Darlinghurst Food and wine

Darlinghurst bars and food

If you’re a fan of food and wine, quirky bars, multicultural restaurants and cosy cafes, Darlinghurst has a host of fantastic options to choose from. Heck, there’s even a hairdresser – Ziggy’s Barber Shop – where you can enjoy a beer, some DJ tunes and choose from over 3000 games on the homemade arcade station.

Start your day like the locals do, with an espresso from famous Bar Coluzzi on Victoria Street, or with a big brekkie at Tigerbakers. If it’s lunchtime, Mad Pizza, also on Victoria Street, is perfect if you fancy sitting at a bar and ordering by the slice or  head to iconic Tropicana across the road (where Sydney’s Tropfest originated) for a diverse, no-nonsense menu of salads, sandwiches and pasta.

Bar flies can soak up the street art ambiance at Pocket Bar just off Oxford Street, or sink into a Chesterfield lounge at the beautifully opulent Victoria Room. The nearby Darlo Bar, an iconic local hang-out, is great for a beer and a casual game of pool or strap on stilettos and slip into Eau-de-Vie at the back of the slick Kirketon Hotel. Food and wine fans should make time for Love Tilly Devine, hidden in a back street parallel to Crown. Named after the infamous Sydney madam, this warm, rustic little watering hole is all about the wine list.

Hungry? Take your pick of the Italian bistros on Stanley Street, try the mod-eastern cuisine at Food Society off the main strip, or join the rowdy revellers next door at Latin-themed Café Pacifico. Nearby, Republic 2’s courtyard is home to Napoli-style wood-fired offerings from Lucio’s Pizza and formerly Paddo-based Vietnamese favourite, Phamish – but if you can’t get in (they don’t take bookings) head to La Mint on Riley Street for French-Vietnamese fusion fare. DonDon on Oxford Street is also great for budget Japanese.

Don’t miss Taylor Square’s Saturday Sustainable Markets when the area is transformed with stalls selling organic veggies, pasture-raised meats and flowers – it’s also a great place to learn more about organic gardening and sustainable living.