The Sun-Herald

Will we ever have too many bars?

Sydney is a city with more bars than Alcatraz - and they just keep on coming.

It's one of my jobs to monitor the multiple new drinking venues appearing all over town and right now I'm finding it impossible to do so without sacrificing other crucial duties, like eating and sleeping.
Last week alone, I witnessed the debut of two major new bars in two major hotels on two major city beaches. The Manly Pacific's Charlie Bar and upstairs cocktail lounge Sable, and the Bondi Hotel's Cream Tangerine both burst into life with huge parties and are still packing in the punters.
Next day I had lunch at the new M Bar, part of the sleek refurbishment at the Mandarin Club's new premises at 1 Dixon Street, Chinatown. It's an appealing outdoor space with glass walls providing views of the passing parade while you sip cocktails devised by Bar Solutions supremo Grant Collins. It has its official launch party next week.
Next week I'm also at the launch of Wine Odyssey Australia, a "wine experience bar" featuring premium wines from Australia's best smaller wineries, on Argyle Street in The Rocks. It sounds impressive, with a tasting theatre, aroma room and over 40 drops on offer - but it's just one of a new family of awesome wine bars recently arrived in Sydney, including Time to Vino on Stanley Street, MilleVini on Crown Street and Number One Bar (from Tony Bilson) at 1 Alfred Street.
Tired yet? perhaps a little tipsy? You can't stop until you've experienced the Pool Club, the final stage in Justin Hemmes' huge ivy development of restaurants, bars and leisure experiences. This lavish, Palm Springs-style rooftop spot opened its doors - or rather its cabanas - with one of the best parties in recent history two week's ago. Also new at ivy is the European-style wine bar, Ash Street Cellar, a gorgeous little bar and bistro on the paved laneway at the back of the complex.
Other bar births in recent weeks include Steel Bar and Grill on Carrington Street (from the team behind Pony restaurant), the revamped Beresford Hotel on Bourke Street and Nevermind nightclub on Oxford Street. And they just keep coming; next up in Kings Cross - already a bar mecca - is Sugarmill, the latest offering from the Keystone Hospitality Boys, owners of favourites such as Cargo, The Loft and Gazebo Wine Garden.
How does our city support so many boozers? One theory is that we're becoming increasingly parochial in our drinking habits, choosing to stay close to home while we quaff. So while taxi drivers lose money, neighbourhood bars clean up and there's room for more of them spread out around the city.
I also believe that as a community Sydneysiders are preternaturally committed to having fun, and bar operators know this well. We'd rather lose a couple of hospitals than reduce our vast selection of drinking venues.
I'm proud we have such vibrant and compelling nightlife but hell, it's tough on the liver keeping up with the pace of its growth. Spare a thought for this hard-working social commentator, and remember - you can always help out by letting me know if you walk along your street and see a bar suddenly appear.
I'm terrified they're popping up so fast I'm missing some.