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These Japanese-inspired listening bars are the best in Australia

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
Listening bars inspired by Japanese jazz kissaten are opening across Australia. Here are six of the best.

From retro road trip revivals to heritage stays, nostalgia is powering a new way to travel. Listening bars, also known as jazz kissaten, are part of this movement. Emerging from Japan’s Shōwa era (mid-1920s to late 1980s), these groovy hangouts are fitted out with quality sound systems and vinyl records. Today, the best listening bars in Australia pair killer soundtracks with tasty bites and unique ambiences, transporting patrons to faraway places. 

Loom Lounge, Sydney 

Loom Lounge, Sydney
Immerse yourself in a music lounge experience.

Whichever way you spin it, Loom Lounge has raised the bar in Crows Nest, North Sydney. From tracks that throw back to the ’60s to bass-heavy hip-hop, the music is selected based on the mood the DJs want to create. The concept, from Li’l Darlin in collaboration with the Sultry Group, is about creating an immersive space where music is much more than just a bit of blah background noise. Sip on cocktails and graze on late-night snacks such as arancini balls, chicken tacos and Peking duck pancakes.  

Sonny, Hobart 

Sonny dish
Get treated to good beats and good food. (Credit: Jesse Hunniford)

You can sit at home and stay plugged into Soundcloud. Or you can slink into Sonny, the Hobart/Nipaluna bolthole where the conversation hums along with the bassline. While Sonny doesn’t bill itself as a listening bar, it has a stack of vinyl that you can give a spin. Beyond being wired for sound, chef Sam Bray has a passion for provenance, serving just-shucked Tassie oysters with low-intervention wine.  

Bahama Gold, Melbourne 

Bahama gold
Music enthusiasts will have a blast engaging with their favourite tunes. (Credit: Monica Styles)

Fill your cup as well as your fridge at Bahama Gold. The music at the Lygon Street listening bar is as meticulously curated as the drinks list. While the sound is strictly vinyl, the bar is also a hi-fi temple featuring $60,000 worth of equipment imported from the USA. The 12-seater venue sits underneath a 500-bottle wine cellar, so you can choose a bottle and pay corkage, or select wines by the glass. Order snacks and small plates prepared next door at Old Palm Liquor. 

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Ode to Sirens, Fremantle 

Ode to Sirens
Ode to Sirens celebrates good music with equally exciting Greek food.

Listening bars are opening with increasing frequency in Freo. And Ode to Sirens is one for serious musos. The DJs at this immersive bar in Perth/Boorloo’s port city provide playlists that add even more personality to the 1970s-styled space. While the jazz kissa concept is strong, the Hellenic-inspired food and funky wines are also integral to the experience. Expect those analogue sounds to amp up with cocktails named after songs.  

Honeydripper, Adelaide   

Honeydripper
Honeydripper gives an unparalleled listening experience. (Credit: Neasan McGuiness)

Today’s listening bars are places where high-quality sound systems, good food and wine intersect. The vibes are amplified at Honeydripper in the heart of Adelaide/Tarntanya, thanks to the seductive sounds produced by a rotating line-up of local DJs. While the music played in the luxe, intimate space is the focus, drinks also move the needle when it comes to elevating the mood, as each cocktail is paired with a song.  

Disuko, Melbourne 

Disuko
DISUKO is a spot for izakaya plates and music-led energy.

Translated from the Japanese word for ‘disco’, Disuko is an homage to 1980s Tokyo disco culture. Enjoy izakaya dining in cosy nooks while listening to vinyl tunes. With hanging glow balls, late-night snacks and specialty sakes, it’s one of the best listening bars in Australia for night owls.  

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento.

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.