Frank Mac’s - Sydney

Amongst the historic heart of The Rocks area in Sydney, Frank Mac’s is a bar that feels like it was made for martini drinkers. The space is split between street-level buzz and basement hideaway, with dark wood, candlelight, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay long after last call. It’s polished but never stiff, a bar that knows how to walk the line between classic and contemporary.

The martini to order here is The Mac, their signature house serve. It’s an unusual blend, built on Ford’s Gin, vodka, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, and their own house sweet vermouth. The result isn’t the sharp, crystalline martini you might expect, but something deeper, layered, and just a little indulgent. The gin and vodka provide a clean backbone, while the mix of dry and sweet vermouths creates a complex push-and-pull between herbaceousness and subtle sweetness. It lands somewhere between a Martini and a Martinez. Strong and cold, but with a richness that lingers on the palate.

It’s the kind of martini that demands you slow down and pay attention, each sip shifting slightly between bitter herbs, bright citrus edges, and a whisper of sweetness from the vermouth blend.

I had mine at the bar, the hum of conversation and the flicker of candlelight at my back, and it struck me how well The Mac fit the setting. It wasn’t trying to be rigid or austere; it was generous, layered, and warm, much like Frank Mac’s itself.

In Sydney, where cocktails can sometimes lean too heavy on showmanship or simply pre-batched, Frank Mac’s delivers a martini that feels honest and thoughtful. The Mac isn’t about perfection in minimalism, it’s about depth, character, and a little personality poured into the glass.

Website: Frank Mac's