FOOD AND DRINK Small-scale saké 

Enter a cosy world of Japanese saké at Amuro, a new 20-seat saké bar in Darlinghurst. With minimalist design combined with a touch of nostalgia, a range of boutique saké and a rotating snack list based on in-season produce, Amuro aims to make guests feel at home while exploring new tastes and flavours. 

New from Nomad 

Set in a laneway in Surry Hills, Beau & Dough is both a bar and deli serving Mediterranean- and Middle Eastern-inspired fare alongside a well-considered, local-heavy wine list from small-scale winemakers. Sister venue to much-loved restaurant Nomad, just a few steps away, Beau & Dough shares the same casual and welcoming vibe complemented by deliciously moreish fare. 

Pizza bar pop-up 

From Marrickville distillery Poor Toms and two pro pizzaiolos Ben Fester and Drew Huston of portable pizza company Oltra Disc, comes City Oltra a pop up in Central Station's new shopping and dining hub, Eddy. The team serve American-style pizzas alongside drinks by Poor Toms, Grifter Brewery and a range of local and natural winemakers.  

Nonna-approved sandwiches 

Operating out of Sydney's little Italy, Leichardt, Dom Panino is Sydney's first paninoteca (Italian sandwich shop), specialising in artisan panini, homestyle pastas, salads and coffee. Using recipes from the owner's nonna, menu items include slow-cooked bolognese panini, chicken schnitzel with vodka sugo panini, wagyu hoagie, Sicilian chickpea fritters and even classic fairy bread. 

New pasta in Balmain 

Sydney CBD pasta shop Fabbrica has opened in The Exchange Hotel, Balmain. The new outpost is plating up house-made pasta and cotoletta alla Milanese (Milan-style breaded veal loin), alongside a drinks menu of local brews and low-intervention Italian wines. The new venue is from the Love Tilly Group, who also have plans to open a new 200-seater restaurant in the CBD, Palazzo Salato, in April. 

Breezy all-day eating 

Bondi Pavilion has scored the second Glory Days outpost. Unlike its inaugural spot set on the ground floor of an office building in North Sydney, Glory Days Bondi resides in arguably one of Sydney's best locations: the Bondi Beach-facing Bondi Pavilion. Head to the all-day café for Australian breakfast and lunch classics, and the ability to dust off your toast crumbs and dive straight into Bondi beach.  

New inner-west bakery 

Head into Stanmore's Hearthe for the brand-new offering by Christopher Thé, the founder of Black Star Pastry and Sydney's famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake. At the Stanmore station café, Hearthe show off their incredible cakes as well as a new-found dedication to Australian indigenous ingredients. Try desert lime goat's curd cheesecake, edible paperbark, CWA-style scones and lots more.  

A taste of Greece  

Set in one of Sydney's Greek community hubs, Marrickville, is new bakery-cafe Koul. Koul offers an incredible selection of handmade koulouria (Greek Easter biscuits, including flavoured versions such as wild cherry and Nutella; and ham, cheese and mustard), plus classic Greek coffee (and modern Australian coffee, too), a spanakopita salad and tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) French toast. 

New Chinese-Thai fare 

Mangkon Rd delivers a Bangkok-like dining experience in Sydney's Chinatown. Roll into the restaurant for Chinese-Thai street food classics from a former Long Chim chef. The menu combines char-grilled squid and pork skewers with barbecue duck and Thai noodle dishes.  

A jewel in Bondi's crown 

Meet another one of Bondi Pavilion's new residents: Promenade Bondi Beach. Promenade is a restaurant, bar and kiosk all in one. The menu doesn't adhere to one cuisine or region and is instead influenced by what people enjoy eating by the sea. While nestling into one of the many seaside dining spaces, you may find Sydney rock oysters with mignonette, picked mud crab on perilla leaves or snapper curry.  

Japanese fine dining 

Oborozuki brings Japanese kaiseki dining to Sydney. While often mistakenly interchanged with omakase (a 'chef's choice' dining experience), kaiseki is a traditional meal emphasising seasonal ingredients and presentation. At Oborozuki there's a multi-course degustation of hot and cold dishes, each a snapshot of seasonal produce. Oborozuki also offers teppanyaki and has a dedicated saké bar. 

An onigiri outpost 

Parami is a new onigiri café in the heart of Sydney selling the handmade Japanese rice balls. Drop in for an extensive list of onigiri options, egg or strawberry and cream sandos and iced gyokuro (green tea). Parami is a must-visit if hoping to ignite feelings of Tokyo laneways and holidays in Japan. 

Hot bread and other staples in Sydney's south 

The team behind NY-style pizzeria My Mother's Cousin has segued into bread and sandwiches with Self Raised. The takeaway-focused Carlton shop offers a primo lunch offering: mortadella focaccia sandwiches, tuna on house-baked ciabatta, smoked beef and pickle toasties and a range of baked goods. 

Tofu and soy in the city 

Toya Tento is a new, sweet Chinese snack spot in Waterloo. This little shop celebrates the “joy of soy” with a tight menu of soy drinks and desserts. There's soy milk and smoothies in a range of flavours, plus a range of tofu puddings including one with ginger and brown sugar.  

Dinner with a coveted late-night license 

Zaffi is a new 150-seat Lebanese restaurant on Little Hunter Street in Sydney's CBD. As well as a menu from ex-Rockpool chef Greg Hunt, the new venue seeks to bring back energy to the CBD – an injection of late-night economy. Here dining, dancing and indulgence is key with slow-cooked ribs, baklava soft serve and drinks till 4am.  

Up-market Korean barbecue 

Follow the smoke to The Zungle, Parramatta's new Korean barbecue restaurant specialising in ribs. Head to bustling Church Street for an array of Korean dishes including an extensive rib menu, kimchi bulgogi, short rib stew and complimentary Korean rice-based soft drink.   

EXPERIENCES  Queer excellence 

A new hub honouring LGBTQIA+ heritage, Qtopia is the newly founded queer culture and history museum at the old Darlinghurst Police Station. The not-for-profit organisation aims to empower, include, celebrate, challenge and educate. Visit this one-of-a-kind, incredible space for public exhibitions, education programs and community engagement, with the queer community at its heart and underpinning its values.    

ACCOMMODATION  Art-Deco elegance 

Stays in Surry Hills have levelled up once more. Boutique hotel Elizabeth 202 brings Art Deco, pet-friendly goodness to Elizabeth Street via 38 design-centric suites. Upon entry, be greeted by Sochi, the K9 director of Pet Relations. Once checked in, head into your room to find a super-deluxe bathroom, chic design touches, and soundproofing for total privacy. There's a courtyard garden, sun-drenched rooftop and, of course, the best of Surry Hills at your doorstep.  

High-end luxury in the CBD 

For those wanting to truly indulge on their Sydney stay, the extremely luxurious 192-room Capella Sydney has now opened on Bridge Street. The first Capella outpost in Australia, the hotel sets a benchmark for luxury accommodation in the city and beyond with its rooms filled with lush furnishings, high ceilings, deep-soaking tubs and more. On site there's a brasserie and bar, plus swimming and vitality pools, a yoga platform and the Auriga Spa.