This is one of the first bars in Sydney (and the world) to focus just on absinthe. Poor old absinthe is as ostracised as the fat kid in high school. The mere mention of it might make you shudder at the hazy memory of flame-lit shots at the bar, but Absinthe Salon-owners Gaye Valttila and Joop van Heusden want to change all that. Launched in 2010, this miniscule Parisian-styled drinkery has been received with much acclaim. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about this remarkable drink, this stylish little bar, with it’s Gothic atmosphere and 19th-century flair, should be on your radar. Though you can forget about green fairies, because as certified absintheurs (you read it right), Joop and Gaye want to educate their clientele, and their first point of contention is the green haze – a gross exaggeration, apparently. The 26 absinthes are sampled by the traditional method of pouring water over a cube of sugar in a spoon resting on the glass. Water trickles from the vintage fountain taps at each table, dissolving the sugar into the glass to ‘louche’ (dilute) the absinthe. It’s a fascinating process, but make sure to call ahead. The bar is a tiny slip of a thing, with only nine tables and a maximum capacity of 30.