Hanky Panky Lounge
Hidden cocktail lounge
A sleek speakeasy-style lounge hidden behind a mural of tropical parrots in the CBD, with a polished timber bar, plenty of whisky and a long Martini list.
📍 3/32 Mitchell Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Our top 9 Darwin bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- Hanky Panky Lounge
Hidden behind a parrot mural.
The CBD - Charlie's of Darwin
Native botanical gin off Austin Lane.
The CBD - Smoke and Oak
Jazz, flaming cocktails and Bill Murray.
The CBD - The Trader Bar
Through the vines to a cocktail lawn.
The CBD - Stone House Wine Bar & Kitchen
European-style wine and cocktails.
The CBD - Babylon Bar
Disco balls in an arcade.
The CBD - Willing Distillery
Darwin Dry Gin at the source.
Fannie Bay and Winnellie - Oyster Bar
Oysters and cocktails at the Waterfront.
Darwin Waterfront - The Darwin Ski Club
Sunset over Fannie Bay.
Fannie Bay and Winnellie
Map of Darwin bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in the CBD
Mitchell Street, Smith Street, Cavenagh Street and the lanes and arcades between them, all within a short walk.
Swipe to see all 13 bars →
Charlie's of Darwin
Gin bar
A dim, speakeasy-style bar upstairs off Austin Lane, all timber, spirit shelves and worn leather couches. It pours locally distilled gin with native botanicals such as Kakadu plum and rosella. The courtyard has Southeast Asian lanterns.
📍 Level 1, 56 Smith Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Smoke and Oak
Jazz and cocktail bar
A jazz bar with rustic charm and a portrait of Bill Murray on the wall. Order the Blazer, a flaming cocktail, or the No Tai if you are not drinking.
📍 14 Dashwood Crescent, Darwin City NT 0800
The Trader Bar
Cocktail and wine bar
Through an archway of vines and a steel door, with skilled bartenders, a long gin, cocktail and wine list and DJs on the lawn. Try the Aloha: vodka, watermelon and aloe vera.
📍 3 Harriet Place, Darwin City NT 0800
Palm Court Bar and Lounge
Hotel cocktail bar
The lounge at the Hilton Darwin, all about premium drinks and cocktails.
📍 Hilton Darwin, 32 Mitchell Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Stone House Wine Bar & Kitchen
Wine bar
An upmarket European-style wine bar with cocktails, nibbles, a changing list of wines by the glass and a garden to sit in.
📍 33 Cavenagh Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Babylon Bar
Retro small bar
A small, kitsch bar tucked in an arcade: disco balls, vintage Esquire posters, a dim red interior and a giant painted pair of blue eyes. Order the strong ginger beer.
📍 Air Raid Arcade, Shop 18/35 Cavenagh Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Ella by Minoli
Sri Lankan restaurant and bar
A romantic modern Sri Lankan restaurant with creative cocktails, such as a cardamom Espresso Martini and the Island Medicine with gin, pineapple, jalapeño, lemongrass and ginger.
📍 20 West Lane, Darwin City NT 0800
The Tap on Mitchell
Open-air pub
A big open-air pub in the middle of the action, shaded by an enormous leafy tree, with busy service and a croc burger on the menu.
📍 58 Mitchell Street, Darwin City NT 0800
The Cavenagh
Party bar
Darwin's backpacker party bar, with frozen mango daiquiris, cocktail specials and live music, about ten minutes' walk from the Waterfront.
📍 12 Cavenagh Street, Darwin City NT 0800
Hotel Darwin
Pub
A local staple since the 1940s, with a big shaded beer garden and pub meal specials most weeknights.
📍 39 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Shenannigans
Irish pub
An Irish pub known to locals as Shags, with Guinness on tap, nightly specials, live music and a dance floor at weekends.
📍 1/69 Mitchell Street, Darwin
🕒 Daily 10am to 2am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Sweethearts
Gastropub
Named after Darwin's famous crocodile, with live music seven days a week and gastropub dinners such as crispy-skinned barramundi.
📍 74 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Bars at the Waterfront
A short walk down from the CBD, the Waterfront Precinct has waterside tables and big outdoor bars.
Swipe to see all 2 bars →
Oyster Bar
Waterside bar
Waterside tables in the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, with Coffin Bay oysters done several ways, popcorn crocodile and drink specials on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
📍 19 Kitchener Drive, Darwin City NT 0800
The Precinct Tavern
Tavern
A spacious tavern at the Waterfront with a big outdoor beer garden and cocktail area for warm nights under the stars.
📍 7 Kitchener Drive, Darwin City NT 0800
Bars beyond the CBD
Worth a short drive: a gin distillery in Winnellie and sunsets over Fannie Bay.
Swipe to see all 4 bars →
Willing Distillery
Distillery bar
A family distillery using Top End flavours, in a light industrial estate on the edge of the city. Order the Darwin Dry Gin Martini or a bush Negroni with a cheese platter.
📍 1/31 Benison Road, Winnellie NT 0820
The Darwin Ski Club
Club bar
Over 50 years old and right on Fannie Bay, one of the best places in town for a sunset. The Bali Bar serves tropical cocktails.
📍 20 Conacher Street, Fannie Bay NT 0820
Darwin Railway Club
Club bar
Local and international musicians, a tropical beer garden, swing dancing lessons on Wednesdays and free pool tables every day.
📍 17 Somerville Gardens, Parap
Infinity at Mindil Beach Casino Resort
Pool bar
The pool and bar at Mindil Beach Casino Resort, looking straight onto palm-lined Mindil Beach.
📍 Mindil Beach Casino Resort, Darwin
Darwin cocktail trail
One route in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
Darwin CBD
7 bars · about 32 minutes on foot in total
- 1Stone House Wine Bar & Kitchen33 Cavenagh Street, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2Babylon BarAir Raid Arcade, Shop 18/35 Cavenagh Street, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3Charlie's of DarwinLevel 1, 56 Smith Street, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 16 min to the next bar
- 4Smoke and Oak14 Dashwood Crescent, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 5The Trader Bar3 Harriet Place, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 10 min to the next bar
- 6Hanky Panky Lounge3/32 Mitchell Street, Darwin City NT 0800
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 7The Tap on Mitchell58 Mitchell Street, Darwin City NT 0800
More Darwin bar guides
- Cocktail barsCocktail bars in Darwin: Hanky Panky Lounge, Charlie's of Darwin, Smoke and Oak and The Tr
- Date nightDate night bars in Darwin: Hanky Panky Lounge, Charlie's of Darwin, The Trader Bar and Sto
- Hidden barsHidden bars in Darwin: Hanky Panky Lounge, Charlie's of Darwin and Babylon Bar.
- Rooftops and viewsRooftops and views bars in Darwin: Oyster Bar, The Darwin Ski Club and Infinity at Mindil
- Live musicLive music bars in Darwin: Smoke and Oak, The Trader Bar, The Cavenagh and Shenannigans an
- Fun bars for groupsFun bars for groups in Darwin: Smoke and Oak, Babylon Bar, The Darwin Ski Club and The Tap
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Darwin: Hanky Panky Lounge, Charlie's of Darwin, The Trader
- Cocktails and foodCocktails and food bars in Darwin: Stone House Wine Bar & Kitchen, Oyster Bar, Ella by Min
- Pubs and beer barsPubs and beer bars in Darwin: The Tap on Mitchell, The Precinct Tavern, Hotel Darwin and S
- Late nightLate night bars in Darwin: Babylon Bar, The Cavenagh and Shenannigans.
- Cocktail trailA ready-made Darwin cocktail trail on foot: Darwin CBD, with walking times between each ba
Know before you go
- ☀️ Go in the DryThe Dry Season, roughly May to October, is the best time for outdoor bars and sunsets.
- 🚶 CBD on footThe CBD bars are close together. The Waterfront is a short walk away.
- 🚕 Taxi further outWinnellie and Fannie Bay are best reached by taxi or rideshare.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Darwin?
Start with Hanky Panky Lounge and Charlie's of Darwin, then Smoke and Oak. Our top 9 above covers the rest.
Where is the best area for cocktail bars in Darwin?
The CBD, around Mitchell Street, Smith Street and Cavenagh Street, where most of the best bars are a few minutes apart.
Does Darwin have hidden bars?
Yes. Hanky Panky Lounge is behind a parrot mural on Mitchell Street. Babylon Bar is tucked in an arcade on Cavenagh Street.
Where can I watch the sunset with a drink in Darwin?
The Darwin Ski Club on Fannie Bay is a local favourite for a sundowner.
Is Cocktail Week coming to Darwin?
Not yet. Follow Cocktail Week Australia to hear when we add new cities.
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Australian Traveller and Norther.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Darwin that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.