This hidden rooftop pool isn’t in Santorini, it’s in Penrith

• Penrith has a hidden rooftop bar that not many people know about, and it looks like it’s straight from Greece.
• Theo’s Rooftop Bar sits on top of Astina Suites.
• The bar hosts weddings and event but also accepts walk-ins throughuot the week with a full menu of food and drink.
• READ MORE: What to do on a day trip to Penrith.

If an Instagram influencer wanted to trick their readers into thinking they just jetted off to a European summer, all they would need to do is go to Penrith.

Yes, Penrith. The riverside enclave that precedes the Blue Mountains has almost always been seen as a gateway to a much bigger adventure. But recent years have brought more attention to Penrith’s lifestyle scene, with the suburb slowly clawing at a sense of identity.

During the day, life in Penrith is almost completely dominated by water sports on the tranquil Napean River, while night owls are starting to see more options like hatted restaurant Sinclair’s and this surprising sky-high hideaway, Theo’s Rooftop Bar.

Historically, Penrith’s nightlife has been dominated by Penrith Panthers Leagues Club. The behemoth venue offers multiple restaurants and bars, performing arts venues and a gaming floor that’s amongst the busiest in the country. For something unique, you can round up a team for some night aqua golf, or see one of the many high-profile shows that make their way out this far west. Coming up: performances from Northlane, Jimeoin and Arj Barker.

But there’s only one Theo’s Rooftop Bar. Nowhere else in Sydney feels like you’ve just waltzed into a private event in Santorini. It’s all thanks to the rooftop that sits atop the upper-premium Astina Suites. The hospitable space has been clearly designed by someone intimately familiar with the many visually stunning, geometric rooftop pools that are sprinkled around the Greek Islands and maximise endless, life-affirming views that stretch beyond what thy eye can see.

In this case, you’re looking out to the distant Blue Mountains rather than the neighbouring Greek Isles.

The team behind Theo’s Rooftop Bar are mostly pushing this for events and weddings, but you can walk on through any day and tuck into an expanded Med-inspired menu that’s shouldered mostly by a mix of classic and signature cocktails. For groups, a healthy list of cocktail jugs priced around $45 each. Budget-minded folk should head in on Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm-6pm for happy hour, where a glass of wine will set you back just $7 and oysters are just $4 each.

A sizeable food menu holds plenty options. Flavours unsurprisingly favour classic Greek dishes with grilled octopus and lamb skewer plates, but there’s a great deal of safe mass-appeal choices like mac & cheese croquettes, wagyu sliders and shoestring fries. If you’re really pecking, get the $60 paella.

Theo’s Rooftop Bar

Address: 21-25 Woodriff St, Penrith NSW 2750
Contact: 0428 480 807
Opening Hours: Thursday (12pm – 10pm); Friday – Saturday (12pm – 12am); Sunday (12pm – 10pm)

theosrooftopbar.com.au

Western Sydney Rooftop Bars

If the level of investment out there continues, the next few years is going to see Western Sydney explode with new openings as local councils begin to lean more heavily on arts, culture, community and hospitality. And so I’m fully expecting this list to grow, because right now when you think about rooftop bars in western Sydney, you’re kind of drawing blanks.

There are just three of note in western Sydney, with one being Theo’s Rooftop Bar. The other two:

Lady Banks

Lady Banks Rooftop is located above Bankstown Sports Club, pitched as the only sky-high watering hole in the area with panoramic views shooting off in every direction of Sydney. You can see the Blue Mountains on one end and the city skyline on the other, making this the only Sydney rooftop bar with such a wide perspective.

During winter, Lady Banks turns into a sea of fairlights and transluscent igloos so groups can book in for something a bit different. Aside from that, there’s no much to visually distinguish Lady Banks. You’ve got a lot of plant life. The bar’s name, after all, takes after the wife of Sir Joseph Banks, who was a botanist and is the suburb’s namesake.

The food and drink has drawn mixed reviews ever since Lady Banks opened. Mediterranean is the broad approach, inspiring a menu that lifts everything from charred WA octopus to lamb shoulder with labneh and pickles. I haven’t tried the food there since Lady Banks was in its infancy, but I imagine there’s been improvements.

Address: 25 Restwell St, Bankstown NSW 2200
Contact: (02) 9722 9828
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Thursday (4pm – 11pm); Friday – Saturday (12pm – 12am); Sunday (12pm – 11pm)

bankstownsports.com

Nick & Nora’s

To date, almost all of Sydney’s most prolific hospitality groups are yet to pay any attention to western Sydney. You won’t find Merivale out here, nor will you see any venues from Liquid & Larder, Swillhouse and Hunter St Hospitality. Just yet. The Speakeasy Group actually became the first of that ilk to show the west some love when they opened Nick & Nora’s in 2018.

Located on the 26th floor of V by Crown, Nick & Nora’s has been around long enough to be considered a pioneer for bars in Parramatta, sporting something infinitely more sophisticated than what the suburb is used to and offering a banging drinks program to match the gorgeous Art Deco design.

Decadent bar snacks, a generous Champagne selection and cocktails that don’t just taste like simple syrup. There’s plenty of pizzaz to push Nick & Nora’s as the best bar in western Sydney, so it’s appropriately hard to get into on a weekend. I suggest booking ahead. Until more of these rooftop bars pop-up around Parramatta (and we’re betting they will), Nick & Nora’s sits comfortably at the very top of the list when we’re talking about bars in western Sydney.

Address: Level 26/45 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW 2150
Contact: (02) 8646 4930
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Friday (5pm – 12am); Saturday (4pm – 12am); Sunday (3pm – 10pm)

nickandnoras.com.au