Bayswater Brasserie

Let's just put it out there now. When it comes to cocktails, nobody beats the Bays for skills and smarts. The list is informative, funny and modest. The bartenders are dedicated, professional and know how to talk to their customers. There is no flaring. There is no Midori - but neither will they ban you from ordering certain drinks just because they don't like the ingredients. Bayswater Brasserie has been going strong for over ten years. Bartenders have come, gone and come again, drawn to working in a bar where classic cocktails are welcomed. Sydney author Frank Moorhouse has written books sitting at this bar drinking Martinis and eating fresh shucked Sydney Rock oysters. Order a Martini. It'll arrive in a proper small cocktail glass, with the surplus booze served in a little glass jug sitting in an iced water bath. Oh yes, the Bays is a beast of a bar and they can do no wrong. The recently updated list is a sassy mix of popular, forgotten and revamped classics. Try something from the Kings Cross tribute section. The Electric Avenue is described on the menu as ‘a big sac of sexy goodness' and ‘a filthy disco drink'. A tribute to Death in the Afternoon (they're calling it Knife Tricks) involves an absinthe-soaked sugar cube topped with Calvados and peach liqueur and drowned in prosecco. Choosing a cocktail can be hard, and they know it. So there's a footnote on the list: "We don't want to dumbfound anyone with a ridiculous long list. If you're reading this far, your date's probably late or dull, in which case we recommend naked Twister." Sure, drinking at Bayswater Brasserie is expensive. But what you lose in dollars you'll gain in drinking the best cocktails in this city.