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

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
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
Spice Temple
Restaurants

Spice Temple

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
After more than 15 years of nailing regional Chinese dishes, the CBD’s subterranean diner Spice Temple is still hot as hell
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
Kiln
Restaurants

Kiln

The former head chef of LP’s Quality Meats is the new culinary director of this rooftop restaurant – and she’s steering things in a delicious new direction
Saint Peter
Restaurants

Saint Peter

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 4 of 4
Josh Niland's revolutionary seafood restaurant has found a beautiful new home in Paddington’s Grand National Hotel, but the game-changing dishes remain
Jane
Restaurants

Jane

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4
An outstanding and surprising hole in the wall is bringing the goods – with a touch of inspiration from Nan

The best bars in Woolloomooloo

The Bat & Ball Hotel
Bars

The Bat & Ball Hotel

  • 5 out of 5 stars
This classic old Sydney pub has had a refurb – but the team have managed to retain the bar's vintage charm
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
Old Mate's Place
Bars

Old Mate's Place

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
This old mate is our long-time favourite thanks to the complete package: drinks, service, style and a rooftop

Other things to do in Woolloomooloo

The Day Spa at the Langham Hotel
Health and beauty

The Day Spa at the Langham Hotel

This magical, star-studded subterranean spa in Sydney's CBD is offering Australia’s first in-hotel IV therapy experience
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)

What's on in Woolloomooloo

On The Steps
Music

On The Steps

The Sydney Opera House open-air summer music series is back for 2026 – with James Blake, Spacey Jane, Wolf Alice, DMAs and more
Takashi Murakami
Art

Takashi Murakami

Australia’s first major exhibition of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, founder of the 'Superflat' movement, is coming to the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney Fringe
Things to do

Sydney Fringe

The fabulous Fringe is back this spring with a stacked program of boundary-pushing entertainment in venues all across the city
Fiddler on the Roof
Theatre

Fiddler on the Roof

  • 4 out of 5 stars
A visually ambitious 'Fiddler on the Roof' reaches soaring heights while grappling with the pitfalls of a classic musical
The Lion King
Theatre

The Lion King

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Royalty takes theatrical form – long live the (Lion) King!
Heathers the Musical
Theatre

Heathers the Musical

  • 4 out of 5 stars
September 1, 1989. Dear Diary…Heathers the Musical is so very! See it for the stars that are born
Nolan: Origins
Art

Nolan: Origins

Nolan: Origins is landing at the Art Gallery of NSW this spring, exploring the formative years of Sidney Nolan’s career
Housework
Theatre

Housework

What happens behind the closed doors of Parliament House? STC's 'Housework' gives us a glimpse into Canberra’s corridors of power
Le Marché French Markets
Shopping

Le Marché French Markets

This fabulous free market dedicated to our cheese-eating friends is the ultimate taste of France
Black Myth
Art

Black Myth

This new exhibition at Chippendale's White Rabbit Gallery explores the dark side of Chinese myth in our modern world