You’re doing Sydney wrong if you haven’t enjoyed a cocktail or two at a MUCHO Group venue.
Their six bars each have signature details that make them unique and loveable, such as hand-drawn menus on arrival and popcorn that’s so good it might supersede your dinner.
To name a few — there’s Bar Planet in Newtown (a Worktones favourite if we do say so ourselves) which combines martinis with psychedelic alien vibes. Cut to Cantina OK!, a hole-in-the-wall, standing-only Mezcal bar serving world-famous margaritas. And then, their newest venue, Herbs Taverne, a dedicated negroni bar lit up entirely in red.
Local Guides are brought to you by your friendly concierge, Worktones. We’ve got the plug on the best restaurants, cafes, bars and other gems in the neighbourhood by those who know a thing or two about serving up good times in the area.
We’ve focussed this guide on the Inner City, but we’re talking mostly Newtown and the CBD where you’ll find their venues.
The MUCHO Group team helping us put together this guide to Inner City Sydney:
- Clay - Design Director
- Olivia - Junior Marketing Coordinator
- Jess - Graphic Designer
- Storm - MUCHO Head of Service
- Lucy - Assistant Group Operations Manager
What's your go-to when you knock off?
- Clay - I have a big soft spot for The Duke. The Carlisle is great too!
- Olivia - Bar Planet. Best vibes, staff and popcorn is free and delicious!! Great pre-dinner snack!
- Jess - Bar Planet (biased but you just can't beat the martini and popcorn combo).
- Storm - Chuck Trailors, Bondi Beach
- Lucy - I love The Magpie in Enmore for a nice crisp Guinness. If I'm after a snack, I love going to the happy hour at Jane in Surry Hills. The Lamb Dumplings and Duck Croquettes washed down with a Jane Martini is a dream come true! A vino at Spon can also never miss, truly top stuff.
Where are you eating on a day/night off?
- Clay - It’s gotta be Chinatown. Unbeatable.
- Olivia - Cairo Takeaway Enmore (best meat plates and feels healthy!)
- Jess - Cairo Takeaway! The chicken pita pocket is so so yum.
- Storm - Bar Vincent.
- Lucy - Almost every day off, I start my day with a Good Ways Deli sandwich and a cold brew. The Breaky Sandwich is stunning, or the Deli sando if I'm feeling wild. Later in the day, you can't go wrong with a beer and a pub feed from the Bat & Ball or if I'm feeling fancy, I love nibbles at Bar Tigra in the City. Ah! and Letra House! There are too many!
It's staff party time... where would you take the whole team?
- Clay - Surely it’s a King St medley: Europe Grill, then straight into The Cipher Room for max team chaos, then to Enmore Hotel. Rogue choice: Harbour Bridge Climb, then straight on that pirate ship you can hire in Sydney Harbour.
- Olivia - Fabbrica Newtown, best pasta and such lovely vibes.
- Jess - Baby Dragon Bar!!!!!
- Storm - Ramblin Rascals
- Lucy - Ohhhhhh Baby, do we know how to get the party started. The whole team without a doubt loves a beer at Seri Bar in Chinatown. It's a Thai Karaoke bar that serves popcorn (we can't help ourselves). Cheap beers and Thai music, what more could you want. It's like transporting yourself to Bangkok, minus the pain and $20 lasagne of an international Jetstar flight.
You have a 15 minute lunch break... where are you grabbing a quick bite?
- Clay - If Sushi Train was closer, game over. But Sultan’s Table is a classic. Enmore Rd needs an Onigiri spot immediately.
- Olivia - Soulmate (delicious oat maple cold brew) and surprisingly amazing spinach and cheese pastry!!
- Jess - Soulmate of course! The staff are the best and the food is elite - the chicken sandwich is my go-to Friday lunch treat.
- Storm - Pitt St Mall food court.
- Lucy - We are so lucky on Enmore Road to be spoiled for choice! Mamuki has the best Matcha on the road, stunning stuff! Kazuki has the most delicious Japanese food for a good lunch bite. The Agedashi Tofu is mindblowing. Otherwise, Delicious Rolls is always a crowd pleaser. (Guilty pleasure is the pizza from Ooshman, we get it for all our new staff trainings hehe).
Gotta kill time... where are you going window shopping?
- Clay - Repressed Records! They’ve always got great Aussie music. Or that store on King St that sells all the vintage Mambo ephemera, it’s wild.
- Olivia - Reunion (every lunch break whoops).
- Jess - Reunion!
- Storm - Pitt Street Mall.
- Lucy - OMG, stop that. Don't tempt me. We love having a cheeky browse in Reunion of course. The range they have in there is awesome, and it is so hard to walk out empty-handed. Hands in Newtown is another spot that I could spend hours in! The trinkets!!! Call me lame, but I am a sucker for a browse around QCC Hospitality Supplies (maybe it's the Ops in me). Where else can you get beautiful cutlery, syrup for your coffee, cocktail shakers, HUGE whisks, dishwasher soap, tiny little sauce pots, table cloths, a label maker??? It is my dream.
Worktones make custom caps for Bar Planet.
