The Dolphin Hotel, Level 2/412 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney
Surry Hills is the Ponsonby of Sydney, close to the CBD but far enough away to still be cool. Head into the institution that is The Dolphin Hotel, go upstairs, sneak through a little black door and head up another flight to cocktail bar Scout.
The view: Once you've found your way inside Scout, the view will be all about the bar. Simple, clean and modern, it's a moody space with big old sash windows offering a lofty vantage of the leafy street below.
The vibe: I love it when the best seats are at the bar and you can chat with the bartender and your neighbours. This is the kind of watering hole where you won't mind going alone, in a James Bond kind of fashion. Except you wouldn't ask for a shaken martini. Scout is a bar that's all about the drinks, so you'd be a fool to order off-menu, because the concoctions created here are so good.
![Everything is curated from something interesting: unusual and often foraged ingredients. Photo / Instagram](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/XUCHTQDPAATL3A4DAV2IWJ6IHA.jpg?auth=04339eccc9191b12a4716a366860227bc4de928746d8e63634f49e1f8d79a683&width=16&height=14&quality=70&smart=true)