Juniper
Gin bar
Wollongong's first dedicated gin bar: neon-lit and intimate, with a list of 58 boutique gins, handmade cocktails and bartenders who know their stuff.
📍 121 Keira Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Our top 10 Wollongong bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- Juniper
Wollongong's first gin bar.
Wollongong CBD - The Black Cockatoo
Through a curtain behind a bakery.
Wollongong CBD - Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar
260 whiskies and live music.
Wollongong CBD - Scoundrel's Rest
Tiki with 50 rums.
Wollongong CBD - Humber
An art deco bar and a fairy-lit rooftop.
Wollongong CBD - Bar Lina
Wine, vinyl and a fire.
Wollongong CBD - Bóveda
100 tequilas in an old bank.
Thirroul - Night Parrot
Wine and cocktails until 2am.
Wollongong CBD - Halfway
Margaritas and late nights.
Wollongong CBD - Franks Wild Years
Martinis in a record store.
Thirroul
Map of Wollongong bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in the CBD
Crown Street, Keira Street, Kembla Street and the laneways between, down to the beach at Cliff Road.
Swipe to see all 16 bars →
Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar
Whisky bar
An Americana bar opened in 2017 with 260 whiskies, 18 gins, 13 rums, 50 craft beers, cocktails, burgers and live music.
📍 103/53-61 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Scoundrel's Rest
Tiki bar
A neo-tiki bar with a library of more than 50 rums for Mai Tais, Mojitos and Piña Coladas, Caribbean street food and a DJ on vinyl at weekends.
📍 2/74 Kembla Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Humber
Rooftop and cocktail bar
Three levels in the old Hillman Humber building: an eatery downstairs, an art deco cocktail bar in the middle and a fairy-lit rooftop for sunsets, plus a laneway for lazy Sundays.
📍 226 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Night Parrot
Wine and cocktail bar
A bright late-night bar with an exceptional wine list, cocktails and zingy Asian street food such as Korean popcorn chicken and duck pancakes. Open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
📍 69 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Halfway
Tequila bar
A tequila specialist and late-night haunt known for its Margaritas and charcuterie boards, with a cut-price happy hour every day.
📍 Wollongong NSW 2500
🕒 Fri and Sat 4pm to 2am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
ilu ilu
Indian lounge bar
An Indian-inspired lounge bar seating about 70, with cocktails such as the Spiked Mango Lassi, Indian tapas, regular jazz nights and bottomless brunches.
📍 Shop 5, 10-18 Regent Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
🕒 Tue to Sun 11am to midnight (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
The Black Cockatoo
Hidden bar
A compact, amber-lit bar hidden behind a bakery, through a curtain, pouring Tromba tequila with crispy pork crackling.
📍 88 Kembla Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Bar Lina
Wine bar
A cosy, fire-warmed Iberian bar with a Portuguese taverna feel: vinyl, natural wines, cocktails, small plates and a Portuguese custard tart to finish.
📍 1/17 Globe Lane, Wollongong NSW 2500
La La La's
Dive bar and music venue
A no-frills dive bar, diner and art space with live music, DJ nights, pinball and pool, open until 2am on Saturdays.
📍 3 Globe Lane, Wollongong NSW 2500
His Boy Elroy
Laneway bar and burgers
A narrow laneway bar and burger joint with Southern-style food and cocktails such as the passionfruit Pretty Woman.
📍 Wollongong NSW 2500
🕒 Daily 11.30am to 9pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Pepe's on the Beach
Beach bar
Right by the beach with a big alfresco deck, California-Mexican food and a long cocktail list with frozen options. Margaritas are cheaper in the afternoon happy hour.
📍 2-14 Cliff Road, Wollongong NSW 2500
Five Barrel Brewing
Brewery taproom
A brewery taproom pouring a golden ale, a pale ale and an ESB, with a food truck Thursday to Saturday.
📍 318 Keira Street, Wollongong
The Illawarra Hotel
Art Deco pub
An Art Deco pub built in 1938, home to Hilda's Bar.
📍 160-164 Keira Street, Wollongong
North Gong Hotel
Pub
Three bars, a beer garden and Sunday sessions.
📍 3 Flinders Street, Wollongong
Dicey Riley's
Irish pub
The Irish pub in the Wollongong CBD, for a pint of Guinness.
📍 Wollongong
Bars in Thirroul
Twenty minutes up the coast, Thirroul's Lawrence Hargrave Drive has tequila, records and seafood.
Swipe to see all 6 bars →
Bóveda
Tequila bar and restaurant
In Thirroul's old Commonwealth Bank building, with more than 100 tequilas and mezcals, a VIP tequila tasting room and modern Mexican food.
📍 258 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul NSW 2515
Franks Wild Years
Record store and cocktail bar
A record store, cocktail bar and live music room named after the Tom Waits album, known for Martinis and 1960s lounges.
📍 3/2A Raymond Road, Thirroul NSW 2515
South Sailor
Fish bar
A Thirroul fish bar with tropical flowers and botanical wallpaper, known for its cocktails and seafood paella.
📍 216-218 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul NSW 2515
Resin Brewing
Brewpub
A brewpub in the 1887 Bulli Railway Guesthouse, with Sunday sessions.
📍 8 Station Street, Bulli
The Scarborough Hotel
Pub
A pub with ocean views, near Scarborough station.
📍 383 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Scarborough
Headlands Austinmer Beach
Beachfront bar
A beachfront brasserie and beer garden at Austinmer.
📍 Corner of Headland Avenue and Yuruga Street, Austinmer
Bars in Shell Cove
South of the city at the new marina.
Georgia Rose
Café and cocktail bar
A café by day and cocktail bar by night at the Shell Cove marina, with festoon lights, murals, water views, Sunday sessions and cocktail classes.
📍 1/9 Marina Drive, Shell Cove NSW 2529
Wollongong cocktail trail
One route in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
Wollongong CBD
8 bars · about 177 minutes on foot in total
- 1Humber226 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 18 min to the next bar
- 2Night Parrot69 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 38 min to the next bar
- 3Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar103/53-61 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 42 min to the next bar
- 4Juniper121 Keira Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 25 min to the next bar
- 5Bar Lina1/17 Globe Lane, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 6La La La's3 Globe Lane, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 19 min to the next bar
- 7Scoundrel's Rest2/74 Kembla Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
- 🚶 about 34 min to the next bar
- 8The Black Cockatoo88 Kembla Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
More Wollongong bar guides
- Cocktail barsCocktail bars in Wollongong: Juniper, Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar, Scoundrel's Rest and Hum
- Date nightDate night bars in Wollongong: Juniper, The Black Cockatoo, Bar Lina and Bóveda.
- Rooftops and viewsRooftops and views bars in Wollongong: Humber, Pepe's on the Beach, Georgia Rose and The S
- Live musicLive music bars in Wollongong: Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar, Scoundrel's Rest, Franks Wild Y
- Fun bars for groupsFun bars for groups in Wollongong: Scoundrel's Rest, Humber, Night Parrot and Halfway.
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Wollongong: Juniper, The Black Cockatoo, Howlin' Wolf Whisk(
- Cocktails and foodCocktails and food bars in Wollongong: Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar, Scoundrel's Rest, Bar L
- Pubs and beer barsPubs and beer bars in Wollongong: Five Barrel Brewing, The Illawarra Hotel, North Gong Hot
- Late nightLate night bars in Wollongong: Night Parrot, Halfway and La La La's.
- Cocktail trailA ready-made Wollongong cocktail trail on foot: Wollongong CBD, with walking times between
Know before you go
- 🚆 Easy from SydneyThe train from Sydney takes about 90 minutes, so Wollongong works for a night out.
- 🚶 CBD on footThe CBD bars are a few minutes apart. Take a taxi to Thirroul or Shell Cove.
- 🍹 Happy hoursSeveral bars run afternoon happy hours, so check before you go.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Wollongong?
Start with Juniper and The Black Cockatoo, then Howlin' Wolf Whisk(e)y Bar. Our top 10 above covers the rest.
Where is the best area for cocktail bars in Wollongong?
The CBD around Crown Street, Keira Street and Kembla Street. Thirroul, up the coast, is worth a trip too.
Does Wollongong have a hidden bar?
Yes. The Black Cockatoo on Kembla Street is hidden behind a bakery, through a curtain.
Where is the best rooftop bar in Wollongong?
Humber on Crown Street has a fairy-lit rooftop for sunset drinks.
Is Cocktail Week coming to Wollongong?
Not yet. Sydney Cocktail Week is coming soon. Sign up on our Sydney 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 Australian Traveller and Sitchu.
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 Wollongong that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.