This luxe Kings Cross hotspot is popular with the designer-clad set, so be prepared to queue on weekends. Sneaky Sound System perform on Sundays, spinning electro, disco and funk.
Hugo's is so popular within the chi-chi scene, it's almost the cliche of the Kings Cross. Join the line that snakes down the stairs to Bayswater Road and envy the crowds up on the balcony, sipping their pricey cocktails and scotch.
For those who don't mind paying for it, Hugo's is a swanky, polished, pick-up palace. There's no time to notice the design of the place itself: the glossy crowd is all the decoration that it needs. The women are a blur of stilettos, shimmering sequins and salon-styled hair. The boys are designer clad and coated in a haze of aftershave.
Elbow your way through the drinkers to reach the bar and try a chocolate martini. It is one of the winning concoctions created by mixologist Mark Ward, who took out the title of 2005 Bartender of the Year at the Australian Bartender Magazine Awards.
Should you get peckish, you can peruse the bar menu and order one of the gourmet pizzas from Hugo's Bar Pizza, located on street level, just a flight of stairs away.
DJs play a variety of tunes from Thursdays to Saturdays. Sundays are big, featuring a skinny $5 cover charge and Sneaky Sound System tunes.
Hugo's has also just extended its space with a new cocktail area and outdoor terrace called Skyy Bar II.
Jennifer Miller
