Overview
Searching for the best Sydney hair salon or barbershop is a harrowing journey. We’ve all had bad haircuts. Some of us have even tried (and likely failed) to do it ourselves. But once you find the perfect fit, your life is forever changed. And you’ll likely hold onto them for many years to come. But how many bad haircuts or beard-shaping mishaps must we go through before we find the one?
To make sure that time comes sooner rather than later, we have created this definitive list of the best places to get a haircut in Sydney. These local barbers and hair salons are staffed by total pros — no students learning to cut real human hair for the first time. So, read on to find your future hairdresser or barber who will help you look as fabulous as you feel.
MR BURROWS HAIR NEWTOWN
With its exposed brick walls, pendant lighting and leather furnishings, this beloved Sydney hair salon’s fit-out better resembles a bar than a place to get your hair cut. And so does its upstairs ‘relaxation station’, complete with cheese boards and wine for patrons, plus spritzes on Saturdays. Lounge in large leather slingbacks while getting your hair washed and massaged, then settle in with one of the expert stylists. It offers cuts from $80, along with a range of experimental colouring and gradient dyes. Mr Burrows also works withSustainable Salons, which helps to minimise the salon’s footprint.
ACADÈMIE PRIVÉ
Found inside a former 1880s-built chapel, Acadèmie Privé is a neighbourhood hairdresser that aims to bring out the best in your look, rather than give you an extreme TV-style makeover. The Annandale salon is run by Mikele Simone and Richi Grisillo, whose team of stylists makes you feel like a rockstar. Speaking of which, the salon has been known to cater to genuine celebs. But don’t let that put you off, as whoever walks through the archway entrance is treated with the same premium haircare and expert advice as those with a public profile. As with many salons, pricing reflects the stylist’s level of skill and experience, but you can expect to pay between $100–120 for a haircut (including wash, massage, and blow-dry) and between $90–200 for a colour treatment. Keratin treatments, balayage, bridal appointments and blow-dries are all par for the course here, too.
SHINKA HAIR
Japanese salon Shinka has been a Sydney staple since 2008. It has two Sydney CBD locations — one on Clarence Street, another in the Dymocks Building on George Street — and two more in Tokyo. You’ll only find Japanese stylists at each Shinka branch, most of whom have experience working in Tokyo. The Sydney hair salon locations also feature luxurious interiors, such as high cathedral ceilings, glazed walls, and gold-and-white finishes. Cuts start at $85 for women and $65 for men, with colour treatments from $140 and balayage from $190. Alongside your usual cuts and blows, Shinka also offers Japanese hair straightening and digital perms — the latter will leave you with natural-looking, bouncy curls.
ROYALS HAIR
The award-winning team at Royals Hair boasts some of our city’s best hair stylists, colourists and hair extension technicians. Highly lauded co-founder Mary Alamine and partner Adam Alamine started the salon in Castle Hill, and now have three additional outposts under the Royal brand — including in Cherrybrook, Hornsby and Brookvale. But we suggest heading to the Castle Hill location if you can. Here, you’ll be treated as part of the family — it feels more like a local hangout than your usual Sydney hair salon. The hairdressers are a creative bunch, with a specific focus on extensions and colour. Cuts start at a reasonable $85 for Men’s style cuts or $100 for a style cut and blow-dry.
A LOFT STORY
Tucked away on Lennox Street, along the Newtown side of Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, A Loft Story is a leafy oasis of a hair salon. Here, you can have your hair cut among plants aplenty, adding to the relaxing vibe that is so necessary at any Sydney salon. True to its Newtown home, these specialists offer up the latest, greatest and funkiest hairstyles around. The shop specialises in colouring, so expect to see patrons leaving the salon with turquoise and bright pink dos aplenty — along with the more typical platinum blondes, balayage and tints. Cuts start from $105, with treatments starting at $65.
EXTRA SILKY
Inner West cool kids, this one’s for you. Based in Petersham, Extra Silky prioritises personal style and expression above all else. No gentle critique or forced trends—just your hair, your rules. Founded by Nina Ratasphong, the creative hair specialist can bring to life any subversive Y2K style you’ve saved on Pinterest or spotted on your favourite sartorialist—whether that’s a shaggy, striped wolf cut or leopard print buzz cut. If you’re after something a bit more mild, though, they’re equally happy to appease your corporate boss.
GOODFELLAS BARBERSHOP
Shop T22/159 Rooty Hill Rd S, Eastern Creek
Goodfellas has all the charm of an old-school Sydney barbershop, combined with the convenience of a modern hair salon, thanks to its 18 locations citywide. Specialising in fades, trims, beards, and shape-ups, the barbershop leaves you feeling better than ever after each appointment. Your service can also include a hot towel, a face mask, and special hair treatments. The stylists here are especially knowledgeable, and prices are very reasonable. With tiled floors and walls and those classic barbershop chairs, this place has a vibe of its own — you’ll nearly expect to see a barbershop quartet singing out front.
TOOTH AND NAIL
Head to Tooth and Nail for expert style and precision with laidback Sydney hair stylists and barbers. The team are passionate about other local small businesses so, depending on your appointment time, you’ll be able to enjoy a batch coffee from one of the many nearby spots or a craft beer from the likes ofThe Grifter orPhilter. Oh, and many, many pats of resident pup Brando. Haircuts are priced based on the time required: a 40-minute barber’s cut is $75, while a 60-minute restyle is $120 — both include a wash and style. You can also book in for colour work, including tints, highlights, and balayage, as well as a full wet shave with a cut-throat razor. The latter takes 40 minutes, involves three hot towels, and is finished with moisturiser and luxurious oils.
FACE OF MAN
Face of Man opened in The Strand Arcade way back in 1978. The male grooming lounge is still going strong over 40 years later, now located just down the block along George Street. The space resembles a 1920s smoking lounge and is considered Sydney’s top spot for men’s skincare and haircare. There are seven treatment rooms and a wide range of options, from waxing and nail care to massages, laser hair removal and tattoo removal. It’s all accompanied by a glass of scotch on arrival, too. First-timers will encounter heaps of services, including professional skin analysis, a one-hour customised facial, a hydrating eye treatment, an eyebrow tidy and even a neck and shoulder massage. It’s clearly one of the most luxe barbers in Sydney.
KODA CUTTERS
Koda Cutters is one of Australia’s leading hair salons, founded by celebrity and editorial hairstylist Diane Gorgievski. Over a decades-long career, Gorgievski has styled some of the world’s biggest stars, worked backstage at fashion weeks in Paris, London, New York and Milan, and collaborated with the likes of Vogue, RUSSH and ELLE. Today, her high-fashion approach is brought to everyday clients across Koda Cutters’ two Sydney salons in Bondi and QVB, where you’ll find cool-girl cuts, lived-in colour, and expert styling for all genders. The original beachside flagship is known for its Bondi Blonde shades and undone boho-inspired looks, while the CBD outpost offers indulgent hair facials for a little extra self-care. Haircuts start from $80, with blow-dries from $70.
ZIGGY’S BARBER SALON
Oxford Village, 183 Riley St, Surry Hills
Based inside Oxford Village shopping centre, Ziggy’s describes itself as a “modern old-school barbershop” and welcomes both guys and gals to visit for a cut, colour or shave. Whether you’re after a classic look or are ready for something a little wilder, the team of experienced Sydney hair stylists and barbers will sort you out. A cut and style starts at $65 for guys and $95 for ladies, with keratin and conditioning treatments, extensions and cut-throat face shaves all on offer, too. Expect incredibly friendly and laidback service from the team at this popular Sydney barber and hair salon.
A.H SALON
A.H Salon — located in Newtown, Rozelle and Surry Hills — is part salon, part store, and part co-working space for local creatives. Yes, everyone who works at this Sydney hair salon is a bit cool. It’s easy to see why the community loves it. First of all: the stunning space is airy, open, and filled with natural light and greenery. Secondly, the hair salon, founded in 2015, is now staffed by dedicated hairstylists and beauty experts who put their customers first. At the Surry Hills location, haircuts and blow-drys start at $92, while the space also stocks dozens of top-tier beauty and lifestyle brands, including Helmut Lang, Murad, Christophe Robin and Maison Balzac.
MARC & MAXWELL
Nestled up a set of stairs overlooking Surry Hills’ Bourke Street, you’ll now find the light-filled hair studio that’s home to Marc & Maxwell. It’s the work of internationally trained duo Sabrina Maxwell and Marc Armstrong, who together boast over three decades of senior salon experience as colourists and stylists. The boutique salon offers the full spectrum of cutting, blow-drying, colouring and treatment services, with cuts for women starting from $110 and for men from $75 — each including a full personalised consultation. Touches of polished concrete and exposed brick lend an urban-chic feel, and soaring French windows offer the sort of natural light and leafy outlook you might expect from sitting in a treehouse. Here, you’re invited to reconnect with your best self (and your best-ever hair) in a setting that’s stylish, yet relaxed and unfussy.
HAIR COLAB
Whether you’ve got a big event coming up, your locks are in desperate need of some TLC, or you just want to reinvent your look, picking the right Sydney hair salon is something of a fine art. Fortunately, Mosman’s Hair CoLAB makes it an easy choice due to the team’s passion and attention to detail when it comes to all things hair. Owner Biba Binks worked at various high-end salons for many years before opening her own. It offers personalised consultations and shiatsu head massages at the basin, with men’s cuts starting from $100 and women’s from $175.
RAW BY ANTHONY NADER
100 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
From fashion insiders to A-listers like Cate Blanchett and Kendall Jenner, Anthony Nader is the man behind some of Sydney’s most coveted hairstyling appointments. Over nearly 30 years, the award-winning stylist has worked between Sydney and New York, picking up accolades including the AHIA 2026 & 2025 Editorial Hairstylist of the Year. And he continues to bring that runway (or red carpet) ready expertise to his Surry Hills salon, Raw. Want Nader to work his New York Fashion Week magic on your hair? Expect to pay a premium—a first-time cut with the man himself costs $595—while personalised cuts with his highly trained team start from $150. Even if you book with one of Raw’s other stylists, you’ll be treated to the salon’s signature 10-minute scalp massage, which is reason enough to book in.
EDWARDS&CO
1/99-103 Kippax St, Surry Hills
If anyone knows how to create a creamy blonde and effortless summer wave, it’s EdwardsAndCo. The cult-favourite salon’s light-filled Surry Hills flagship on Kippax Street feels more like a New York loft than a traditional Sydney hair salon, with exposed brick, soaring industrial windows, hanging greenery and the latest fashion magazines scattered across a communal table. Founder Jaye Edwards is the mastermind behind the brand’s innovative “future-proof” colour philosophy, which creates lived-in, low-maintenance colours designed to grow out chicly between appointments. Haircuts and blow-dries start from $122, while clients can also shop the salon’s own Jaye Haircare range in-store.
PALOMA SALON
Quietly chic and intentionally crafted, Paloma Salon (part of Sustainable Salons Australia) is Paddington’s answer to mindful hair care. Founder Paloma Garcia’s holistic philosophy takes a “sensory approach to self-care,” with ceremonial-grade matcha on arrival, blissful neck massages using Vedic oil blends, and low-maintenance, high-impact cuts and colours. You’ll find plenty of fashion and media types here, popping in for an event blow-dry or their quarterly blonde touch-up.
VALONZ
20/22 Elizabeth St, Paddington
Another Paddington salon with an Instagram-famous following and chic terrace interiors, Valonz has serious fashion and celebrity credentials. Founded in 1986 by Renya and Jim Xydis, Renya’s technical mastery has taken her to international fashion weeks and celebrity cover shoots, as well as private styling appointments with Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie and more. She even leads the team at Zimmermann as Head Hair Director across its runways, presentations and campaigns. But it’s at her Sydney styling home where she thrives, delivering sharp cuts, wearable gloss treatments and effortless colours and waves for well-heeled clients in Sydney and beyond. Inside, you’ll also find a dedicated men’s grooming space, BarberX, led by their son Aiden Xydis. Couples styling day, anyone?
USFIN ATELIER
An award-winning genderless hair salon, Usfin Atelier is as bespoke and sexy as it sounds. Conveniently located on George Street in Town Hall, its futuristic-chic space feels very Berlin-coded, while its stylists deliver editorial-style hair for the everyday stylish. Pop by on your lunch break for wispy layers and bangs or spend the afternoon under the scissors for a choppy mullet. You’ll arrive with a hair wishlist and leave with confidence unapologetically intact.
STUDIO MUSE
Suite 5, 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont
Colour and cut with a side of harbour views? Studio Muse has one of Sydney’s best salon addresses, promising natural shine through the waterside windows — as well as your hair. An Aveda National Colour Ambassador, the salon is just as equipped for dramatic hair transformations as it is for its speciality: lived-in colours. With all products vegan and organic, expect guilt-free luxury and one of the bounciest blow-dries in town — just check out its Instagram for bombshell proof.
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Top image: Koda Cutters.
