Club 77 — Restaurant in Sydney

77 is a long running institution & medium for the music loving & creative community. They've been central to the Sydney music scene for over 25 years & continue to showcase some of the best established & emerging acts & groups while exposing people to different sounds.

For example, having Phil Smart do one of the only downtempo nights in Australia then having Sunday as hospitality night with Barney Kato's insane & varied curation bringing in people like Theo Parrish after he does his big show. On other nights, there are takeovers & record label showcases by various groups.

Music wise it's not ultra hard BPM wise but it usually has more depth so for me, on certain nights the intensity has been insane. It's a mix of techno, techhouse, downtempo, electrohouse, tech-trance, global rhythms, melodic techno depending on who's playing but its always a pretty high calibre no matter the genre. If you want mindless thumping hard techno with no interesting melodies, no light & shade & just lasers, endless smoke machines & visuals then you'll be dissapointed. It doesn't need all these gimmicks, it's about quality music here.

At its core best, 77 is the intimate venue & community for the real lovers of music. The real ravers, dj's, producers, hospitality staff, creative types, hippies & music lovers.

Yet we've had lockout laws, lockdown & all sorts of hurdles to a thriving nightlife so it needs to do what it can to survive. It can get a bit touristy on Friday & Saturday nights due to its central location, lack of many other dedicated venues closeby & small size, but it's also good as you never know who you'll meet. It's not a strict Berlin type door policy ensuring its mainly music lovers making it accessible to all people so long as they aren't wasted drunk.

Ambience wise it's warm & intimate with bar style seating around & a small dance floor. It gets very hot & sweaty especially when full which also adds to the atmosphere, but its not for all types of occasions & ventilation could be improved. I generally prefer Sundays here as there's room to dance.

The lighting & sound are pretty good I must say. Thick bass & clear balanced sound. Lighting is subtle, minimal but ambient, just don't expect over the top crazy lasers & visuals. Often you can smell incense. The set up & lighting can change depending on who's running the night. The toilets have character. I love that the place has grit, character, characters that frequent it & top notch curation. I'm not a big alcohol drinker so can't really comment on that.

It's a proper dedicated music venue, not part pub, part comedy room, part sportsbar, part poker machine room, part uni bar, part chicken parmigiana house so it attracts a certain crowd & has a more deliberate energy. Let's just say the sets don't get watered down by being held in this venue. In fact you have the setting for intimate magical sets in large part due to the music loving crowd that frequent here. Ideally it would be bigger, maybe with an outdoor courtyard space & second room to give it more versatility, space to dance & different types of social interaction but it's done well with the space it has.

The staff here act like people & get to know you over time so it feels more personal. They aren't power tripping, egotistical or hating their life so it feels welcoming unlike some venues. I've observed them over time especially when dealing with drunk or disorderly people & they've been stern but fair.

Club 77 is one of the only dedicated venues in Sydney with a soul. I've had many inspiring, magical & insanely memorable nights there. Not every time, but many...

This has been a Sydney Alternative staple Club from the beginning, I was invited to attend a DJ set ( Phill smart) 10 hour set - it was the first time I have been able to go to see a DJ set in years, ( due to ongoing health issues) I had been past this club but have never been before, so I was very surprised to finally get to descover this venue, along with my Ukrainian mate, we were greeted by friendly staff and security and had chatts with people waiting to get in as Phill smart has been a Electronic music pioneer thought the 90s Rave scene, here in Australia and overseas, I have never been to club 77 nor seen Phil Smart play , so everyone was all highly enthusiastic as to what the night will bring, We went down underground, we couldn't believe how big and homely it was , compact yet spacious, Bar and seats, divided, dance floor, packed , people from all races and sex's, gay alternative, hard core young Techo heads , mix of everyone, that is essentially what to expect when you go to electronic music events. Set up - amazing sound system, fantastic DJ equipment, friendly people, dance floor terraces , Phill smart set was absolutely amazing. As for this venue and staff, security looked after me , I did a mobile laser show , sync with the music, people came up and had a talk with me about how cool it was looking, apart from shooting the lasers in someone's face , so I had to re- adjust, and apologies, had to leave about 2am , was getting sick again, upon leaving the manger said goodbye and said thank you for being the laser show , to make the night special, the security all said goodbye, hope to see you soon, am now corresponding with manner and am invited every weekend, and we have a little talk, this has been my favourite place in Sydney, for so many reasons, I don't and cant do substance, and I cant drink alcohol or eat just about anything everyone can , and they all recognise that within everything I do and say , because when I get down , when my favourite sound hits , even though I am sick , I mean what I do and say , and give everyone my all and then some more, for all not for myself. Thanks to Tim , and Phill and all the awesome staff, for having such a great venue, and with protection if anything was to happen. International DJs and producers, Australia's best , Sydney's number 1 Electronic music venue , with an international...

Ive been into techno in all its genres since the mid 90s. And been to clubs all over the world. The best cities for options and choice is Berlin and a distant second London. The Heyday for Sydney was from the 90's to early 2000s which sadly got killed off by police sniffer dogs, white cane policing and a conservative element in media who haven't the faintest about Techno/rave/electronic dance music.. Club 77 I first went to in the 90s and is amazing for the fact that the atmosphere and vibe equals Berlin clubs Ive been to and features some of the same DJs. How Club 77 has survived for so long is a miracle and the vibe equals the 90s vibe and also matured like the finest quality whisky or wine as a mediocre comparison. The place is smallish and on a Saturday night in particular can be crowded but hey people check out thurs, fri and sunday nights for a pleasant surprise. Dancing my arse off for 3hours straight is a mark of a great night, DJ and club and most nights Ive been club 77 meets the standard hands down. And hey people re - security, drugs etc take it from me. Im a lawyer. If patrons deal or openly consume illicit substances guess what licencing will come down like boulders on the club and shut it down in a blink of an I. If your going to deal or consume drugs do it well before being on premises and dont be so shit faced that your state sticks out like dogs balls when you get there. Legally once such events occur on premises or even within a few hundred yards of the entrance. Licencing treats the club as being liable. No ifs or buts. THATS WHY SECURITY IS THE WAY IT IS. CLUB SELF PRESERVATION. Also some may remember the Blackmarket nightclub from the 90s and shootings over drug turf. Club 77 hasnt any evidence of such issues and the shit vibe it creates. Club 77 surviving all of this is a miracle and may the club be still in another 25 years. THERES NO BETTER CLUB IN SYDNEY IN MY OPINION. IF YOU WANT PRETENSE HEAD FOR IVY AND IF HANDBAG HOUSE IS YOUR THING OXFORD STREETS THE GO.

But if you love the highest quality dance/techno with a regular clientele who ooze cool but no pretence and the most approachable and friendliest strangers who came in the same spaceship that I came in CLUB77 IS IT. IN SYDNEY AND POSSIBLY AUSTRALIA. Kindest...