Sydney and Mardi Gras
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Tops among the watering holes, the Colombian Hotel (note that bars and
pubs in Australia often take the name "hotel" even when they don't offer
overnight accommodations) is a trendy, mixed-gender spot with two floors
of fun. The upper lounge is the snazziest space, where you can order fancy
cocktails and watch fun videos alongside a smartly dressed bunch of bon
vivants. Downstairs, it's more laid-back and a better space to mingle with
strangers and sip beer.
Nearby, the Exchange Hotel has long been a favorite for dancing and
cruising. This four-level club has several dance areas and lounges, and it
cranks into the wee hours on weekends. It's great fun to watch the crowds
gather in the neighborhood's gay epicenter, Taylor Square, from the
balcony at the Kinselas Hotel, which is especially popular on Sunday
nights. Manacle, right off Taylor Square, is one of the top leather bars
in Australia, and across the street, the Oxford Hotel has been popular
with gay guys for years. It's open 24 hours and draws an eclectic bunch of
all ages and styles.
The bilevel Midnight Shift is another highly recommended spot, with a
disco upstairs and a more laid-back bar with pool tables and seating on
the ground level. Younger guys tend to favor the loud and festive
Stonewall Hotel, which offers dancing downstairs and a lounge on the
second floor. Finally, hard-core lesbian and gay disco bunnies cut loose
at ARQ, which is open only Thursday through Sunday nights and packs in
hundreds of buff dance-aholics.
Sydney's less-famous pocket of gayness is along King Street in the Newtown
area, where bars tend to draw a more local, neighborhoody bunch. Some
reliable nightlife options along King Street include the Bank Hotel, which
appeals to a mostly female and fairly butch bunch; and the Newtown Hotel,
which pulls in a varied posse of guys for drag shows, videos, and
cruising. Serious fans of drag shouldn't miss the Imperial Hotel, which
has both drag-king competitions and very popular shows inspired by the
cult classic movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Sydney has emerged in recent years as one of the world capitals of
inventive dining - there are great restaurants all over town. For a truly
special occasion, few restaurants in Australia deliver more "wow" factor
than Rockpool, a temple of creative modern Australian (aka "Mod Oz")
cuisine, where you might sample such innovate fare as stir-fried squid and
King prawns with squid-ink noodles, smoked bacon, tomatoes, chilies, and
coriander. Another must for gourmands is Altitude, which sits atop the
ritzy Shangri-La Hotel (on the 36th floor), affording unrivaled views of
Sydney Harbour and serving stellar Mod Oz fare.
For more casual dining and drinking, stop by one of the city's
quintessentially old-school pubs, such as the warm and festive Lord Nelson
Hotel, which serves a nice array of ales and lagers as well as superb
Aussie wines and tasty pub food. And for incredibly delicious Thai food,
look to Sailors Thai, an elegant restaurant on one of the Rocks' busiest
streets.
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