The Best Wine Bars in Sydney for a Delicious Drop

There’s something so luxurious about a visit to a wine bar. Sydney’s best wine bars cover everything from Claret Club in Darlinghurst which pairs a serious wine list with European-inspired dining, to Bar Copains in Surry Hills for catching up with friends over natural drops, and AALIA Wine Room in the CBD as an easy mid-week pick with a huge by-the-glass offering.

So, if you’re in the mood for some pinot and people-watching, or some grenache and gastronomic goodies, grab the gang and head to your nearest wine bar. Keep reading as we plunge into the very best wine bars in Sydney. 

Editor’s Pick: I Love Florence

A little piece of Florence has landed in Sydney’s CBD, complete with its own wine window! As the name implies, I Love Florence is inspired by Florence’s centuries-old buchette del vino, (the tiny street-facing hatch lets you ring a bell and order a glass straight through the window). The bar is closed on the weekends, but opens at 6am during the week to sell coffee, before moving into evening vino, with European pours and simple Italian plates including focaccia and burrata. Yum!

Suburb: Sydney (CBD)
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals, Group catch-ups

Best Wine Bars in Sydney for a Date Night or Special Occasion

Claret Club

Set across a two-storey Darlinghurst terrace, Claret Club pairs a serious wine program with a thoughtful, European-inspired dining room upstairs. Led by Head Chef Andy Buchanan, the à la carte menu leans into refined, wine-friendly cooking — think pig’s head croquettes, gnocco fritto with anchovy and sage, market fish with sauce vierge and roast duck with summer cherries. It’s relaxed yet polished, and given its homely aesthetic, it’s almost like having a really delicious dinner at a friends house.

Suburb: Darlinghurst
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Wine lovers

Henry G’s

This moodily lit wine bar on Manly’s Corso is a must-visit for anyone looking to be transported to somewhere else entirely. Oozing old-world charm, Henry G’s 1800s aesthetic leans into dark woods, leather banquette seating and even boasts a library filled with antique books. With a global wine list, the menu is highly curated and perfect for anyone looking to discover a new drop. The venue is also well-known for its pintxos and small plates, serving a range of meats, cheeses and breads alongside richer bites like glazed chorizo, manchego with quince and a Basque cheesecake. Oh, and did we mention there’s a live pianist on weekends?

Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Date night, Special occasion

Best Wine Bars for Natural and Small-Batch Wine

Lokal

This cosy and intimate bar offers up an impressive selection of wines from all over the world, with a particular focus on small-batch and natural wines. Pet nat lovers will feel very at home! In addition to the excellent wine selection, Lokal‘s menu features a range of share plates and charcuterie boards.

Suburb: Surry Hills
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals

Love, Tilly Devine

With a hint of Melbournian magic, this lovely little wine bar is tucked down a Surry Hills laneway. Arrive early and secure a spot in the window, order a pét nat, pinot or a natural wine from some of the best up-and-coming local winemakers and enjoy a side of people-watching.

Suburb: Darlinghurst
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night

Famelia 

This female-run wine bar and bottle shop specialises in women winemakers, women-led wineries and wife and husband teams. Ahem. Could a wine shop get any more perfect? Each month Famelia feature 12 wines with a story and offers them up for tastings. Swing by for a wine flight and pair it with a rotating selection of grazing dishes. 

Suburb: Newtown
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Girls’ night]
Need To Know: Monthly tastings feature a rotating selection of 12 wines.

Best Wine Bars in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst

Bar Copains

With Copains meaning friends in French, it’s the perfect place to catch up with your besties over a glass of vino. The wine list is a mix of natural and traditional drops with a few offbeat options thrown into the mix. And with chefs Nathan Sasi (ex-NOMAD, Mercado) and Morgan McGlone (Belles Hot Chicken) at the helm, the menu is small but mighty. 

It’s no secret that this is a Sydney cult-favourite, having recently been crowned ‘Best Neighbourhood Bar’ in the 2025 Sitchu Awards, and being awarded a Hat in the 2026 Good Food Guide. It has also received acclaim for it’s wine list in the 2025 Wine List of the Year Awards.

Suburb: Surry Hills
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals, Group catch-ups

Gildas

Gildas pays tribute to the original pintxo, created in San Sebastian with just three simple ingredients — a guindilla pepper, an olive, and an anchovy. This classic Basque snack, which was founded by the owner and chef, Lennox Hastie, after his time spent in the foothills of the Basque Country, was the inspiration behind Gildas. Here, you’ll be able to sip on rosés from the Barossa Valley and reds from Ribera del Duero, but it’s their collection of Sherry that’s well worth a dance on your taste buds.

Suburb: Surry Hills
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night

Best Wine Bars in the CBD and Inner West

AALIA Wine Room

AALIA Wine Room is as central as it gets, making it a top pick for a mid-week catch-up. With a focus on discovering new drops, the menu is designed to spark curiosity and encourage you to try something different.

Attached to its two-hatted Middle Eastern sibling next door, the menu features a range of delicious bites alongside a huge offering by the glass and even more by the bottle. With natural details, curved windows and banquette seating, every aspect of the space has been considered, making the CBD suddenly feel a lot more like your local, (just with a side of seriously good wine).

Suburb: Sydney (CBD)
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals, Group catch-ups

Dear Sainte Eloise

As George Orwell said in 1933, ‘Dear Sainte Eloise, if you exist, please send me some money. I don’t ask for much — just enough to buy some bread and a bottle of wine.’ Answering old George’s prayers, Potts Point’s Dear Sainte Eloise is the perfect spot for some bread and a bottle (or two!). On the booze front, you can expect everything from delicate balances to mystery wines (guess the grape and country of origin, and the glass is free!). On the food front, you can expect everything from oysters to goat’s curd, pasta and pannacotta.

Suburb: Potts Point
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers

Letra House 

Enter this underground bar via cobblestoned Kent Street and emerge into a haven of exposed brick, walnut-stained timber and mood lighting. Over 50 bottles of wine are available by the glass on any given day with a focus on lesser-known regions such as Lebanon, USE and Greece. As for bites, Letra House‘s menu revolves around Spanish-style plates with tapas, cured meats and larger plates up for grabs.

Suburb: Sydney (CBD)
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Group catch-ups

Where’s Nick

A great spot to start your wine education, Where’s Nick is owned by brothers Julian and Dominic Abouzeid. The spot is named after their third brother, Nick, as a fun way of reminding him that he’s conspicuously missing from the family venture. Choosing their drops for drinkability above all else the 150 bottles of wine are chosen by Julian while Dominic mans the kitchen. Decoration includes a mural by the eponymous Nick and a piece by sculpture and multi-media artist Ian Swift. 

Suburb: Marrickville
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals

Best Wine Bars in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and Beaches

Coogee Wine Room

Wine by the beach. How good is that? Coogee Wine Room is an intimate spot that marries the charm of intimate European wine bars with coastal chill. Their repertoire of 400 wines from around the world is married with a seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired menu.

Suburb: Coogee
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar
Best For: Wine lovers, Locals, Waterfront

Sella Vinoteca

In Randwick’s bustling Newmarket Dining Precinct, you’ll find Sella Vinoteca, a wine shop and Italian restaurant. With chic interiors, a terrazzo floor, and accents of blue and light-filled spaces, Sella Vinoteca is a love letter from restaurateur Fabio Dore to his childhood and the time he spent in Sardinia. While you’re welcome to just drop in for a glass of vino, in our opinion, the food is too good to miss. Chef Marco Masotti, formerly of A Tavola, flexes his creativity by creating menus inspired by the wine. From small tapas plates to hearty main meals, you can easily spend a whole evening here.

Suburb: Randwick
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Wine bar, Italian
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers, Long lunch

Frequently Asked Questions about Sydney’s Best Wine Bars

What is the best wine bar in Sydney for a date night?

For a romantic night, Claret Club in Darlinghurst is hard to beat, pairing a serious by-the-glass wine list with a refined, European-inspired dinner menu across its two-storey terrace. Henry G’s on Manly’s Corso is another strong option, its dark timber, leather banquettes and antique-filled library creating an old-world, transportive atmosphere, especially with the live pianist that plays on weekends. Both venues balance considered wine programs with food menus substantial enough to build a full evening around, rather than treating wine as an afterthought to a light snack list.

Which Sydney wine bars have the best food menus?

A handful of Sydney’s wine bars treat food as equally important as the wine list. Claret Club, led by Head Chef Andy Buchanan, serves wine-friendly dishes like pig’s head croquettes and roast duck with summer cherries. Bar Copains, from chefs Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone, pairs a small but considered menu with its wine list and has been recognised with a Hat in the 2026 Good Food Guide. Sella Vinoteca in Randwick goes further again, functioning as a full Italian restaurant alongside its wine offering, with menus designed around the wines rather than the other way round.

Which Sydney wine bar is best for natural and small-batch wine lovers?

Lokal in Surry Hills has a particular focus on small-batch and natural wines, making it a strong pick for pet nat fans, alongside share plates and charcuterie to graze on. Love Tilly Devine, tucked down a Surry Hills laneway, pours natural wine from up-and-coming local winemakers and is best enjoyed from a window seat with a pét nat in hand. For something further afield, Gildas in Surry Hills leans into Spanish and Basque drops, including a well-regarded Sherry selection, alongside its signature pintxo bites.

What are the best wine bars near Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and beaches?

Coogee Wine Room brings a beachside, European-meets-coastal feel with around 400 wines and a seasonal Mediterranean menu, right by Coogee Bay Road. In Randwick’s Newmarket Dining Precinct, Sella Vinoteca combines a wine shop with an Italian restaurant helmed by chef Marco Masotti, serving Sardinian-inspired small and large plates. Both are solid options if you’re after a wine bar with a genuine food offering close to Sydney’s eastern beaches, rather than a CBD or inner-city setting.

Which Sydney wine bars are good for a casual mid-week catch-up?

AALIA Wine Room in the CBD is designed for exactly this, sitting alongside its two-hatted Middle Eastern sibling and offering a huge by-the-glass list in a central, easy-to-reach location. Bar Copains in Surry Hills is another good pick, built around catching up with friends over natural and traditional wines and a small, chef-led menu from the team behind NOMAD and Belles Hot Chicken. Both venues lean casual rather than occasion-driven, making them easy to drop into without much planning.

Did you love this edit of the best wine bars in Sydney? If you’re the sort of person who likes to know about the best-kept secrets in town, check out our round-up of Sydney’s best hidden bars. Then, why not take a look at our guide to Sydney’s newest bars?