Who is in the running for the 2020 Time Out Bar Awards?

The nominees for the 2020 Time Out Bar Awards for both Melbourne and Sydney have been announced, so who has made the list this year?

The awards feature six categories for venues including Best New Bar, Best Wine Bar, Best Cocktail Bar and Best Bar Food. There is also a Best Bar Team category and Bartender of the Year.

There are also two other categories – Bar of the Year and the Legend Award – which do not have nominees, with the winners announced on the night. There is also a People’s Choice Award, which has been voted on by Time Out readers.

Both Melbourne and Sydney have their own award nights with the Time Out Melbourne winners announced at the General Assembly, South Wharf on Monday December 2 and the Time Out Sydney winners revealed a week later the Powerhouse Museum on Monday December 9.

Speaking about the awards, Time Out Melbourne’s Food and Drink Editor, Jess Ho, said: “The bar scene in Melbourne is more innovative than ever before, making this city an exciting place to drink in.

“Melbourne’s wonderful wine bars are also raising the bar on food and cocktail offerings, creating hybrid venues like we have never had before. Cocktail bars continue to innovate, using techniques once only applied to food, all while creating the low- and no- alcohol beverages that are continuing to be in high demand.”

Time Out Sydney’s Food and Drink Editor Matthew Hirsch added: “This year’s nominees paint a real picture of just how many dynamite drinking experiences you can have in Sydney.

“Small venues are redefining the ‘neighbourhood bar’. Pubs are pouring natty wines and pressing tortillas for tacos. We have a standing-room only mezcaleria. Despite the restrictions that have hampered our city’s nightlife, the talent pool is stronger than ever and the quality of what’s on offer is at an all-time high.”

The Melbourne nominees:

Best New Bar

• Angel Music Bar
• Bar Margaux
• Byrdi
• Old Palm Liquor
• Tetto di Carolina

Best Cocktail Bar

• Above Board
• The Attic in Black Pearl
• Bad Frankie
• Bar Americano
• Beneath Driver Lane
• Byrdi
• Eau De Vie
• The Everleigh
• Romeo Lane
• Union Electric

Best Wine Bar

• Bar Liberty
• City Wine Shop
• Cumulus Up
• Denton Wine Bar
• Gerald’s Bar
• Kirk’s Wine Bar
• The Moon
• O My Bar
• Old Palm Liquor
• Westwood

Best Bar Food

• Arlechin
• Gerald’s Bar
• Old Palm Liquor
• Tetto di Carolina
• Westwood

Best Bar Team

• The Elysian Whisky Bar
• Mr West
• Paradise Alley
• The Shady Lady
• Union Electric

Bartender of the Year

• Shay Chamberlain, Black Pearl
• Darren Leaney, Capitano
• Meg Mullins , the Everleigh
• Nick Tesar, Bar Liberty
• Yao Wong, the Elysian

The Sydney nominees:

Best New Bar

• Bar Clementine
• Cantina OK
• The Cumberland
• Double Deuce Lounge
• Golden Gully
• Isabel
• Little Felix
• Maybe Sammy
• Prince of York
• Scout

Best Cocktail Bar

• The Baxter Inn
• Bulletin Place
• Double Deuce Lounge
• Earl’s Juke Joint
• Jangling Jack’s
• The Lobo Plantation
• Maybe Sammy
• Old Mate’s Place
• Papa Gede’s
• PS40

Best Wine Bar

• Dear Sainte Éloise
• The Dolphin Wine Room
• Monopole
• Where’s Nick
• Wyno x Bodega

Best Pub

• The George
• The Imperial Hotel
• The Lord Dudley
• Public House Petersham
• The Unicorn Hotel

Best Bar Food

• Charlie Parker’s
• The Lansdowne Hotel
• The Old Fitzroy Hotel
• Poly
• Wyno x Bodega

Best Bar Team

• Bulletin Place
• Cantina OK
• Double Deuce Lounge
• Earl’s Juke Joint
• The Lobo Plantation

Rising Talent Award

• Emma Bernardi, Rosenbaum and Fuller
• Molly Gillis, Jangling Jack’s
• Andrew McCorquodale, Old Mate’s Place
• Atlanta Pahulu, Bulletin Place
• Federica Thorn, Continental CBD

Bartender of the Year

• Antonello Arzedi, Scout
• Alex Gilmour, Cantina OK
• Andrea Gualdi, Maybe Sammy
• Wai Christine Lam, Employees Only
• Mary White, The Lobo Plantation