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

South End
Restaurants

South End

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Forget the wild northern end of Newtown – it’s about time you wandered down the south end
Eat at ROBs
Restaurants

Eat at ROBs

  • 5 out of 5 stars
This no-frills burger joint in Rozelle serves up seriously good Oklahoma-style smash burgers for just $10.50 (or make it a double for $12.50)
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
Polish Club
Restaurants

Polish Club

If you’re an Ashfield local, chances are you’ve spent a fair few nights at the Polish Club. What started as a humble house party for...
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Vin-Cenzo’s
Restaurants

Vin-Cenzo’s

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Darlinghurst's newest Italian go-to from the Bar Copains and Bessie’s team is a certified red, green and white knockout
Grandfathers
Restaurants

Grandfathers

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Taking up shop in the former Long Chim site is this red-and-black succulent Chinese diner by some of Sydney’s finest – bring your pop
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
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

The best bars in Woolloomooloo

Silver’s Motel
Bars

Silver’s Motel

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Enmore Road’s most handsome space is also an ’80s-inspired motel bar with top-shelf drinks and old-school swagger
Sakura House
Bars

Sakura House

  • 4 out of 5 stars
Sydney CBD’s newest izakaya channels Tokyo’s after-hours watering holes with low lights, indulgent snacks and a sake-drenched drinks list
Bar Julius
Bars

Bar Julius

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Bar Julius will be ready whenever you are – it's a vibe from breakfast through to midnight
Paradise
Bars

Paradise

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Combining Potts Point cool with big European energy, you'll be in paradise at this new wine bar from the Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William St team

Other things to do in Woolloomooloo

Fairy Bower Pool
Sport and fitness

Fairy Bower Pool

This 1929s built saltwater pool is a popular shallow bathing spot on the Cabbage Tree Bay walkway
Manly to Spit coastal walk
Sport and fitness

Manly to Spit coastal walk

This ten-kilometre trek is best approached from Spit if you want to reward yourself with snacks at the finish line
Mahon Pool
Sport and fitness

Mahon Pool

Mahon Pool is a rugged beautiful pool with minimal man-made improvements

What's on in Woolloomooloo

DigiPark
Things to do

DigiPark

This new immersive experience has landed in Westfield Sydney – transporting shoppers into another world
Barbra
Theatre

Barbra

  • 5 out of 5 stars
This ode to Barbra Streisand is an aptly decadent production, making it a must-see
KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix
Things to do

KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix

The world's fastest sailing competition is returning to Sydney for its seventh year, this time with a new twilight racing format (and more harbourside parties)
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Balloon Story
Things to do

Balloon Story

This colourful new exhibition is a super playful fantasy land packed with 500,000 balloons
Gatsby at the Green Light
Theatre

Gatsby at the Green Light

  • 4 out of 5 stars
The roaring twenties meets the 2020s at this immersive cabaret extravaganza that's back by popular demand