Northern Territory / Darwin / City laneways & Waterfront / Charlie’s of Darwin
Late cocktail bar
Charlie’s of Darwin
56 Smith Street, with a hidden entry off Austin Lane (follow the roller door and take the lift). Known for gin and a big deck strung with lanterns.
About Charlie’s of Darwin
Charlie's of Darwin is a cocktail lounge, restaurant and gin distillery hidden above Smith Street. You find it by walking down Austin Lane, entering at the roller door on the left and taking the lift. Inside there are leather chesterfields and dark timber tables, and outside is Freddie's Terrace.
The venue was built around the idea of a locally made gin, and its signature gin uses Territory botanicals such as Kakadu plum, water lily and native lemongrass. The terrace opens earlier in the afternoon than the lounge, and the festive Gin-gle Bells lunch runs each December.
Written by LateOne.au, checked 13 October 2026. Sources: charliesofdarwin.com.au, timeout.com. Hours and door policies change, so check with the venue.
- Area
- City laneways & Waterfront
- Music
- Live music on the lantern terrace
- Best nights
- Wednesday to Saturday from 3pm; Friday and Saturday to midnight
- Address
- 56 Smith Street, Darwin City NT 0800
- Opening hours (official site)
- Lounge Wed to Sat from 5pm; Freddie's Terrace Wed to Sat from 3pm, Sun 3pm to 10pm
- Entry
- Via Austin Lane, roller door and lift
- Specialty
- House-made gin
Check the venue’s own listings for tonight’s program, hours and door policy.
Map & Street View
56 Smith Street Knuckey Street, Darwin City NT 0800Pin from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Street View opens the nearest street photo; entrances can be round the corner, so check the venue’s own directions.
Around Charlie’s of Darwin
Within a ten-minute walk: Bar Kokomo (1 min, late cocktail bar), Mayberry (2 min, live music venue), Hanky Panky Lounge (4 min, late cocktail bar), Monsoons (4 min, bar with djs), The Tap on Mitchell (5 min, pub & live music) and Shenannigans (6 min, pub & live music). Plus 2 more nearby.
Walking times are estimates from the map, not routes.
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Checked 13 October 2026 against venue listings, Time Out, NT Tourism, Tourism Central Australia, 2026 gig listings and NT Government transport pages. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.