Whether you’re keen to kayak the easy-going currents of the Nepean River, pull into the drive-thru in Blacktown or tuck into a Korean feast in Strathfield, Western Sydney is full of unexpected places to discover.
- 5 min read
Haberfield
Why visit: Leichhardt has earned the official title of Little Italy, but just down the road, the unassuming Haberfield is full of Italian cake shops, delis and quaint cafes and deserves to share the title.
What to eat: Queues are a common sight on Ramsay Street: queues to pick up delectable baked ricotta cake at Pasticceria Papa, queues to nab a seat at the sunny yellow, wildly popular diner, Happyfield. (To help manage the crowds, Happyfield opened a Happy Shop where you can pick up to-go orders of beignets dusted with icing sugar, pork-sausage-patty-and-egg-burgers or coffee.) For a quaint, quieter experience, Little West cafe is located around the corner from the main drag and is a lovely place to sit in the window and watch the world go by. Delis and bakeries are also in generous supply: Zanetti 5 Star Gourmet, Paesanella Haberfield, and Lamonica IGA while Raffael Bakery hosts queues for its pane di casa and springy focaccia.
What to do: Head to the Haberfield end of the Bay Run and follow the pretty path along Iron Cove.
Happyfield, Haberfield - Credit: Happyfield
Burwood
Why visit: Burwood is a feast for the senses: the colourful murals at Burwood Station, the smell of char siu pork wafting from the many barbecue joints, the crowds filling the footpath outside Molly Tea.
What to eat: Decorated by colourful neon lights, Burwood Chinatown is packed with hawker stalls and restaurants. Try the mouth-tingling, spiced ox bone broth at No 1 Malatang, homestyle pork dumplings at Mum's Kitchen or head upstairs for Taiwanese fried chicken at Chunky Boss. On Burwood Road, Kowloon Cafe offers authentic Hong Kong food, while 1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle serves delicate beef consommé loaded with hand-pulled noodles, slow-cooked beef, daikon slices and chilli oil.
What to do: Wander the paths under the palm trees at leafy Burwood Park, take the kids to the playground or visit between Thursday and Sunday nights when Burwood Chinatown hosts a night market with more food stalls.
Burwood Chinatown, Burwood
Strathfield
Why visit: Strathfield is all about community: the first thing you see exiting the station is the town square busy with locals chatting, some tucking into towering melon and vanilla ice creams from Cafe Crop.
What to eat: Known for its excellent range of Korean food from barbecue to bingsu (Korean milky shaved ice), the Strathfield food scene demands repeat visits. Gather with a big group around DIY charcoal barbecue at the vibrant Jang Ta Bal, order bouncy noodles topped with unctuous black bean and pork belly sauce at Hamji Park or head to Red Pepper for delectable fried chicken. For dessert, options abound: pandan coconut deep-fried ice cream at Duo Duo, melon bingsu at Cafe Crop and milk tea with crème brulée at Machi Machi.
What to do: If you’re visiting with kids, Strathfield Park has 1.5 acres of playground with rope courses and net tunnel bridges, flying foxes, swings and a treehouse. Nearby North Strathfield is also home to Holey Moley and Kingpin.
Jang Ta Bal, Strathfield, Sydney - Credit: Jang Ta Bal
Lakemba
Why visit: Known for the Ramadan Night Markets frequented by over one million revellers celebrating the Islamic holy month looking for camel burgers, pink Kashmiri chai or syrup-soaked Palestinian sweets at Yummy Yummy Knafeh, Lakemba's welcoming multicultural community and its Purple Flag status makes it an excellent destination any time of the year.
What to eat: A day spent in Lakemba is a day spent well fed. Head to Afghan Sufra for comforting biryani and freshly baked Middle Eastern bread, try charcoal grilled lamb skewers with satay sauce at Island Dreams Cafe, or visit El Manara for foul, a tangy fava bean dish. Finish at King of Sweets for a cream-stuffed lady arm pastries.
What to do: Take a break from feasting to visit one of Australia largest mosques, the Lakemba Mosque (Masjid Ali Bin Abi Talib), with its pointed keyhole arches, slender minaret and exquisitely decorated blue dome. Get in touch with the Lebanese Muslim Association to book a tour.
Lakemba Nights during Ramadan, Lakemba
Bankstown
Why visit: Vibrant and full of life, Bankstown is a lovely blend of cultures, with Vietnamese eateries next to Lebanese bakeries, and one of the best arts centres in Western Sydney.
What to eat: Start your visit with some food shopping at Bankstown Lebanese Bakery and Mixed Business. Lebanese bread is baked fresh on site and there are spices, a deli and whole aisles of pickles. For lunch, check out a Bánh cuốn Kim Thành, a Bankstown institution whose star attraction is a textural north-Vietnamese street food dish of slippery steamed rice flour rolls stuffed with minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms. For an upmarket experience, head to Platform One at Bankstown Sports Club, a fine diner in a Victorian-era carriage where you can order anything from steak to lobster.
What to do: Visit the Bankstown Arts Centre for its calendar of contemporary art events.
Bankstown Arts Centre, Bankstown - Credit: Alia Ali @studio.alia.ali | Artwork: The Red Star 2020/2024
Blacktown
Why visit: Blacktown is Sydney heart of Filipino culture and food.
What to eat: Head to TNB Cafe for all-day brekky and outstanding coffees, hit up Sir Manong in Eastern Creek for a massive feed of unctuous, saucy pork adobo or crispy pata (deep-fried pork knuckle with plenty of rice and round off your meal at Kariton with durian-chiffon gelato. In Rooty Hill Mix Mix Co serves refreshing sweets, like halo-halo, a decadent, layered, shaved-ice drink-dessert hybrid; or taho, a comforting cup of silken tofu in a molasses-laced syrup.
What to do: Wildlife abounds in Blacktown. Visit Featherdale Wildlife Park for a hands-on experience with native animals, or see the 4,000 animals at Sydney Zoo: hyenas and lions roaming a savannah-like expanse, along with capybaras and tigers. In the evening, pack the car with blankets and snacks and go see a film at Skyline Cinema, Sydney's only old-fashioned drive-in.
Sydney Zoo, Bungarribee
Cabramatta
Why visit: Cabramatta is a hub of Vietnamese culture and food, where visitors could spend morning to night touring street food eateries.
What to eat: There are excellent options for pho – Pho Tau Bay, Pho Ann, Pho 54 – and banh mi – Viet Hoa, The Hot Bread Shop, Vinatas Hot Bread – or check out Skewers Heaven for sizzling barbeque. For a sit-down lunch, book yum cha at Ocean Treasure. The trolleys carry crisp black sesame balls, prawn and garlic chive dumplings with translucent skins, and puffed tofu stuffed with pork and finished in a savoury sauce.
What to do: Besides eat? Wander the shops (including a wide selection of fabric stores) and soak up the local history at Freedom Plaza, a central square guarded by Pai Lau, Cabramatta's ornate gates flanked with lion statues.
Chinese dragon dance performance, Cabramatta
Parramatta
Why visit: With soaring buildings, shopping centres and heritage-listed structures, Parramatta is Sydney's second CBD and Australia oldest inland European settlement.
What to eat: Start the day at Lucien Baked Goods for pistachio berry cakes and tahini brownies, then visit Temasek, a Malaysian eatery that been serving its famous laksa since 1992. For a special-occasion Lebanese feast, book a table Bayti for dishes like silky, pounded salmon kibbeh; and 12-hour roasted lamb shoulder. The pan-Asian cuisine of Lilymu is a lighter affair, but just as special.
What to do: For arts and culture, book a show at the Riverside Theatre, or in late 2026, check out Powerhouse Parramatta when the long-awaited reincarnation of the Pyrmont original will open. Elizabeth Farm and its living museum offers visitors a window into 1700s colonial Australia, while Ottoman Turkish Bath and Day Spa and Moroccan Hammam offer indulgent relaxation.
Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
Penrith
Why visit: The last Sydney suburb before the highway climbs the Blue Mountains, Penrith is a bustling centre full of adrenaline activities and places to eat.
What to eat: Visit Percy Plunkett for all-day dining in a heritage building, order CJ's Crab Shack's seafood feast, head to Mr Watkins for pancakes by day and cocktails by night, have a long lunch on the banks of the Nepean River at Emu Hall, or sit poolside at Theo's Rooftop Bar for small plates and spritzes.
What to do: If you’re not tracing Penrith's brewery trail – Rusty Penny Brewing Co, Squinters Brewing Co, Drink West Brewery, Mountain Culture – book an adventure. There are opportunities to fly, float soar and paddle at Jetpack Adventures, Cables Wake Park, iFLY Indoor Skydiving and Penrith Whitewater Stadium. For a low-key outing, cruise the Nepean River in a kayak from Horizon Line or take the 8km Great River Walk. For art-lovers, visit the Penrith Regional Gallery, breaking for coffee at the on-site Cafe at Lewers.
Theo’s Rooftop Bar, Penrith
