The best late-night dining in Sydney

Just another Surry Hills wine bar, this ain’t. Sure, Bar Suze - the Scandinavian inspired, late night snack bar on Foveaux Street - serves up plenty of wines by the glass with plenty of small plate options. But what sets it apart from what you might think of as a wine bar is that it’s fun. It also keeps the full menu available right up until close which is a rarity in this town.

If the thought of attending any social gathering in Paddington suddenly seems appealing when you remember that you could swing by the orange neon-signed storefront of Indian Home Diner on your way home, you're not alone. It may not look like much, but this Oxford street joint is fashioning 'kebabs' out of butter chicken, chana masala and samosas stuffed into rolled-up naan until 3am most nights.  It's fairly uninterested in being 'authentic', and there isn't a more satisfying late-night feed. 

Zaffi, a two-level restaurant and bar on Little Hunter Street, is open until 4am on weekends. Owned by Chady Khouzame (the Carter Sydney), the new restaurant and bar will pay homage to Khouzame’s Lebanese heritage, offering relaxed, mezze-style dining featuring Lebanese-inspired cuisine. Heading up the kitchen is ex-Rockpool and Chin Chin chef Graeme Hunt, who will be slinging dishes such as grilled halloumi with Blue Mountains’ honey and thyme zaatar from Lebanon; prawns with garlic and aleppo pepper; and slow-cooked short ribs with a pomegranate dressing. A must-order is Hunt’s baklava soft serve – a twist on the Macca’s OG with pistachio, walnuts and honey. We’ll take two, please.

You'll forget what time of day or night it is when you descend the staircase at this subterranean French restaurant in the centre of the glass-walled office buildings of the CBD – so it's lucky that it's open until 1am every night (except Sunday that is, when it doesn't open at all). Decked out with a baby grand and lush, velvet furnishings, Hubert the perfect place to go when you're peckish for a late-night snack, but you don't want the night – or the vibes – to end. 

There aren't many places in the city where you can sit in a cosy, inviting booth with warm lighting and plated food this late, but at Big Poppa's on Oxford Street, you're getting the 8pm treatment all the way until 3am. Upstairs, there's a little restaurant at street level, all dark wood and classic vibes, but head down below and you'll find a moodily-lit bar almost double the size. Nibble on cheese platters and (actually good) glasses of wine after a late adventure on Oxford Street – you deserve it. 

Sweet, juicy, soy sauce chicken, barbecue pork bao and roast-duck congee go down well after midnight. Maybe even better than they do before midnight. Located on Dixon Street, this Haymarket staple stays open until 1am, all week long. It's low-lit, buzzy and will excite you into ordering too much: but never fear, because XO noodles travel well. Just get the rest to take away – your morning-after self will thank you. 

This isn't just a charming city boozer with rooftop views – it's also got a short and sweet menu that stays up late with its drinks. Pick from a curated list of meats and cheeses until 2am, or from the handful of Philly cheese-steaks on offer – the classic squishy roll with slices of beef, onions and a whole lot of melted cheese is prime comfort food. 

This fiery Thai spot is open until 11.15am (to be precise) every night of the week. Known for its 'lava' level tom yum noodles, it's the original hot spot from Somporn Phosri. Swing by if your late-night cravings are more spicy soup than kebab-related, and get a taste of Isaan cuisine in the heart of Haymarket's Thaitown. 

Jimmy’s Falafel is ready for Sydney to become a 24-hour city again. The queues start forming at noon and don't stop until 2am from Thursday to Sunday. It's the perfect spot to soak up a little post-CBD debauchery with hot fluffy pita, plenty of pickles, and charred, smoky chicken well into the small hours.

At this little slice of Spain in the CBD, the kitchen only closes when the bar does and that happens to be at midnight Thursdays to Saturdays. Get pintxos to nibble with your after-after-work drinks: think jamón on crisp bread, whipped salted cod, grilled chorizo and whole sardines. And if you're looking to keep the party going? Try the short drinks for all the fun of a cocktail, without all the regret: a cute 100 ml Negroni or Martini should give you something to do with your hands until close. 

On weekends, this late-night Oxford Street sandwich shop is absolutely packed with party people desperate for hunks of roast pork and shards of golden crackling on a chewy white roll with pickled carrot, cucumber and as much chilli as you can handle. Until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays (it closes at a more respectable hour on weekdays), come here to get your hands on all things crackling. 

Get this popular Taipei night market staple on Sydney's own Liverpool Street – queuing at this tiny shopfront feels as close to actual street food as this city's going to get. Hot Star fries up large (like, really large) chicken schnitzels to order, as well as chips and mushies. It's no-frills – and here, seating is considered a frill, so best to grab your chicken and go. It's open until 12.30am most nights, and 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Open until 10.30pm during the week, and untul 1.30am every Friday and Saturday, this sprawling outdoor courtyard is a go-to after dark in Haymarket. Be plied with baskets of soy-flavoured fried chicken and Korean beers, as well as Arisun's signature black bean noodles and generously portioned hot pots. They'll cater to your most self-pitying, indulgent cravings – they haven't been going since 1942 without cause. 

This fast, fun and bustling spot on Enmore Road dishes out hot plates of Pakistani food until 11.30pm Monday to Friday, and until midnight on the weekend. The fish fry here is criminally underrated – and it's served steaming hot and for not a whole lot of buckaroos. It's also perfectly sitauted near Enmore Theatre, if you're looking for a post-gig feed. 

Grease, meat, cheese, all rolled up. The Philadelphians might have invented it, but there's a strong showing for the Philly cheesesteak here in Sydney. Get them at their Chippendale or Randwick locations, where they'll be slinging em' hot until 11pm during the week, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. You'll also find a range of pizzas from classics like the Margarita and pepperoni styles, along with more inventive pies topped with eggplant and rosemary potatoes.