Late-night dining is slowly making a comeback in Sydney.

As the nights grow warmer, more restaurants are encouraging diners to stay and play well beyond the usual 9pm or 10pm cut-off.

Among them is Marrickville restaurant Baba's Place, where co-founder Alex Kelly is experimenting with a 9.30pm sitting and guest DJs until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Kelly says he wants to create "a late-night vibe", with mains coming out as late as 10.45pm and a makeshift dance floor.

"On multiple occasions we've had people doing the traditional waving of the napkins and getting on chairs and it's really fun," Kelly says. "But we have to start simple. As we move towards summer we'll see how many people come in for the DJs and order from the full menu."

Surry Hills restaurant Jane began serving late-night snacks, drinks and dinner in August after spending a "difficult" seven months and "a lot of money" negotiating extended trading hours with the City of Sydney.

The food keeps cooking, the band keeps playing and the people keep coming.

Jordan McDonald, Restaurant Hubert

Founder and executive chef Tristan Rosier says allowing late-night trade in small neighbourhood restaurants and bars is key to revitalising Sydney's nightlife, which suffered under nearly six years of now-repealed lockout laws.

"Without neighbourhood spaces, the city feels a bit lost and underwhelming. There isn't anything to explore," he says. "By encouraging these smaller spaces, you're making the city safer, more enjoyable and a place people want to live in."

The change has proved popular with locals who see Jane as "an extension of their lounge room".

"People are loving it. We're having to kick people out … they want to stay longer," says Rosier.

Restaurant owner Jules Bouillon says she'd love to offer extended trading hours for diners at Pistou in Newtown but the process "seems very complicated and could take a long time".

"We often have to refuse guests as we know they won't enjoy the experience if we have to call last drinks with their main courses," Bouillon says.

The nearer the CBD, the easier it becomes to find late-night dining options. Employees Only and Bar Suze regularly trade until midnight, while night owls frequent inner-city eateries Big Poppa's, @Bangkok and Frankie's Pizza By The Slice, the latter trades until 3.30am.

Five essential late-night dining spots

Jane

Extended trading hours are a welcome change for diners at Jane at Surry Hills, where the full menu of contemporary Australian dishes can be ordered up until 9.30pm.

"Our guests can linger longer, which is important if they want to have night caps and digestives," says Rosier. "We don't have to rush them anymore."

Rosier says Jane is part of a growing number of "small, vibey spaces" at the forefront of Sydney's burgeoning late-night dining scene.

"It'll be a different revival to 10 years ago, where small bars weren't as prominent, but that's the way people are going," he says.

478 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, 0403 632 355, janesurryhills.com

Baba's Place

Diners can book a 9.30pm seating to snag Baba's full menu of Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. After that, walk-ins are welcome to order from a list of snacks, drinks and desserts.

"We're still trying to understand what people want from 9.30pm onward," says Kelly. "Do they want pancakes? Carbs? Do we need to start making kebabs?"

Whatever you order, it's sure to be a good night out.

"Late-night is a little bit more relaxed," Kelly explains. "We're playing the music loud and we're being a bit silly."

20 Sloane Street, Marrickville, 02 9090 2925, babasplace.com.au

Jimmy's Falafel

Midnight falafel is on the menu at Jimmy's, where you can slide into a bright orange booth until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

It's a handsome spot for a late-night feed, with retro posters and a chrome-edged bar creating a vibey '70s diner aesthetic.

And you know the food's good, with Good Food restaurant critic Terry Durack describing the falafels as "fresh, green, herbal and fluffy inside and crunchy outside, without being dry and scratchy, or oily and heavy".

312 George Street, Sydney, 02 9114 7381, merivale.com

10 William St

Owners Giovanni and Enrico Paradiso believe consistency is key to a quality late-night dining experience.

"If you say you are open late, open late," Paradiso says, noting good venues have "great energy, whether there are five or 50 people".

10 William St offers the full menu of Italian dishes until its midnight closing time, and was inspired by global cities that encourage dining out at any hour.

"A late-night venue should not be restricted to charcuterie and cheese, you should be able to get dressed up, enjoy a great meal and eat well," Paradiso says.

10 William Street, Paddington, 02 9360 3310, 10williamst.com.au

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Restaurant Hubert

This French restaurant, owned by hospitality group Swillhouse, is a love letter to a big night out.

The entire menu, complete with escargot XO and gruyere souffle, is available "right up until closing time" at around midnight, says Swillhouse creative director Jordan McDonald.

"Restaurants that stay open late enjoy that third tide of customers," he says. "It's the third dimension. We relish in it: the food keeps cooking, the band keeps playing and the people keep coming."

15 Bligh Street, Sydney, 02 9232 0881, swillhouse.com/venues/restaurant-hubert