The best speakeasy in Sydney CBD.
Sydney's official outpost of New York's iconic speakeasy. A hidden basement bar with award-winning cocktails, live burlesque, a resident psychic and a late licence until 3am. Found at the bottom of Barrack Street, two minutes from Wynyard.
From the West Village to Barrack Street.
The original Employees Only opened on Hudson Street in New York's West Village in 2004 and was named one of the World's 50 Best Bars the year after. Twenty years on, the same team chose Sydney for the brand's first Australian outpost — a basement speakeasy below Barrack Street, a short walk from Wynyard.
Inside, the rules are the same as New York: real cocktails, real hospitality, a room that does half the work. The drinks come built — not stirred for show. The burlesque is choreographed, not borrowed. The resident psychic is a Sydney addition the New York founders signed off on personally.
Most CBD speakeasies trade on mystery alone. Ours has the receipts.
Speakeasy, properly done.
NYC pedigree
Sydney's only official outpost of the New York original. Same cocktail philosophy, same bar-builders, same drinks list lineage. Read the full story.
Award-winning cocktail programme
Bartenders trained across New York, Singapore, Miami and Hong Kong. Syrups, infusions and cordials made daily in-house. See the cocktail list.
Resident burlesque
Friday and Saturday night burlesque from a resident company. Show times timed to dinner service so you don't miss either.
The resident psychic
The red "psychic" sign on Barrack Street is the entrance — and a real psychic does take walk-up consultations on select nights. The original New York venue did the same.
Open until 3am
Late licence on Friday and Saturday. Full cocktail service and live entertainment until close. One of the only CBD speakeasies that goes this late.
A real kitchen
Not a bar with a snack list. New York steakhouse classics, hand-made tartare, 1.2kg tomahawks. See the food menu.
What people want to know.
Where exactly is the entrance?
Barrack Street, between George and Clarence. Look for the red "psychic" sign. Take the staircase down.
Do I need a password?
No. Walk in. Walk-ins are always welcome; the bar is the best seat in the house.
Is the psychic real?
Yes. A working psychic takes walk-up consultations on select nights. Check our What's On page for current schedule.
How does it compare to the New York original?
Same cocktail philosophy, same bartender training, the room is built to similar specifications. The Sydney venue has a fully-realised kitchen — the New York original is mainly a bar. Burlesque runs both sides of the Pacific.