Whisky Thief

Whisky Thief is a suave cocktail bar inside Prefecture 48, a sprawling hospitality precinct in Sydney’s CBD that channels the cultural and creative breadth of Japan’s 47 prefectures. (The precinct is its unofficial 48th.)

The offering here has been co-curated by the team at acclaimed Sydney cocktail bar Maybe Sammy. The highlight is the Thief signature, a twist on an Irish Coffee made with roasted hojicha tea. Cocktails shift with the seasons – if it’s spring, expect fresh, vibrant flavours; in autumn, the menu leans into more complex territory.

Hidden touches take the experience to the next level. Fingerprint-activated cabinets conceal rare whisky bottles, while allowing regulars to store their own personal collections. Lamps resemble the melted ice in your whisky glass, and bathrooms light up to reveal the thief’s bounty: a “stolen” stash of whisky bottles behind glass walls. But where to sit? Pull up a seat at the distillery-inspired high table or settle into a cosy corner.