For the best beer bars in Sydney, you can’t go wrong with Young Henrys. Sit and sample one of the several offerings of Young Henry’s beers while watching the brewing process take place right in the bar. Its theme is more rock’n’roll and always lively with locals and visitors, though it retains a relaxed and communal atmosphere. Brewery tours can also be taken with a reservation if you want to get up close and personal with the brewing process.

It’s one of the longest running pubs in Sydney located in the historic Rocks precinct. The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel offers 100% natural award winning ales all brewed in house. Six regular brews are constantly on tap plus several seasonal beers. It’s like going back in time to the old English pub, plus it has some pretty fantastic views of the harbour making it one of the best beer bars Sydney has to offer.

The Grifter in Marrickville serves up a range of favourites on tap (including the famous watermelon beer), and you can even walk away with a squealer or two if you’re interested. The atmosphere is excellent, the tables are clean, there’s a pool table, it’s dog friendly, and the list goes on. Stay on the lookout for food trucks – our favourite being the classic Ricos Tacos that’s around from 5pm Fridays and 12pm Saturdays & Sundays.

Yulli’s Brews is a favourite of ours for a good old-fashioned Sunday Session. Take your pick of any one of their beers and be satisfied, or line up your visit with their weekly rotating lineup of music acts, including Jazz on Thursdays, Canned Heat on Fridays, and our favourite ‘Dusty Sundays’ on the weekend. This is one of our favourite breweries in Sydney for food with tasty, honest, and affordable grub focusing on Vietnamese with a bit of true blue Aussie thrown in the mix too.

These guys have come a long way since they started brewing beers in a Marrickville backyard. Located in an unassuming brick building in the heartland of Sydney’s burgeoning craft beer scene, Philter Brewing houses a bar, and an in-house restaurant serving up all your favourite pub-style meals. Head upstairs and you will find Marrickville Springs – a resort-style rooftop bar that makes our list of the best in Sydney. In terms of recommendations, we can’t go past the staple Philter XPA. .

At Willie the Boatman it’s all about beer with character. Just like its name, derived from the legend of a convict boatman, the brews all have a story of their own. The nautical-themed bar offers a boatload of atmosphere for sampling beers named after real people, including briny pale ales, XPAs, IPAs, dark ales and even a beer named after Albo. Stay up to date with all Willie the Boatman happenings via their Instagram right here. Eat before you arrive as there are only nibbles on site.

Batch Brewing Company now houses three top-tier establishments around Sydney, but our focus will be on their humble beginnings in Marrickville. You’ll find this beer in many of Sydney’s top restaurants and bars but going to the brewery and drinking from the tap offers so much more. The core range includes American pales ales and IPAs but it constantly rotates to the latest tastiest batches. Food trucks can be found on-site (typically Thursday to Sunday), grab a bite to eat with your beer!

We went looking for Sydney’s most unique brewery and we think we found it with Wildflower. These boys and girls collate a mix of wild yeast, brewer’s yeast and foraged bacteria from New South Wales to give their brews a truly localised flavour. The Australian wild ales are ever-changing, so there is always something new to try with this unique little microbrewery. In terms of food, check out the brand’s Facebook as food trucks frequent the venue.

This craft beer Sydney brewery is ironically set up in an old winery. Wayward Brewing Co started brewing all over the place but settled in its current home back in 2015. Its core lineup includes all the classics from a top-tier brewery in Sydney, try IPAs and red ale, lager, sour ale, and Keller bier alongside a scrumptious range of seasonal beers. Keep your eye on their Facebook page for food specials but you can tuck into classic smash burgers and spring rolls onsite if you’re peckish.

Another one that serves the Man of Many team a few memories after a typically rowdy Christmas Party, this Sydney microbrewery has everything you’d want in new craft beers. Located in Sydney’s inner west, this saucy brew offers a range of ales and lagers, our favourite of which remains Hop sauce – the flagship pale ale with hints of tropical and stone fruits – perfect for summer in our books. You’ll also find an ever-changing array of IPAs, sours and darks, alongside a quality selection of food.