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
Porkfat
Restaurants

Porkfat

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
Fiery, flavoursome and authentic, this new Thai restaurant in Haymarket is hot in every sense of the word
Flaminia
Restaurants

Flaminia

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Quay takeaway: forget fridge magnets, a long lunch at this harbourside spot is the best souvenir
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
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

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
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 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
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

Other things to do in Woolloomooloo

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
Bondi Icebergs Pool
Sport and fitness

Bondi Icebergs Pool

Bondi Icebergs Pool has got to be the most iconic ocean pool in the whole world, right?

What's on in Woolloomooloo

Ron Mueck: Encounter
Art

Ron Mueck: Encounter

Win two tickets to see the Art Gallery of NSW's blockbuster exhibition from a major Aussie artist bringing hyperreal human sculptures to Sydney
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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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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
Pretty Woman: The Musical
Theatre

Pretty Woman: The Musical

  • 3 out of 5 stars
'Pretty Woman' is walkin’ down the street in Sydney in this sound but sexy rendition of the 90’s classic
Powerhouse Materials: Paper
Things to do

Powerhouse Materials: Paper

A playful exhibition of objects lands at Powerhouse Castle Hill this November with a free event featuring curator and celebrated Aussie author Andy Griffiths
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DigiPark
Things to do

DigiPark

This new immersive experience has landed in Westfield Sydney – transporting shoppers into another world
Mardi Gras Film Festival - our top picks
Film

Mardi Gras Film Festival - our top picks

  • price 1 of 4
From biker boys to club kids battling zombies via haunted vacuums, there’s a plethora of perfection on offer – here's our guide on what to see