The Best Gin Bars in Sydney for a Top-Notch Tipple
Gin lovers, roll up! We're counting down the best gin bars in Sydney so you're in for a treat.
The best gin bars in Sydney move from the Coastal Citrus Gin of Manly Spirits Co. to Ester’s barrel-aged bottles. For those seeking a special occasion destination, stop in at Enmore’s Vineria Luisa for a hatted meal with your gin of choice, or gather some pals and head to Poor Toms in Marrickville for something more lowkey.
Whether you fancy light and bright gin halls or speakeasy-style underground bars, these are our picks for the best gin bars in Sydney.
Best Gins Bars in Sydney for a Special Occasion
Vineria Luisa
You’ll find Vineria Luisa, an Italian gintoneria from the team behind Ormeggio and Postino Osteria, tucked inside the iconic heritage-listed pink-and-purple Marie Louise Salon on Enmore Road. Gin is the star of the show, served in whopping goblets with an impressive tonic service and over 50 specialty gins on the list (but the Italian small plates and pasta are equally hard to resist). It’s giving Nonna’s place, if Nonna was molto elegante.
Suburb: Enmore
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Italian
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Long lunch
Need To Know: Head in during aperitivo hour (5:30–8pm Sunday to Friday) for $10 Martinis and Negronis.
Gin Lane
Gin Lane, in Chippendale’s foodie precinct, is another winning concept from Grant Collins. Set in a dark navy townhouse, the 1750s London-style bar features a collection of over 75 gins, many of which are homegrown. Grant is constantly experimenting with exciting cocktail techniques, so you can always expect something wacky and theatrical on the menu.
Suburb: Chippendale
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Gastropub
Best For: Cocktail lovers, Late night, Date night
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Archie Rose Distillery Co.
This Rosebery-based distillery is first and foremost a working production line, but its attached bar continues to lure in Sydney residents. Sitting just three metres from the distillery, the drinking den offers a chance to trial the full range of Archie Rose spirits, as well as discuss what has gone into the creation of different drinks.
The distillery space has been reimagined as a place where guests can really get hands-on with the process of distilling and blending. The brand’s signature experiences include the blend your own whisky and gin classes.
Sitchu Tip: The Cellar Door houses all of Archie Rose’s spirits, with an on-the-spot tailored spirits service available to personalise your own label.
Suburb: Rosebery
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Group dining, Date night, Weekend plans
Bondi Liquor Co.
Beginning its journey in Sydney’s favourite beachside suburb, Bondi Liquor Co.‘s gin is as breezy and sun-bleached as its name suggests. Now tucked up in its new home in Darlinghurst, Bondi Liquor Co.’s tasting bar is the perfect spot for a reviving gin cocktail or tasting flight. Their small-but-mighty copper produces a core range of botanically packed gins made with organic, Aussie-grown ingredients where possible.
Sitchu Tip: Sign up for their Gin Blending Masterclass if you fancy getting hands-on or just pull up a stool and get sipping.
Suburb: Darlinghurst
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Gastropub
Best For: Weekend plans, Locals, Cocktail lovers
Ester Distillery
Ester Distillery has been designed less to reflect a gin production lab and more as an artist’s studio. The space is quirky, inventive and packed with intriguing gin production equipment and curios. Pop by for a gin experience you won’t forget anytime soon. Enjoy a gin flight or sip on one of the finest gimlets, martinis or negronis you’ll find in Sydney.
Note: Currently residing in Marrickville, Ester is planning a move to Enmore in early 2027.
Suburb: Marrickville
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Locals, Group dining, Date night
Manly Spirits Co.
Combining a relaxed beachside location with the industrial vibe of a working gin distillery, Manly Spirits Co. is undoubtedly one of the best gin bars in Sydney. They’re dog-friendly, serve up exquisite cocktails with their very own gin and offer toasties and antipasto grazing boards to enjoy with your beverage of choice. Wins on wins! They even offer a gin-making class should you like to get involved. On top of their world-class gins, you’ll be able to taste their vodka, whisky, liqueurs and non-alcoholic gin should you fancy.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pub grub
Best For: Group dining, Weekend plans, Locals, Dog friendly
Poor Toms
Poor Toms was one of the first new-wave craft distillers in the area and they’ve built up a loyal following. They offer regular gin distillery tours if you’re interested in the process. If you’re keen to sample the goods, you can swing by Wednesday to Sunday to indulge in a selection of their range. The industrial space is light and bright and decked out with greenery, lending a relaxed vibe to an afternoon of catching up with friends.
Suburb: Marrickville
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Cocktail lovers, Locals, Group dining
Best Gin Bars in Sydney’s CBD
The Rook
A self-described ‘lobster, burger and liquor’ space, The Rook is a hidden rooftop bar tucked on the 7th floor of a nondescript York Street building that rewards those who seek it out. The gin offerings are woven throughout its inventive cocktail menu, and the vibe is chilled and characterful, so it’s well worth a visit for after-work drinks with a difference.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Weekend plans
The Barber Shop
Inspired by traditional European drinking venues, the bar space is a dimly lit parlour that is intentionally difficult to find but well worth the effort. The Barber Shop hosts a huge collection of gins from all over the world, as well as a pages-long cocktail menu and gin-flight offering.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Late night, Weekend plans, Cocktail lovers
FAQs About the Best Gin Bars in Sydney
The best gin bars in Sydney include Archie Rose Distillery Co. in Rosebery, Bondi Liquor Co. in Darlinghurst, Vineria Luisa in Enmore, Ester Distillery and Poor Toms in Marrickville, Manly Spirits Co. in Manly, Gin Lane in Chippendale, and The Rook and The Barber Shop in the CBD. The list spans working distilleries with tasting bars, a gin-focused Italian restaurant and hidden cocktail bars.
Several Sydney distilleries run hands-on gin classes. Archie Rose Distillery Co. in Rosebery offers blend-your-own gin and whisky classes, and its Cellar Door can personalise a bottle label on the spot. Bondi Liquor Co. in Darlinghurst runs a Gin Blending Masterclass for those who want to get hands-on, while Manly Spirits Co. offers a gin-making class at its beachside distillery. Poor Toms in Marrickville also runs regular distillery tours for anyone curious about the process, and opens Wednesday to Sunday for tastings.
Gin Lane in Chippendale has one of the largest gin lists in Sydney, with more than 75 gins, many of them homegrown. Set in a dark navy townhouse styled on a 1750s London bar, it’s another concept from Grant Collins, who regularly experiments with theatrical cocktail techniques. Vineria Luisa in Enmore stocks more than 50 specialty gins, while The Barber Shop in the CBD holds a huge collection sourced from around the world. All three suit drinkers who want to explore beyond a standard gin and tonic.
Manly Spirits Co. is a dog-friendly gin bar in Sydney, pairing a relaxed beachside setting with the industrial feel of a working distillery. Cocktails are made with its own gin, and toasties and antipasto grazing boards are available to snack on. Beyond gin, you can taste the distillery’s vodka, whisky, liqueurs and non-alcoholic gin. There’s also a gin-making class for anyone keen to get involved. It’s well suited to group catch-ups, weekend plans and locals looking for a laid-back spot on the Northern Beaches.
The best gin bars in Sydney’s CBD are The Rook and The Barber Shop. The Rook is a rooftop bar on the seventh floor of a York Street building, serving lobster and burgers alongside an inventive cocktail menu with plenty of gin options. Its chilled, characterful vibe makes it a great pick for after-work drinks. The Barber Shop is a hidden, dimly lit parlour inspired by traditional European drinking venues, with a huge collection of gins from around the world, gin flights and a pages-long cocktail menu.
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