Best places to eat, dine and drink during Vivid Sydney 2022
A list of eateries for fine dining, snack spots, cafes, restaurants and bars that people can pit stop, relax and then continue on with Vivid.
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The city will burst into colour from Friday as Vivid Sydney 2022 lights up the CBD, after a two year hiatus due to Covid restrictions.
With the infamous lightwalk stretching over iconic Sydney locations including Haymarket, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Walsh Bay and Circular Quay, there are plenty of destinations to stop along the way for a sit-down meal, quick snack, beverage or dessert.
Many restaurants stationed along the lightwalk or around the city are also treating Sydneysiders and Vivid visitors to exclusive and limited edition offers.
Here are our top 10 food and drink destinations to check out during Vivid Sydney this year.
Restaurant Hubert, Sydney CBD
A classic French restaurant that catapults hungry flocks of food snobs back in time. If you’re looking for an atmosphere to match a decadent dinner, Restaurant Hubert is the place to be. With dark timber interiors, cosy and classic table settings and music to set the mood, this establishment is worth your wallet’s fear.
Li’l Darlin, Surry Hills
With the Vivid light walk starting at the Vivid Reflections display near Central Station, Li’l Darlin is the perfect destination to begin your evening. Just a five-minute walk from Central, the bar serves tapas, sharing plates, pizzas and loaded fries, to kick off your night with a light meal or snack. Li’l Darlin is famous for their intricate and signature cocktail menu, as well as their variety of non-alcoholic options.
China Doll, Woolloomooloo
Set on the historic Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo, China Doll is the perfect spot to unwind and dine after a long walk across Sydney Harbour’s impressive light show for 2022. With it’s award-winning views and exceptional service, China Doll’s ambience is everything one would hope could be encapsulated in a Sydney-sider restaurant.
Auvers Cafe, Darling Square
This French-inspired cafe has launched an exclusive and limited edition Vivid menu in celebration of the event with colourful and creative cocktails and dishes to get in the spirit. Auvers Cafe is an ideal destination, located in Haymarket, to begin the night before exploring the city lights. Auvers Cafe offers light up and glitter filled slushies, shots and cocktails and dishes that appear more like art on a plate than food.
Bar Totti’s, Sydney
If you’re working from back to front on the lightwalk you will begin your evening at Wynyard Station where you will find Bar Totti’s. Very well known among locals for its laid-back Italian style vibes and anti-pasti share plates, wood-fired breads, Aperol and other spritzers and cocktails, Bar Totti’s is a great stop for a quick bite or wine to get you in the mood for the lightwalk.
Cyren Bar and Grill, Darling Harbour
The Sydney Infinity portion of the lightwalk, Vivid’s largest ‘liquid and light show,’ is set in Darling Harbour where a range of restaurant and dining options are available for dinner pit stops. Among these harbourside options is Cyren Bar and Grill, known for quality seafood, steaks and craft beers. Central to the nearing end of the Vivid trail, why not stop for a meal after a night of lights and laughs.
Blackbird Cafe
Blackbird Cafe, which is offering a limited edition Vivid inspired cocktail selection, also offers stunning views and an easy walk from Vivid’s evening adventures. If you’re looking for a casual atmosphere and an energy top-up for the evening, Blackbird is your one-stop shop.
Uncle Ming’s, Sydney
You’ll feel as though you have entered an exclusive top secret venue when you stop into Uncle Ming’s at Wynyard. The dumpling and cocktail bar is an intimate and dimly lit basement venue with a red ambience that serves fresh handmade dumplings, cocktails and sake. Perfect for a lighter but filling meal on your Vivid journey.
Employees Only Bar, Sydney CBD
Located in the heart of the CBD, the Employees Only Bar is ideal for a mid-walk stop to refresh and re-energise. Claiming to be one of the world’s best cocktail bars, this semi hidden tucked away venue is for all cocktail lovers who are looking to treat themselves with the finest experience this Vivid.
Lotus Bar
You are guaranteed to find something to delight all tastebuds along the waterfront in Barangaroo. Lotus Bar’s pan-Asian dishes, dumplings and cocktails are sure to have you feeling the ambience beyond Sydney’s favourite light show. Lotus Bar’s fine dining experience can also be followed up by neighbouring Bungalow 8 if you’re in a social mood, or Tequila Daisy for nightcap.
Lotus Dining Group is also offering two unique Vivid specials at four of its Sydney restaurants playing with light, colour and shapes through a combination of flavours and infusions.
Lotus is putting a twist on the traditional Singaporean crab within its classic xiao long bao soup dumpling ($18 for four), as well as mixing up “A Starry Night” cocktail ($23), made with butterfly pea-infused vodka and hints of lychee and strawberry.
Anason
The renowned Efendy chef, Somer Sirioglu, has always had a knack for serving delicious Turkish food. Anason maintain Sirioglu’s modern-classic reputation with interiors to match. The restaurant has been keeping Barangaroo fed with seasonal, modern Turkish menus on Sydney’s favourite waterfront since 2016. If you’re looking for dinner with character and charm, this is your final destination.
Tequila Daisy, Barangaroo
Did somebody say nightcap? Tequila Daisy won’t let you down. The Mexican legacy has been widely speculated as the innovator of the now famous Margarita. The quirky Mexican-inspired waterfront restaurant is bright and bustling. For a lighthearted and relaxing end to the night, lookout on the outdoor terrace or enjoy a cosy cocktail indoors.
Maybe Sammy, The Rocks
Continue your night at Vivid Sydney by visiting Maybe Sammy, an aesthetic and chic bar located in The Rocks, the hub for a range of light exhibitions along the walk. Famous for creative and visually pleasing drinks accompanied by live music, Maybe Sammy was Awarded Best Cocktail of the Year in 2021. Check out Maybe Sammy while enjoying the Endless Love, Gravitational Grid or New York Sunday light installations.
NOMAD Sydney, Surry Hills
NOMAD Sydney restaurant is bringing a specialty light show to their Surry Hills warehouse. The upbeat restaurant with a middle eastern twist will be offering a special Caviar course for diners to enjoy gourmet food while experiencing the lights right from their table! The course features Polanco Grand Reserve Oscietra Caviar, crème fraîche, the crispiest hash brown + a glass of Michel Gonet ‘6g’ Brut, Blanc de Noirs Champagne for 100pp.
Gelato Messina, Circular Quay
What better way to wrap up the night at Vivid Sydney or as a treat along the lightwalk than with a big scoop of ice cream.
Claiming to have the best gelato in Australia, Gelato Messina located in Circular Quay has 40 gourmet and unique gelato flavour options to please every sweet tooth.
Perfect for families with children, Gelato Messina is stationed right near the Cross Walk This Way and Temple light displays.
Where will you be stopping? Leave a comment or recommendation below.
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