Sydney nightlife icons The Argyle and El Camino Cantina are firing up for a fun-packed festive season of cocktails, parties, open-air movies and feasts.
The Argyle kick-starts the celebrations with a Johnnie Walker Courtyard Takeover that runs for the remainder of November until Sunday, 10 January, showcasing Sydney band and DJ performances on the Johnnie Walker outdoor stage. A series of signature highballs ($12 each) have been designed for the duration.
The Johnnie & Blood Orange Highball partners Johnnie Walker Black Label with Pimm’s No.1 and is lengthened with blood orange; the Johnnie & Ginger Highball mixes Black Label with spicy ginger ale and fresh lemon; the Johnnie & Lemon Highball enhances Black Label with lemon barley and soda; and the Johnnie & Crisp Apple Highball mixes Black Label with apple kombucha and apple juice.
Revellers can grab a complimentary Santa hat and get ready for a ‘Not So Silent Night’ at The Argyle’s annual Christmas bash on Friday, 18 December across its two floors, six bars and outdoor courtyard. There will be DJs and dancers, and a limited-edition, bitter-sweet Spritz-Mas cocktail ($15), featuring Aperol, prosecco, cranberry and soda, will hit the drinks menu for the festive season.
Sydneysiders and visitors can unleash their inner child on Christmas Eve at The Argyle’s open-air cinema. Guests can pull up a deck chair, help themselves to free popcorn and nestle in for a night of classic, kidult, Christmas movies, with Home Alone and Love Actually to be screened. Refreshments are close at hand, including free popcorn, two-for-one wood-fired pizzas ($30), and happy hour $5 drinks from 5pm to 7pm. Screenings commence at 5pm. Entry is free but bookings are essential.
Bid farewell to the year from hell at The Argyle’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, spotlighting an all-star line-up of DJs, including Australia’s favourite DJ diva, Tigerlily. Performances will be supported by full light and sound productions, and the harbourside midnight fireworks will be displayed across the venue’s large-screen TVs. The ticketed event has two, two-hour packages available: $99 per person, which includes beer, wine, sparking wine and soft drinks, and $149 per person, which includes frozen cocktails, signature Long Island Ice Teas, Aperol Spritzes and Espresso Martinis.
The Argyle will host a White Party on New Year’s Day, from 2pm until late, featuring an exclusive live performance by Timomatic. A two-hour food & drinks package includes wood-fired pizzas for the table, as well as frozen cocktails, house beer, wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks. The Argyle bookings.
Neighbouring Tex-Mex wild child El Camino Cantina The Rocks will celebrate the countdown to Christmas from Tuesday, 1 December to Sunday, 3 January with its Rockin Around The Rita Tree showcase of 12 frozen margarita flavours: Christmas Punch, Peach, Raspberry, Grape, Pimm’s, Pomegranate, Cherry, Mojito, Watermelon & Mint, Rosé, Grapefruit, and Orange & Basil. They are all are served Cadillac-style, with a smooth, rich float of Grand Marnier ($20, 15oz or $24, 24oz). Mango, Strawberry and Classic margaritas are also available, and served frozen and on the rocks. Can’t choose a flavour? Try four × 220ml serves on a tasting paddle ($30).
El Camino Cantina at the Entertainment Quarter, Manly and Miranda will have four new frozen Cadillac-style margarita flavours available, over the same time period: Christmas Punch, Peach, Raspberry, Grape, in addition to Classic, Mango and Strawberry.
El Camino Cantina at Manly will be open for Christmas Day, with bookings from 12pm to 5pm. Guests can dine à la carte, or on the Deluxe Tex-Mex fiesta package ($89pp), which includes spicy buffalo wings with blue-cheese mayo, sizzling adobo chicken fajitas with all the Tex-Mex trimmings, and crisp churros served deliciously warm with chocolate and caramel sauce for dipping. Two hours of Cadillac margaritas are available in all seven flavours.
Guests can celebrate New Year’s Eve at all El Camino Cantina venues, with a DJ playing at El Camino Cantina The Rocks from 8pm. El Camino Cantina bookings.
Main image: Michael Gribbin