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Nightlife Oxford Street, the heart of Sydney’s gay area, may have lost the edge of its 1980s heyday but is now buzzing with cafés and clubs – gay and straight – which have replaced its former sleazy collection of leather bars. The established red light area of Kings Cross continues to cater for the seedier side of life. The Rocks, with its wharves and warehouses, was the original drinking heart of the city and, in the early 20th century, the rowdy scene of the ritual ‘six o’clock swill’, when workers would drink as much as possible before the pubs closed at 1800. Today, the period pubs have been cleaned up for its huge tourist clientele. Drinks at the harbourside terrace across the bay, at Bennelong Point, under the curves of the Sydney Opera House, are expensive but worth it for the views across the harbour. Sydney’s night owls are predominantly designer-clad. Bouncers at the more fashionable clubs enforce strict dress codes and ID checks. Sydney’s licensing hours are extremely relaxed – the days of the six o’clock swill are long gone. At any hour of the day or night, somewhere is serving drinks to anyone over the legal age of 18. The price of a drink is approximately A$4-8. For up-to-date listings, the free weekly entertainment guides, Drum Media, Revolver and 3D World, are available at most city-centre bookshops and record stores, as is the gay and lesbian Sydney Star Observer. The Sydney Morning Herald also carries an entertainment section, Metro, in the Friday edition. Bars: The Establishment, 252 George Street, lives up to its name as Sydney’s de rigueur after-work drinking place. Chic and enormous, it incorporates the exclusive Hemmesphere cocktail lounge. Middle Bar, 383 Bourke Street, plays host to many beautiful young things. East Village, 234 Palmer Street, offers a sophisticated take on the classic Sydney pub, as does the beautiful Art Deco Civic, 388 Pitt Street. ECQ, 69 Macquarie Street, has stunning views of the Harbour Bridge – and equally as stunning prices. Gilligans, 134 Oxford Street, is where gays, lesbians and their friends can enjoy a few fabulous cocktails. The Stonewall, 175 Oxford Street, is another good place to start a gay night out in Sydney – there are DJs, drag shows and friendly faces galore. The Darlo Bar, 306 Liverpool Street, the Green Park Hotel, 360 Victoria Street, and the Bank Hotel, 324 King Street, are where the younger inner-city crowd converge for pool and beer. And for those with no pretensions at all, the Bourbon & Beefsteak Bar, 24 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross, is open 24 hours. Casinos: Star City Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, is a 60-million-Australian-Dollar casino, theatre, restaurant and hotel complex on the site of a former wharf. Dress code is smart-casual and the gaming section is restricted to persons who are 18 years and over. A passport or other proof of age is required. Clubs: Sydney takes clubbing very seriously. It’s always safer to dress up rather than down and be prepared to queue. Home, Cockle Bay Wharf, has four different sections featuring funk, techno, two-step and disco. Tank, 3 Bridge Lane, is part of the Establishment complex, 252 George Street (see above). The Chinese Laundry, 1 Slip Street, combines a blistering sound system with mock-Oriental decor. Sydney’s well-connected society clubbers go to Cave, Pirrama Road, while the old stand-by, Q Bar, 44 Oxford Street, is a reliable choice for mid-week clubbing. Other notable venues include The Bank, 129 Pitt Street, Sugareef, 20 Bayswater Road, and Gas, 477 Pitt Street. The gay dance scene revolves around Arq, 16 Flinders Street. Comedy: Sydney’s premier venue showcasing local, national and international stand-up talent is The Comedy Store, Fox Studios, Lang Road. Monday night is comedy night at the Fringe Bar, located in the Unicorn Hotel, 106 Oxford Street. The Laugh Garage, in the Macquarie Hotel, Corner Goulburn Street and Wentworth Avenue, is open Thursday-Saturday. Live music: The infestation of poker machines in New South Wales threatened to kill off Sydney’s pub rock scene, three years ago. However, the number of quality venues is on the rise again. The Hopetoun Hotel, 416 Bourke Street, and the Annandale Hotel, 17 Parramatta Road, are the best centrally located venues for up-and-coming bands, while leading Australian and international acts perform at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Harbour Street, the Metro, 624 George Street, and the Newtown RSL, 52 Enmore Road. Jazz fans can find world-class performers at the Basement, 29 Reiby Place, and the Harbourside Brasserie, Pier One, Hickson Road. Cabaret: The full-throated local cabaret scene has launched many international successes, such as Judi Connelli, David Campbell and Kane Alexander. Cafe Nine, 37 Ultimo Road, and Woodfire Cabaret Restaurant, 459 New South Head Road, Double Bay, are the leading venues. |
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