With its smartly appointed rooms and suites, flawless location and what we reckon is the most under-the-radar rooftop bar in the city, the Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour is a no-brainer for a romantic city stay in Sydney.
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Staying in Darling Harbour — Sydney’s preeminent entertainment precinct — is a great option for a romantic stay-cation or, if you’re visiting Sydney, a base that you can use to explore the city and beyond.
But what’s even better is staying just nearby on Sussex Street.
Only a couple of blocks from the waterside venues of Darling Harbour (not to mention China Town, Thai Town and light rail stations), the Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour is in the sweet spot of the city.
But it’s more than just location that makes the Vibe Hotel Darling Harbour. It’s also home to what we think is one of the best rooftop bars in Sydney.
Above 319 Rooftop Bar (and hotel pool)
At the top of the Vibe is Above 319, the hotel’s unpretentious rooftop bar. This might sound like a bit of an oxymoron, especially with the roof also playing host to the elegant lap pool and cabanas, but perhaps this is what makes Above 319 different to other city bars like it.
Yes, there’s a level of glamour to this bar sitting high above the city streets, but it’s still cosy, comfortable and welcoming.
The bar itself serves up a wide selection of classic cocktails alongside some well-crafted signature drinks. Many of them feature Rozelle-based Red Mill Rum, which we’re big fans of, and the tiki-style glasses some of these tipples come in add to the creativity of the menu.
Food-wise, there are some pretty good bar snacks to be had. Small plates like our karaage chicken, lemon myrtle and sichuan pepper Hawkesbury calamari, and pecorino-covered shoestring fries hit the spot.
If you’re after bigger dishes, the bar also serves things like beef cheek, quesadillas and steak sandwiches. There’s even the monster 319 Platter, which has all the best bits of the menu, perfect for sharing.
And if you ask nicely, the bar might even let you order from the full Sussex Store restaurant menu that’s on the ground floor.
Perhaps the part we like the most about this rooftop bar is its view. It’s not the tallest building in town. In fact, this is only the 14th floor. But this means there’s a real feeling of being part of the city, embedded in the looming towers, rather than hoisted up, detached from everything.
And the cool lights of the office blocks make the warmth and hygge of Above 319 all the more prominent.
Don’t Miss Happy Hour
Above 319’s happy hour runs Wednesday to Friday, 4.30pm-6.30pm and offers $10 beers and wine, and $15 for selected cocktails.
Make sure you book because happy hour can get pretty busy.
Our Room At The Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour
At around 21m2, rooms at the Vibe aren’t especially big. Even our Executive Suite (27m2) is by no means cavernous. That said, there’s still plenty of space for everything you need, including a lounge area and two enormous TVs.
The lounge and bedroom are split by a retractable wall, which is clever, and the bathroom not only has a lovely shower but a pretty big bath too. Amenities from O&M add a luxe touch to things, as do the complimentary Lindt chocolates — just don’t confuse them with the little round bath bomb also on the bath tray.
Providing lots of hanging space as well as the lock-up safe, minibar fridge, and tea and coffee facilities, the wardrobe is well-designed and made from heavy-gauge mesh, which hints at the industrial history of the building’s origins.
The massive king bed, its modern plugs (so good to see hotels up to date with USBs next to the bed) and considerate lighting make for an excellent night’s sleep.
Sussex Store Cafe & Restaurant
Even if you don’t have time to have lunch or dinner at the restaurant here, be sure to grab breakfast at the Sussex Store before you check out.
It’s all a la carte, which means there’s no buffet, but the lack of ultra-crispy bacon free-for-all is offset by some delicious plated options.
Christina was still talking about her breakfast bowl from the Sussex Store days later. Brimming with smoked salmon, whipped fava beans, roasted beetroot, pumpkin, braised legumes, sautéed cavolo nero and creamy avocado, this is as healthy as it is tasty.
Which is just as well.
In contrast to Christina’s heart-smart start to the day, my bacon and egg roll is one for the ages. As well as the obvious, this beauty comes with a slice of melty cheese and a crunchy hash brown all tucked into a sweet puffy brioche bun.
Cards on the table, I reckon this could be the best bacon egg roll in Sydney. And for just $16 too!
A Bit of History
The Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour opened in Oct 2019. Before that, 319 Sussex Street (and whole area actually) was made up of mills, stores and industrial warehouses, going right back to the mid-1800s.
Originally part of a steam-powered flour mill built by Thomas Barker in the 1830s, the Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour has done a good job doffing its cap to its industrial past.
The lobby and its lofted angled ceiling, exposed brick and timber walls, the corrugated cladding in the Sussex Store restaurant and the heavy-gauge mesh of the rooms’ wardrobes and dividers add a steel-capped touch to what is otherwise a comfortable, modern, relaxing hotel.
