How to have the ultimate arts escape in Sydney

It’s fair to say that anyone who’s grown up in Australia is fairly familiar with the Sydney Opera House. Or are you? As it turns out, there’s a tonne of history, stories and facts about this iconic building that would surprise even a dedicated Sydneysider – and you can find out all about them on one of the Sydney Opera House tours.

These tours take you to all the nooks and crannies that you wouldn’t normally see at a regular Opera House event while also sharing with you some of the venue’s colourful history – from construction disputes to live chickens on cellists. 

You’ll also get to peek inside the new digital experience, which recreates the Sydney Opera House concert experience in an immersive digital theatre.

If you want to visit the raw, beating heart of Sydney's creativity, put aside at least half a day to visit Newtown. The inner west suburb is humming with creativity, with its main drag, King Street, packed with cafés and cool stores. While you could spend all day exploring its every laneway and sidestreet, for first-timers, the big drawcards in Newtown are its array of vintage fashion stores and its collection of street art. 

If the allure vintage and upcycled fashion is what hooks you, drop into stores like Vintage@313, Cream and Uturn to trawl through the thousands of retro threads. The stores themselves are well worth a stickybeak too, even if you’re not set on buying. 

Now if you’re keen to discover Newtown’s street art, it is entirely possible to do so using the “what’s that over there” technique. However, if you’d like a wee bit of guidance, the Newtown Grafitti Map shows you where all the major murals are scattered around the suburb.

If you're interested in the visual arts, a trip to Art Gallery of New South Wales is a must. The grand gallery was established in 1871 and is the leading museum of art in New South Wales and Sydney, as well as one of Australia's foremost cultural institutions. It holds significant collections of Australian, European and Asian art, and presents nearly 40 exhibitions annually. When we visited the showstopping exhibition was Streeton (Nov 7, 2020-Feb 14, 2021), the most significant survey of Australian impressionist, Arthur Streeton, that has ever been held. Notably, AGNSW is the home of the Archibald Prize, arguably Australia's most famous art prize. 

And although White Rabbit Gallery doesn't have the same impressive facade of AGNSW, it's certainly one gallery not to miss. You'll find Judith Neilson's four-storey temple to contemporary Chinese art in Chippendale where it houses one of the world's largest collections of 21st-century Chinese art in a sleek modern outfit. 

You'll also want to make time to pop into the Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA is one of Australia's leading institutions of art by living artists, and regularly hosts exhibitions that present contemporary artists (both Australian and international) in a manner accessible to all visitors – not just those with an understanding of art history and terms.

Everyone who visits Sydney should really go to Bondi institution, Icebergs, at least once in their life. Not only will you be treated to fine food, but you’ll also be privy to some of the Harbour City’s best views (when we visited we were treated to a literal rainbow over Bondi Beach at sunset) along with a selection of its most stylish set. 

The location of the restaurant is just the entrée; the combination of refined Italian fare and elegant service is really what puts Icebergs in our restaurant hall of fame (quite, literally).

Before checking out the art, entertainment and shopping of Newtown, we suggest fueling up at Cuckoo Callay. This dinky train station café speaks right to Melbourne’s “cafés should be squished into any and all available street space” maxim. Whether you choose to sit inside or outside, there’s an air of the bohemian about the venue, which serves up an all-day menu of brunch and brunch-adjacent fare. There's a strict no bookings policy so head there on a weekday for your best chance of being seated (or opt for takeaway from the window stall).

If you want food as pretty as Sydney itself, Concrete Jungle should be on your list. Conveniently located in Chippendale (an easy walk from Central Station), this café is all about serving up wholesome meals that just happen to look incredible at the same time.

For an edible representation of Sydney, order Concrete Jungle’s signature dish, the Blue Majik Smoothie bowl. The dish consists of banana, pineapple, coconut milk and blue spirulina blended and topped with puffed granola, blueberries, toasted coconut and edible flowers. It looks like the beach and tastes like a summer holiday. If you’d prefer heartier fare, there’s plenty of traditional options available – though if ordering toast we’d recommend opting for it with the house-made banana and blueberry jam.

The semi-subterranean Poly might technically be a wine bar, but it's pretty easy to spoil your dinner by generously sampling the bar snacks menu. They say don't fill up on bread but it's hard advice to follow with Poly's anchovy toasts. The grilled mortadella is lighter, though packed with flavour thanks to the pineapple mostarda that turns it into something akin a Hawaiian pizza.

A selected list of wines by the glass is offset by the extensive bottle list, which is largely European. It's not all wine at Poly, though, with a number of sake, cocktails, beers and ciders available too from a bar staff who clearly know their stuff.

Bodega x Wyno is a wine and tapas bar brought to you by the Porteño restaurant family. The venue is a delightful Frankenstein's monster of sorts, combining Surry Hill's old Bodega tapas bar with the site's former occupant, Italian wine bar 121BC.

Its lineage means Bodega x Wyno allows guests to experience the best of both worlds, whether you're looking for a shared dinner of small plates or an evening sampling fines wines. The team know their stuff too; instead of offering wines by the bottle or the glass, all wines are effectively available by the glass. Simply let your server know what sort of wines you're into and they'll find something to suit your tastes. And if nothing else, be sure to order the fish fingers, garlicky slices of charred toast topped with tender ceviche. 

From the website through to the minimalist lobby, every detail in Paramount House Hotel has been carefully considered, meticulously placed and kept affectionately local.

On our recent visit, we stayed in one of the loft rooms, a stylish two-storey space with a secluded courtyard and an elevated bed (complete with the softest linen) overlooking the living space. 

Regarding amenities, the room is kitted out with Aesop hand soap and cream, but also shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the shower and bath. With loft rooms, you'll want to be very comfortable with any potential roommates because while there's a separate room for the toilet, the shower and bath unit is in the living space. 

Shrug off that prudity by popping open one local bevvies found in the mini-bar fridge tucked away under the sink, which doubles as your dresser, kitchenette and bathroom mirror.

Your mini-bar is a cut above the industry standard and, in addition to a premium selection of beers and wines, comes stocked with all the accoutrements to make a fine cheese platter. Of course, if you don't want to sloth out inside, the hotel is next door to Chin Chin as well as around the corner from DOC. Or enjoy the best of both worlds and order delivery to enjoy as room service.