Sydney has loads of cafés, restaurants and bars with Insta-worthy interiors and divine food and drinks to enjoy. While we’re all still grounded, satisfy your wanderlust by checking out these cool destinations. You never know you may be there sooner than you think!
#1 Hyde Hacienda Sydney Bar & Lounge
Overlooking Sydney Harbour, this restaurant has pastel pink and green chairs, and plants hanging from the ceilings. During your visit, don’t miss one of the fab cocktails – we recommend the Campfire Espresso Martini (it comes with toasted marshmallows!) or the colourful and fruity Harbourside Hibiscus. You can find the venue on the third floor of the Pullman Quay Grand.
#2 The Grounds of Alexandria
Located in a former industrial area in the Sydney suburbs, this highly ’grammable café has a gorgeous garden with an arbour covered in bougainvillaea and lights. Besides a café, the space houses a restaurant, bakery and patisserie, a sustainable garden and a coffee roastery.
#3 Speedos Cafe
Named one of the World’s Most Instagrammable Cafés by Big Seven Travel, Speedos serves up whimsical, colourful food by the bowl-full. Those with alternative diets will love the vegan, dairy and gluten-free options. A must-order are their pancakes with caramelised bananas and chia – they’re as pretty as a picture. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, try the Green Goddess bowl with greens, flax, sesame seed fritters and quinoa. As for the view, well, this café is located on Bondi Beach – need we say more?
#4 Black Star Pastry
While in Sydney, you’ve got to pop by this cake shop (four locations, including a new CBD venue) for its famous strawberry and watermelon cake. Chef Christopher first came up with the perfectly layered beauty for a wedding; before long, it was named the world’s most Instagrammed cake by The New York Times!
#5 Two Sis & Co.
Here’s another great destination dining spot for Instagrammable grub. There are loads of pretty and delicious creations to choose from, including fairy-floss-topped ice lattes. If you’re not sure what to pick, go for the signature mermaid pancakes!
#6 Social Hideout
This charming café has thousands of flowers suspended from the ceiling and on its feature walls. The dishes are visually stunning, too, with Japanese and Mediterranean influences at play. During a visit to either of the two venues, you can even drink a milkshake out of a miniature gold bathtub topped with fairy floss. (Sounds like fairy floss is a thing in Sydney just now!) Another popular item on the menu is the Red Velvet Benedict – a poached eggs dish with a difference, complete with a red croissant.
#7 Archie Rose Distilling Co.
Founded in 2014, this award-winning distillery produces a wide variety of whiskies, gins, vodkas and rums, plus a range of bottled cocktails that celebrate Australian native ingredients (“Red Centre Negroni”, “Eucalypt Mule” and more). The industrial-chic space has copper tubing, brick walls and exposed concrete floors – a great background for the ’gram. Watch the venue’s bartenders in action as they whip up drinks, or join a distillery tour and see what goes on behind the scenes.
This article first appeared in the February 2021 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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