Dine like a star this January with Sydney Festival Feasts

This award-winning steak house ticks all the boxes for sophisticated Sydney dining from its prime position on the heritage-listed waterfront piers in Walsh Bay. It sits in good company near the Sydney Dance Company and the Sydney Theatre Company, so you can pop by for a pre-show happy hour, including $15 cocktails every Monday to Thursday from 3-6pm, or book in for dinner after the main event. During Festival Feasts, Elements Seafood Grillhouse will serve up a $55 luxe seafood set menu including ten Singapore chilli prawns; anchovy and herb garlic bread; sesame and shallot guacamole; and grilled pita bread. 

You’ll feel on top of the world at this contemporary cocktail lounge, spread across levels four and five of Hotel Palisade. The top floor offers up almost 360-degree vistas of Sydney, including views of the Harbour Bridge, the city skyline, the beginnings of the Parramatta River and even Watermans Cove below where you can spot Sydney Festival’s Te Wheke-a-Muturangi. Head chef Cian Mulholland has designed a special $55 feast menu for two people including marinated mussels, potato hash, salted cucumber salad, braised beef shin, and a set malt cream dessert with bourbon caramel and mandarin purée. Rest assured vegetarians, there are impressive options available for you too.

This waterfront gem pays homage to the Middle East, but with a modern twist, by adding timeless French techniques and embracing the finest Australian produce. Jounieh is located in the home of the arts, so you can enjoy a pre-theatre banquet before heading to Sydney Theatre Company or The Neilson ACO. During Sydney Festival, they’re offering up three spectacular feast menus for $55 per person, with specials for vegetarians, meat-eaters and seafood lovers. Each menu includes a glass of house wine or beer, along with Lebanese bread, chickpea dip, fatoush salad. Then you will be treated to either caramelised halloumi, five-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder or grilled Moreton Bay bugs, based on the menu you selected.

If you’re planning to see Bananaland or the Multicultural Comedy Gala at Western Sydney’s premier performing arts venue, Riverside Theatres, why not really live the high life and preface it with a showstopping pan-Asian feast at Lilymu? This exclusive Sydney Festival restaurant partner in Parramatta will take you on a journey through Asia and beyond with its $55 fine-dining set menu, including kingfish and coconut ceviche; chicken larb sando; chicken gyoza; and ethically sourced wagyu beef massaman with baby potatoes and steamed rice. Elevate your night by adding on a Chow Sour cocktail with Wyborowa vodka, lychee, yuzu and lemon; a glass of NV Mumm ‘Marlborough’ Brut Prestige; or more elevated Asian snacks.

Those heading toward harbourside culture hubs like the Roslyn Packer Theatre should stop in for a Peruvian-Japanese feast at Lima Restaurant and Bar. This new Nikkei dining destination in Walsh Bay will offer a fresh $55 pre-theatre banquet featuring its signature ceviches and dishes cooked on the robata (Japanese grill). We’d recommend adding a Pisco Sour or a bottle of sake to accompany the punchy menu.

Feeling peckish before an event at Sydney Opera House or looking for a bite on your commute home from the theatre? Mosey over to Lotus Dumpling Bar. As part of Sydney Festival, this high-end Chinese dining room is offering an affordable $30 combo where you can pair any dumpling of your choice (excluding bird nest pork potstickers) and a glass of wine from their diverse by-the-glass menu. For round two, explore the dumpling bar’s wide selection of award-winning gins, craft beers and whimsically creative cocktails.

Sydney’s newest waterfront bar, Pier Bar, is located smack-bang on the water at Pier One in the heart of Walsh Bay’s art precinct. It’s a laid-back spot to watch the flaming orange sunset over Sydney Harbour with a cocktail in hand and share a casual snack or two with your best mates. During Sydney Festival, you can pop by before Night Songs at Coney Island for a relaxed $30 pre-show menu including one small plate and one tap beer, house wine or non-alcoholic beverage. If you visit on Friday and Saturday evenings, you’ll get the added bonus of DJs building the vibe.

A stone's throw away from the Thirsty Mile and adjacent to the Walsh Bay theatre district, this slick venue is right in the heart of the Sydney Festival action. As part of Festival Feasts, titular chef James Viles and head chef Brian O’Flaherty (Quay) will design a daily selection of refined à la carte specials, inspired by the seasons and heroing local, sustainable produce. Just ask the knowledgeable wait staff for their specials on the night, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.

If it’s seafood you’re after, make a beeline to the Walsh Bay Crabhouse. This newly renovated waterfront seafood restaurant in Miller's Point, by the beloved Harry's Singapore Chilli Crab, is offering up a special $55 Festival Feasts menu. It will feature the freshest seafood from Queensland, which is packed and delivered within hours of catch, cooked to perfection and served on the water's edge. Add a sparkly glass of Champagne to really kick off the night, before heading to see Big Name, No Blankets or Are we not drawn onward to a new erA at Roslyn Packer Theatre.