After the joy and excitement of the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, Fair Day, parties and events, stay a little longer to explore Sydney’s most vibrant precincts.
Sydney CBD
Eat and drink
Sydney’s CBD isn’t just the glamourous home to many award-winning fine-dining options, it’s also a hub for caffeine, cocktails and casual bites. Try A.P Place (bold and innovative), Humble (classic) or Wholegreen (gluten-free) for baked goods, while Skittle Lane, Diggy Doo’s and Gumption are classy caffeine stops. Midden by Mark Olive is the place to go to try native produce by a celebrity chef. A bougie night out starts with drinks at rooftop bars Aster or Jackson’s on George. Then continue onto luxury Mediterranean bistro Palazzo Salato, the plush pink furnishings and playful menu of Penelope’s or Euro-inspired bar-bistros Clam Bar and Bar Morris. Level up with internationally applauded fine diners Quay or Oncore by Clare Smyth.
Stay
W Sydney boasts harbour views, several places to dine and a rooftop bar with an Instagrammable infinity pool overlooking Darling Harbour. Set in a heritage-listed building, high-end luxury hotel Capella provides lush furnishings, a curated collection of art and a truly remarkable wellness space. The Ace Hotel brings the style of the local art scene to rooms appointed with record players and minibars stacked with local products. Settle in with sleek business stylings at minimalist Little National Hotel, Kimpton Margot Sydney with its rooftop bar and Bottomless Drag Brunch, or the grander, heritage-listed and recently refurbished Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney’s original five-star hotel.
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The CBD is the glitzy heart of Sydney’s theatre, dance and arts scene, and is one of the city’s nightlife hubs. See a mesmerising performance by world-renowned First Nations dance company Bangarra and catch everything from popstars to local theatre at the Sydney Opera House. Dance to live music at the century-old Marble Bar or to the beats of a touring international DJ at Civic Underground. The Sydney International Art Series brings the world’s most outstanding art exclusively to Sydney at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Art Gallery of New South Wales. Scaling the 134-metre-high Sydney Harbour Bridge summit is a bucket-list ticket while in town.
Image credit: Destination NSW
Darlinghurst and surrounds
Eat and drink
Potts Point’s sibling cafes Piña and Room 10 demonstrate exactly why the suburb is a dining hub: they’re two of Sydney’s best. If you’re staying local for the evening, Vermuteria serves vermouth and Spanish-esque plates, aperitivo bar Piccolo Bar dishes up Italian snacks alongside amaro and Caravin provides an intimate Parisian-style dinner. In neighbouring Darlinghurst, down a beer and a Chinese snack at The Taphouse; or match a cocktail to the colours of the sunset on the rooftop of historic gay club The Columbian. You’ll also find the original outpost of Sydney icon Gelato Messina, art community hangout Cafe Freda’s, and Buffalo Dining Club (highlight: pasta finished off in a giant Pecorino wheel) for dinner. In Surry Hills, Armorica (Parisian brasserie) and Nour (innovative, glammed-up Middle Eastern) are also options.
Stay
Oxford House on Oxford Street is a stylish, relaxing oasis with a glistening pool and rooms outfitted with eclectic artwork, Grown Alchemist bathroom products and Double Rainbouu robes. Down the road in Surry Hills is the Sydney Design Awards gold medal-winning Paramount House Hotel. Within the 80-year-old building you can also catch a classic film at the Art Deco Golden Age Cinema, get a shaken iced coffee and textural salad at Paramount Coffee Project, have a rooftop pastry at A.P House or sip natural wines at Poly.
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Darlinghurst is the heart of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community, and Oxford Street is where most Mardi Gras revellers will find themselves at midnight. Stonewall and Universal are key pitstops for pop hits and heaving dance floors. A few doors down is Palms on Oxford, a dive bar attracting diverse crowds with disco, ‘80s hits and ‘90s pop. Live music venue Oxford Art Factory supports up-and-coming and experimental artists, and next door’s Cliff Dive is a tiki-themed, R&B and EDM bar-club. Goro’s in Surry Hills is the spot for karaoke and Japanese snacks. During the day, shop Australian labels in Paddington or, if you’d prefer to explore the area with a guide, wander through Qtopia (the largest museum and cultural centre for queer history and culture in the world, or join The Fabulous Wonder Mama on a walking tour of Oxford Street.
Image credit: Destination NSW
Bondi
Eat and drink
Bondi’s award-winning Icebergs Dining Room and Bar matches the surrounding beauty with simple yet sophisticated Italian dining. Along the beach, you’ll meet a more casual Italian eatery Makaveli, French bistro and bar ChouChou, and Promenade Bondi for bistro meals with L.A. vibes.
Stay
Boutique hotel chain QT’s Bondi iteration is a block from the beach, laidback but luxurious and has rooms featuring pops of colour and plush robes. Get closer to the waves with the flamingo pink Hotel Ravesis, the only Bondi hotel with beach views.
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Take a surf lesson with Let’s Go Surfing and, afterwards, stroll 6km of cliffside pathway past enticing swimming spots on the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. Change pace with an infrared or traditional sauna and ice bath at Slow House, Bondi’s stylish wellness centre, or join the locals at the Icebergs sauna.
Image credit: Destination NSW
Newtown and surrounds
Eat and drink
Newtown’s King Street is a famous Sydney ‘eat street’. Start at Ante, a sake bar serving bold-flavoured innovations, Comedor is bending the genre of Mexican cuisine, Bella Brutta serves up-market pizza and Cafe Paci is the only Finnish-ish fine diner in Sydney. For a snack, try artisanal gelateria Mapo and a pide in the Turkish hub (Konak or Taste of Turkey are great picks). Drinks-wise, stop in at queer-friendly, drag-show-hosting Newtown Hotel or the cosmically themed martini specialist Bar Planet.
In Enmore, you’ll find Lebanese diner Emma’s Snack Bar, sports bar The Magpie, and the eccentric Jacoby’s, which mixes a tiki theme with natural wines and a rum-heavy menu. There’s also bustling local falafel hot spot Cairo Takeaway, cute Japanese bakery Azuki and classic cafe Soulmate, which serves an excellent cuppa and breakfast sandwich in between the two ‘burbs.
Stay
Straddling the inner west and the CBD, Chippendale’s The Old Clare Hotel is an elegant, welcoming and character-filled boutique hotel (you don’t need to stay to check out its rooftop pool and bar.) Further into the inner west, The Urban in Newtown offers industrial-chic rooms in the centre of everything.
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Made immortal by The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Erskineville’s The Imperial and its Drag ‘N’ Dine shows is an essential Sydney Mardi Gras stop. Up the road is the Enmore Theatre, the longest-running theatre in NSW and champion of iconic Australian acts and international talent alike. The area is also home to a barrage of vintage clothes and homewares stores. If all you want to do is sing Céline Dion songs with other Titanic fans, then book into Titanique at The Grand Electric in Redfern.
Image credit: Destination NSW
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