Scene
Though other areas are better known for barhopping, these days downtown is heating up after dark. The latest night-owl haven is Ivy (drinks for two $30), a multilevel complex with 18 bars, a ballroom, and rooftop cabanas. Sydney’s coolest cultural commissar, actress Cate Blanchett, now directs the Sydney Theatre Company along with her husband, Andrew Upton. Snag some tickets to a production at either the STC headquarters (a spectacularly converted wharf by the bridge) or at the Sydney Opera House—you may well catch Blanchett on stage. Post-show, grab a cocktail at the Opera House’s restaurant, Guillaume at Bennelong (drinks for two $34), where the bar is surprisingly little-known and the harbor views are knockout.
