NOW EXPERIENCING:Papa Gede’s
Drinks Directory|Date night|Bar|Wheelchair accessible

Papa Gede’s

348 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Phone
(02) 9299 5671
Website
papagedes.com
Instagram
@papagedesbar

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 16 Mar 2023

By
Matty Hirsch

This hidden inner-city cocktail specialist invokes the spirit of the tiki bar and the soul of a chilled-out local to winning effect – a polished offering yet laid-back and unpretentious.

Papa gedes bar
Why you goThe thing about bars in the big smoke is they sometimes lean on style over substance, aiming to impress with flashy fit-outs, whizz-bang bartending and pricey drinks that look better on a phone than they taste in real life. Despite being a frequently name-checked cocktail bar smack-bang in the centre of Sydney’s CBD, Papa Gede’s doesn’t play that game. Instead, it feels like a relaxed neighbourhood haunt, the sort of spot frequented by diehard regulars where almost everyone is on a first-name basis and you’re never judged by what you order, who you’re with or what you’re wearing. But far from being a dive, it’s a polished offering with serious credentials that lives up to its namesake – the voodoo spirit of lust and laughter.
Why you stayYou’re made to feel welcome here well before you even step through the door. Duck off Kent Street, head down the old cobblestone lane and the distant flicker of candlelight beckons. Without fail, a member of the uncompromisingly friendly team will greet you from a distance and invite you into the low-lit cavernous former garage. Service is a real strong point, but then so is the calibre of the well-priced cocktails which, like the decor, lean tiki without overdoing it on kitsch. No matter whether you sit up at the bar or at one of the well-spaced tables, you can always hear each other talk and, better yet, you can even bring your (well-trained) dog.
Papa gedes interior
Drinks and cocktails
What drink to order

If there’s one cocktail that sums up the PG experience, it has to be the Zombie. Here, the tiki classic layers aged and overproof rums with Cointreau, brandy, grapefruit and lime. Is it served in a tropical ceramic mug? Of course! Does it arrive on fire? You bet! And, as the menu rightly proclaims, it’s “strong enough to wake the dead” but “two may send you back”.

 

What to pair it withKeeping it simple yet still cut-above is the brief on the snack front. For the peckish, we’re talking olives and bread with house-made almond dukkah, sweet-spicy buttered bar nuts or pork crackling sharpened by lime and Tabasco. Cheese and charcuterie platters are also on hand should you crave something more sizeable.
Food and Drinks
Bar
Regular’s tipNo day or time is necessarily better for a visit than any other, but it pays to check the events calendar for a bit of added fun. Comedy nights almost always sell out and bring the house down with local talent and occasional international guests, while live music is also a thing from time to time. Expect acoustic covers of folk, blues and rock on one night, and a DJ spinning reggae, funk and hip-hop on vinyl the next.
Make it fancyThere aren’t many Sydney bars where you can splurge on absinthe, but this is most certainly one of them. In fact, you’ve got 10 or so to choose from, including the familiar likes of Pernod and Bourgeois from France if you’re at a loss for where to start. For something local and left-of-centre, try the Baron & Sons, made exclusively for the venue from Demoiselle, Australia’s first distillery dedicated to the green fairy. No matter what you order, it’s always served the traditional way, with miniature glassware, sugar cubes and a slow-dripping vintage water fountain for proper dilution. Embrace the ritual.
Fine dine
casual outing at papa gedes bar
Who to takeThis is about as laid-back and unpretentious a place as you’ll find in the centre of a city, so the only real prerequisite is the desire to have a good time. It’s worth noting, too, that bookings are taken for groups between four and 12 people if you’re the type that likes to plan ahead.
Authour image
Matty HirschMatty Hirsch is a Sydney-based writer, critic and editor whose work has appeared in Time Out, Delicious and Gourmet Traveller.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryCasual catch-upSydneyVego Food OptionsWheelchair accessibleBarPet friendlyKiller cocktailsDate nightSydney – CBDAfter work drinksNon-alc Options
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