Enjoying the best views in Sydney for free sounds like a good plan, right? Well, our list of bars with a view in Sydney includes harbourside bars, rooftop bars with views of the city skyline or beaches views for the cost of a drink.

With this list, we have tried to pull together what we think are the best places to grab a drink in Sydney. We have included rooftop bars, bars sitting on the harbour’s edge, some great beachfront bars and a couple of hidden gems.

The list includes all sorts of venues, from the trendiest uber chic bars to old school pubs and clubs where everyone feels at home. The list is divided by area, so you can choose a bar near you.

Bars in Circular Quay

Let’s start with what we consider the best bars in Circular Quay because chances are, after exploring the harbour or taking in a show at the Opera House, you will probably find yourself thirsty in this part of town.

Opera Bar – the bar with Sydney’s best sunset view

This bar does not need much of an introduction. With its white umbrellas mimicking the Opera House sails, Opera Bar is perfectly positioned to watch a Sydney sunset. From a weekend breakfast to late-night drinks and pizza, this place is worth a visit any time.

It’s crazy busy here on Thursday and Friday afternoons with local workers, so try to arrive by 4pm if you want a seat. Most evenings and weekend afternoons feature live music from very talented local artists.

Tip: Sunset Hour specials – all beer & cider pints $9, Aperol Spritz or Opera Bar Rosé Spritz $10 from 5pm – 6pm, Monday to Friday

Vibe: Fun and friendly
Where: Sydney Opera House, Macquarie St, Sydney
Hours: 10am till midnight on weekdays and 9am till midnight on weekends.
Check their website for the latest menus and events.

Cruise Bar – Best Opera House view

On the western side of Circular Quay in the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Cruise Bar has an excellent Opera House and city skyline view. The bar offers three spaces with indoor and outdoor seating on each level.

The Rooftop at Cruise, with city and Opera House views and lots of outdoor seating.

Vibe: Hollywood Luxe, locals and visitors
Where: Level 1, 2 and 3, Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay West
When: 11am – Midnight 7 days

More Circular Quay Bars

• Harbour Bar at the Park Hyatt Circular Quay
• Hacienda Sydney at the Pullman Grand Circular Quay

Best Rooftop Bars in the Rocks

With more rooftop bars in Sydney opening all the time, it’s hard to go past these old favourites in the Rocks for a drink with a view.

The Glenmore – old school bar with an Opera House view

If you prefer your bars old school, then you will love the Glenmore. On the top floor of the pub, the rooftop bar has great views of the Opera House and a retractable roof for when the weather is not behaving.

Even so, heading up to this rooftop feels like entering the house of an old friend, and the menu is refreshingly affordable.

Tip: Mondays, you can get a steak for under $15. Sunday acoustic sessions from 3pm and $22 jugs of 4 Pines beer.

Vibe: Relaxed and casual, no need to dress up
Where: 96 Cumberland St, The Rocks
Hours: 11am -Midnight or 1am

Henry Deane – 360 degree harbour views bar

This rooftop bar sits at the top of the Palisades Hotel and offers 360-degree views of the city. Encased in glass and with a small outdoor area, you can view both sides of the harbour, west up the Parramatta River and Darling Harbour. Look east, and you will have the harbour bridge and the opera house in your sights.

Our tip – avoid the weekend if you can or arrive early if you want a seat.

The menu offers share plates, and the cocktails are always excellent.

Vibe: relaxed and bright
Where: Palisades Hotel Bettington St, Millers Point
Hours: Midday to midnight (10pm Sun) – closed Mondays
More: Check the menus and current specials here

Check out our guide to all the pubs in The Rocks and plan an afternoon drinking in history

Best High-Rise Bars in Sydney

If the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb is beyond your budget, you can still get a bird’s-eye view of Sydney from one of these sky-high bars.

Bar 83 Sydney Tower

With a 260-degree view and very retro looking, comfortable seating, there is a lot to love about this new bar at Sydney Tower.

Book yourself a sunset table and settle in with a bottle of prosecco and a tasting plate and watch the night skyline come to life. If you are visiting Sydney from overseas, try the pavlova or lamington, two of Australia’s classic desserts.

Vibe: old school cool
Where: Level 83 Sydney Tower – entry via level 4
Hours: Closed Monday, from 4pm Tue-Thurs and noon Fri-Sunday.
More details and bookings: here

O Bar & Dining – a rotating bar with a view

This rotating bar at the top of the Australia Square building is a great spot to head at twilight to watch the city skies change colour, and the lights come on. Tapas style menu suited to sharing. Cocktails around the $20 mark and mocktails available for $18.

Tip: minimum spend of $50pp applies for all lounge bar bookings. No under 18s admitted.

Vibe: Boarding on formal with dress rules
Where: Level 47 Australia Square, 264 George St, Sydney
Hours: Sunday-Wednesday: 5pm-10.30pm Thursday: Noon -11pm, Fri-Sat: Noon-11.30pm.

Bar Blu – a 5 star bar with Sydney Harbour views

If you are looking for THE Sydney Instagram shot, you will want to check out Bar Blu. Visit earlier in the week for the best experience, weekends can be hectic, and you will often have to wait to get near the view. Day or night, these views are hard to beat.

Bar Blu does not take reservations, so get there early or book the restaurant if you prefer the idea of being guaranteed a seat.

Vibe: Glamourous, dress rules apply and no shorts after 5pm.
Where: Level 36 of the Shangri La Hotel, Cumberland Street, The Rocks,
Hours: 4pm – Midnight (Mon- Thu) Noon to 1am Fri-Sat 11pm Sun.
More: Check the Shangri-La website for menus and prices

Rooftop Bars at Barangaroo and Darling Harbour

There are plenty of bars in Darling Harbour, and you won’t have to walk far to find a drink, but these four are our pick of the best rooftop bars in Barangaroo and Darling Harbour

Zephyr – Mediterranean Vibes on Darling Harbour

Looking out to the west, Zephyr Sky Bar is another great Sydney sunset spot. It’s a large rooftop space with plenty of comfy seating and a front-row position for the Saturday night fireworks. 

This summer, Zephyr is transporting guests to the world’s dreamiest holiday destinations, offering a ‘Taste of the Mediterranean’.

The elegant, revitalised décor inspired by stylish Mediterranean locales, includes citrus fruits, seashells, beautiful bougainvillea and sweeping landscapes of the picturesque French Riviera – you will be channeling a warm, care-free European summer in no time.

Vibe: Relaxed Luxe
Where: Level 12, 161 Sussex Street, Sydney
Hours: Open Tuesday – Friday: 3pm till late, Saturday & Sunday: 12:00pm till late

Smoke Bar – great cocktails and interesting bar snacks

Leading the way at Barangaroo, Smoke on the top floor of Barangaroo House is not a place you can just drop by. Bookings are recommended and usually required. We tried to drop in a few times, hoping to score a spot with no luck, and finally got organised enough to book. The positive of this is that you will not have to stand or wait, ready to pounce on an empty table.

The share plates and interesting and well-priced. I challenge anyone to leave behind a single nut in the serve of cashew & macadamia nuts, with the local plant, lemon myrtle salt. For summer in a glass, try the “Film Star” with cachaça, Aperol, coconut, citrus, mango puree.

Smoke won new bar of the year 2018

Tip: Book for Happy hour or “House Hour” as it’s known here 4-6pm Mon-Friday. $10 CUB pints, $6 wines, $10 cocktails and special prices on snacks.

Vibe: Stylish, even the staff are beautiful
Where: Level 3, 35 Barangaroo House Barangaroo Ave
When: Monday to Wednesday – 3pm to midnight / Thursday to Sunday – midday to midnight

Untied – Barangaroo

Much more chill than the average rooftop bar, Untied is a great spot to go for a catch up with friends. The view is of Darling Harbour, and decor gives the bar a great summer feel.

Happy hour deal – $7 House spirits, house wine, tap beer, or Froze your way $7 in 6 different flavours.

Vibe: Chill and friendly
Where: 400 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
When: Monday to Wednesday – 3pm to midnight / Thursday to Sunday – midday to midnight
More: Check out the menu and what’s on at Untied

Café Del Mar – Music with a view

Café Del Mar is best known for its chill vibe and afternoon DJ sessions. DJs perform every Friday and Saturday from 5pm until close and from 2pm Sundays for Sunset Sessions.

Along with the music, the tapas-style menu and $20 cocktails are great reasons to visit.

Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 4pm-7pm, Espresso Martini or Aperol Spritz for just $12. Peroni, Corona, standard spirits and wine – for the special price of $6.

Vibe: Chill, very chill.
Where: Rooftop Terrace, Cockle Bay Wharf, 35 Wheat Rd, Darling Harbour
When: 12pm till close
More: Check the website for latest pricing and events

Bars with a beach view in Sydney

Sydney Eastern Beaches are not short of jaw-dropping views, and thankfully there are several great places to grab a drink and take them in.

Coogee Pavilion – Food and drink for everyone

Coogee Pavilion looks out over Coogee Beach and the Pacific. The bar offers a range of food, including group menus and substantial items if you are really hungry.

The downstairs areas are suitable for families and have a great range of eat-in options. They take bookings too!

Vibe: Cool / locals
Where: Dolphin St, Coogee
When: Noon to Midnight
More: Menu and details on the website.

Bucket list Bondi – a bar that is almost on the sand

The perfect reward for completing the Coogee to Bondi walk is drinking at Bucket List in the Bondi Pavilion.

With $18 cocktails (and jugs for $36) and a relaxed menu featuring tacos, salads and burgers, Bucket List is popular with visitors and locals. Weekends feature plenty of great music to help create a chill mood. Bookings are taken for inside seating only.

Vibe: Beach club
Where: Bondi Pavilion, Shop, 1 Queen Elizabeth Dr, Bondi Beach
When: 11am till late.

North Bondi RSL – a local favourite

If you have not come across it before, an RSL is a Returned Soldiers League club. Almost every town and suburb across the country used to have one, but these days, their numbers have dropped a little. 

RSL clubs have traditionally been known for their very good value drink prices, but this one makes the cut for its position overlooking the beach at North Bondi.

Happy Hour – Thurs and Friday 5pm-7pm – $10 Aperol Cocktail $7 Guava Mimosa Cocktail $5 Rose (glass)

Vibe: Local and relaxed
Where: 118-120 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi
When: Midday till 10pm weeknights, 11pm weekends
More: Check their website for details of what’s on.

Icebergs Dining and Bar – Bondi’s best view

An indoor bar with glass walls and an outdoor summer terrace make the most of the spectacular Bondi Beach. A little more expensive than the other Bondi options and a much more limited menu in the bar and terrace, but the views are hard to beat.

Vibe: Beach luxe
Where: Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, 1 Notts Ave
When: Noon to midnight

Heading to the northern side of the city, if you are exploring Manly, these bars are all worth some time.

Manly Wharf Hotel – a great place to watch the world go by

Sitting right on the wharf where the ferry pulls in at Manly, the Wharf Hotel is a big venue with a large indoor area and a smaller bar sitting on a jetty. There are four bar areas, including a sports bar.

Plenty of daily specials and a large menu including pizzas, buckets of prawns, salads and share plates means it’s easy to find something to please everyone in a group.

Vibe: Casual by day, party by night
Where: Manly Wharf East Esplanade, Manly
When: 11.30am till midnight

Rooftop Garden Bar – New Brighton Hotel

Relax in a Balinese day bed or let your competitive site go wild at Monday night trivia; this friendly pub welcomes everyone and has fantastic views over Manly beach and the Corso.

Vibe: Fun and friendly
Where: 71 The Corso, Manly
When: Rooftop open 12pm – 11pm daily.