Sweaty bodies. Boys with no shirts on. People dancing up in yo' grill. Boys kissing boys. Boys…read morekissing girls. Lasers beaming. This all equates to a standard night at Arq. Arq is a great place to come when you need a night off from the sleazy, drunk, why-are-you-still-in-my-face men who hit on you at every other bar, club or pub in Sydney. It is a prime place to take to the dance floor and move like no one is watching (they're not). Need a confidence boost? Compliments get thrown around here more than men up against the wall. My only complaint is the entry ($20). Are places in Sydney really still insisting that it is privilege to be on their premises? Get with the times people, not even the hottest clubs in New York City charge an entry fee! If you are a boy looking for a boy, you will be found at Arq. If you are a girl needing a night off from boys, you will be found at Arq. If you are a boy looking for a girl, you probably shouldn't but most likely will still be found at Arq. No judgement here. Everybody is out wanting to have a good time.

I'll be the first to admit that gay bars and clubs are not always the best. They are not the most…read morechill places out there and I tend to miss seeing live bands and hearing my favorite rock or indie songs. Having said that if you want to have a wild night out with some of the biggest party people in Sydney then this is the place to go. Arq is a multilevel club in the gayberhood of Oxford street. It's mainly for gay guys (sorry girls) but there are always plenty of friends and supporters here too. I've been a number of times with straight mates who had just as much fun (maybe more so) than me - it's definitely a welcoming place for all types. On the bottom level there is a darker night club style room that to me always seems a bit too small. The smokers alley adjacent to this room is great for chatting to people though. Upstairs there is a huge dance hall with a balcony. Drinks are pretty standard, prices are night club standard. Just remember to check Sydney's current lock out laws and drink laws or you might get stranded outside or not allowed certain drinks at certain times.

A couple of the reasons I sort like The Columbian Hotel is that the crowd that gathers,…read morepredominately if not all gay male, happen to be of a mixed bag when it comes to ages and stereotypes. There are a few ravers, dancer types as well as those just out for a casual good night on the town. I note that others have complained of druggies or drug dealers but I didn't see any, but then again maybe I didn't because that wasn't what I was look for. As for drinks, I had a few rum and cokes, and found them to of a better more decent pour than most of the other nearby Oxford Street gay bars. On weekends they have some go-go boy type dancers but what they had were really in dire need of some good dancing lessons. Their dance steps were more akin to that of some sod buster following a tractor through the fields than those of professional dance moves.

There is never a dull moment at the Colombian. Day or night, faithful patrons occupy this local…read morewatering hole to thirst-quench, socialize (read: troll), or boogie. The large front windows lined with counter tops and stools make for some optimal Surry Hills people watching. And man are there people to watch there on the corner of Crown and Oxford. On a weekend night, the energy is fun, flirty and upbeat. Grab a cosmo shooter and head upstairs to dance alongside the best of 'em. Don't be deterred, the Colombian gets pigeonholed as a strictly gay bar, but that's not necessarily the case. It's definitely an everyone-welcome establishment with a helluva lot of spirit to offer. If you're feeling like making a "night" out of your night, skip on over to the Colombian asap. If you're a go-gettin' party animal, you won't be sorry.

- awesome speak easy - 100s of drink opportnities…read more- I love the old school music - the definition of speakeasy I thought was lost it was pointed out by a random driver in a cab I entered an empty sure with one old man with a long beard standing next to a wall he said no words, and just nodded as he opened the door the stairwell was quite dusty I thought it was a set up the br behind the door at the bottom of the stairs, was the most amazing thing iv ever seen - id give this place ten stars if I could - such an amazing vibe - all the drinks were delicious I told the bartender I like mezcal the bartender asked, do you trust me? best decision I ever made

Great service, the drinks were tasty, the freshly juiced green apple & whiskey is a must, friendly…read morebartenders! Bathrooms were kindly gnarly tho

I have never eaten here so my review is not for the food! I love the vibe here, everyone is always…read morehappy and in a good mood here, it's a popular gay/drag bar where everyone is welcome! I love dancing here. It's great as a last stop before heading home :)

I am going to miss living around the corner from this place and watching the owner transform it…read morefrom a very run-down, seedy bar back into the glamorous gay institution it deserves to be. The transformation is pretty much complete at this point, so this Mardi Gras is going to be the best one yet. Sing it, Ladies!

Don't go! Manager is on a hair trigger to create trouble!…read more Security forcibly manhandled us out of the club, because the manager thought we were high on drugs or heavily drunk. (I had a lemon lime and bitters, other 2 had a cyder. No other alcohol prior to visiting the club. And aren't the drug-taking type!) Even after explaining we were perfectly sober to the security guard, the manager said no to re-entry, and decided to change his story to "erratic" dancing endangering other people! We are in our early 60s! Our dance was hip-hop moves! It's a dance club! How do you determine what dances are acceptable and others not?? Manager just decided to target us for some unknown, and nonsensical reason. We are owed an apology and what we got back was nasty responses from a manager who is very vindictive. Other recent reviews are also showing similar stories of bad judgment calls, making stuff up out of thin air - All part of Michael the manager!

Went out to enjoy this establishment with some friends but we weren't let in because of our race…read moreand nationality. They said we don't do big groups and security showed me their policy and I read it and no where there said anything about big groups. Moreover, we were not even that large. When I went to ask as question the security guard refused to talk to me and brushed us off. While another group behind us was let in. I would not recommend going.

Stopped by for happy hour (6-8pm), 6.00 for well cocktails (not a bad price but not as good as…read moreUniversal). Old style coin only operated jukebox playing music videos was cool. Indoor/outdoor patio style seating. Various activities going on throughout the week. Bartenders were very attentive. Came back a second time this week to use up a 15.00 voucher that we won and ended up staying for dinner. 15.00 mains with lots of choices and big portions (ordered the chicken schnitzel). It was ok taste wise but you do get alot of food for the money.

Popped in for a drink at about 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon. We wanted to see the "Castro" of Sydney…read more It as pretty early, so a lot of places were closed. Stonewall was open. We stepped up to the bar and warmly greeted by the bartender. There were about 3 other patrons who seemed to be regulars, so that told me that they took care of their patrons. We ordered a beer on tap for about $7. It was our first go at an Australian beer. It was good, very light and refreshing. Overall, the bar was clean as were the restrooms. I would've loved to see the nightlife, but maybe for our next visit to Sydney. However, the decor was festive and loud, all good things. I could tell that they throw wild events.

Very pretentious. Don't stumble, don't sing, don't have fun in line or you will be turned away…read moreespecially if you do not have an Australian accent. Please beware if you are traveling.

While I'd like to say that this place gets pretty packed on a Friday Night, that probably shouldn't…read morebe all that surprising considering that this seems to be the case with most places in Sydney. Still, I probably wouldn't consider it to be one of my favourite places, but it still wasn't all that bad, and it is one that I'd probably go to again if I happen to be in the area. They also have some nice beers on tap as well.

- up four flights of a dusty stairwell of a random office building…read more no elevator the trek is worth it - this speakeasy was a amazing - you would never know what await behind those doors - great steak sandwiches - get there early, its not as spacious - drinks are tasty - I love the dark environment - friendly service - hip hop soundtrack

This is one of my favorite bars in Sydney - Great staff that is always welcoming and makes quality…read moredrinks - good vibe and good music

I probably have been to this place a few times, namely because it happens to be a bar on Kings…read moreCross, and sadly, and I found myself wandering around there on occasion. Well, this bar is pretty tacky, and it certainly isn't anything that I would want to return to. The beer selection is pretty limited, and the bar itself is, well, not sleazy, but it certainly isn't all that great. Yeah, there really isn't anything that would attract me to this place.

After a long 14-hour flight from California I arrived in Sydney at 7:30am on a Sunday morning. My…read moreGF and I had hotel reservations in King's Cross and her flight had been cancelled and rescheduled for the next day, so I made my way out to KC to get the hotel check-in done. I arrived around 10am; check-in time at our hotel was noon so I had a couple of hours to kill. The hotel stored my luggage for me and I set out on a leisurely Sunday morning exploration of King's Cross. After a bit of seriously jet-lagged, zoned-out strolling I noticed on a corner an enclosed patio area open to the street, empty but beckoning. It was attached to the Empire Hotel, an historic-looking building with a very cool art-deco facade. I crossed the street and walked in and met bartender Albert, who kindly sat me down and gave me a sample tour of all the Australian beers the Empire had on tap. All were fantastic; Australia is a kind of beer paradise if you're a golden lager fan like me. I made my choice and retired to the patio with my pint to relax and soak up the vibe of Sunday morning King's Cross street life. Over the next couple of hours (and pints) I met several colorful characters on the patio, notably well-dressed long-time KC local Tim, who was in the Australian Army and was preparing to deploy back to Afghanistan in a couple of days. Tim filled me in on the history of King's Cross, which has through the decades been Sydney's bohemian zone, red-light district, gay-pride zone, and seedy all-night party bar destination. It was easy to see "The Cross" as it's called was currently in transition, undergoing a steady gentrification as befits its gorgeous physical setting amid historic architecture and streets lined with mature shade trees. Around noon I made my way back to our hotel to secure our room and a well-deserved nap, happy to have been so well-received by the friendly Australians at the Empire Hotel and looking forward to our Sydney adventure that was soon to begin.