Best Bars in Chippendale

by Dan Cunningham and Holly Bodeker-Smith

Updated 8 months ago

Chippendale has transformed completely. Just a few yers ago, the suburb was considered unsavoury and a little run down. But with the help of the massive Kensington Street development, Chippendale is one of the most desirable suburbs in Sydney and host to some of its most interesting bars.

Some work the local uni-student crowd with meal deals and cheap brews, while others cater to higher-end tastes.

The Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen
Bar
Clean and clear, but still a pub.
The Lord Gladstone
Bar
A Chippendale pub with a courtyard, music and deep-fried desserts.
The Lansdowne Hotel
Bar
Established in 1925, The Lansdowne Hotel is one of the city's most iconic live music venues. Everyone from Billy Eilish to You Am I has graced its hallowed stages, and the Mexican-inspired rooftop is where you want to be at sunset.
Monkey's Corner
Bar
A tiny spot dishing up hip-hop, cocktails and steamed snacks.
Book a Table
Gin Lane
Bar
Gin Lane will convert anyone who says they don’t like gin. Of the 80-plus drops this dapper bar offers, many focus on botanicals you may have never tasted in the spirit before. As well as expert cocktails, the gin and tonic on draught here is a major highlight.
Cartel
Bar
This is a buzzing South American-inspired cocktail bar and diner by the teams behind Gin Lane and Eastside Bar & Grill. Expect ingredients such as spiced worm salt and grasshoppers, Margarita "trees", and more than 100 types of mezcal and tequila.
Saga Bar
Bar
A water feature with a huge buddha head. An illuminated technicolor jungle motif. And stone-stacked walls covered in vines. This hidden, intimate cocktail bar looks like a scene straight out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.