The beachside suburb of Coogee, located in Sydney’s South East is well known as a city within a city when it comes to bars and clubs. When it comes to Coogee however, anyone will tell you that the 2 places to be are the Coogee Bay Hotel and The Palace, however, I’m here to tell you now there is a 3rd place to consider.

Housed in a converted bottle shop, Oceans Bar is a paradigm shift from the famed Coogee bars and clubs. Class and sophistication simply ooze from every pore of this bar, whether it be as a result of the fantastic marine inspired interior, extensive beer wine and cocktail menu or fantastic service, which, to be fair, Coogee’s nightlife is not so known for. Couple this with the amazing views of the beach and Wedding Cake Island, Oceans Bar provides a breath of fresh air to Coogee’s nightlife.

We headed there at about 3pm on Saturday to attend a friend’s birthday, and from the minute we walked through the glass doors we knew this place offered something a little bit more then you traditional beachside bar. To start with, thongs and shorts are out! Without question Oceans Bar patrons are dressed to impress, with some of the most stunning women you’ll see (and I suppose the guys looked pretty good too.)

A mix of 18 – 30 year olds seem to frequent this bar as a change from the pub/club atmosphere offered at the other more notable Coogee venues. Needless to say the experience provided by Oceans Bar definitely provides this, as typified by the cocktail of the day the “White Wine Sangria.” Couple this with the entertainment that inherently goes with a Hen’s night and I must admit I was extremely comfortable for a 26 year old guy who cringes at the thought of having to wear a collared shirt and black shoes on a night out (in addition to the fact their extensive beer selection also included Hoegarrden and Tiger, my two favourite beers ever.) Despite the glitz and glamour, pretention at Oceans Bar is kept to a minimum which to me is the probably the most appealing aspect of Oceans Bar (other than the girls). A feature of this venue is the fact you are able to take your drinks out onto the “corso” overlooking the Coogee skyline in all its glory. Whoever bribed the council to allow this to happen did a fantastic job as this is definitely and attraction as it allows the discerning drinker to enjoy not just the fantastic decor but also the classic beach breeze, an experience Sydney’s more notable bars simply cannot replicate.

Although I was ushered from the place by my friends at 10pm, Oceans Bar seems to attract quite a big (and extremely good looking crowd) and if you don’t mind the trip to Coogee then I strongly recommend you try Oceans Bar out.