Mr Drifter
Tiki cocktail bar
A modern tiki bar in Noosa Junction with its own house-infused purple gin, rustic timber, vintage postcards and exposed brick, plus street food from India to Indonesia.
📍 1/9 Sunshine Beach Road, Noosa Heads QLD 4567
Our top 8 Sunshine Coast bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- WAT Den
Whisky and tequila on the Esplanade.
Mooloolaba - Boston Shaker Bar
1920s cocktails hidden in The Wharf.
Mooloolaba - The Rooftop Bar & Garden
Seven storeys up with a retractable roof.
Maroochydore - Mr Drifter
Tiki and purple gin in Noosa Junction.
Noosa - Circa Rooftop
Ocean and hinterland views.
Maroochydore - Moonstruck
A gin bar at the quiet end of Hastings Street.
Noosa - Habibti
Lanterns, mezze and cocktails.
Noosa - The Dock
Sunday sessions over the river.
Mooloolaba
Map of Sunshine Coast bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in Noosa
Hastings Street, Noosa Junction and Noosaville, for gin bars, tiki and wine bars a short walk from the beach.
Swipe to see all 5 bars →
Habibti
Mezze and cocktail bar
A family-owned Middle Eastern mezze bar in Noosa Junction, lit by custom lanterns, with cocktails, seasonal mezze and themed nights with live music.
📍 Shop 2-3, 1 Arcadia Street, Noosa Heads QLD 4567
Moonstruck
Gin and coffee bar
A small European-style gin and coffee bar at the quieter end of Hastings Street, towards the Noosa Woods, with local and limited-edition gins, cocktails and Australian wines.
📍 5 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads QLD 4567
Apéro Wine Bar
Wine and aperitif bar
A European-style aperitif and wine bar in Noosaville with French wines, classic cocktails and bites, including build-your-own cheese and charcuterie.
📍 203 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville QLD 4566
Heads of Noosa Brewery
Brewery
An independent, family-owned brewery that brews, filters, kegs and bottles on site, with its own kitchen.
📍 Noosaville
Bars in Maroochydore
Home to the coast's two big rooftop bars, near Ocean Street.
Swipe to see all 3 bars →
The Rooftop Bar & Garden
Rooftop bar
A grand bar and garden seven storeys up, across the road from Ocean Street, with ocean views, a retractable roof for bad weather, cocktails and a global menu. Billed as the Sunshine Coast's first open-air rooftop bar.
📍 8 Maroochydore Road, Maroochydore QLD 4558
Circa Rooftop
Rooftop bar and restaurant
A rooftop bar, cocktail lounge and restaurant at the top of the Kon Tiki building, with ocean and hinterland views and 1920s-inspired drinks.
📍 Kon Tiki Building, 55 Plaza Parade, Maroochydore QLD 4558
10 Toes Brewery
Brewery
An open-plan tasting room at Alexandra Headland, with local food trucks on weekend evenings.
📍 4/127A Sugar Road, Alexandra Headland QLD 4572
Bars in Mooloolaba
The Esplanade and The Wharf on the Mooloolah River, for beach and river views.
Swipe to see all 7 bars →
WAT Den
Whisky and tequila bar
A sleek whisky and tequila bar on Mooloolaba Esplanade with a cigar lounge feel, seating only 40 to 60. It stocks hard-to-find bottles, keeps liquor lockers for regulars and runs a cocktail masterclass with a drink on arrival.
📍 Oceans building, 105 Mooloolaba Esplanade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
Boston Shaker Bar
Cocktail bar
A 1920s art deco cocktail bar tucked away in The Wharf precinct, with plush red booths, old-fashioned service and regular live music.
📍 The Wharf, 123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
The Dock
Bar and restaurant
At The Wharf, with vaulted ceilings, reclaimed brick and a big deck over the Mooloolah River and the marina. Known for Friday drinks and Sunday sessions.
📍 The Wharf, 123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
Taps Mooloolaba
Pour-your-own bar
Pour your own craft beer with prepaid tokens, or order from a long cocktail list served by the glass or by the teapot. Giant Jenga and Mario Kart too.
📍 Corner of The Esplanade and Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
The Pub Mooloolaba
Pub
A laid-back local pub set back from the main strip, a few steps from the beach, for food, drinks and live sport.
📍 23 Venning Street, Mooloolaba
The Savvy Squire
Brewhouse
A big brewhouse on the water in the Mooloolaba Wharf precinct.
📍 The Wharf, Mooloolaba
Casita Wine Bar
Wine bar
A newer wine bar at Mooloolaba Beach for a sunset glass.
📍 3/26 River Esplanade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
Bars in Kawana and Caloundra
Further south, quieter and closer to the water.
Swipe to see all 3 bars →
STOA
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar in Bokarina mixing industrial chic and natural materials, with a carefully curated cocktail list.
📍 Shop 1, 42 Bokarina Boulevard, Bokarina QLD 4575
Drift Bar
Waterside bar
A nautical-themed bar on the Caloundra esplanade with water views, tropical mojitos and live music at weekends.
📍 Caloundra QLD 4551
Moffat Beach Brewing Co.
Beachfront brewery
Billed as Australia's only beachfront brewery, with live music on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.
📍 12 Seaview Terrace, Moffat Beach QLD 4551
Sunshine Coast cocktail trail
A short route in walking order around Mooloolaba. The Sunshine Coast is spread out, so plan a taxi or rideshare between towns. See them all on a map.
Mooloolaba: The Wharf to the Esplanade
4 bars · about 11 minutes on foot in total
- 1Boston Shaker BarThe Wharf, 123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2The DockThe Wharf, 123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
- 🚶 about 6 min to the next bar
- 3Taps MooloolabaCorner of The Esplanade and Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
- 🚶 about 4 min to the next bar
- 4WAT DenOceans building, 105 Mooloolaba Esplanade, Mooloolaba QLD 4557
More Sunshine Coast bar guides
- Cocktail barsCocktail bars in Sunshine Coast: WAT Den, Boston Shaker Bar, The Rooftop Bar & Garden and
- Date nightDate night bars in Sunshine Coast: WAT Den, Boston Shaker Bar, The Rooftop Bar & Garden an
- Rooftops and viewsRooftops and views bars in Sunshine Coast: The Rooftop Bar & Garden, Circa Rooftop, The Do
- Live musicLive music bars in Sunshine Coast: Boston Shaker Bar, Habibti, Drift Bar and Moffat Beach
- Fun bars for groupsFun bars for groups in Sunshine Coast: Mr Drifter, The Dock, Taps Mooloolaba and The Pub M
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Sunshine Coast: WAT Den, Mr Drifter and Moonstruck.
- Cocktails and foodCocktails and food bars in Sunshine Coast: The Rooftop Bar & Garden, Mr Drifter, Circa Roo
- Pubs and beer barsPubs and beer bars in Sunshine Coast: The Pub Mooloolaba, The Savvy Squire, Heads of Noosa
- Cocktail trailA ready-made Sunshine Coast cocktail trail on foot: Mooloolaba: The Wharf to the Esplanade
Know before you go
- 🚕 Plan your transportThe towns are 15 to 40 minutes apart by car, so pick one area for the night or book a ride.
- 🌅 Rooftops at sunsetThe Maroochydore rooftops are at their best at golden hour.
- 🗓️ Book at weekendsThe small bars fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, especially in summer.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Sunshine Coast?
Start with WAT Den and Boston Shaker Bar, then The Rooftop Bar & Garden. Our top 8 above covers the rest.
Where is the best area for bars on the Sunshine Coast?
Mooloolaba has the most bars in one place, around The Wharf and the Esplanade. Maroochydore and Noosa are the other two hubs.
What are the best rooftop bars on the Sunshine Coast?
The Rooftop Bar & Garden and Circa Rooftop, both in Maroochydore.
Are there hidden bars on the Sunshine Coast?
Yes. Boston Shaker Bar is tucked away in The Wharf at Mooloolaba.
Is Cocktail Week coming to the Sunshine Coast?
Not yet. Brisbane Cocktail Week is coming soon. Sign up on our Brisbane page to hear first.
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 Visit Sunshine Coast and Urban List.
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 Sunshine Coast that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.