Top 5 Sydney Bars to Tanqueray Bar Hop

Good Food Month is upon us and with it comes the popular Bar Hop with opportunities to discover many of Sydney’s bars or revisit favourites for cocktails and bar bites.

This year’s Tanqueray Bar Hop has 49 bars participating throughout the month of October. For only $20, you get a Tanqueray gin cocktail matched with bar food.

We checked out five of Sydney’s bars in one evening. Transport between venues was provided by the excellent service of Prestige Chauffeurs with a designated driver picking us up, driving us to each bar then dropping us home at the end of the night.

Prestige Chauffeurs

Below are the five bars, their cocktails and tapas in the order that were visited.

1. The Roosevelt Bar and Diner, Potts Point

East Side Peach

Starting in the early evening, The Roosevelt Bar & Diner in Potts Point provided the perfect pairing with which to start the night.

Cocktail – East Side Peach: Tanqueray gin with ginger-poached peaches, pink grapefruit, honey, lime and mint
Tapas – house-cured Tasmanian salmon gravlax, baby greens, roast kipfler, beetroot and mustard vinaigrette

Overall impression – beautiful and elegant presentation; well-balanced cocktail with fruit and citrus brightened with mint and a hint of ginger, paired well with the delicate flavours of the salmon dish; good match and value for money.

The Roosevelt Bar & Diner – 32 Orwell St, Potts Point NSW 2011

2. Cornerstone Bar and Food, Eveleigh

Fresh N’Up

Arriving at Cornerstone Bar & Food at Carriageworks in Eveleigh, one had the impression of a ghost town at night but it was well worth the visit.

Cocktail – Fresh N’Up: Tanqueray Gin, Lemon, Elderflower and mint-candied cucumber garnish
Tapas – Smoked Ham Hock Croquettes with Chipotle Aioli

Overall impression – Light, refreshing and sessionable take on a G&T with an edible garnish; generously-sized croquettes were a flavour bomb; best value for money for $20.

Cornerstone Bar & Food – 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015 

3. The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, Sydney

Johnson’s Corner

A car hop across town to the The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, and the bar was heaving with suits on a Thursday night.

Cocktail – Johnson’s Corner: Tanqueray gin, Aperol, elderflower cordial and mandarin
Tapas – Crab and Lettuce Taco: chardonnay vinaigrette, salmon caviar, fresh chilli

Overall impression – delicious cocktail with sweet mandarin flavour developing a welcoming bitterness at the end from the peel in the drink; small but nonetheless tasty canapé

The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room – 225 George Street, Sydney 2000

4. The Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo

Red Blossom Tanqueray

Onto Woolloomooloo and The Tilbury Hotel offered a quiet respite from the buzz of the city.

Cocktail – Red Blossom: Tanqueray gin, peach liqueur, fresh raspberries and blueberries, edible blossoms
Tapas – Salt and pepper squid and sweet chilli sauce.

Overall impression – A sweet, fruity and female-friendly cocktail; tasty and tender salt and pepper squid but no synergy between the cocktail and the food.

The Tilbury Hotel – 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011

5. The Print Room, Paddington

The Botanical 

Located above Durty Nelly’s pub, the designer-clad Print Room is a recent addition to the Sydney bar scene.

Cocktail – The Botanical: Tanqueray gin with Pomme Vert, white grapefruit juice, elderflower cordial, cucumber and egg white
Tapas – Homemade gluten-free cornbread with a choice of three toppings: crabmeat and guacamole, garlic mushroom confit, pulled pork and pea mash

Overall impression – crabmeat and guacamole was the best pick of the canapes; elegant and the most complex of cocktails after the Roosevelt’s, one to savour to the last drop in the beautiful surrounds of the Print Room.

The Print Room – 11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington 2021

Photography © by Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.