A 3-day itinerary for foodies in Sydney

Morning

Yum cha is a rite of passage in Sydney – the noisy tables, clanking metal trolleys and steaming wicker baskets make for an unforgettable meal. Start your weekend of indulgence early with brunch at The Eight in Haymarket. With room for 750 diners, this is one of the largest yum cha restaurants in the city with an epic menu to match. Try the prawn and pork dumplings, barbecue pork buns, radish cakes and scallion rice rolls, with a mango pancake for dessert. 

Yum cha options at The Eight, Haymarket - Credit: Natarsha Brown

Afternoon

If you need to walk off all those dumplings, it’s just a 15-minute stroll to Surry Hills and the Paramount House Hotel. (If your room isn’t ready yet, grab a drink at Hotel Hollywood around the corner – it’s a little slice of 1970s Sydney that you might recognise from Aussie TV shows and movies.)  

Paramount House Hotel is a cool, design-forward hotel set inside the former headquarters of Paramount Pictures. You’ll find many of Sydney’s top restaurants, cafes and bars within walking distance. The hotel also houses a coffee shop, a restaurant, a rooftop health club, and an independent cinema and wine bar. 

Paramount House Hotel, Surry Hills - Credit: Tom Ross

Evening

Before heading out for dinner, stop for a quick drink at Poly downstairs. Part restaurant, part wine bar, it’s the perfect place to start your evening. The wine list is full of interesting varieties, many of which are organic and biodynamic, and the cocktails are all classics with a twist. 

The Grand National Hotel in Paddington has been serving thirsty patrons since 1890. It closed its doors in 2021 but has been reborn as the new outpost for Saint Peter, the famed ‘scale-to-tail’ seafood restaurant from award-winning chef Josh Niland. Now holding three hats, the restaurant focuses on sustainable catches, lesser-known cuts and innovative cooking methods to create a menu you will be talking about for years to come. 

Saint Peter, Paddington - Credit: Christopher Pearce | Saint Peter

Morning 

Breakfast this morning will be just upstairs, at A.P House (A.P Bakery) on the hotel’s rooftop. It was the first permanent outpost of the cult favourite A.P Bread and is famous for its flaky croissants, perfect pastries and fluffy focaccia, all made using seasonal fruits and native ingredients. 

A.P House (A.P Bakery) at Paramount House Hotel, Surry Hills - Credit: A.P Bakery

Afterwards, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Learn the secrets of traditional Italian pasta-making using local ingredients with a cooking class at Pasta Emilia, a much-loved restaurant in Surry Hills. From filled ravioli to cappelletti, long linguine to twisted strozzapreti, you’ll create different shapes and sizes of fresh pasta, and enjoy a three-course meal of your own creations, as well as a complimentary glass of organic wine. If seafood is more your thing, you could look for classes at the Sydney Seafood School, part of the Sydney Fish Market. 

Cooking class at Pasta Emilia, Surry Hills- Credit: Pasta Emilia

Afternoon  

This afternoon, do as the Italians do and settle in for aperitivo. It’s essentially a warm up for dinner, with a few drinks and some light snacks before the main event. Continental Deli, a European style bistro in Newtown, is the perfect place. Grab a seat at the bar and order some marinated olives, gildas (a Spanish classic with anchovy, olive and guindilla pepper on a skewer), tinned sardines or mussels, charcuterie and cheese. Wash it down with their famous tinned martinis or a glass of wine. 

Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown

Evening 

Thai cuisine is hugely popular in Sydney and you’ll find at least one Thai restaurant in almost every suburb. Porkfat in Haymarket is one of the best and was even awarded a chef’s hat in 2024. It’s small (so be sure to make a booking) and focuses on dishes from Central Thailand, where pork fat is used instead of cooking oil – hence the name. Order the baked prawns with vermicelli, grilled pork jowl with nam jim, steamed coral trout with pickled plums and the signature larb. 

Porkfat, Haymarket - Credit: Leigh Griffiths | Porkfat

If you’re not ready for bed, hop on the light rail for a nightcap at Cantina Ok! This 20-seat bar is in an old garage at the end of a delivery laneway and specialises in mezcal, a Central American spirit made from agave. The expert bartenders craft it into world-class margaritas and killer cocktails (the bar has been named twice in The World's 50 Best Bars list). It’s always standing room only with great music and a buzzing atmosphere. If mezcal is not your thing, Papa Gedes is another laneway bar in the CBD has fun tiki cocktails and a long list of absinthes. 

Cantina OK! - Credit: Nikki To

Morning 

It’s more international flavours for breakfast today. Rising Sun Workshop in Newtown is both a ramen bar and a community motorcycle workshop and serves up a breakfast ramen made from buttered toast bone broth with bacon, egg and tomato. It will have you rethinking your breakfast choices forever. 

Rising Sun Workshop in Newtown - Credit: Rising Sun Workshop

If you need to take a little break from eating, this could be a good time to check out some of Sydney’s specialty grocery stores. Grab some unique ingredients to whip up a few special dishes at home. Thai Kee IGA in Haymarket has a huge range of Asian products and Tamaleria & Mexican Deli in Marrickville has hard-to-find Mexican staples. In Potts Point, Gourmet Life is the place for luxuries like caviar and truffles, and Penny’s Cheese Shop is a favourite for all things fromage. 

Tamaleria and Mexican Deli in Dulwich Hill - Credit: Natarsha Brown

Afternoon  

Sit down to a late lunch at Ester. What started as a little neighbourhood restaurant in then-unfashionable Chippendale in 2013 is now a Sydney fine-dining institution. The woodfired oven is the star of the show, turning out everything from oysters in chicken fat and roasted leeks to Yamba king prawns and half a duck. If you want the salt baked whole mud crab, you’ll need to order at least 24 hours ahead. 

Ester Restaurant, Chippendale - Credit: Ester Restaurant

Evening 

Though you’re probably full, there’s always room for a little sake and some tunes. Wander through the backstreets of Darlington towards King Street Newtown and Ante, a dark and moody bar and restaurant. Modelled after the Japanese ‘jazzu kissa’ music cafes, there are more than 2,500 vinyl records you can play and 65 types of sake. It’s the perfect place to wind down after an unforgettable gourmet adventure. 

Ante, Newtown - Credit: Ante