After dining at South-East Asian restaurant Paper Tiger in Adelaide, you might describe it the same way owner Benjamin Liew does: fast. People are in and out and “we’ll sometimes do three sittings a night”. While Liew and sommelier/venue manager Karl Tang love the frenetic pace – it was the intended vibe – the pair took a more laid-back approach with Makan, their new wine bar on Flinders Street.

One among a fresh crop of Australian bars that are all about settling in, sipping something unique and staying a while, the neon-splashed, Tokyo laneway-style fit-out captures the idea of settling in for the evening, particularly if you snag a spot next to the fire pit on the first-floor balcony. And the cruisy pace allows Tang to spend more time discussing the wines and the right snack to pair with each – the barbera from Victoria’s Dirty Black Denim coupled with grilled rockling fish, turmeric and herbs is a current favourite. “We want people to relax a little bit,” says Liew.

“Relax a little bit” is a fitting mantra for the wave of bars opening across the country. Sydney’s Centro 86, a speakeasy-style tequila bar from the team behind Cantina OK! and Bar Planet, has a few tricks to encourage guests to linger. “If you’ve ever been to a traditional Mexican cantina you’ve probably seen older gentlemen playing a dice game,” says venue manager Ryan Bickley. In tribute, there are chess sets at Centro 86 for anyone keen for a bit of checkmate with their chasers.

The other critical element to encouraging regulars is to bring something unique to the table. At Makan, it’s small-batch wines, including some from China and Japan that are almost entirely unknown in Australia, as well as Liew’s intricate snacks that borrow and blend tastes from all over South-East Asia. “If people are going to spend their money they want something different,” says Bickley of Centro 86’s enormous range of agave spirits – more than 100 in total – and housemade liqueurs such as chilli-based Rattlesnake in the best-selling Spicy Margarita.

Above all, a good bar – like the ones below – should be easygoing. “Drop in, get a seat by the fire, have something to eat or just a drink, it doesn’t matter,” says Liew. “Everyone is welcome.”

Keep reading to discover the best new Australian bars of 2024 (so far).

Image credit: Supplied

The Magpie

1/8

It’s tradition for the English to name their watering holes after beasts of field and woodland: think The White Stag or The Fox and Badger. In Australia? We have magpies and, according to the team behind this tiny take on an old-school sports bar in Sydney’s Enmore, they also deserve naming rights. The Australiana doesn’t stop there: nostalgic “Video Ezy-era” movies play on the ceiling-mounted tellies between games by every code imaginable and locally produced The Grifter and Hawke’s Brewing beers are on tap.

Latteria

2/8

Latterie are traditional Italian milk bars, or general stores, and this chic Adelaide drinking spot from the crew behind beloved restaurant Osteria Oggi is modelled on the same brand of Mid-century charm. The drinks list is sophisticated, such as a tart take on the Negroni Sbagliato that’s given a ruby-red twist with rhubarb, or a classic spritz made with honeydew. Handheld snacks, including sardine on toast with curried egg or a ’nduja with buffalo mozzarella pizzetta, are served until late or you can sit down for serious eats; try the Milanese cotoletta or fritto misto.

Sip Champagne Bar

3/8

A deep teal and gold palette, crystal sconces and a little live music to bring energy to the room. There’s something very genteel and Jazz Age about this luxe champagne bar in Ballarat, just under two hours drive from Melbourne . There are sparkles available to suit all tastes and budgets, from a very drinkable Tasmanian cuvée to the splurge of a 2013 Dom Pérignon.

Image credit: Eugene Hyland

Moon Dog Wild West

4/8

This Footscray spot isn’t so much a bar as a three-storey deep-dive into the American frontier. Saloon-style salubriousness, a mechanical bull and even a hidden pianola bar makes it feel like a scene from a spaghetti Western. Since opening, the rooftop bar has become the venue’s breakout hit – it’s the ideal place to sink a tequila slushie and a tray of tacos as the sun goes down.

Fun Time Pony

5/8

The team behind Canberra’s ode to Australiana, Corella in Braddon, has opened Fun Time Pony, a rowdy late-night venue where you can grab pizza slices and beer into the small hours. Even cooler is the secretive cocktail speakeasy – a bar within a bar – called Parlour of Dreams, which looks like an ’80s music video with leopard-print carpet and a swirl of psychedelia. Classic cocktails are the go-to, although the crowd has also taken to the Pony Negroni, made with violet gin, Lillet Blanc and grapefruit liqueur.

Image credit: Matt Stitt

Milquetoast

6/8

There aren’t many places in Brisbane where you can wander in late at night and order a proper plate of something delicious. The diminutive Milquetoast, tucked into an old garage off Elizabeth Street, aims to fill the gap. The kitchen turns out British-ish snacks and small plates (until 11.30pm on weekends), such as devilled eggs, cod rillettes and a twist on a bread-and-butter pudding, while the wines are mostly small-batch. Be sure to order the Caspar Milquetoast, a carbonated and clarified blend of gin, lacto-fermented seasonal fruit and soda.

H&C Urban Winery

7/8

The word “winery” conjures rows of vines and a countryside setting but the Fremantle postcode of H&C Urban Winery is a strong hint that you’re unlikely to find either. Instead, the wine made here is barrelled from grapes gathered from across the state and the converted warehouse space, with its timber tables and lush greenery, is more a bar than a cellar door. While the home label is a big drawcard, there are also drops from around the country and beyond.