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Going out :

It was very, very tough work, but after endless hours of research Oztrek and it's many friends frequented as many of Sydney's pubs and clubs as possible. Most pubs we visited are listed below. Others, unfortunately, aren't. This isn't due to them being particularly bad. It's just that they were researched at a very late stage in the night and, to be honest, nobody could remember what they were like! Here's the best of the rest...

City Centre:

Scruffy Murphy's:
43-44 Goulburn Street
A mix of live bands and chart music can be heard in this pub with two floors and a crowd which consists of all types of backpackers, particularly Irish punters with a habit of wearing nothing else but Gaelic football jerseys.

Cheers:
561 George Street
Due to a 24-hour licence Cheers is especially popular with working travellers. The opening hours also make it a good place to watch sporting events taking place in the middle of the night. Upstairs is a more relaxed area with pool tables.

Jackson's On George:
176 George Street
Multi-levelled disco bar playing all types of music. Crowd is a mix of Sydneysiders and well-dressed backpackers.

Slip Inn:
111 Sussex Street
Nice beer-garden area with funky house music in the background. More of a local clientelle, which can be a good thing at the best of times.

Scubar:
YHA Basement, 4 Rawson Place
Sydney's premier backpacker nightspot, underneath the city's YHA hostel. Loads of fun and games most nights of the week. Can get a little bit cramped sometimes as it isn't the biggest, but still a good spot.

The Rocks:

The Orient:
89 George Street
The first pub you meet walking into The Rocks. A very big place with live music, numerous floors and a good beer garden when you need to get away from the crowd inside.

The Mercantile:
25 George Street
Smaller than the Orient, with a distinctive Irish atmosphere. Excellent views of the Harbour Bridge from outside (if you can focus, of course!)

The Hero of Waterloo:
81 Lower Fort Street
This is one of The Rocks' smaller and older pubs. Dont't let this put you off because it has a has a great atmosphere.

Darling Harbour:

Pontoon:
North Promenade, Cockle Bay Wharf
One of Sydney's trendier bars. Nice if you are doing sight-seeing in Darling Harbour during the week, but can get very packed at the weekend.

Home Bar :
Cockle Bay Wharf
Very small inside but nice outdoor area for some serious people spotting. Funky house tunes playing. Ideal if you are going to Home Nightclub that night.

Sports Bar:
Cockle Bay Wharf (beside the IMAX Cinema)
Nice big pub with loads of televisions hanging everywhere. Ideal for sporting events.