Cin cin! Get into aperitivo time Sydney!

Inspired by the great aperitivo cities of Italy like Milan and Venice, Matteo Downtown has the goods.

Pop in any day from Tuesday to Friday and join fellow Italophiles for aperitivo hour. From 3pm to 5:30pm, the illustrious restaurant’s downtown little sister offers a traditional aperitivo experience, highlighting classic Italian beverages.

A perfect opportunity for early after-work drinks with colleagues, you can enjoy bottles of $8 Peroni, $10 mini martinis, $12 spritzes, $12 Negronis and $8 house wines. Complimentary bites from the bar come with your drinks.

Tuck into oysters, olives and fragrant rosemary flatbread served with fresh ricotta to begin, and whatever takes your fancy next – but prepare for a surprise or two.

If dinner beckons, traditional wood-fired pizzas and plates of silken pasta won’t keep you waiting long.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Fried oysters with lemon ($6.50)

Found yourself feeling thirsty near The Rocks around happy hour?

Head to Alice, where $10 martinis with a twist reign supreme. Every Wednesday to Saturday, the swanky new bar hosts martini time – four versions of your favourite cocktail.

The gin & ‘IT’ showcases London Dry and sweet vermouth with a hint of orange butters, a popular concoction in the 1880s and 1890s.

You can also order the flame of love, a vodka and sherry mix with burnt orange oils. The dry martini does what it says on the box, adorned with a signature olive, while the Alaska brightens it up with yellow chartreuse and lemon peel.

Risk a walk in if you dare but bookings are highly recommended. When you step into the exclusive basement bar, you’ll get a feel for why.

Bar snacks from these martini mavericks span real deal caviar service (with tater tots and creme fraiche), to elevated sangas and fries with native green salt. One word: yum.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Flame of love ($10)

Handmade pasta by the gram. A lip-snacking range of sauces. Fresh seasonal produce. Minimal-intervention Italian wine. Is there anything not to love about this Sydney CBD pasta shop?

Top up your Italian pantry here as often as you’d like, but it would be a mistake to miss Fabbrica’s happy hour.

From 3pm to 5pm on weekdays, Negronis and Aperol spritzes are only a tenner a pop, while Campari sodas and Peronis won’t set you back more than $5 each.

The shop’s lush and leafy courtyard transforms into a cool aperitivo oasis, with delish bar snacks that rotate throughout the week. Past eats have included mushroom arancini, charcuterie and cheese plates and house-made chicharron (fried pork crackling).

Want to bring a bottle home? There’ll be a discount on those too but get in early – Fabbrica’s aperitivo hour accepts walk-ins only.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Arancini ($5)

Everyday from 4pm to 6pm, Tuscany-inspired Surry Hills restaurant Giuls welcomes aperitivo seekers with open arms.

Over the two-hour duration, diners can enjoy expertly crafted cocktails, house wines and beers at special prices. Pop in for a brief Peroni and antipasto plate or stay on for dinner. Once you get a glimpse of the menu, it’s likely you’ll do the latter.

With a heavy focus on freshly made pasta and seafood, more than one eye-catching dish here will vie for your attention.

Consider orecchiette with nduja sauce, leek, casalinga sausage and fennel seeds, or conchiglie with vodka, pancetta and Taleggio. All Giuls’ pasta is home made with premium semolina.

The wagyu rump steak served with truffle butter and rocket and pecorino salad makes a decadent main if you’re still peckish.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Giuls secret garden cocktail with prosecco, rosemary, cardamom and lemon ($19)

From Wednesday to Saturday for one hour only (4:30pm – 5:30pm), Sydneysiders grace the pink velvet seats at Maybe Sammy to let their hair down aperitivo-style.

Miniature cocktails are served at just $7 each, ranging from signature drops to more innovative creations. Hit the bar up on Saturday and you’ll also get $2 appellation oysters with your drinks while stocks last.

The multi-award winning cocktail bar has been listed on several “world’s best bars” lists for years, so you know you’re in for a memorable drop. Here, it’s all about the talented mixers and shakers behind the bar.

After finishing up your exceptionally pretty drinks, stay on for live jazz and swing, and dig into the European-style snack menu. Graze on Ortiz anchovies with sourdough and Pepe Saya butter, a truffled cheese toastie, or Italian charcuterie board, among plenty of other tasty options.

Salute!

Dish Cult’s top pick: Happy hour mini cocktail ($7)