Sashay down the steps of the Sydney Opera House, and you'll reach this bar. Outdoor seating beckons, and so do the panoramic harbour views.
Nothing compares to downing a few beers in the summer sun, especially with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop. The setting is sure to make you thankful you're a Sydneysider, or at least a weary traveller with impeccable taste, as the case may be. Opera Bar, which rests under the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House, spells class, style and unadulterated luxury. Outdoor seats are positioned so close to the water you can almost wet your toes. A fusion of live jazz, funk and laidback soul provides easy listening seven days a week.
Young and stylish bar-goers litter the outdoor concourse, sipping a range of top-shelf tipples. Sample their custom-made boutique Opera Bar Organic Pale Ale on tap, brewed exclusively for the venue at Redoak Brewery, and the cocktail list is long enough to impress those with fancier drinking tastes. Wet your whistle with the Opera White Tea: it blends Russian standard vodka, Poire William Liqueur, Cointreau and Herradura tequila with pear puree and apple juice. The wine list is equally impressive, with around 30 Australian and New Zealand labels available by the glass.
A selection of snacks and light meals are on hand to fill that gap when hunger strikes. Succumb to a serving of Sydney rocks oysters and chilled bubbly, if you really want to dive into this quintessential harbour experience.
Victoria Brooks
