Another new negroni bar is opening in Sydney – are the days of spicy margs over?

• Mucho Group, the team behind Bar Planet and Cantina OK!, is opening a new negroni bar in Sydney.
• Herbs Taverne will be located on Clarence Street, opening Saturday, May 3, 2025.
• They’ll bring new competition to neighbours Bar Conte, which serves over 30 negronis.
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Mucho Group are no stranger to funky bars and exciting cocktails. Their portfolio includes Sydney favourites Cantina OK!, Centro 86, Bar Planet and Tio’s Cerveceria. Having mastered the margarita at Centro, they’re setting their sights on the negroni. A move that seems to be a growing trend. Is Sydney’s love of margs finally over?

The new negroni bar is called Herbs Taverne, and will open on Clarence Street on May 3. Herbs will focus on the aperitif and digestif canon, making the bar perfect for a pre-dinner tipple or a nightcap. There will be 12 core drinks on the cocktail menu, split into trios of negronis, aperitifs, original cocktails and house-blended digestifs. Think rare and distinctive amaros and boundary-pushing flavours.

We can only hope that Herbs Taverne will continue the fun and authenticity that have earned its sister bars loyal fans. Centro 86 is a groovy tequila bar tucked away on Pitt Street, serving free popcorn and incredible margaritas, while Bar Planet is one of Newtown’s favourites, serving perfectly mixed martinis.

Competition is heating up on Clarence Street

The news of Herbs Taverne comes just a week after Surry Hills’ Bar Conte opened its new negroni bar and Italian restaurant—also on Clarence Street.

The new restaurant, Conte, offers over 30 negronis on its menu and has a sleek Italian interior, perfect for a fancy date night. It’s a huge venue, seating 130 people across multiple levels. Sit at the bar or opt for the restaurant to enjoy Italian dishes including burrata, house-made focaccia and lobster risotto. Bar Conte claims to be the world’s first dedicated negroni bar and Italian restaurant, and is already a hit in Surry Hills. These guys know what they’re doing.

What’s the harm with a little friendly competition though?

Opening just a few doors down from Conte, there’s no doubt that Herbs Taverne will bring something new to Sydney’s well-manicured cocktail scene. Mucho Group’s venues are some of the most popular in the city, adding their own edge with fresh new flavours and their signature free popcorn (which will feature at Herbs). Stay tuned to see what Herbs Taverne has in store.

Herbs Taverne

Address: 213 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Opening hours: From 4pm till 2am, seven days a week. (Opens 3 May, 2025)

Bar Conte City

Address: 151 Clarence Street, NSW 2000
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 12pm-3pm and 4pm-late, Saturday 4pm-late, Sunday closed.

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