Stab’s 5 Favourite Bars in Australia

Now, we aren’t saying these are necessarily the five best bars in Australia, but within our sphere and travels, these are the five bars in which we have had the best times, and still hold the highest preference to lubricate in…

The Cambus Wallace
4/2237 Gold Coast Hwy
Nobby Beach 4218
Gold Coast

To understand The Cambus Wallace, you must understand the history upon which it is built: The Cambus Wallace set sail on her first voyage from Glasgow in May, 1894, with a payload of liquor, explosives (for QLD gold mines) and other things that any self-respecting teenager would donate blood to get their paws on. After an arduous four-month voyage that included four perfect storms, the CW finally made it into QLD water. The Pacific wasn’t having it though, and threw one last right hook that set the CW aground at Straddie. The crew didn’t make it, and the cargo spilt into the ocean. The subsequent detonation of the explosives on the beach, and damage to the dunes from salvage crews, are thought to have led to Straddie splitting in two. So, all that considered: The Cambus Wallace feels like the heart of a cargo ship, stacked with liquor and the jovial sounds that one might hear from a sailing crew at night. Similarly, the menu is built on sharing, and while you can’t really go wrong, The Loaded Musket and the Captains Table are brill for group action.

****

The Stuffed Beaver
271 Bondi Rd
Bondi 2026
Sydney

A Canadian-themed sports bar in Bondi? Yeah, that’s how The Stuffed Beaver rolls. Few things in life are better than when the European leg of tour fires up – with morning heats starting in Sydney’s early afternoon (thanks, timezone) – sitting at the bar watching Supertubos or Hossegor thump, while burning through hot wings and a crisp glass of 35 percent. If it’s a layday, or any other day of the year if we’re honest, you can soak up the vibe out front; Bondi Road is anything but dull. Or, retire to the back, either with a gal for, like, a face2face experience, or with a group of friends to talk junk deep into the night. Mikey, the radical gent who runs the place (really, really well), likes punk, motorbikes, and once landed a backflip on a surfboard, as seen by your Stab correspondent – no shit. He’ll have trouble recommending which burger to get down with, and rightfully so, because they’re all so good. Decor? Nonsensical on paper, but totally vibe-creating IRL. Think: wall features of old framed photographs, music posters and skateboard decks. And all wood everything! Just like a beaver dam! Oh, Canada!

****

Los Barbudos
95 Smith St
Fitzroy 3065
Melbourne

Aren’t rum bars just everything at the moment? And Los Barbudos is one of the best. This place is pure Havana. The walls are peeling, the jams are all salsa Cubana, and the cocktail list is a mix of Cuban classics and coctels de la casa, which you’ll know means house cocktails even without a Spanish awareness. Out back, there’s a Cuban food truck saucing chicken and rice, empanadas, tacos and more. Back in the dim light, there’s mini-monochrome screens looping vintage baseball games, and a custom built, sloping lean bar. This space ain’t huge by any means, but doesn’t need to be – it really feels Cuban in its crammed nature, and especially when it’s bumping on a big night. The bartenders absolutely know what’s up and will deliver with polish. Oh, and Los Barbudos means The Bearded – a nod to the name of Castro’s guerillas (the length of their facial hair curation showed how long they’d been guerilla-ing, and was hence a matter of pride). Step inside the Republic for an evening! Viva la rumolution!

****

The Anchor
8 Campbell Pde
Bondi Beach 2026
Sydney

Owned by some v cool cats, The Anchor is like looking into your happy place. You can sit and eat food made with fresh ingredients, and drink a cocktail made with the loving skill of bartenders who live the trade, while listening to Led Zeppelin. That’s a little slice of Sunday afternoon heaven. The Anchor also comes with the added scenery of Campbell Parade’s colours, with plenty of #kookoftheday entrants traversing the Bondi Backpackers (next door) to beach path. The cocktail list pops with multiple, perennial favourites of Stab. The Anchor’s aesthetic favours dark wood and black paint, offset by red lights and colourful hanging artwork. The bartenders bring passion to the guns, and will recite, guide you through, and recommend from the cocktail list. Give em two flavours you vibe on, and they’ll mix with speed and confidence, and give you something you’ll want three more of. Then, have three more. Some places have a quality that improves as your cohesion dissolves, and The Anchor has this quality more than anywhere else. It’s like drinking inside a fond memory.

****

The Terrace Bar
529 Hunter St
Newcastle West 2302
Newcastle

Newcastle is the not-so-little town that spat Mark Richards, Matt Hoy, Craig Anderson, Ryan Callinan and more onto the surfing radar. It’s also the town that swallowed the potential of countless others you never quite heard of, because if there’s one thing Novocastrians dig, it’s drinking. However, it’s surprising to note that good drinking establishments are scarce there. Which makes the Terrace Bar so good. Bright craft beer labelling illuminates fridge doors, but The Terrace really shines when it comes to cocktails and punch jugs. The terrace itself, a killer outdoors roof, is perfect for summer afternoons. At 10pm, thanks to noise restrictions, everything moves downstairs. But this is a blessing in disguise because the DJs play everything from 90s hip hop to 70s funk, exotica, afro-beat, world music, Jamaican reggae and soul, so it gets nice and sweaty downstairs, which doesn’t sound great until you’re watching a single bead of perspiration make it’s way down the curve of the girl that just smiled at you.