You'd expect it to be nothing more than a tourist trap, this lively outdoor lounge tucked under Sydney's opera house overlooking the Harbour Bridge and downtown skyline. While everything around it flickers in a frenzy of flashing cameras and photo-opts, the waterside bar is surprisingly stocked-full of Sydney's hottest singles scene with a live deejays spinning from happy hour to a late last-call. Music ranges from live jazz and soul to pure groove for more popular evening events. Best experienced on a warm summer night, the lounge attracts office-workers and well-heeled fashionistas to its large patio area set-up with two large-outdoor bars and scattered seating.
Tips
The velvet rope goes up around 7pm, when crowds are the heaviest. Shorts and causal wear are fine, but be sure not to look like a camera-totting tourist.
Last Word
If cold or rainy, it may be best to save the Opera Bar for summer. But once the temperature hits anything close to warm, arrive in the late afternoon and join one of the social circles on the concrete banks of the harbour. Keep conversation short and be sure to mingle around the various corners of the lounge, where sexy singles are easiest to spot.
