Visitor Guide
Visiting Sydney? Here's Time Out's ultimate guide to the city's events, attractions and sights. From tourist favourites to hidden gems
Sydney Hotels
A foodie's guide to dining and drinking in Sydney
The Sydney restaurant hit list
Unless you have the metabolism of a nine-year-old and the finances of a Kardashian, you never stand a chance against Sydney's ferocious dining machine. The openings just don't stop – and ain't nobody got time to keep on top of what's what. Except us, of course. Behold: our eat-and-destroy list, a guide featuring some of the best new restaurants you need to try, along with some old standbys still doing things right. Go forth – and eat all the things!
The 27 most Australian dishes in Sydney
No matter how you feel about nationalism, there's one thing all Australians can agree on. We make pretty epic food. We thought we’d celebrate our country with some of Sydney’s finest fare. We’ve found the 27 most Australian dishes that Sydney has to offer. From the best pad Thai to our raddest lamington and most delicious native plant stir-fry. Here is our list, in no particular order, of Sydney's best takes on Australiana:
The best cheap eats in Sydney
In a perfect world, we'd spend every night enjoying fine cuisine at Sydney's most indulgent restaurants. We'd be at Quay, Sepia, Rockpool Bar & Grill... anywhere, really, that requires half (or all, or far more than) what's currently in your bank account for a shared plate. But we do not live in a perfect world – sometimes the stove is broken, the thought of checking your balance makes you break out in hives and skipping meals seems a viable option. But you don't have to do that! There's a host of restaurants all around our fair town serving up tasty food at prices that won't leave your wallet empty.
The best bars in Sydney
This has been the year Sydney’s bar scene got classy. People who not so long ago wouldn’t have touched a straight liquor cocktail with a bargepole are now ordering up Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs without a second thought, and they’re loving it. Sure, the lockout laws continue to dampen the late-night hijinks, but that just means our party starters have had to get creative. New bars are still popping up in any underground space, hidden enclave and lofty spot that becomes available, and the yardstick for bar snacks has been set at an all-time high. The old guard have applied fresh vigour to the cocktail craft in the last 12 months. New additions have reminded us that the best drinks aren’t always the booziest; orange wines are everywhere we look; and this year heralded the rise of locally distilled spirits. Way to level-up, Sydney.
The best pubs in Sydney
Charge your glasses, friends, and join us in a toast to Sydney’s pubs. To the fusty watering holes that champion the old ways: they’ve still got a pie warmer behind the counter, the footy is on the TV and their Reschs is cold and clean. And to the young guns swinging open the saloon doors to local breweries fermenting up a flavour storm in all corners of the city. Great evenings have been built on a foundation of schnitzel and steak, but we’re also showcasing the local pubs getting creative with counter meals and ensuring the tucker is top-notch. All up it’s been a ripper year for the Sydney pub scene: this guide is where we get to sing the praises of the best in the business.
The best things to do in Sydney
The best art galleries in Sydney
Sydney is busting at the seams with great art – from major institutions like the Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art, to incredible privately-owned but publically accessible (and free!) galleries like White Rabbit, and right down to a thriving scene of independent and artist-run initiatives. Below are some of our favourites.
The best walks in Sydney
Coastal walks, bush walks, historical walks and inner city ambles: there are many routes to choose from to discover Sydney from a new angle. See our list of ten favourite places to wander and remember to pack a camera – these walks offer some of the best vantage points for snapping our city at its best.
Indigenous tours in Sydney
From tours that take you to previously restricted bushland to self-guided, inner city augmented reality apps that show you what life was like before European settlement in Australia – these Aboriginal led and operated businesses share knowledge and history that dates back thousands of years. Find more walks in Sydney or explore our harbour islands.
Free things to do in Sydney today
Sydney may have been voted the second most expensive city in the world to live in, but if you look closely you will find cheap and free things to do on any day of the year. Want LOLs without the price tag? Here's where to find free comedy nights in Sydney. Or a cheap date idea? See these venues for free live music on any night of the week.
Most popular events in Sydney
Chicago
The razzle dazzle musical is returning to paint the town – and all that jazz
Roller Disco Brunch
This retro roller skating party is coming to Sydney Harbour for one day only
Natalia Osipova: Pure Dance
One of the ballet world's greats is performing an eclectic night of dance at the Opera House
Caroline, or Change
Hayes Theatre is presenting another musical masterpiece in an intimate new production
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Time Out Food Awards
Forks at the ready, Sydney: the Time Out Food Awards are returning. At Bopp and Tone on Monday September 9, Time Out readers will join the stars of the local restaurant industry to celebrate the city’s best restaurants, cafés and chefs. Expect delicious canapés, Bisleri Sparkling and Still Water, refreshing ales from Gage Roads, and wine and spirits. MasterChef season ten fan favourite Khanh Ong will be your host, announcing winners in categories such as Best Cheap Eat, Chef of the Year and the coveted Restaurant of the Year award. There will also be a new People’s Choice Award celebrating signature eats worth searching for, in partnership with Google. Make sure you read our guide to unique eats in Sydney, try them all, and get voting for your fave Tickets ($55 + BF) go on sale from August 1 and will sell quickly, so mark your diary, save the date, spread the word and snap your eating adventures using the handle #foundongoogle. These awards are made possible thanks to our sponsors Google, Gage Roads Brewing and Bisleri. // var exampleCallback = function() { console.log('Order complete!'); }; window.EBWidgets.createWidget({ // Required widgetType: 'checkout', eventId: '64954853716', iframeContainerId: 'eventbrite-widget-container-64954853716', // Optional iframeContainerHeight: 425, // Widget height in pixels. Defaults to a minimum of 425px if not provided onOrderComplete: exampl
Vote for unique eats in Time Out’s Food Awards
By Time Out in partnership with Google For the Time Out Food Awards 2019, we are partnering with Google to discover unique dishes in our neighbourhoods. We searched far and wide to find some awesome local heroes doing great things worth searching for. The People’s Choice: Signature Searches award invites Time Out readers to discover and try these amazing eats, with the chance to win tickets to the big Time Out Food Awards event in September and more. Here’s what involved. Step one: Read all about Google Signature Searches here. Step two: Try them! Step three: Vote for your favourite and have your say, tagging #foundongoogle Vote now Further event details can be found here. In association with
15 Sydney restaurants where you can be rewarded just for eating
With fabulous restaurants hailing from every corner of the globe, eating in our fair city is a reward in itself. But what if you could be rewarded just for visiting the restaurants and cafés you already love, ensuring you always get more bang for your buck on your next food adventure? Liven is a nifty mobile wallet and payment app that gives you access to a whole new world of restaurant rewards. Pay and earn at over 1,000 restaurants that already include dining institutions such as Messina, Din Tai Fung, Dodee Paidang and more. When you dine using the Liven app, you accrue a universal digital currency called ‘LVN’ that can go towards your next feast. LVN can be spent at any partner restaurant, sent to your friends within the Liven app, or donated to charity. All you need to do is enjoy your meal and pay with one simple click and earn instantly. To start eating your way toward the rewards, just search for your favourite restaurant on the Liven app, enjoy a fabulous meal and pay using Liven. To make life even easier, we’ve picked out some winners you can visit right away in Sydney. Download the Liven app now and start eating and earning. Liven’s also slinging out $100,000 worth of food and prizes. Dine with Liven and go into the running to win a month’s free of your food faves – burgers, gelato, laksa – food-themed swag bags, and more. Every $10 spent counts as an entry, and you can earn double entries by eating at any of hundreds of Tim
This DIY pop-up Magnum store has opened in Westfield Sydney
If you’ve been forgoing icy cold desserts for more warming winter treats, now is the time to get serious about your frozen treats, because the Magnum Pleasure Store (it’s not as raunchy as it sounds) is only open for three more weeks. It’s a pop-up dessert factory that lets you choose your own adventure through the world of ice cream. You’ll get to craft a Magnum tailored to your own tastes, from the smooth chocolate coating that this treat is so well known for, right up to the topping where you can choose experimental flavours like Persian fairy floss, rose petals, crisp strawberry pearls and more Want to know how it works before you visit so you can plan out the perfect stick of ice cream? You start with the base coat: choose from a creamy milk chocolate layer, a bitey dark choc casing, a smooth white choccy suit of armour, or a double dipped milk and white choc combo. Then, get serious about the toppings. Your $10 treat includes three toppings (additional sprinklings cost $1) with a choice of familiar ice cream extras like almonds, brownie chunks, crushed honeycomb and chocolate flakes, plus more unusual toppings like edible gold flakes, rose petals and fairy floss. Finish it with yet more chocolate drizzled over the top and you’re sorted. You can become a dessert chef and try these exciting flavours at the Magnum pop-up shop on level two of Westfield Sydney until September 7.