Sydney Eat Street: Where to celebrate Australia Day
From lamingtons to lamb chops to the best of our multicultural cuisine, there is no excuse for staying at home this Australia Day. Here’s a guide on where to celebrate with good food and drinks.
From lamingtons to lamb chops to the best of our multicultural cuisine, there is no excuse for staying at home this Australia Day. Here’s a guide on where to celebrate with some good food.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram.
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OPERA KITCHEN
It is where Australia’s comedy superstar Paul Hogan once wielded his paintbrush and while his career painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge might be long over, the chance to sit back and enjoy two of Sydney’s most outstanding landmarks — the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House — really makes Australia Day something to remember.
This year the Opera Kitchen is adding some true blue Aussie-inspired food and drinks specials to the long weekend menu.
Try the lamb burger made with a lamb patty, beetroot relish, smoky bacon, cheese, lettuce, pineapple and barbecue sauce or head to the Top End for some Northern Territory tiger prawns.
Add a bucket of Sydney Beer Co. lager or one of their frozen cocktails — the Froscato, a blend of Mudgee Fiore Pink Moscato with fresh peach and vodka, or a frose, made with the Central Ranges’ Luna Rosa Rose. Throughout the day, there’ll be entertainment, prizes and giveaways for all ages plus a front-row seat to all the action on the water, in the sky and the fireworks at night.
“It’s a great day for getting together with family and friends and celebrating the day under the bright Australian skies,” Opera Kitchen’s general manager Trevelyan Bale says. And speaking of bright skies, with the purchase of a bucket of Sydney Beer Co. lager you’ll receive a tube of 50+ sunscreen.
As Trevelyan notes, “that in itself is also truly Aussie”.
Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Pt; operakitchen.com.au
THE BIG BBQ
Barbecue is a quintessential Australia Day activity for many people and for those living in Sydney’s west, that means Parramatta’s Big BBQ as part of the city’s All-Day Australia Party in Parramatta Park.
The list of truly Aussie things on offer includes the CARnivale classic vehicle showcase, a kids area and fireworks (of course), but for the carnivorous connoisseur the highlight is sure to be The Big BBQ, a veritable shrine to the low and slow method of cooking meats.
This year the popular barbecue challenge has been narrowed down to just one option — lamb.
To determine who wins the coveted title of Australia’s Best Lamb Cook, event organiser Jay Beaumont has trained six judges to assess participating teams on their cutlets, shanks, shoulder and ribs based on taste, texture and appearance. There’ll also be demonstrations by renowned pitmasters and eating competitions.
SYDNEY STREET PARTY AT THE ROCKS
Few dishes are more synonymous with Australian cuisine then the schnitty. So do yourself a favour on Australia Day and head to The Rocks to wrap your laughing gear around Munich Brauhaus’s famous chicken schnitzel.
They’ve loaded it up with beetroot, pineapple, fried egg, bacon and cheese. And while you’re there, duck into El Camino Cantina and order their exclusive Tim Tam Rita.
This ripper drink is an icy blend of tequila and caramel liqueur, topped with a Tim Tam, which can double as a straw.
It’s all part of the fantastic atmosphere of The Rocks giant street party which runs from 6am-9pm with live entertainment, food trucks, interactive games and the Rocks Markets.
Local restaurants and bars will be in on the action, including The Observer Hotel, which will serve Aperol spritzes at its pop-up Summer Laneway Bar; Hero of Waterloo, which has award-winning steak sangas; and Lord Nelson Brewery for its namesake beers.
The Argyle will be hosting a weekend of celebrations as its courtyard is transformed into a giant party spot, starting on Friday night with the Potbeleez, followed by Sydney’s own Tigerlilly on Australia Day.
If you’d prefer to sit back and watch, head to the Overseas Passenger Terminal and grab a prime spot to watch all the action on the Harbour including the Ferrython and Tall Ships Race.
The Rocks, Sydney
FRATELLI FRESH
Football, meat pies, kangaroos, Holden cars — and Vegemite.
For Australia Day, Italian eatery Fratelli Fresh has embraced its Aussie cousin and brought to the table a culinary collaboration like no other — a Vegemite pizza.
“It is a fun addition to the menu,” Fratelli Fresh head pizza chef William Baffoni says.
Using their signature handmade, crisp, Neapolitan base, William explains that in an earlier rendition he had spread a subtle amount of Vegemite on the base then covered it with cheese.
However, in his latest version, he has made the flavour a bit more pronounced by starting with a white sauce and then sprinkling it with Vannella buffalo mozzarella and parmesan cheese before finally drizzling it with the iconic Aussie favourite.
“The saltiness of Vegemite perfectly complements the smooth, milky and nutty flavours of each cheese,” William says.
“It’s a wonderful fusion of Italian and Australian cultures.”
The Vegemite pizza is available at all the Fratelli Fresh outlets, including Darling Harbour, making it a perfect dining destination after the kids have had their fill of fun at the Australia Day Summer Playground in adjacent Tumbalong Park.
BBQ BY THE BRIDGE
AT the foot of the Harbour Bridge looking across the water to the Opera House, North Sydney Council will host a barbecue that celebrates Sydney’s multiculturalism, with many vendors giving an Aussie twist to their usual fare.
Highlights include Tapas Market’s barbecue kangaroo sausage roll, Street Sliders’ Aussie Persian gourmet sausage sliders with barbecue sauce and Follow The Cow’s Latino Chivito al Pan — a steak sandwich served with egg, tomato, bacon, aioli and mozzarella cheese.
“For us, Australia Day means feeling proud of our traditions and being passionate about what we do,” says Follow The Cow owner Pushparani Prakash, who explains that it’s a way to introduce people to Spanish flavours by “incorporating the richness, vibrancy and freshness of our land into our food”.
After lunch, head to artisan gelato maker Dolce Bacio for a lamington sarnie then grab a spot on the lawn to enjoy the live music, entertainment and all the action along the Harbour.
Bradfield Park, Milsons Point; northsydney.nsw.gov.au
MUST TRY
SAUSAGE SIZZLE
For an Aussie feed that helps a good cause, follow the scent of grilled onions to Cabra-Vale Diggers Club and Scouts NSW’s stands at Government House and Dolls Point. Or of course, Australia’s unofficial sausage sizzle sponsor, Bunnings.
LAMINGTON MARTINI
This twist on the classic Aussie baked good is part of the Moorebank Sports’ Club’s Australia Day celebration.
230 Heathcote Rd, Hammondville
COAT OF ARMS BURGER
A sure-fire winner at the family-friendly East Village Hotel in Balmain will be the Coat of Arms burger made with emu and kangaroo meat.
82 Darling St, Balmain
AUSSIE BACKYARD BBQ PIZZA
Venture wharf-side in Walsh Bay for Aussie-inspired fare at this refined Italian eatery.
In addition, to their already impressive menu, there’ll be two unique pizzas featuring the ingredients of a classic Australia Day feast — classic backyard BBQ and grilled seafood “platter”.
Order one to take away for a picnic along the water or eat in and add an Australian craft beer or glass of organic wine from Orange for an additional $8.
Ventuno; 7/21 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
PAVLOVA HOTCAKES
Rhodes cafe Left Of Field teams its tower of fluffy hotcakes with vanilla custard cream, fruit coulis and pieces of sweet meringue.
3/7 Gauthorpe St, Rhodes
PRAWNS, PRAWNS, PRAWNS
Heading north? Duck into the Seabreeze Beach Hotel at South West Rocks for crab races and a prawn peeling competition.
Cnr Livingstone St & Prince of Wales Ave
‘I like big buns’: Wacky burgers with a difference
Parramatta’s very own Eat Street is as exciting and diverse as the city itself. Take BL Burgers for example, which brought its premium burgers — including the Blame Canada, Blame Indian and Mac Daddy burgers — to western Sydney.
Revealed: Darling Quarter’s best restaurants and cafes
A stone’s throw from the CBD and bookended by the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Cockle Bay, the established precinct of Darling Quarter offers a variety of restaurants all diners can enjoy.