Best Beer Gardens In Sydney

Two undeniable truths: beer is delicious, gardens are lovely. Therefore beer gardens can be nothing short of deliciously lovely places. If doing beer gardens were an Olympic sport, Sydney would be its Michael Phelps. It's a great city to enjoy a cold one on a hot one. Even in winter there are few things better than sitting in the crisp sunshine throwing down a frosty. Presenting to you, lucky reader, some of the city's finest: Opera Bar, Circular Quay What is there to say about Opera Bar? You couldn't pay people to stay away from its absolutely unbeatable combo of Sydney views, sunny seating and good-times potential. Surprisingly still popular with locals despite the obvious drawcard for tourists, and the place is not as pretentious as you'd expect a place like this. With great taste in local live music talent, and genius partnerships such as Mexican restaurant pop-ups, it never ceases to surprise to take your breath away.  The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst Just as the name suggests, the Taphouse will become your 'local' pretty quickly. Downstairs it's the cosy kind of pub to settle on a cold day and sip some lagers. But when the clouds part the rooftop is the man event. With an impressive list of local and foreign beers waiting for you in their icey taps, you can spend long hours of the afternoon getting sampling all of them. The best way to do this is with a beer flight, where you'll get a cute little sampler of 5 of your choice. The Oaks, Neutral Bay Legend has it the giant Oak tree in the middle of this famous beer garden is insured for over $3 million. Whether or not its true, the tree has certainly been a landmark of the North Shore for many generations of drinkers. Just 10 minutes north of the Harbour Bridge, the Oaks is a massive institution that everyone has been, and probably vomitted at, at some point. It's diversity will hold you in for many hours, with the giant beer garden's supporting acts of upstairs bars and pool tables, sports bars, and a big, sweaty dance floor. If you like to be squashed in ridiculous crowds, make sure you head here on one of the Eves - Christmas, Australia Day, or Anzac Day, when it really gets sweaty... The Newport Arms, Newport A Sydney legend where the journey is just as epic as the place itself, tucked away on Sydney's Northern Beaches about an hour north of the city (on the L90, a notorious Sydney bus trip). Everything about The Arms is BIG. The place is probably the size of The Netherlands, with big-time water views over sleepy Pittwater. Big open spaces for big open groups of family and friends to eat and drink and be merry. Big outdoor screens with big footy players, and some seriously big parties. Particularly on Christmas, Anzac and Australia Day Eves, when every kid over 15 (tries) to get in and make out with each other. The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills During the day there are places better to enjoy a sunny beer in a pretty courtyard. During the night there's nowhere better to enjoy a jam-packed courtyard full of good-looking young folk. A great way to start any night, the beer garden here is one to settle into. And when you're done with the outdoors, all you have to do is head upstairs where it changes scenes to one of Sydney's best live music venues. This is by no means an exhaustive list, what the city lacks in leniency to drunkeness, it makes up in beautiful places to do said drinking. Feel free to share your favourite outdoor watering holes below.