Cheers to the Sydney cocktail scene

Sydney is blessed with some of Australia’s most iconic attractions — the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, The Rocks district, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach.

But for true cocktail lovers, you need to dig a little deeper to find the bustling city’s real hidden gems — literally.

While any harbourside bar worth its salt can serve you up a standard, overpriced mojito, Aperol spritz or espresso martini, real cocktail connoisseurs must head underground.

Here’s the must-savour list of three of the best Sydney has to offer . . .

The Baxter Inn

The jewel in the crown of Sydney’s late-night scene, you’ll find it down a narrow laneway between two skyscrapers off Clarence Street. Emerge from the darkness and you’ll find a doorway that leads you down a concrete stairwell (mind the industrial pipes), through a fire door and straight into a picture-perfect prohibition-era American speakeasy from the 1920s.

It’s like stepping back in time, complete with the suspenders and aprons worn by the master mixers behind the long wooden bar. The atmosphere is low-light but electric, the music is old-school, there’s plenty of dark corners for intimate chats over a cocktail or three and the chilled vibes are as perfect as the Old Fashioneds.

The Baxter Inn specialises in whiskys, and my word there’s plenty of them to try (and from every corner of the globe). The menu behind the bar takes up most of the wall and there’s a separate book of options that runs to pages and pages.

Cocktails are divided into tastes to suit all-comers — fruit, spice, peat, floral, wood and wine, and the intriguingly named “evolving”.

For the ideal relaxed start (or end) to the night, there’s simply nowhere better.

Address 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney

Open Sun to Wed 4pm-3am | Thurs to Sat 3pm-3am

Donny’s Bar

OK, so this one’s not underground and it’s a lot easier to find, but it still serves up an array of cocktails that are so good just one won’t do.

It might be a stone’s throw from the shores of Manly Beach, but Donny’s brings a touch of downtown New York to this seaside tourist haven for those seeking chilled vibes, live music and great food set against a backdrop of exposed dusty red brick, big sturdy wooden high tables and the rustic feel of this small but mighty two-storey gem.

The cocktail menu is bold but spot-on. The Sticky Date Espresso Martini is a delight for the senses and the Hibiscus Chilli Martini (with hibiscus and chilli-infused Olmeca Tequila) will get your tastebuds racing. Whisky Business was a personal favourite — Jameson’s, French Earl Grey tea, Lillet Blanc and lemon topped with peach bitters and soda. Just perfect.

Donny’s will become your new holiday happy place. From first sip, it instantly puts you in a good mood.

Address 7 Market Place, Manly

Open Mon to Thu 5pm-2am | Fri 4pm-2am | Sat 3pm-2am | Sun 3pm-12am

The Cumberland

Within stumbling distance of Donny’s, The Cumberland is a haunt you won’t soon forget.

To get in, first you’ll need to find the tiny Cove Deli, which sits down a side street that looks like it would be home to anything but a deli. At the back of that deli is a heavy wooden fridge door.

A polite smile to the gentlemen behind the counter in the tiny space will earn you entry and down the spiral stairs you’ll go. The full reveal comes just a few steps from the bottom — a cosy, sandstone-walled, oh-so chic space that immediately takes your breath away. Attention to detail? This is the very definition (if such a thing exists when it comes to instantly transporting patrons into a world a million miles beyond the troubled times 20ft above).

This place oozes charm and sophistication. Those who adore The Baxter Inn might find the clean and glamorous decor — including a long, curved leather bench that wraps around the main sitting area — a little too perfect and polished for a speakeasy, but the imagination and flare shown in The Cumberland’s creation of its cocktails will more than make up for it.

The speciality here is very much the mix of rich and wonderful botanicals in cocktails found on its “Foraged and Found” list, including the Native Plum Sidecar.

The must-try signature cocktail is the namesake The Cumblerland — Glenlivet Caribbean cask, Pedro Ximenez, cherry and honey. Before serving, it’s covered in a glass cloche and smoked with cherry wood smoke. The smell when that glass case is removed is divine. And the taste? It’s a fair bet you’ll agree it’s one of the finest cocktails you’ve ever had. Definitely one where you want to be standing at the marble bar while they make it.

And if you fancy a little bite, that deli upstairs can also serve you up an impressive array of smallgoods dishes, including a charcuterie or cheese board.

To add to the prohibition-style underground adventure, there’s a secret exit. To say any more would spoil the fun.

Address 17-19 Central Avenue, Manly

Open Wed to Sat: 5pm–late | Sun: 4pm–10pm

An honourable mention . . .

This goes to Cantina OK! This may be one of the hardest places in Sydney to find but you’ll be glad you did. Hint: As you think you’re getting close, just listen out for the sound of a cocktail shaker at work somewhere down a dark alley . . . then walk towards it.

Cantina OK! has popped up in a tiny (and we do mean tiny, it’s standing room only for about 20) space but is serving up the best spicy margaritas in town. Tequila is the spirit of choice here, and do the team behind the bar know how to use it! It’s a short menu but the drinks are unbelievably good.

Best of all, the cramped quarters means it’s the perfect place to chat with your fellow cocktail aficionados.

Address Council Place, Sydney

Open Mon to Sun 4pm-2am