Burrow Bar

After five years in a moody basement space in the depths of De Mestre Place in Sydney’s CBD, Burrow Bar hopped a couple of streets over to another moody basement space, this time on the corner of Clarence and Barrack Streets.

Though the address is different, the spirit is the same. Anyone who remembers the original Burrow Bar will recognise the on-point service, the dark liquor collection weighing down the back bar, and even the fireplace. But the new tenancy came with a bright, light-filled space on street level, which owners Chau Tran and Bruce McDonough flipped into a Vietnamese restaurant, Cash Only Diner, as a tribute to Tran’s heritage and a shared love of the cuisine they both grew up on in western Sydney.

Otherwise, the drinks are just as good as you remember them, and the list still switches up regularly. The team also makes its own infused spirits and liqueurs, and it’s not uncommon to see some fiery bartending theatrics as you wait for your well-made house signature or classic libation.

A short and considered list of wines is also on offer, but the beer selection steps things up with imported European styles and singular craft beers from the likes of Wildflower in Marrickville and Bacchus Brewing in Queensland.

For food, the kitchen upstairs supplies bar-friendly Vietnamese snacks. Highlights include Shaking Beef skewers, grilled squid with Viet-style Harissa and black garlic, and bun bo hue, a spicy noodle soup from Hue in central Vietnam.