03 Nov 2021

The 10 best happy hour bars in Sydney & Darling Harbour

It’s 5pm. You made it! Treat yourself with a happy hour drink at some of Sydney’s best cocktail bars, pubs, and clubs in Darling Harbour.
The 10 best happy hour bars in Sydney & Darling Harbour

5pm is the happiest of hours.

Stop clacking away at your keyboard office workers and put your tools down tradies, because you’ve earned a drop of something cold and refreshing at one of Sydney’s best bars.

To help you celebrate the end of the working day, we’ve served up a list of the 10 best happy hours spots in Darling Harbour - from craft beers in an old pump house to champagnes with panoramic sea views.

 

*Prices correct at time of publication 

Fratelli Fresh

With a wide range of cocktails, spirits, wine, beer and antipasti plates, Fratelli Fresh are bringing more to your favourite time of the day. Join them from 3pm – 6pm, daily for an array of Aperitivo drinks and antipasti plates.

FRATELLI FRESH
Champagne Bar
Monday to Thursday 5 pm - 7pm | $19 Champagne, $12 Cocktails, $8 De Bortoli Legacy Wines, $11 Spirits and $5 Beers. If you’ve got something to celebrate (like the fact it’s 5pm) or you just feel like poppin’ bottles, Champagne Bar at the Sofitel is the place to go. It’s got stunning views over Darling Harbour through floor to ceiling windows, lavish interior design and a champagne menu that’s longer than your to-do list.
Champagne Bar
Bungalow 8
Monday to Friday 4 pm - 7pm | $6 pints of beer. Right on the water on King St Wharf, you’ll find Bungalow 8. This Sydney nightlife icon sports a jungle theme, cocktail jugs and dozens of wines and beers to choose from. During the day, it’s a chilled restaurant serving healthy Mexican fare, but when the sun goes down it kicks things up a notch with DJs and a packed out dancefloor.
Bungalow 8
Nakano Darling
Monday to Thursday 5 - 6pm Friday 4 - 6pm | Free chicken karaage with tap beer. Nakano Darling is a Japanese izakaya bar on Steam Mill Lane. The focus here is on a generous list of Japanese beers, sakes and highballs, served alongside a bevvy of salty snacks like gyoza and chicken karaage. Hanging lanterns provide a dim light and drinkers can choose to sit on tatami mats on the floor for a real izakaya experience.
Nakano Darling
Cafe Del Mar

Monday to Friday 4pm - 7pm | $7 Sangrias, house wines, Sydney Lager, Peroni, James Boags, or standard spirits & mixer | $12 Aperol Spritz | $15 Espresso Martini. Cafe Del Mar brings Mediterranean beach vibes to Sydney, serving up cocktails, live DJs and delicious cuisine on their expansive harbourside terrace. Come for the sea views, stay for the cocktails and the packed dance floor because this is definitely one of the most unique (and best!) cocktail bars in Sydney.

Cafe Del Mar
Bucket Boys
Monday to Friday 4pm - 6pm | Discounts on house wine, beer and cider. Every hour spent at Bucket Boys is happy. These guys have a rotating tap list including the best local craft beers and a bottle shop next door with 150 beers that you can drink on site or take away. If all that selection makes it too hard to choose, go for a tasting platter of four beers, a natural wine or cocktail on tap.
Bucket Boys Bar & Bottle Shop
The Watershed Hotel
Monday to Friday | $6 beer and wines $10 cocktails. The Watershed Hotel is so close to the water you could just about jump from the bar into the harbour. Those sea and city views are the perfect backdrop to happy hour drinking on the hotel’s expansive harbour-side courtyard. Stick around after the sun goes down and you’ll witness this laid back venue go from quiet drinks to DJs. There’s always something going on at this Sydney icon at the weekend.
The Watershed Hotel
The Port
Monday to Friday 4 pm - 7 pm | $5 house wines, schooners & bar snacks. Going to The Port for a drink is a little like going on holiday. This Cockle Bay Wharf watering hole has stunning sea views, a lush hanging garden, French coastal vibes and harbourfront cabanas. We recommend finishing off your work week reclining on the terrace at The Port with a glass of bubbles and a dozen oysters.
The Port
Dundee Arms
Tuesday to Friday 4 pm to 6:30 pm | $5 house beer & wine. When it opened in 1860, the historic Dundee Arms served the sailors and dockmen of the day in a predominantly industrial area. Today, the hotel is a fascinating piece of Sydney’s history as well as a laid back pub, offering cold beer, hearty Australian fare and a jolly atmosphere. Come during happy hour and wash a schnitty down with a couple cold pints.
Dundee Arms
Harbour Bar & Kitchen
Every day 3 pm - 6 pm | $5 wines, beers, spirits & $18 jugs of sangria Harbour Bar and Kitchen sits high atop Harbourside, with sweeping views of the harbour and Pyrmont Bridge. They’ve got a long list of creative cocktails and an expansive outdoor terrace, perfect for soaking in the sun while you sip on something refreshing.
Harbour Bar & Kitchen