When the sun sets on the Blue Mountains escarpment, our towns and villages light up with live music vibes, late night bevs in intimate bars and ambles through the bush along artfully lit tracks.
Image David Hill, Deep Hill Media
Refined, yet quirky, the Two Doctors Whiskey Tavern is where you can sink into leather chesterfields or a plush velvet chair when 'the doctor’s in session' and explore vintage books and curios while sipping on a craft spirit or cocktail as a local muso plays.
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to visit, nor do groups smaller than eight have to book (psst: sneak in the side door just before the main entrance at Leura’s Fairmont Resort).
In Katoomba, there’s the Old City Bank Brasserie at the end of The Carrington Hotel driveway at the top of the main street, great for hanging out with mates after a day in the outdoors.
Champagne Charlie’s under the stained-glass dome in the ``main house’’ is ideal for belly laughs over cocktails, house beer, local spirits and wines while you sit on deep lounges under retro posters.
The ornate Baroque Room (no kids allowed) hidden along the hotel driveway is where the revelry happens in the form of live music gigs, film screenings, live theatre, comedy, burlesque, cabaret and dancing. There’s a long marble bar, stage and timber dance floor.
Across the road in a dress circle venue within the historic Savoy Theatre art deco building, you can relax with a cocktail or flight of gins named after distinctive local features from Blue Mountains Gin Company in Avalon Restaurant and Cocktail Bar (look for the cheeky Mountain Devil neon sign). Local musicians play Friday and Saturdays, and you can stay on for a tasty meal.
With live music on weekends, nearby in the historic Niagara Building in Bathurst Rd, Bootlegger Bar is where you can catch-up for a lone drink with a side of acoustic tunes or gather with mates for cocktail specials, whisky tastings and smoked meats, chunky grills and plenty of GF/veg/vegan options. (Hot tip: keep climbing the stairs beyond the two floors of dining space to discover the secret rooftop bar.)
Blackheath further up the highway has a very cool scene of late-night haunts... the stylish Kyah and Blaq where a Palm Springs inspired motel houses a stunning restaurant and bar or Side B for divine cocktails and vinyl treats, and for the wine lovers Franky and Mo's side by side with locals' favourites the Ivanhoe (The Ivy to locals) and the Gardners Inn.
Our uppermost town Mt Victoria has lights on and music pumping well into the night each weekend. There you can snaffle homemade choc-tops and hot soup while watching an arthouse, 3D or kids’ movie at the golden age Mount Vic Flicks.
They invite you to relax, but we can tell you the bar at the Victoria & Albert Guesthouse (or the V&A) is one of the places to be - keep an eye out for their flamboyant events.
Also in Mt Victoria, Hotel Etico (Australia’s first social enterprise hotel) is steeped in history and stories. It’s where you can sip a drink while playing a game picked from the games room, tuck into Italian food and listen to live music on Friday nights.
If it’s an escape from the noise you’re after, the 1.5km Katoomba Falls Night-Lit Walk gives you a nighttime perspective of natural features like Orphan Rock, Witches Leap, Katoomba Falls and Katoomba Cascades.
The experience is from the top of the Katoomba Falls Kiosk car park, around Reids Plateau and down to Katoomba Cascades. The lights turn on at dusk and off at 11pm (floodlights off at 10.30pm).
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