Happy hour is a wonderful clocking-off ritual that separates our social and working lives, taking us out of our inboxes and back to the company of our friends. And now offices are filled once again, the hour break between work and play is as important as ever.
Rather than the images the movies conjure of packed dive-bars and a rush to the bottom of each glass, happy hour these days is a foodie occasion, packed with craft cocktails and mocktails, plates of charcuterie and cheese, bowls of olives and of course crispy hot chips.
Research from OpenTable tells us that the majority of Aussies are out and about at least once a week to meet friends, catch up and make the most of happy hour deals, with a G&T proving the most popular order. Now, a Gin & Tonic never goes unappreciated (nor does a bowl of hot chips either) but our best advice would be to use the discounted drinks as an excellent opportunity to try something (and somewhere) new and special. This is your chance to throw caution to the wind and find out if the new Italian joint near work is any good, if you like a Martini dry or wet or if a Strawberry Mojito pairs with fish tacos as you’ve always suspected it might.
Here’s 6 venues to get you started, but be sure to explore plenty more Happy Hours in your area on OpenTable.
Alibi, Woolloomooloo
Aperitivo hour, every Friday 4pm-6pm; $10 aperitivo classics, $15 Negronis
This is how Sydney rings in the weekend in style – nestled inside the Ovolo hotel sipping Italian aperitivos. Alibi has an endless selection of great spots to sit, each one feeling like a private living room inside the cavernous space that is the pier’s building with buckets of natural light streaming through, but our personal pick is to perch at the bar. That way you can see it all. Order the Campari Shakerato for a bittersweet and vibrant drink or try the White Negroni (yes, they also have the Sbagliato if you’ve yet to sample the viral cocktail). Snacks come from the vegetarian kitchen and we cannot recommend the pumpkin arancini with parmesan and sage enough.
Blackwood, Bondi
Friday-Saturday 4pm-6pm; $8 Tap Beer, $8 Wine, $12 Negroni, $12 Spritz, $12 Slushies
With the doors swung wide and the sunshine pouring in, you’ll be happy to have found this weekend retreat in Bondi, set just far enough away from the tourist-heavy promenade that you really feel like you’ve stumbled across the locals’ secret. Our tip is grab booth seating at the back to watch it all unfurl before you – all while piling your table with the best hot chips this side of the city (they come with lashing of rosemary salt and truffle aioli for dipping). Pair with the Miss Mandy Spritz using gin, yuzu, mandarin, sage and prosecco or order one of the vibrant slushies. It’s the weekend after all.
Bartolo Wine Room, Surry Hills
Thursday-Sunday 5pm-6pm; $3 Sydney Rock Oysters & $12 Martinis
If you’ve yet to jump on the Martini train, this is the venue to experiment so you can find your preferred style. A beautiful spot on Crown St, Bartolo is a polished yet intimate and warm venue that overflows with chatter and the sound of cutlery and corks. There are just three bar stools but if you can grab one we’d highly recommend it to watch the Martinis being made. Otherwise sit outside for the best people-watching Sydney has to offer (but it is Surry Hills, darling, so watch out for all the tiny dogs walking by!). Martini hour will see you choose between three options, all slightly different iterations but mostly made with local Aussie gins. Served half in your glass and the other half in a chilled metal tin on ice, you can languish on these as long as you like, while drizzling your $3 oysters in lemon and tabasco.
Fish & Co, Glebe
Monday-Friday 3.30pm-5.30pm; $6-$8 wine, $12 Strawberry Mojito, $5-9 beer, snacks from $5
Fish & Co is a mecca of sustainable and fresh seafood, and you’ll really feel like you’re moments from the market with its industrial meets clean tile-look and impressive wooden boat and silver fish sculpture hanging down from the ceiling. This place gets surprisingly busy so head in for happy hour and snag yourself a fish taco and refreshing Strawberry Mojito – $17 in total, which is unheard of in Sydney – to refuel for the rest of your evening. At Tramsheds, you’re moments from Blackwattle Bay so take a gander to the water’s edge after if you’ve time for an idyllic post-happy hour stroll.
Dead Ringer, Surry Hills
Monday-Sunday 5pm-7pm; Martini Club, $12 Martinis
Some may like it hot, but in Surry Hills they like it strong, and you’ll notice this is the second Martini happy hour in as many blocks. Over at Dead Ringer you can spend your happy hour outside on share tables or in the intimate bar area where you can watch the skilled staff shaking and stirring up a plethora of orders come 5pm. Martinis here are exactly as they should be – ice-cold and perfectly diluted. The house is with Tanqueray but you can switch out for whichever guest gin they’re hosting and pay the same price, and we’ll recommend you take the plunge to try something new. Order the homemade focaccia with the whipped ricotta to snack alongside and you’ll be pledging your oath to the Martini Club in no time.
Snacky Chans, Annandale
Tuesday-Sunday 4pm-6pm; $14 cocktails, $6 tap beers
Evolving the scene in Sydney’s Inner West is this Parramatta Road hidden gem, complete with a mini revolving sushi train (which they encourage you to get up and help yourself if you’re not sat in front), a creative cocktail menu and kitchen serving a heady mix of fusion classics and specials. Head in early doors for Snacky Hour and order any one of their drinks which boast flavours including yuzu, shochu, sake and matcha among the more common elderflower, lemongrass and rose. Hot tip; don’t leave without trying the chilli oil burrata with sesame crackers, it’s perfection in a bowl.
Jane Ryan is a writer and content creator. She has worked for global and local publications and events such as Difford’s Guide, London Cocktail Week, Concrete Playground, PUNCH and Imbibe. Before she grew too old and tired to work two jobs, Jane enjoyed working in bars, particularly London’s Callooh Callay, Satan’s Whiskers and Trailer Happiness.
