Cargo Bar: a harbourfront hotspot
Few cities can boast a playground like Sydney's Darling Harbour. It has everything you could ask for in a night spot – set on a dazzling anchorage dotted with luxury pleasure crafts, it’s a glittering spectacle of life, lights and music, with a promenade lined with alfresco restaurants, cafés, bars and all-night clubs. Darling Harbour can be as glamorous or as trashy as you like – a big night here is usually more than a little bit of both.
One of the most enduringly hip hangouts in Darling Harbour is Cargo Bar. It’s close enough to the corporate end of town to be busy with suits and ties during the week, and is invariably packed on weekends with a well-dressed, mostly under-30 crowd. The bar is sleek and spacious, with chrome and polished wood adding sheen to its minimalist yet warm interiors. The alfresco tables in the beer garden are perfect for winding down on a warm afternoon, while the upstairs harbourfront balcony is the favoured spot to see and be seen by night.
Cargo’s high acclaim attracts many of the city’s best DJs, and the dance floor heaves till the wee hours on Friday and Saturday, with a more relaxed, lounge atmosphere winding things down on a Sunday. The kitchen serves up a wide and varied menu of transcontinental treats, with seafood and pizzas (including Peking duck and Tandoori chicken) proving to be particularly popular. The cocktails are well above average, and the bar staff are masters of their domain, managing the huge crowds with admirable good humour and agility.
Posted by Fiona Davies
