Sydney Eat Street: Celebrate Australia Day 2021 with great food
Tired of the beach or the backyard this Australia Day? Why not change things up and find somewhere different to go for our national celebration.
Eat Street
Don't miss out on the headlines from Eat Street. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram. #SydneyEatStreet
UNTIED
For the love of Sydney summers, you definitely need to hit up this rooftop venue for a few of the season’s favourite things: good tunes, great food and cold cocktails.
“With many Australians missing out on overseas holidays this year, we’re excited to bring the summer holiday vibes to Untied for Sydneysiders to be transported to our rooftop oasis with soulful tunes and a bottomless Southern-Style brunch with cocktails,” Untied’s venue manager Chris Garrec said.
On the menu will be deep-south favourites including buttermilk-fried chicken and waffles as well as polenta cakes and sticky date pudding.
Plus, Bottomless Frosé (frozen rosé) will help keep things chill with flavours that include Raspberry White Peach Frosé, Grapefruit Frosemary, Blue Hibiscus Frosé, Fraperol and more plus a wall full of garnishes to pile on top. $89pp for 12pm or 3.30pm sessions. Bookings are essential.
— Rooftop, Exchange Place, 400 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo; untiedsydney.com.au
THE TEA COSY
It’s one of Australia’s greatest debates: Jam or cream first? Ask the Queen, and she’ll insist it’s jam on the bottom, but down-under we’re a bit more rebellious, so essentially anything goes. (Though why would you put cream first? Why?)
No matter how you stack it, you’re sure to love the variety of flavours featured in this cute corner spot’s Bush Tucker High Tea.
Not only will get you plain and native lemon myrtle scones along with locally made passionfruit curd and Australian satsuma plum jam, but there’s also prawn sandwiches, lemon curd fairy bread, Tasmanian salmon and cream cheese blinis, mini-meat pies and more.
Indulge along with a pot of Billy Tea ($70 for two) or with Australia prosecco ($80 for two).
For a clever twist on tea, go cold with their Lamington Ice Tea – Coconut and chocolate flavoured iced tea ($7.50). (Wednesday, January 20-Tuesday, January 26; Bookings essential).
— 7 Atherden St, The Rocks; theteacosy.com.au
BUNGALOW 8
Just because the sands of Seminyak are off the books, for the time being, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the chillaxed beachside experience.
The sunny harbourside sanctuary, Bungalow 8 has transformed itself into the Bali Beach Club for the summer where you sip on Bintang beer and tuck into dishes such as fish tacos, nasi noodle salads and cured kingfish.
For your own personal oasis book in for a Bali Staycation with the Bali Deck Package where you and up to nine others can kick back in daybeds where you’ll be served share dishes along with a private esky filled with prosecco and Bintangs ($79pp/two-hour session).
— King St Wharf, 3 Lime St, Sydney; bungalow8sydney.com.au
THE ROCKS
While the annual street party and formal Australia Day festivities will have to wait a while, there are still celebrations to be had, just a tick more subdued and socially-distanced.
Take advantage of the abundant outdoor dining and live music options thanks to establishments’ ability to continue their alfresco set-up out onto George St and through the laneways.
The famous Rock Markets will also be underway, offering up a wonderful range of arts, crafts, artisanal products and a slew of delicious food stalls.
Should you long for a view of the Harbour, head down to Squire’s Landing for an Aussie Burger and a beer, or if it’s some Barnesy and Acadaca you’re after, Australian Heritage Hotel always has a pumping playlist along with an all-Aussie menu that includes the likes of a kangaroo and emu pizza.
From there, get your daily dose of sugar and head to Gelatissimo for a cup or cone of their limited-edition Australia Day flavours. With all that, you should be good to go.
— Upper George St, Sydney, The Rocks; therocks.com
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL
Keep the celebrations close to home and hit up your local pub, club or hotel and raise a pint to the Aussie spirit.
Ask around, and you’ll find most places will be hosting some sort of sausage sizzle or running pub grub specials to the sounds of classic Aussie tunes.
Celebrate Australia Day with some traditional Aussie foods — or try an old favourite with a difference like a lamington croissant or ones with a taste of Asian flavours like matcha and black sesame.
SUGAR POP BAKERY
Sugar Pop Bakery has landed the trifecta for Australia Day with three quintessential ‘Straya treats: Vegemite, fairy bread and a Tim Tam Koala Cake Pop.
Owner Nicole Pal says: “The inspiration stems mainly from Aussie childhood memories of having Vegemite and fairy bread and the koala is just cute and cuddly, plus it’s our native animal.
“As for the cake, the Tim Tam is Australia’s most loved biscuit, is it not?”
It’s hard to argue about the popularity of Tim Tams.
Nicole’s cake pop business is a true-blue success story as well; it stemmed from a simple crafty idea — round bites of cake on a stick — that she made as party favours for her daughter’s birthday.
Not long after she was making branded ones for businesses, holding classes and hosting birthday parties. She left her job in the pharmaceutical industry and says she now gets “to have fun, every day”. And isn’t that what we all want?
A pack of the three designs is $22, and you need to order by January 21 for those in Sydney and now if you are interstate.
TEXTBOOK PATISSERIE
To call it a simple sponge wrapped in chocolate icing and coconut flakes would be accurate but certainly wouldn’t do this Australian icon justice.
While they’re a staple at many BBQs on Australia Day, Textbook Patisserie is again taking the Lamington to the next level as owner and patissier John Ralley explains: “The Lamington Croissant is a marriage of Aussie and French traditions to create an all-new fun taste sensation.
“This is the third year that this now annual tradition is held at Textbook Patisserie.”
John has drawn his inspiration from the time spent in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, hence the croissant twist.
He added: “The Textbook Lamington Croissant is a Callebaut chocolate croissant, filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream, then coated in dark chocolate and desiccated coconut.”
Also, reflective of international influences is John’s use of durian.
“We’re bringing back our Durian Lamington which features a light floral durian jam — a fan favourite for lovers of the smelly thorny fruit.”
— 274 Botany Rd, Alexandria; textbookpatisserie.com.au
FLOUR DRUM
It’s almost a travesty that a Lamington didn’t make it into these famous lyrics, somehow “Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars …”
Even though it’s not immortalised in song, Flour Drum continues to deliver hit after hit and this year is no different with three new flavours, including the Nutella Lamington.
Flour Drum co-owner Victor Li said: “On Australia Day, Flour Drum is all about our signature Lamington. In the five years we’ve been serving our very own creative take on the quintessential Aussie Lamington, chef John Ageletos has created 15 flavours including, Creme Brûlée, Tiramisu, Hazelnut, a 10- layered Black Forest, Red Velvet, Matcha Sesame, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Strawberry Cream, Peaches & Cream, Peach & Rosemary and seasonal ones such as Eggnog (Christmas), Watermelon (Chinese New Year), and also two special custom-made Lamingtons, Adam & Eve, for Jean-Paul Gautier’s Le Belle & Le Beau perfumer launch in Sydney.”
There will be three different flavours on offer over the weekend through the public holiday.
After you grab your treat, be sure to take a snap of yourself in front of the kangaroo mural, painted by renowned artist, Scott Marsh.
— 531 King St, Newtown; flourdrum.com.au
DARLING HARBOUR – AUSTRALIA DAY
It’s all things Aussie down at Darling Harbour this Australia Day with everything from backyard games and a Kombi Van blasting out Aussie tunes to floating lounges, two floating bars in front of a huge floating cinema which, later in the evening, will be showing the much-loved film Red Dog.
Follow the alluring and unmistakeable smell of a summer BBQ to Tumbalong Park where Braza Churrascaria, Sydney’s go-to for traditional Brazilian meats, will be kicking the typical sausage sizzle up a notch with sangas featuring some of their most popular meats.
There’s the Picanha Sandwich — rump cap with tomato salsa and aioli ($10), the Brazilian Sandwich — chorizo with tomato salsa and aioli ($10)) and of course the classic Aussie Sanga — beef sausage with caramelised onion and your choice of sauce ($5).
There’ll also be hearty BBQ Meat Platter – Beef sausage, ‘Picanha’ rump cap, chorizo, ‘Farofa’ cassava flour & potato salad ($15). (Available from 12pm – 8pm).
Finish all that off with some gelato from Gelatissimo before heading over to catch the flick.
— Darling Harbour, darlingharbour.com
DOVE & OLIVE
Get a headstart on the celebrations with a top-notch Australian Sunday roast ($23.90).
Available throughout the weekend, there is a choice of lamb, beef and even a veggie option.
They’ve also got you covered with a tasty twist on classic pub grub including their hearty award-winning slow-cooked beef pie, served sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes and peas.
And of course, it’d be criminal to a miss out on a beer, particularly when they have one of the best craft beer selections in town.
— 156 Devonshire St, Surry Hills; doveandolive.com.au
TOKYO LAMINGTON
The iconic Aussie treat took a global turn when sweet-meisters Min Chair (N2 Gelato) and Eddie Stewart (Black Star Pastry) paired up to give the classic coconut-covered sponge-cake an Asian twist by introducing Japanese ingredients including matcha and black sesame.
But for Australia Day, they’re staying close to home, creating a special collection featuring nine different native ingredients from Melbourne Bushfoods such as Cape York lily pily, wattle seed, lemon myrtle, and finger lime.
You can pick some up instore and online from January 20 through to February 3. ($7 each)
— Market City, Level 3/9 Hay St, Haymarket; tokyolamington.com
THE SQUIRE’S LANDING
Backyard BBQ favourites will be landing in The Rocks at this restaurant and brewhouse named after Australia’s first brewer, James Squire.
And what goes better with a beer than a burger, specifically The Landing’s Aussie Burger made with beef, sliced beetroot, lettuce, caramelised onion, bacon, egg, cheese, pickle, mustard, tomato chutney, and chips.
There’ll also be a short-rib burger with their own One Fifty Lashes beer-battered onions rings and chips, as well as baskets of prawns.
Live entertainment from 5pm. Bookings essential.
— Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks; thesquireslanding.com.au
AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE HOTEL
It’s a sprint to the finish line for $2 tinnies at Australian Heritage Hotel, a 100-year-old pub affectionately known as The Aussie.
Every time they ring the big brass bell, make haste to the bar for $2 tinnies of Aussie classics. Stick with theme and order the Coat of Arms pizza – kangaroo and emu meat.
On Saturday, they’ll host their annual Aussie Big Day Out, playing Triple J Hottest 100 countdown all day long then keep the party going through Australia Day.
— 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks; australianheritagehotel.com
Winter warmers to celebrate the season
Everyone is happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds, but winter’s not all bad. Bid farewell to the colder days with one last hurrah of warming fare.
Sniffing out Sydney’s best truffle desserts
Save the best for last. As truffle season comes to a close, be sure to indulge in some sweet treats featuring the annual earthy gem.