Aster Bar Credit: InterContinental Sydney
Aster Bar, InterContinental Sydney
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Dazzle your date when you take them to one of these hot new Sydney bars and restaurants. Or rekindle the romance with your partner on a memorable evening out, sipping cocktails on a newly opened hotel rooftop or sharing plates in a buzzy wine bar.
Embrace the skyline
Feel like you’re on top of the world — or at least on top of Sydney — at reservations-only Aster Bar, on the rooftop of the recently refurbished InterContinental Sydney in the city centre. Drink in the uninterrupted views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Garden from 32 floors above the ground. Sip a signature cocktail such as the evocatively named Higher Ground, with tequila, a bitter aperitivo, tonic water and three spiced salts, and nibble on oysters with yuzu and soy dressing or cherry-blossom macaron duck pâté.
Go find Alice
Float down an atmospheric stairwell and pass through rich velvet drapes to discover Alice, a sophisticated cocktail bar in the sandstone basement of a heritage-listed former bond store in the historic Rocks precinct. Sink into a plush velvet-lined banquette and admire the sleek decor before perusing a cocktail menu featuring twists on classic concoctions. Or celebrate a milestone with your loved one with a grand cuvée from the impressive champagne list. Indulge in the bar’s caviar service, or share plates such as scallop crudo with a gin, olive oil and burnt-orange dressing.
Pump up the volume
Share a passion for old-school forms of music with your partner? Bond over the curated LP playlists at Rekodo as you soak up the views of Darling Harbour from this Japanese restaurant and vinyl bar. You’ll find Rekodo on level one of the visually striking Barangaroo House at Barangaroo (look for what appears to be three giant bowls stacked on top of each other). Geek out over the top-shelf audio system as a DJ spins records, with popular musicians curating their favourite vinyl tracks on a monthly rotation. Sip from sake flights, choose a sake-inspired cocktail such as a gimlet made with ginger sake and rose and jasmine gin, or pick one of the 50-plus whiskies on offer.
Feel the heat
Experience a wave of umami flavours as you share a series of memorable small plates at Kiln, on the 18th floor of Ace Hotel Sydney in Surry Hills, on the fringe of the city centre. And feel the buzz of the glass-walled communal dining room as tempting wood-fired creations by chef Mitch Orr, formerly of beloved Italian-inspired Sydney restaurants Acme and CicciaBella, are brought out from the open kitchen. Or soak up the warmth of a Sydney summer night on Kiln’s spacious terraces, which feature retractable ceilings.
Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House Credit: Steven Woodburn
Menu items at Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House
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Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House Credit: Steven Woodburn
Menu items at Rekodo Restaurant and Vinyl Bar - Barangaroo House
Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney Credit: Anson Smart
Kiln, the new restaurant from Chef Mitch Orr is a rooftop dining destination crowning the recently opened, Ace Hotel Sydney.
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Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney Credit: Anson Smart
Kiln, the new restaurant from Chef Mitch Orr is a rooftop dining destination crowning the recently opened, Ace Hotel Sydney.
Bask in the flavours
Embark on a culinary adventure complete with moody lighting and an inner-city buzz at Gildas wine bar, a few minutes’ walk away from the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills. Put yourself in the hands of chef Lennox Hastie, whose Firedoor restaurant is mere steps away down the side street, and settle in for an evening of incredible Spanish and Australian produce expertly prepared in bite-sized Basque-style snacks, or pintxos. Wow your taste buds with grilled squid with ajo negro (black garlic) and fennel, ‘retired dairy cow tartare’ or the namesake Gilda pintxo of guindilla pepper, olive and anchovy as you sip a sherry or a glass of Spanish wine.
Discover new negronis
Savour the difference a good vermouth makes when you order a negroni at Bar Conte, on Riley Street a block downhill from busy Crown Street in Surry Hills. A café by day and a negroni aperitivo bar by night, Bar Conte was named for the cocktail’s inventor, Conte Camillo Negroni. Take your time choosing between variations of the classic Milano-Torino recipe, spice it up with a Mexican version using mescal, or try a chocolate negroni. Then sip your drink as together you take in the dark green marble bar, chic parquet floors and exposed beams overhead of the cosy space.
Experience electric vibes
Feed on the energy of your fellow guests and the flow of traffic far below as you gaze out to the neon-lit inner-city skyline at the Strand Hotel’s rooftop bar. Soak up the bohemian vibe of this Darlinghurst hotel with its prime position on William Street, around halfway between Hyde Park and the famous Coca-Cola sign at Kings Cross. Nibble on charcuterie or splash out on a dozen rock oysters with ponzu sauce as you sip on a Strand margarita (with coconut-infused tequila) or a thyme and basil daiquiri.
Step back in time
Seize the moment and treat your partner to a spontaneous date night at Bar Louise on Enmore Road, Enmore, a short walk from the heart of Newtown in Sydney’s Inner West. (You can book ahead, but this tapas wine bar also welcomes walk-ins.) Take in Bar Louise Salón de Tapas’s distinctive facade, a pink and mauve shopfront dating back to the 1950s, before settling into your seat and browsing a tapas menu that features plenty of seafood such as kingfish crudo and anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea off Spain, as well as jamón and Iberian-style craft sausages. Sip one of the many aperitifs on the wine list or go with the retro flow with a sherry — there are plenty to choose from.
Gildas, Surry Hills Credit: Nikki To
Lennox Hastie's 60-seat Surry Hills wine bar, Gildas.
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Gildas, Surry Hills Credit: Nikki To
Lennox Hastie's 60-seat Surry Hills wine bar, Gildas.
Dishes at The Strand Hotel, Darlinghurst Credit: Trent van der Jagt
The Strand Hotel on William Street, Darlinghurst has completed the final phase of its multi-level restoration of the 99-year-old pub with the new 17-bedroom The Strand Hotel and Rooftop Bar now open - joining the French-inspired Strand Bistro.
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Dishes at The Strand Hotel, Darlinghurst Credit: Trent van der Jagt
The Strand Hotel on William Street, Darlinghurst has completed the final phase of its multi-level restoration of the 99-year-old pub with the new 17-bedroom The Strand Hotel and Rooftop Bar now open - joining the French-inspired Strand Bistro.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
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Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
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Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
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Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
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Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
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Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.