes even a midweek glass of wine feel like a very good idea.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers, Special occasion
Need To Know: Just 30 seats, so it fills quickly on weekend evenings.
Best Wine Bars in Potts Point
Dear Sainte Eloise
George Orwell lived just around the corner on this very street, and you get the sense he’d have approved of what’s on offer at Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point’s answer to a proper night of bread and a bottle (or two). It’s one of Sydney’s best wine bars, named for the street it sits on and built for the kind of evening Orwell would have written home about.
On the booze front, you can expect over 400 bottles of wine from around the world. If that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry, there’s a sommelier on hand to help you choose a delicious drop. Or, you could check out their mystery wines – guess the grape and country of origin and the glass is free!
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Locals
Need To Know: A sommelier is on hand to help navigate the 400-bottle list, and the mystery wine game offers a free glass for a correct guess.
Chester White Cured Diner
Billed as ‘the locals’ lounge room, Chester White Cured Diner is the perfect spot for pasta, charcuterie and wine (so much wine)! On the food front expect small plates and soul-soothing bigger plates like truffle cacio e pepe served in a cheese wheel.
The wine is where they shine though, with sparkling, white, red, rosé and a massive range of biodynamic and organic wines.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Charcuterie
Best For: Wine lovers, Group dining, Locals
Best Bars in Potts Point for Date Night
ArmsLength
Housed within one of Kellett Street’s iconic townhouses, Armslength is the perfect spot to wind down with the sun. Seat yourself under the towering fig tree and enjoy a generous two-hour happy hour window. House wine, beer and Four Pillars G&T’s will set you back $8 a pop whilst you can score a spritz, margarita or gin sour for just $12. Grab a jaffle for $12 or score a tap beer or house wine with it and it’ll only cost you an easy $15.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Budget-friendly, Weekend plans, Locals
Need To Know: Two-hour happy hour with house wine, beer, and Four Pillars G&Ts from $8, spritz or margarita from $12, and a $12 jaffle available with a $15 drink pairing.
The Butler
With high ceilings, botanical wallpaper, plenty of thriving plants and wicker furniture, The Butler’s restaurant has a chic French colonial vibe.
For the ultimate date night, head to the lush terrace, which has panoramic views of the Sydney skyline. The menu is made up of small and large share plates with a Mexican spin, and the cocktail list is guaranteed to get the conversation flowing.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Mexican
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Outdoor dining
Best Bars in Potts Point for a Big Night Out
Jude’s Basement Bar
Down a staircase off Bayswater Road, Jude’s does its best impression of Studio 54 relocated to Potts Point, trading the street above for a 30-seat basement lounge built for exactly the kind of night the Beatles had in mind when they wrote that song. Think curved mirrored walls, suede curtains, velvet lounge chairs and a disco ball spinning under the original exposed ceiling.
On the drinks front, expect retro-inspired cocktails from Michelin-star bartender Danny Renwick, with the signature Hey Jude splitting the difference between a lychee martini and a spicy margarita. It’s walk-in only and open until 3am Monday-Saturday, so it’s perfect for those ‘let’s see where the night takes us’ plans.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Late night, Cocktail lovers, Group dining
Need To Know: Walk-ins only, no bookings taken.
The Roosevelt
The glammed-up prohibition style gives this Potts Point bar amorous appeal. Sink back into leather-backed chairs at The Roosevelt and hide from the world for a few hours. Boasting American-style tapas, vintage cocktail equipment and a private poker den – The Roosevelt comes seeping in nostalgia.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Tapas
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Group dining
Need To Know: A private poker den is available on-site.
Dulcie’s Kings Cross
Cosy but not quaint, Dulcie’s is the mysterious parlour bar that will take your date night to a new level. Dulcie’s Bar has reinvigorated the Golden Mile by slinging prohibition-era cocktails and showcasing some of Sydney’s best underground cabaret acts.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Late night, Locals, Special occasion
Need To Know: Features live underground cabaret acts alongside prohibition-era cocktails.
Best Bars in Potts Point for Casual Drinks
Piccolo Bar
Piccolo Bar is the oldest café in Kings Cross, first opened back in 1952. In 2020, when Dave Spanton heard that Piccolo was about to be lost forever, he took the plunge to save this iconic venue. A pint-sized spot with just 12 seats inside and eight outside.
If you’re not familiar with the local lore, The Piccolo Bar was a cosy, non-licenced café open from 6pm-6am every night, run by legendary former operator Vittorio Bianchi, who started working in the café back in 1964.
The renovated spot has been brought back to life, re-imagined as an aperitivo bar and diner, with a stepped-up interior bringing flair back to the venue.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Locals, Quick bite, Special occasion
Need To Know: Just 12 seats inside and 8 outside — Sydney’s oldest cafe, reopened in 2020 as an aperitivo bar and diner.
Jangling Jack’s
This little hole-in-the-wall local, with jazz and a curated cocktail menu is like something out of Greenwich Village, and one of the best bars in Potts Point for a laid-back evening.
Head on down to Jangling Jack’s to see what all the fuss is about, from the delicious bar nibbles to the expertly made cocktails.
Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Locals, Cocktail lovers, Late night
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Bars in Potts Point
Caravin and The Butler both suit a date night in Potts Point. Caravin is a 30-seat Parisian-style wine bar on Ward Avenue with a concise French menu and an intimate, low-key atmosphere. The Butler offers a French colonial-style terrace with panoramic Sydney skyline views, share plates with a Mexican influence, and a cocktail list built to keep conversation going. Both are suburb regulars for couples looking for something more considered than a standard night out, and both work well for a quieter or a livelier date depending on which room you choose.
Yes, Potts Point has some of Sydney’s strongest wine bar options. Dear Sainte Eloise on Orwell Street carries around 400 bottles from around the world with a sommelier on hand to help navigate the list. Chester White Cured Diner nearby focuses on small plates, charcuterie, and a broad range including biodynamic and organic wines. Both suit a long, unhurried session rather than a quick drink, and both are within easy walking distance of each other for a two-stop wine crawl.
Jude’s Basement Bar is the standout for a bigger night, a 30-seat basement lounge accessed via a staircase off Bayswater Road, with retro-inspired cocktails from bartender Danny Renwick. The Roosevelt offers a similar prohibition-era energy with American-style tapas and a private poker den. Both lean into a late-night, dressed-up atmosphere rather than a casual catch-up, and both suit a group looking for something with more theatre than a standard bar visit.
Armslength on Kellett Street runs a two-hour happy hour with house wine, beer, and Four Pillars G&Ts from $8, plus spritz, margarita, or gin sour options from $12. A jaffle is available from $12, or paired with a tap beer or house wine for $15. It’s a strong option for an easygoing, budget-friendly start to the evening before moving on elsewhere in Potts Point.
Piccolo Bar, technically in neighbouring Kings Cross, holds that title, first opened in 1952 and run for decades by former operator Vittorio Bianchi from 1964 onward. It was reimagined in 2020 as an aperitivo bar and diner after previously operating as a non-licensed cafe open through the night. It remains a small, twelve-seat spot with an additional eight seats outside, prized for its history as much as its current offering.
Loving our list of the best bars in Potts Point and already planning your next night out? Why not start with dinner plans? Check out Sydney’s best French Restaurants, or keep it casual with the best dumplings in Sydney.
