Wine bar$$$surry-hillsWed-Sun 16:00-00:00
Eastern European-leaning wine bar on Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. Natural-leaning by-the-glass list, walk-in friendly weeknights, small plates.
Signature pour: Slovenian orange wine
Wine focus: Eastern European and natural growers
Food: Eastern European snacks
Wine bar$$$newtownMon-Sat 16:00-23:00, Sun 16:00-21:00
Bottle shop and bar on Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney. Mike Bennie and Lou Dowling's natural-wine retail by day, by-the-glass and pintxos by night.
Signature pour: Hunter Valley semillon
Wine focus: Natural and minimal-intervention Australian
Food: Bar snacks and tinned fish
Wine bar$$$newtownTue-Sat 16:00-late
Vermouth and sherry bar on King Street, Newtown, Sydney. Tinned-fish pintxos, Spanish-leaning tapas and a list of 40+ vermouths by the glass.
Signature pour: Manzanilla sherry flight
Wine focus: Vermouth, sherry, fortified wines
Food: Spanish tapas
Wine bar$$$redfernTue-Sat 17:00-late
French wine bar attached to Porcine restaurant on Marian Street, Redfern, Sydney. Natural wines by the glass and charcuterie in a 24-seat room.
Signature pour: Loire cabernet franc
Wine focus: French growers, biodynamic-leaning
Food: Charcuterie and rillettes
Wine bar$$$darlinghurstMon-Sat 17:00-late
Champagne-led wine bar on Stanley Street, East Sydney. Caviar service, grower-Champagne pours by the glass, the kind of room booked for celebrations.
Signature pour: Grower Champagne by the glass
Wine focus: Champagne and traditional-method sparkling
Food: Caviar service and oysters
Wine bar$$$paddingtonTue-Sat 17:00-23:00
Paddington's natural-wine ground zero on William Street, Sydney. Pasta of the day, Italian-leaning list, a small upstairs counter, nightly seating.
Signature pour: Pinot grigio from Friuli
Wine focus: Minimal-intervention Italian and Australian growers
Food: Italian antipasti and daily pasta