Brett Robinson Credit: Carlos Walters
Brett Robinson. Group Chief Executive Officer at The Point Group
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As owner and CEO of Sydney-based hospitality group The Point, Brett Robinson oversaw the reimagining of the historic Shell House building, opposite Wynyard Station, into one of the city’s hottest hospitality addresses, with four venues spread across three levels. “There’s a great energy in the city coming into summer,” says Brett. “It’s an electric time of year with everyone out and about.” Here the Sydney resident shares his tips for a memorable night out in the beating heart of the city.
Start your night city-style
Creating a welcoming space where city workers and visitors alike would naturally gravitate to begin a night out was key to the concept of the bronze-hued Menzies Bar & Bistro on the ground floor of Shell House, says Brett. “We wanted to create the sort of place where if you’re meeting somebody, you automatically just think: ‘I’ll meet you at the Menzies and we’ll go from there,’” he explains. “You could easily spend the whole night there, but you can also just drop in for a quick drink and a snack before moving on to dinner or a show.”
Another one of Brett’s top venues for getting the night started in central Sydney is hole-in-the-wall margarita bar Cantina OK!, tucked down an unassuming laneway off Clarence Street. “I have a love for wandering laneways and finding those undiscovered gems,” says Brett. “Cantina OK! is such an interesting little space and the quality and personality of the bar is something that can set you up really well for a night out.”
Rolling solo? Brett suggests sliding onto a bar stool at European-style wine bar and restaurant Monopole on Curtin Place. “I know I’m in safe hands there with people who really know their wine and can talk me through a couple of interesting glasses,” says Brett.
Menzies Bar & Bistro Credit: Shell House
Menzies Bar & Bistro, Shell House in Sydney's CBD.
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Menzies Bar & Bistro Credit: Shell House
Menzies Bar & Bistro, Shell House in Sydney's CBD.
Cantina OK!, Sydney CBD Credit: Destination NSW
Guests enjoying drinks at Cantina OK! in Sydney's CBD.
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Cantina OK!, Sydney CBD Credit: Destination NSW
Guests enjoying drinks at Cantina OK! in Sydney's CBD.
Tuck into a memorable meal
When he’s not moving on to the elegant Shell House Dining Room and Terrace for a Mediterranean-inspired meal heroing Australian produce, Brett has a number of other favourites in the city for a meal you’ll want to tell your friends about. “I love Ragazzi in Angel Place, which is a small wine and pasta restaurant that’s always buzzing,” he says. “They’ve got a short list of really great pastas that change very often, so every time you go there, there’s always something different on the menu. And their sommelier really understands the world of natural wine.”
Brett also has a soft spot for steak restaurant and cocktail bar Bistecca, tucked away on Dalley Street. “You go down a laneway and though this little doorway that winds down into the basement of a building, so it’s quite an immersive experience,” says Brett. “They focus on the Tuscan cut, which is the bistecca alla Fiorentina [T-bone steak], and they do it exceptionally well.” Brett adds that Bistecca’s small private dining room, surrounded by the venue’s wine cellar, is an ideal spot for an intimate dinner with a small group of friends, whereas for a date Brett recommends making a reservation at Restaurant Hubert, a slice of post-war Paris below Bligh Street.
“I love these immersive spaces that sweep you off into the world that they’re in, and Hubert does that so well, with its winding stairs that lead down into this large space where you can settle into a small booth and take your time,” Brett explains. “There’s often a live jazz band on the stage while you’re dining, and the service is impeccable.”
Keep the party going
While the alfresco Sky Bar atop Shell House is a popular place to catch the golden hour as the sun sets behind the city, Brett says it’s also a fun venue to kick on after dinner, as top local and international DJs hit the decks. “You feel like you’re sitting on top of the city, with the breeze in your hair,” he says.
When it comes time for a nightcap, Brett can often be found at 1970s-themed Double Deuce Lounge on Bridge Street. “There’s a drink on their menu that I’ve loved forever called the Discretionary,” he says. “I’m a sucker for a dark, rich cocktail late at night and it’s one of my favourites, with Calle 23 Añejo tequila, cold brew, maple, bitters, whey and salt.”
Brett is also partial to a late-night snack at casual Middle Eastern diner Jimmy’s Falafel on George Street. “It’s always pretty fun and vibrant and they’ve usually got a DJ on if you want to stick around, or you can just grab takeaway and stretch your legs.”
Oysters with Yuzu and Pepper Mignonette, Shell House, Sydney Credit: Jonny Valiant
Oysters with Yuzu and Pepper Mignonette at Shell House, Sydney
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Oysters with Yuzu and Pepper Mignonette, Shell House, Sydney Credit: Jonny Valiant
Oysters with Yuzu and Pepper Mignonette at Shell House, Sydney
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at French restaurant Restaurant Hubert, Sydney.
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Restaurant Hubert, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at French restaurant Restaurant Hubert, Sydney.
More Inspirational Stories
Oxford Street Fair, Sydney WorldPride 2023, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Couple dancing at the Oxford Street Party, a part of Sydney World Pride, a 17-day celebration of queer Australian people and culture, with more than 300 events across the city â including Sydney's famous Mardi Gras Parade.
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Dive Into Sydney's LGBTQIA+ Nightlife
Oxford Street Fair, Sydney WorldPride 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
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While Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ nightlife is loud and proud all year round, it’ll be truly buzzing when Mardi Gras 2025 celebrates Australia’s queer communities with fabulous events, parties and concerts from 14 February to 2 March 2025. Shimmy onto a packed dancefloor or gather your tribe in an intimate corner booth — there are plenty of LGBTQIA+ venues to enjoy across the city’s queer-friendly neighbourhoods.
Party all night in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills
Feel right at home at the Darlinghurst end of Oxford Street, Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ heartland and the setting of the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Ease into the scene with a beer or a cocktail at The Colombian Hotel, a multi-level pub occupying a prime position on the corner of Oxford and Crown streets in Darlinghurst. Count your blessings if you can snag a stool at the venue’s long open window — you can settle in for an epic session of people-watching.
Lose track of time as you dance and dine across the four levels of the iconic Oxford Hotel, a couple of minutes’ walk up Oxford Street from the Colombian. Or step back in time a few doors down from the Oxford Hotel at Palms on Oxford, which draws an inclusive crowd for its classic disco and pop from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ’00s from Thursday to Sunday. And strike up random conversations with strangers in between drag shows at the busy Stonewall Hotel, across the road from The Oxford Hotel on Oxford Street.
Launch yourself into the local clubbing scene at Oxford Street’s Universal, a dual-level space with dancing downstairs and drag and performances upstairs, and Darlinghurst institution Arq, which has reopened its Arena dancefloor and Vortex performance space, just off Taylor Square on Flinders Street, following extensive renovations. Dance the night away amid confetti cannons, Australian pop royalty and Sydney’s biggest drag acts at POOF DOOF, an all-inclusive party that takes over the top two floors of Kinselas on Taylor Square each Saturday night.
Take a breather at The Beresford, arguably Sydney’s most upscale queer haunt that’s only a few minutes’ walk away from Taylor Square on leafy Bourke Street in Surry Hills. Refresh with a drink in the leafy courtyard during the popular Sunday afternoon DJ sessions, perhaps lingering to head upstairs to dance later in the evening.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.
Universal Sydney, Darlinghurst Credit: Destination NSW
Artist performing for Fireball Fridays at Universal Sydney, Darlinghurst.
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Universal Sydney, Darlinghurst Credit: Destination NSW
Artist performing for Fireball Fridays at Universal Sydney, Darlinghurst.
Fire your imagination in Newtown and surrounds
Spread your wings and explore Sydney’s inner west, a ring of suburbs close to the city centre that are home to many of the city’s bohemian and LGBTQIA+ residents. Feel your senses come alive as you make your way down colourful King Street in Newtown and adjoining Enmore Road in Enmore, encountering small bars, cafés and venues that welcome queer and non-queer patrons in equal measure. Restore your energy levels with a refreshing drink at safe spaces for rainbow communities like Newtown Hotel, The Bank Hotel and the Marlborough Hotel, or ‘the Marly’, which hosts regular queer events.
Join a raucous basement party at the inner west’s quintessential LGBTQIA+ venue, The Imperial, a few minutes’ walk away from Newtown in Erskineville, catch a drag show over dinner at The Impy’s Priscillas restaurant, or head upstairs for pizza with a side dish of dirty Italian disco at Carlotta’s Rooftop bar.
Catch experimental theatre, a sweaty rave or a blistering punk gig at The Red Rattler, a queer-run non-profit venue established to amplify the voices of Sydney’s non-conforming artists and performers in Marrickville, a 10-minute drive from Newtown.
The Imperial Erskineville Credit: Destination NSW
Drag artists getting ready for Drag n' Dine at The Imperial Erskineville in Sydney's inner west.
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The Imperial Erskineville Credit: Destination NSW
Drag artists getting ready for Drag n' Dine at The Imperial Erskineville in Sydney's inner west.
Bank Hotel, Newtown Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Bank Hotel on King Street in Newtown
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Bank Hotel, Newtown Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Bank Hotel on King Street in Newtown
Connect with locals at events and parties
Celebrate inclusiveness at the biggest event on the LGBTQIA+ calendar, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, though you’ll also find plenty happening outside the regular Mardi Gras festival period in February and March.
Leather up and head along to an Extra Dirty dance party at a variety of venues across the city. Find like-minded lesbians at the sophisticated Lemons With A Twist get-togethers on the first Friday of the month at the Burdekin Hotel in Darlinghurst. And dip into the city’s bear culture at Bear Essentials, Harbour City Bears’ massive disco held each year during the Mardi Gras festival, or join the gay social group at inclusive gatherings each Friday night at the Oxford Hotel in Darlinghurst and on Sunday afternoons at the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown.
Connect with the Queer As Fvck crew, which hosts gigs by local independent rock bands along with DJs and drag artists, if you prefer guitars to glitter balls. Or lean more alternative with the House of Mince’s regular Club Mince events, which often feature edgy international DJs and rappers.
And look for the next pop-up event by Heaps Gay, which seeks out under-utilised indoor and outdoor spaces for 12-hour fiestas. Heaps Gay events are so friendly and inclusive that they’ve become popular with non-LGBTQIA+ patrons too.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2023, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Celebrating the colourful collision of creativity and culture across our communities, the world renowned Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade unites hundreds of thousands of revellers for the biggest night on the LGBTQIA+ calendar.