If you delay your dinner to after 10pm, you'll discover a whole new side of Sydney. The late-night dining scene is a fun one, brimming with the kind of finger-licking food you crave after a night of revelry.
- 4 min read
Caterpillar Club
There are a number of reasons to bump The Caterpillar Club, the new CBD venue by Swillhouse, up your must-visit list, not least of which is the fact that the underground bar is dishing up masterful snacks until 3am Sunday to Thursday, and 4am on Friday and Saturdays. Expect caviar and buttermilk waffles; seafood pie brimming with layers of leek, miso bechamel, scallop, cod and duchess potato; flank steak and frites with a side of peppercorn sauce and horseradish crème; and a classic cheeseburger, done on the smoky side for some extra kick. Not to mention the world’s largest private record collection.
Caterpillar Club - Credit: Andrea Veltom
Bar Totti’s
The Ivy precinct on George St is home to Bar Totti’s – the city outpost of the popular Bondi venue – serving snacky Italian share plates into the early hours. Chef Mike Eggert’s menu is simple but uses the finest of ingredients, which means you can graze on warm bread straight out of the wood-fired oven, paired with house-made antipasti (think sardines, scallop crudo, marinated peppers and burrata) before moving on to mains like wood-frilled fish, juicy steaks and freshly made pastas. Full menu is available until 12am, with the late-night menu available after, until close.
Bar Totti's - Credit: Merivale Group
Employees Only
Just on the other side of Martin Place is Employees Only, its New York-inspired bar menu – which goes full luxe with items such as truffle lobster and Tomahawk steak – doesn’t start until 10pm (and goes until about 2.30am). When the original Employees Only opened in New York City it was located behind a clairvoyant’s salon on Hudson Street. These days a neon ‘Psychic’ sign is also found above the speakeasy-style bar in Singapore, Los Angeles and central Sydney, where you can walk down the stairs off Barrack Street to find a tarot reader in a heritage-listed basement.
Employees Only, Martin Place
Restaurant Hubert
Restaurant Hubert dishes up French food until late in a bistro-style, dimly-lit basement encased in red velvet, scattered with leather booths, vintage prints on the walls and even a tattered grand piano. The kitchen is open until 1am, and the menu is made up of classics like oysters mignonette, duck parfait, beef tartare, chicken fricassee and cote de bouef.
Patrons listening to live jazz at Restaurant Hubert
Bar Topa
If you are longing for a slice of Spain in Sydney, look no further. At Bar Topa, the kitchen closes when the bar does, which is 2am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Order a quick bite of pinxtos and tapas – from jamon croquetas and gildas skewers to patatas bravas and padron peppers – to nibble alongside your on-tap sangria and bottle of Estrella.
Bar Topa - Credit: Nikki To | Merivale
Jimmy’s Falafel
Next door, grab a lamb kafta wrap at Jimmy's Falafel, where the queues begin before noon and last as late as 2am on any given evening. The late-night menu is available from 11pm, and beyond the popular aforementioned ‘Late Night Edition’ (which comes jam-packed with sumac onion, tomato and Aleppo pepper, with the optional extra of adding fries inside your wrap), you can grab Lebanese snacks like sambusik (spinach and feta puffs), falafel with tahini and fries with harissa spice, or a number of pitas (tip: you can’t go wrong with the ‘Original’, which comes with the usual suspects: falafel, hummus, mint, cucumber and pickles).
Jimmy's Falafel, Sydney City - Credit: Merivale
Hey Chu
Chef Cuong Nguyen opened Hey Chu with the vision of creating a place in the Sydney CBD where you can eat, drink and enjoy live music in a venue reminiscent of the hole-in-the-wall eateries you find in Southeast Asia where locals linger to the wee hours. The restaurant-meets-bar hits the brief, filled with handmade lanterns, plastic stools and Asian street art, and enjoying a generally laid-back vibe. The late-night menu ranges from cheese steak spring rolls and karaage octopus to prawn and blue swimmer rice cakes and pork ribs with XO glaze.
Hey Chu, Sydney CBD - Credit: Chad Konik
Old Mate’s Place
While this watering hole in the heart of the CBD is popular for its fantastic rooftop views, it’s also a great stop for a short but sweet menu that can be ordered as late as 2am, alongside its innovative cocktails. Order a selection of cheese and deli meats, or opt for one of the Philly cheese steaks on offer – a sandwich traditionally filled with super thinly sliced rib eye steak, caramelized onion and provolone cheese – but a vege option is available, as well as a delicious alternatives like spicy chorizo, jamon iberico and Portuguese chicken.
Old Mate’s Place, Sydney CBD
Zaffi
This Little Hunter Street restaurant is headed up by ex-Rockpool and Chin Chin chef Graeme Hunt, so you know the food is going to be good. Slinging out classic Lebanese dishes like fattoush, labne, grilled halloumi and babaghanoush until 4am on weekends (and 11am on other nights), it makes for a great stop if you are feeling peckish during a night out on the town. Spread over two levels, head downstairs for late-night drinks and dancing on tables (which is encouraged).
Zaffi, Little Hunter Street in Sydney City - Credit: Zaffi
Apollonia
In a dimly-lit basement of Hinchcliff House – a heritage-listed building and former wool store near Circular Quay – you’ll find Apollonia. This tucked-away gem is named after Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone, the ill-fated wife of Michael Corleone in the 1972 mobster masterpiece The Godfather, and inspired by Bar Vitelli, the real-life Sicilian bar that featured in the movie. The drinks menu takes you through the movie’s storyline (expect spoilers), and the candles have their own signature scent, with notes of orange, rosemary and gunpowder. A visit after 10pm involves Sicilian-style bar snacks like house-milled bread, olives, burrata and paninis (until midnight most nights and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays).
Arancini Charcuterie at Apollonia - Credit: Apollonia
MuMu
Inspired by Justin Hemmes and Dan Huong’s travels through Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, MuMu brings together the playfulness of South-East Asian street food with a wicked cocktail offering and big, late-night vibes. The entire menu is available all day, everyday until late, and then until 2am from Thursday to Saturday for night owls. Can’t decide what to order? Dan’s favourite dishes include a selection of sambal with krupuk, wok-fried king prawns with fish sauce and brown butter, and Cambodian fried chicken. Yum!
MuMu - Credit: Merivale
Mamak
A two-minute walk away you'll find the city's most mouthwatering roti canai, as well as Malaysian noodles, curries and desserts, at Mamak, a late-night institution for city workers (open until 12am Fridays and Saturdays, 10am every other day of the week). But be sure to visit with a group – other menu items are just as flavour-packed and are perfect for sharing, from the ayam goreng (Malaysian-style fried chicken) and kari ikam (a tangy fish curry cooked with fresh tomatoes, okra and eggplant) to the flame-grilled satay and nasi lemak (Malaysia’s “national dish” – coconut rice accompanied by an ensemble of sambal, peanuts, crispy anchovies, cucumber and hard-boiled egg).
Roti at Mamak Haymarket - Credit: Mamak Haymarket
Nakano Darling
The Japanese word “izakaya” roughly means “stay-drink-place” – and this type of informal bar is traditionally all about grabbing a drink, ordering a snack and getting comfortable, especially for after-work drinks. Modelled after this concept, Nakano Darling is all about simplicity: specialising in house made karaage, gyoza and highballs make with Japanese whisky. The tatami sitting area and private rooms with horigotatsu (dug out tables) help transport you to Tokyo’s Nakano district (step inside and you would never guess you are in Darling Square). The best part? The relaxed eatery is open until midnight during the week, and 2am on the weekends.
Nakano Darling - Credit: Nakano Darling
Mary’s Burgers
Nearby in Newtown, Mary's makes burgers until midnight from Wednesday to Saturday. It won’t take you long to read the menu at here: there are only five burger options and a roast chicken (half or whole) to choose from. Burger buffs know to go for the now-famous original, the Mary’s Burger – beef patty, cheese, tomato, lettuce and their secret sauce.
Odd Culture
Odd Culture does share plates alongside an extensive natural wine list and a great selection of craft beers until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Spread over two storeys, one is never quite sure if they are visiting a restaurant or a bar, and that is perhaps the fun of it. Dishes range from rice crackers topped with anchovies and king prawns with sambal to octopus drizzled with XO sauce and bavette steak served with burnt garlic and egg yolk.
Odd Culture Newtown - Credit: Odd Culture Newtown
Baba’s Place
In Marrickville, you can order a snack and a vino at Baba's Place until they shut the roller door at midnight. The friendly neighbourhood diner is reminiscent of a cosy grandmother’s kitchen – with the warehouse space decked out in vintage décor and heirloom knick-knacks from around the world – and the menu travelling from Lebanon to Italy to China.
Baba's Place, Marrickville - Credit: Baba's Place
Big Poppa’s
At Big Poppa’s in Darlinghurst, they serve a full menu of Italian classics until 3am, accompanied by a funky hip-hop soundtrack. Choose from a small dining room at street level and a cocktail bar-style space beneath with low lighting and leather booths. The menu is short but sweet: think beef carpaccio sprinkled with truffle pecorino and capers; king prawns topped with nduja and preserved lemon butter; lamb shoulder ragu pappardelle; and a classic plate of cacio e pepe.
Big Poppa's, Darlinghurst - Credit: Big Poppa's
Derrel’s
Daydreaming about tandoori chicken wings, smashed samosas, a chip butty with butter chicken gravy and generous plates of curry? Head to Parramatta Road’s late-night Indian diner for a feast for the senses. Open until 2am on the weekends, chef Brendan King (formerly of Marrickville’s Baba’s Place), says the casual eatery was inspired by his grandfather’s home cooking, and his desire to bring more affordable feeds to the Inner West (it’s BYO, so grab your own drinks from Camperdown cellars across the road before showing up).
Derrel's - Credit: Michael Naumoff
Goros
In Surry Hills, Goros doesn’t like to be fit into a box: in a fun homage to Japan, step inside the club-bar mash-up for custom-built karaoke rooms, yakitori, arcade games, DJs and an extensive sake and cocktail list. There’s a late-night menu (available after 10pm) from Thursdays to Saturdays overflowing with salty goodness – think spicy edamame, shoestring fries dripping in Japanese curry ketchup, gyozas, karaage chicken and the big-ticket item, the crispy chicken burger.
Goros, Surry Hills - Credit: Solotel Pty Ltd
El Primo Sanchez
Over in Paddington, you’ll find El Primo Sanchez, a Mexican-inspired bar brought to you by the group behind Maybe Sammy. Here, it’s all about having a rollicking good time and enjoying delicious cocktails – the venue manager, Eduardo Conde, was named Winner of Diageo's World Class Bartender Awards for Australia in 2023). After a few of the venue’s award-winning tipples, refuel with its late-night menu – which is available until 1am – of roasted corn, guacamole, tuna tostadas and tacos.
El Primo Sanchez - Credit: Steven Woodburn
