Woolloomooloo Wharf
Photograph: Chris Ting

Woolloomooloo area guide

Restaurants, bars, shops and events in Woolloomooloo
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The suburb that gives everyone pause (when they're trying to spell it) is one of Sydney's most dramatically gentrified – at least around the Finger Wharf (probably the coolest apartment block in the whole of Australia) on which you'll find look-at-me hotspots like Ovolo Hotel, OttoChina Doll and Aki's.

Bordered by the DomainKings Cross and Potts Point, the harbourside suburb is home to a real grabbag of Sydney landmarks, including the Andrew Boy Charlton Pool, Garden Island Naval Base and the Matthew Talbot Hostel, the largest hostel for homeless men in the Southern Hemisphere.

Woolloomooloo highlights

The best restaurants in Woolloomooloo

Margaret
Restaurants

Margaret

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Neil Perry’s supposed swan song brings poise, polish and produce fit for the gods to the heart of Double Bay
Neptune’s Grotto
Restaurants

Neptune’s Grotto

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
An underground cave in Sydney’s CBD is now home to a rollicking, candlelit Italian-themed party – and one of the city’s most exciting new restaurants
Pellegrino 2000
Restaurants

Pellegrino 2000

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
This cracking Surry Hills Italian from the Bistrot 916 team has amped-up trattoria classics that will stay with you long after you've said arrivederci
Olympic Meats
Restaurants

Olympic Meats

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 1 of 4
Everything’s made in-house at Marrickville’s delicious new BYO Greek eatery – and nothing costs over $21. But you may need to wait
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel
Travel

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
The historic Art Deco hotel in Sydney's CBD has recently undergone a $77-million makeover, and it involved so much more than a surface-level glow-up
Olympus
Restaurants

Olympus

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
Does your last trip to Greece feel like ancient history? Slip on your sandals and head to Sydney’s Olympus Dining
Clam Bar
Restaurants

Clam Bar

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
This New York-style steak house by the powerhouses behind Bistrot 916 and Pellegrino 2000 is a clam dunk
Glass Brasserie
Restaurants

Glass Brasserie

This dazzling CBD restaurant welcomes a fresh era with new chef Natalie Murphy and a reimagined ‘family-style’ dining experience
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The best bars in Woolloomooloo

Joji
Bars

Joji

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Sydney’s newest rooftop bar is a shimmering, Japanese-inspired showstopper in the CBD’s beating heart – and don’t forget your Gucci
The Duke of Clarence
Bars

The Duke of Clarence

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
Things are getting very British in Sydney’s den of bar excellence
Bar Copains
Bars

Bar Copains

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Best mates, Dr Dre hits, a killer fish sanga and funky drops walk into a bar – and the result is pretty cool
Centro 86
Bars

Centro 86

  • 5 out of 5 stars
It doesn’t matter how crowded or empty it is – tequila bar Centro 86 is always a vibe

Other things to do in Woolloomooloo

Pleasure Club
Music

Pleasure Club

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
With nostalgic cocktails and rollicking live performances every night, you can escape reality at Newtown’s purple-hued basement bar (well, until 4am at least)
Bennelong
Restaurants

Bennelong

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 4 of 4
It’s everything people love about Sydney in a single fine dining experience

What's on in Woolloomooloo

Inner West Country Fest
Things to do

Inner West Country Fest

Round up your cowboys and cowgirls, ’cos the Inner West is going country this month with a series of beer-fuelled shindigs
Marrickville
MJ the Musical
Theatre

MJ the Musical

  • 3 out of 5 stars
Broadway's Michael Jackson tribute has landed on the Sydney stage, but can the spectacle distract from the discomfort?
Darling Harbour
Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country
Art

Seeing Sydney, Knowing Country

Uncover the layered histories of Sydney’s harbour, bushland and suburbs in this thought-provoking (and free) exhibition
Sydney
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Sydney Film Festival
Film

Sydney Film Festival

Grab the popcorn – Sydney’s huge annual celebration of film is rolling out the red carpet for some blockbuster action
Sydney
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The Wrong Gods
Theatre

The Wrong Gods

  • 4 out of 5 stars
'Counting and Cracking' playwright S. Shakthidharan debuts a "rich, evocative and unflinching" new work on the Belvoir stage
Surry Hills
And Then There Were None
Theatre

And Then There Were None

  • 3 out of 5 stars
Agatha Christie’s most popular novel still manages to land a few thrills despite a somewhat stale revival
Sydney
Annie
Theatre

Annie

  • 4 out of 5 stars
A reliable revival of musical theatre’s favourite rebellious redhead premieres on the Sydney stage
Haymarket