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A city-by-city guide to Australia’s best bars

Our Bar of the Year that focuses on minimal-intervention wines, a micro-sized mezcal bar, and a raucous New York-channelling late-night bar. These are the best places for a drink according to our 2020 Restaurant Guide.
Bar Rochford, Canberra

Bar Rochford, Canberra.

Lean Timms

Adelaide

Maybe Mae

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The platonic ideal of the swanky subterranean speakeasy.

What to order: The Bill Murray – a winning blend of Japanese whisky, apricot brandy, citrus and mint.

15 Peel St, Adelaide

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Paloma Bar and Pantry

This worthy newcomer spruiks Med-inspired drinks, conservas and smallgoods in elegant, sleek surrounds.

What to order: The namesake Paloma.

20 Peel St, Adelaide

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Pink Moon Saloon

Chalet meets laneway at this endlessly charming institution with craft brews, on-trend wines and creative cocktails.

What to order: Gin and juice, spiked with cardamom and celery.

21 Leigh St, Adelaide, 0473745570

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The Tasting Room at East End Cellars

The whole bottle shop is your list. Browse carefully, pick a bottle, pay a mere $15 corkage and enjoy. Easy.

What to order: A flight from the featured winery of the week.

23-25 Vardon Ave, Adelaide, +61 8 8232 5300

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Brisbane

Arc Wine Bar

Innovative snacks from the shared Arc Dining kitchen, a cracking by-the-glass collection and prime city views.

What to order: Pork hock and head terrine.

5 Boundary St, Brisbane, 07 3505 3980

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1889 Enoteca

This Roman-accented wine bar boasts one of the country’s top natural wine lists and timeless pasta dishes.

What to order: A classic cacio e pepe.

10-12 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba, 07 3392 4315

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The Gresham

Moody old-school drinking digs situated plumb in the centre of Brisbane City.

What to order: Death and Taxes, an ode to Irish whiskey with pineapple and ginger.

308 Queen St, Brisbane, 0437 360 158

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Canberra

Bacaro

Another one of Canberra’s backstreet secrets abounds with Italian wine and ripping woodfired pizze.

What to order: Quattro formaggi pizza.

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7 Lonsdale St (enter via laneway), Braddon, (02) 6162 4888

Bar Rochford

Our 2018 Bar of the Year winner continues to be a standard-bearer in the natural wine and snack stakes.

What to order: Plum and lardo toast.

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Level 1, 65 London Cct, Canberra, (02) 6230 6222

Hobart

Institut Polaire

Cold-climate wines and cocktails made with Süd Polaire’s Antarctic dry spirits in a tundra-chic setting.

What to order: Monster prawns with tamari butter and peony capers.

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1/7 Murray St, Hobart, +61 (0) 432 925 895

Lucinda

A spirited little wine bar brought to you by the Dier Makr gang. Minimal intervention is the mantra, with smart and seasonal share plates to match.

What to order: Pâté en croûte.

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123 Collins St, Hobart

Lucinda, Hobart.

Melbourne

Bar Americano

Peak Melbourne: consummate classic cocktails in a tiny, hidden, standing room-only laneway bar. No photos.

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What to order: An Americano, obviously.

20 Presgrave Pl, Melbourne

Bar Margaux

French by way of New York-channelling late-night bar from the folks behind The Everleigh. Stylishly raucous.

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What to order: A Martini and a burger

Basement, 111 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, (03) 9650 0088

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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

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Miraculous, mind-bending cocktails with city views at Heston’s Melbourne outpost bar.

What to order: An astonishing Bloody Mary.

Crown Towers, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, (03) 9292 5779

Gerald’s Bar

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An idiosyncratic masterclass in what a neighbourhood bar should be, including good food and vinyl-driven soundtrack.

What to order: Wine and cut-to-order salumi.

386 Rathdowne St, Carlton North, (03) 9349 4748

Romeo’s Lane

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Precision cocktails, classic bar snacks, prescient bartenders in a gorgeous, intimate space.

What to order: The bartenders will tell you.

1a Crossley St, Melbourne, 0457 673 647

Perth

Petition Wine Bar & Merchant

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Local? Imported? Drink-in? Takeaway? The State Buildings’ in-house enoteca is the wino’s happy place.

What to order: Leave it to former GT Sommelier of the Year, Emma Farrelly.

State Buildings, cnr St Georges Tce & Barrack St, Perth, +61 (8) 6168 7772

Rockpool Bar & Grill

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Drink, snack, dinner and parts there-of: the bar at this elevated steakhouse is more than just a holding station.

What to order: Hand-cut fettuccine with wagyu Bolognese.

Crown Perth, Great Eastern Hwy, Burswood, +61 8 6252 1900

**Wines of While:

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Gourmet Traveller’s Bar of the Year

Meet Wines of While: a 50-seat cave à manger specialising in minimal-intervention wines chosen by chef-owner Sam Winfield. European in both inspiration and flavour, it offers no wine list, just a blackboard that changes a few times daily. The approach in the kitchen is similarly relaxed – think pasta all’arrabiata, or a plate of white beans with braised rapini to match your glass of Sicilian Lamoresca Rosato.

What to order: A magnum of Cantina Giardino’s skin-contact T’ara rà Greco, best enjoyed out the front catching the late-afternoon Western Australian sun.

458 William St, Perth, (08) 9328 3332

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Wines of While natural wine bar and restaurant in Perth WA

Wines of While, Perth.

(Photo: Lulu Cavanagh)

Young George

This loud, free-wheeling East Fremantle bar and kitchen is all about big-hitting drinks and flavours.

What to order: House charcuterie.

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48 George St, East Fremantle, 0864249500

Sydney

Cantina OK!

A standing-room only pocket of good times launched by the team from Tio’s, dedicated to agave-based spirits in all their glory.

What to order: The Margarita OK!

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Council Pl, Sydney

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Continental

This deli, bar and bistro trifecta hits the jackpot on all three fronts. Bonus points for the range of killer canned cocktails.

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What to order: The Mar-tinny.

210 Australia St, Newtown, (02) 8624 3131

Dear Sainte Éloise

Cosy seating, two-bite wins like roe boats (potato nests with salmon roe) and natural wine to boot. Dear Sainte Eloise is the love letter that Sydney needs.

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What to order: A $13 glass of mystery wine.

5/29 Orwell St, Potts Point, (02) 9326 9745

The Dolphin Hotel

Choose your own adventure: ponies of beer in the pub, idiosyncratic vino in the Wine Room, or futursitic cocktails at Scout upstairs.

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What to order: It all depends on where you sit.

412 Crown St, Surry Hills, +61 2 9331 4800

Double Deuce Lounge

The Ramblin’ Rascals Tavern trio double down with a “porno-chic” basement bar sequel that revels in ’70s sleaze.

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What to order: The Discretionary.

6 Bridge St, Sydney

Maybe Sammy

The roaring ’50s roar on at this Vegas-inspired boozer from the Maybe Frank squad.

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What to order: The New Frontier.

115 Harrington St, The Rocks, (02) 9241 4970

A city-by-city guide to Australia’s best bars
15 Peel St, Adelaide

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