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Nights out in Sydney are expensive – but it’s not like you want to spend all your time in your hostel. Never fear -MATT ROSSLEIGH has reviewed some of the best, and cheapest bars you have to visit while in Sydney.
Going out in Sydney can be quite detrimental to your budget which you’re trying to stick to while on the road. Much has been made about high the cost of living and how expensive it is to go out, so here at Unpacking Australia we have reviewed the three best bars for backpackers where it’s not only cheap but you’ll have a fun night out.
Located right next to Central Station and Railway Square the location of Scubar is an ideal one. A night out at Scubar with the numerous nations of backpackers which are represented is always a fun one. However, you have to be careful about which day of the week you head in.
Monday night is best but be wary about arriving late in the evening as you’ll be waiting in line for close to an hour. Here’s your plan of attack – arrive any time before 9pm and you won’t have a problem getting in. Once you’re in you have to go for the $7.50 jugs of beer or snakebite (a mix of cider, beer and raspberry. Don’t be afraid, it’s actually quite a nice taste!).
Monday night is the crab racing night too and for a gold coin donation you can bet on a crab and even win a trip to some of Australia’s beautiful locations such as Fraser Island and the Blue Mountains. The music is the sort you hear on the radio which creates fun on the dance floor, but be careful when walking up or down the stairs to leave/enter the bar. The steps are quite steep and after a fair few drinks some people are known to have a bit of a tumble!
Personally I wouldn’t wear my nicest shoes to Scubar, by the end of the night the bathroom and can be quite sticky and messy! If you go on a Friday or Saturday night it can get quite busy too but for the best experience head in on a Monday night, the other days of the week are a ghost town.
Location: Corner Rawson Place and Rawson Lane, Sydney, 2000.
Opening Hours: 3pm-3am 7 days.
In the last few years Scary Canary has been the most popular destination for backpackers looking for a fun night out, and it usually doesn’t matter which day of the week it is. Located just behind Town Hall it is an easily accesible location for any backpacker staying in the city.
What drives so many to pick Scary Canary for their night out is the different themed nights organised. ‘Wet Wednesday’ is usually the most popular with foam machines, but recently the addition of ‘Make-Out Monday’ is a fan of the backpacker, where you are encouraged to approach party goers of the opposite sex.
Drink prices once again are on the cheap side with jam jars at $5, alcoholic cocktail basically served in a large, plastic jar. Unfortunately in the last year police have had their way with the bar and banned the serving of drinks in a bucket, south-east Asia style.
While nights out here are very fun, be wary of arriving in just a group of guys. Bouncers on the door can be very selective and not let guys in because they have “had too much to drink”, when the real reason is they are not entering with girls. This can be manipulated though by joining the queue with girls who are on their own.
If you aren’t a fan of cover charge be warned that some of the bigger nights of the week like Friday or Saturday have an entry fee, and usually only for guys. $10 entry might seem steep but overall you get your money’s worth with the cheap drinks.
Location: 469 Kent St, Sydney, 2000.
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 12pm-12am
Saturday & Sunday: 5pm – 12am
Located just up the road from Scubar next to Railway Square, the fact the two are so close means you can often go to both in the same night. It is pot luck that Side Bar’s biggest night of the week is also Monday night so it is quite common for travellers to move between both during the night.
Like Scubar you’ll want to arrive early in the night and get your entry stamp because later the line can get quite long. The best option is to buy the different flavoured Smirnoff vodka jugs for just $10 which can be shared between a few people, making it a cheap option. The bar is a square in the middle of the room with service on all four sides meaning you never have to queue for longer than five minutes to get your drink.
There is a DJ who plays some quite good mixes however if you are more a fan of radio editions which you can sing and dance along to you’ll more enjoy Scubar down the road. While Side Bar is big on a Monday it also markets itself as a weekend bar so you’ll find it is quite busy then too.
But like Scary Canary, bouncers can be quite selective so be careful about arriving late in the night after having had a fair few drinks already because they won’t let you in. The downstairs area of Side Bar is quite large with plenty of room to sit around and talk, despite there being a large dancefloor, so you’ll never feel squashed.
Location: 509 Pitt St, Sydney, 2000
Opening Hours: 4pm-3am 7 days.
Unpacking Australia 
The World Bar in Kings Cross is fricken amazing too innit!
Hey, we are a Sydney based travel startup and have lived here for over 20 years. Just wanted to say nice work on that article, it does cover aspects of the backpacker bars very well!
all the backpackers go to the Ivy on Thursdays these days…