Day-by-day eating plans for Sydney. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Sydney weekend: the harbour and the hatted rooms ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A two-day Sydney weekend pivoting between the harbour and the inner-east dining strip. Bills for the first breakfast, Saint Peter for the hatted dinner, the markets at Carriageworks on Saturday morning, the natural-wine bars of Paddington at night.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: market morning, Italian lunch, hatted dinner in Paddington

    Morning
    Carriageworks Farmers Market at 9am for the chef-favourite stalls. Coffee at Single O Surry Hills on the walk back to the city.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point. Pasta of the day, half a bottle of Etna Bianco, walk it off through Llankelly Place.
    Evening
    Dinner at Saint Peter in Paddington at 7pm. Josh Niland's fin-to-tail seafood, dry-aged fish course; cab home through the Cross.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: harbour brunch, Chinatown yum cha, sunset cocktail at The Rocks

    Morning
    Bills Darlinghurst at 8am. Ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter, flat white. Walk through Hyde Park to Circular Quay.
    Afternoon
    Yum cha at Mr Wong on Bridge Lane from 12:30pm. Peking duck, har gow, char siu bao; finish with a Sydney rock oyster on the way out.
    Evening
    Maybe Sammy at 6pm in The Rocks. Italian-American cocktails to start; book Bennelong at 7:45pm for harbour sunset under the Opera House sails.

Sydney inner west weekend: Marrickville, Newtown and the migrant city ★ 4.6

Second-time visitor or local exploring the inner west2 days

Two days in Sydney's inner west: Marrickville's Vietnamese-Greek-Lebanese strip, Newtown's vegan and late-night corridor, Chippendale's wood-fired benchmark. The migrant Sydney that doesn't live on the harbour.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Marrickville banh mi, Greek lunch, Chippendale wood-fired dinner

    Morning
    Marrickville Pork Roll at 11am for the canonical A$5 banh mi. Coffee at Two Chaps next on Chapel Street.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Olympic Meats on Marrickville Road. Lamb on the spit, Greek chips, BYO Etna Bianco from P&V down the road.
    Evening
    Dinner at Ester in Chippendale at 7:30pm. Mat Lindsay's wood-fired room since 2013; fermented potato bread, blood-sausage sanga. After-dinner natural wine at Ester Bar.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Newtown brunch, vegan lunch, late-night burger

    Morning
    Brunch at Cuckoo Callay in Newtown Station from 9am. King Street walk, vintage shops, coffee at Campos.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Gigi Pizzeria on King Street: 100% vegan Italian, Sicilian-leaning pies, an Etna Rosso to match.
    Evening
    Dinner at South End on King Street, then Mary's Newtown burger and a beer at Young Henrys taproom on Wilford Street.

Sydney three days: harbour, hats and Hunter Valley ★ 4.7

Food traveller with three days3 days

Three days through Sydney: the canonical inner-east dining strip, a day in Cabramatta for the deepest Vietnamese food district in Australia, and a Hunter Valley wine country day trip to round out.

  1. Day 1: Friday: Surry Hills brunch, harbour lunch, hatted dinner

    Morning
    Brunch at Reuben Hills in Surry Hills at 8:30am. Single-origin filter coffee, Colombian arepa with eggs.
    Afternoon
    Walk to Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont for fish and chips on Bank Street, then the auction floor tour at 1pm.
    Evening
    Dinner at Firedoor in Surry Hills at 7:30pm. Lennox Hastie's two-hat fire-only kitchen, dry-aged steak and seasonal Australian produce. Late drinks at Maybe Sammy in The Rocks.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Cabramatta Vietnamese food day, evening at the wine bars

    Morning
    Train from Central to Cabramatta. Pho dac biet at Pho Tau Bay on John Street, then banh mi from KK Bakery for second breakfast.
    Afternoon
    Walk Park Road and the Cabra-Vale Mall: Vietnamese sweets, taro fritters, sugarcane juice. A Taste Tours guided afternoon if it's your first visit.
    Evening
    Train back to Paddington for 10 William Street: pasta of the day and a glass of Friulano. Late at Love Tilly Devine in Darlinghurst.

  3. Day 3: Sunday: Hunter Valley wine country day trip

    Morning
    Drive M1 north from Sydney; coffee from Toby's Estate to go. Arrive at Brokenwood Wines (Hermitage Road, Pokolbin) by 10am.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Margan Wines and Restaurant in Broke. Tyrrell's cellar door for semillon, Audrey Wilkinson for the view.
    Evening
    Drive back to Sydney for a Sunday dinner at Dear Sainte Eloise on Llankelly Place, Potts Point. Mediterranean small plates and a deep glass list.
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