What a cool little spot and perfect for celebrating with friends. The food is awesome, really good bar food done extremely well. We had ribs, cheese burger cigars, sliders, salt n pepper squid, potato skins, sweet potato fries and churros. Amazing 5-7 happy hour For food and drinks makes it more affordable. Favourite cocktails we enjoyed were the kale drink, pina colada and Mai Tai.
I love the retro Chinese vibes of this place. Amazing cocktails and wine list, super friendly waiting staff and the food (which is all bar food) is damn tasty. I’ll be back! #barfood #sliders
We came here on a Tuesday evening and we were pleasantly surprised. From outside and the entrance, you wouldn't expect such cool decor inside. It was Happy Hour so some of the cocktails were on offer (and they were delicious) plus you can get $1 dumplings with a cocktail purchase (I think this offer is on Tuesdays only). Some of the dumplings were really good and others were average but for $1, they were definitely value for money. It's in a convenient location too so perfect for a catch-up with friends.
Describing themselves as "LA hip fused with retro China" - the menu does not disappoint but it is the showmanship, creativity and talent of the mixologists behind the bar that are the showstopper here on your next night out!
I had the PANDAMONIUM (as well as a few others actually) - Vodka, Montenegro, Apricot brandy with lemon and peach bitters, egg white and flamed with Cinnamon in the shape of a panda. THE SMOKING PANDA is a real treat to watch as the signature concoction of Johnny Gold infused grapefruit, pineapple honey syrup, red berry infused vinegar and served in a smoked cloche! Cocktails with drama I LOVE IT!
If you haven’t ventured to The Smoking Panda yet you need to amend this culinary discrepancy ASAP. You need to go there with some cash, drink an ample amount of wonderful Old Fashioneds and compliment these amazing drinks with some Chinese inspired snack food that will blow your mind! The Devil Wings are next level, the duck bao delish and the salt and pepper squid will make you salivate!!
I cannot wait to return!
The Smoking Panda is a bar and eatery located in the Sydney CBD. It is home to the largest collection of bitters of any bar in Australia, which are mixed with top-shelf spirits to create a vast, bespoke menu of Old Fashioneds. They also do a great range of bar food, so we decided to check it out one night for dinner and drinks.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Any unassuming pedestrian would never know about this gem hiding upstairs on Park street moments from the bus stop as it's not really sign posted. A waltz up the stairs will take you home to a dining room reminiscent of your suburban childhood asian takeaway. Wade through the moody lighting to the important stuff, ie the bar. This is the part of Smoking Panda that is taken quite seriously. The bartenders here are committed to craft and clearly strive for perfection and satisfaction with every move.
Noting themselves as wanting to provide the number one spot in Sydney to get an old fashioned, they are certainly doing a mighty job, with most of the menu dedicated to its variant and nearly every whisky available. Commitment I appreciate, which is why this accessible, non-pretentious small bar moved me, despite fall-down in the kitchen. Talk to the bartenders if you don't know what to pick. They are reliable (and also friendly) and will get you on your way. A DJ spins tracks in the corner gently to remind you it's the weekend, so the bar can catch your order and help you out if need be.
The commitment drops in terms of food, and it is identifiable the kitchen are here merely to sustain, when considering the commonalities between some of the food options. Flavours are shared between certain fillings and sauces, and overall the food just doesn't impress to the point it's the reason you would visit. And why would it be. With bartenders like these, who needs food?
A visit to The Smoking Panda is an education in the art of classic cocktail-making. And if you’re getting hot under the collar from all that cocktail drinking, rest assured there’s some seriously good American-Asian eats to balance out the alcohol.
A slightly hidden upstairs bar, serving the biggest range of Old Fashioned's you could ever desire! The drinks are strong, the bar staff are super knowledgeable, the interiors are moody and the bar snack menu is packed full of delicious Asian items from dumplings to San choy bau to sticky lamb ribs. A great spot you've probably walked past a hundred times and never realized!
Delicious dumplings, which are a smudge greasy (no biggie) and a fabulously stocked bar. Try the chicken katsu bao!
Beverages a little overpriced, but I would go back.
The Smoking Panda has been my go-to place for my work trips to Sydney, so you can imagine my joy when I returned after 2 long years and walked through the very-familiar doors! Travis and team are friendly and welcoming, as always! Love their food and super cosy environment. Had their lunch specials (for ribs) and it's so good + value-for-money! Do pop by if you are near the Town Hall tram station - They are just a quick 3-mins walk away!
Stellar staff. Fun cocktails. Great food and decor. Reasonable selection of spirits and beer. Happy hour equivalent goes all night (at least on Mondays) which is pretty sweet. A little loud and hot but highly recommended.
This place is great for small groups, recommend booking if you are more than 4x as it is a smaller space & not exactly the type of place you would stand around and drink at. I’ve been here quite a few times over a few years.
Cocktail list is rather small but if you request a cocktail that isn’t on the list they can normally accommodate the usuals.
Food - the potato skins were nice however the portions was small. Chicken wings not too bad as well.
Overall not bad place, however the table service could do with a little bit more attentiveness at some times.
This place is accessible via stairs, not sure if there are lifts, but haven’t had to use them before.
Located a floor above the streets of Sydney, this joint is an easy and relaxing place to have a drink with some friends or by your lonesome at the bar itself. The staff are friendly and easy going, plus they make some excellent cocktails. The smoky glass concoction "Pearfection" was a lovely spice rum, with some chardonnay, a full pear, and served from a glass encased with smoke. Well recommended if you want somewhere to go around Town Hall and you're unsure of a place to head too.
Sarah charles (Thewhereto)
+5
Smoking Panda is a must visit cocktail bar in the heart of the city. The decor is a little odd, it reflective of an old school Chinese restaurant with a sprinkle of the sunset strip. They serve up some of the tastiest bar bites you will come across. Even better, they now have a specialty cocktail menu paying homage to a classic, the Old Fashioned. With 228 different types of Old Fashioned's to be precise. This is partly due to Smoking Panda having the largest collection of bitters of any bar in Australia.
Smoking Panda is serving up the Old Fashioned with a range of spirit's including vodka, rum, gin and all types of whisky including a quality collection of scotch, bourbon and rye. There is surely an old fashioned to suit anyones taste. If Old Fashioned's are not your thing, there are plenty of other drink options, with beer, wine and a range of cocktails. If you are a whisky fan you are in for a real treat. The smoking panda 2.0 is a must, if you are an Old Fashioned fan. With Iain the bar keeper going all out on this cocktail, without blowing out the price.
Not only does Somking Panda have an amazing drink list, the food on offer is sublime. The menu reflecting the decor, with a mix of American and asian selections, perfect to enjoy with a few bevvies. The sticky USA pork ribs were mind blowing, it would be almost impossible for the meat to be anymore tender. We were surprised the meat was still hanging onto the bone. The sticky BBQ sauce was damn tasty too. On par were the Panda Kuro prawns coated in a bamboo charcoal infused panko crumb, there bad boys were incredibly more-ish. Other notables include the sliders, the devil wings and the Panda San choy bau with a Smokey asian sauce, this dish perfectly sums up The Smoking Panda.
With a great drink selection, including an impressive list of whisky and bitters. This combining this with some rediculously tasty food. The Smoking Panda is up there on our favourite bar list and is well worth a visit.
Up a somewhat non-descript set of stairs you will find this awesome cocktail bar that is open late. Great drinks are always made to order by the friendly and knowledgeable bar tenders. Food options are nice and there to help you keep drinking with a nice back wall of alcohol to choose from for the next concoction!
They are having 20% off on everything in the menu from 5-7pm everyday.
Friendly manager, good crowd.
Was there for one drink before our dinner.
Ordered this gin based drink with absinthe, cereal and milk, interesting and I liked it a lot.
Will come back to try their food.
Friendly service! Nice ambience. A nice spot to enjoy a nice cold icy beer with friends 🥰
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