If you’ve ever looked at a perfectly good white rum and thought, 'this needs to taste more like a pantry staple,' then the Razz Room is your new spiritual home. Located deep in the belly of 20 York Street, this new Sydney haunt is serving up the 'dirty daiquiri'—a mix of rum, lime, and actual olive brine, topped with three whole olives. It’s a polarizing sip. In a city that treats its happy hour like a religion, it’s already drawing a crowd.
To find the place, look for the massive red 'R' and head downstairs. You’ll step into a room dripping with blood-red velvet curtains and warped mirror balls, an aesthetic that screams mid-70s New York excess. It’s the latest play from the team behind the Newtown cult-favourite, The Pleasure Club. It’s their first big jump into the city centre. They aren't doing things by halves, either; the place is built for noise, dancing, and lingering.
Live music is the pulse of the joint. On the opening night, local act Mister Ott brought the heat with some serious Ethio-jazz, keeping the sunken room buzzing. This isn't a place for quiet reflection; it’s a place for rounds of drinks, shared gossip, and enough visual clutter to make your eyes water. The space is a total transformation of the site that used to host The Basement. That venue was once the gold standard for Sydney’s jazz scene.
'They’re calling it a discotheque and daiquiri bar inspired by the underground pre-glossy days of disco and excess in New York.'
When you get hungry, the kitchen keeps the energy chaotic. You can order parmesan-stuffed potato skins topped with caviar, or go for the 'Dirty Royale cheeseburger.' This particular burger features a wagyu pattie smothered in cheese sauce and served face-down in a pool of bechamel. This dish is designed specifically to spark arguments on the internet. For the more traditional, there’s a retro prawn cocktail served in a squiggly-stemmed glass that feels like a throwback to 1985.
The menu uses QR codes for ordering. It’s a blessing if you’re too shy to face the bartender while asking for your fourth 'Pavlova Fruit Tingle.' That’s a glowing blue monstrosity of vodka, curacao, kiwi, and passionfruit that tastes exactly like a headache waiting to happen. But if you’re a purist, look past the printed menu. The staff are hiding a secret list of classics like Torontos and South Sides just for those in the know.
The team running Razz Room, often referred to as the 'Mary’s group,' has a knack for turning dive bars into local institutions. They’re the same brains behind Earl’s Juke Joint, Jacoby’s Tiki Bar, and the beloved Newtown burger joint, Mary’s. Each of these spots shares a DNA of being welcoming to everyone, regardless of whether you're there for the craft cocktails or just a loud hip-hop set. The Razz Room is essentially the CBD version of this formula, blending the high-end with the grimy. It works well for date nights where you want the atmosphere to do the heavy lifting.
If you prefer your night out with less disco and more yacht rock or J-pop, you’ve got options across the city, but none are currently hitting quite like this basement. There’s a deliberate, 'all-welcome' vibe here that makes the mix of ages and crowds feel natural. Whether you’re stopping in for a frozen negroni or just to see what the hell a spicy pork meatball dipped in garlic-chilli butter tastes like, you’re probably going to stay longer than you planned. It’s loud, it’s slightly unhinged, and it’s the most fun you’ll have in a basement on York Street this year.