Sydney News

Venue Reviews

Open Kitchens, Stunning CBD Views & Mouth-Watering Cocktails… What More Could You Want?

Sydneysiders, a short stroll from the CBD sits the venue of your dreams! Welcome to the epitome of casual class that is The Ternary. Set amongst the sophistication of Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour, prepare to relax in luxury. With views that stretch on through floor to ceiling windows, at the...

Sydney Meets The Hamptons – Name A More Iconic Duo

Sydney, we know you’re spoiled for choice for places to eat and drink in the CBD, but where else can you enjoy the luxuries of the Hamptons, NY, as well as soak up the best views of the Sydney Harbor? Say hello to the Shelbourne Hotel , a beautiful bar...

The Burlesque Show That Is Bringing Frivolity Back To Sydney

Sometimes here at Hidden City Secrets we like to talk about venues that are “for everybody”. This is definitely not one of those venues. So if you do not like fun, frivolity and the absurd, click away now – this one’s not for you. Okay so now all the boring...

You’re Invited To Experience Sydney’s Newest Indoor Urban Sanctuary & Garden

‘The Park’ welcomes you with open arms, an amazing taste in art and décor and drinks and food that will make you salivate just by reading what’s on the menu. ‘The Park’ is a bar and restaurant that has risen from the ashes in a time where LGBTQI+ venues have...

4 Glamorous Venues for Your Dream Christmas Function

With four function venues in Sydney and a multitude of rooms available for event hire, Navarra Venues can provide you with the perfect place to host an eloquent corporate Christmas party.  From $90 per person, enjoy some delicious food and drinks to celebrate the end of the year surrounded by friends...

This Luxe Pub is Ready for Your Next Event

Sitting at the intersection of South Dowling and Flinders Streets it’s easy for the unfamiliar eye to skim over the humble brown building that houses The Taphouse. Step inside however and you’ll discover one of the Sydney bar scene’s best-kept secrets. Dating as far back as 1878 when it was...

Spend Date Night Harbour-Side With Sydney’s Top Australian Eatery

Nestled within Sydney’s acclaimed Cockle Bay, Blackbird Cafe is a top Modern Australian Eatery, showcasing an extensive menu of simple yet classic dishes. The relaxing atmosphere and greenery surrounding this space hasn’t been lost in the buzz of being a cafe, restaurant, bar and function venue, in fact Blackbird pulls it...

4 Cosy Boozy Dining Spots To Keep You Warm This Winter

Looking for somewhere cosy, warm, or otherwise aesthetically pleasing to dine at this winter? Need a place to take your cutie on a cold winter’s day or night? Crawl out from under your doona and look no further as we have compiled some of the cosiest cafes and restaurants that...

Take Your Upcoming Private Dining Function To The Next Level At One Of These Kensington St Hotspots

The months are flying by faster and faster, meaning that that upcoming special event on your mind is getting closer. Every unforgettable event starts with a spectacular venue, so we have compiled a list of some remarkable Kensington St function spaces to help you plan your next festivity. Olio Level...

Cancel Your Friday Night Plans and Head to this Plush 1980’s Miami Disco-Inspired Club

The Flamingo Lounge in Potts Point only opened its doors less than two years ago but has already created a household name for itself. It’s an exclusive bar and club to go to experience the best of Sydney’s nightlife. Reminiscent of the 1980s classic Miami bar glamour, Flamingo Lounge offers...

Party 86 Levels From the Ground At This Sky-high Function Venue

Looking to take an event to the next level? Look no further than Studio, Sydney Tower! As Sydney’s highest event space and bar, let its breathtaking, panoramic views of Sydney’s glistening waters and high-rise skyscrapers do the talking, and take your next event to new heights. Located right in the...

Watson’s Bay Hotel Is The Waterfront Paradise You’ve Been Waiting For

Welcome to Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel, one of Sydney’s most iconic and picturesque venues. Situated along the ocean, Watson’s Bay Hotel not only wines, dines and treats you like a celebrity, but they can also accommodate you in their luxury hotel suites and throw a party like no one’s seen...

This top Japanese restaurant just opened on a Manly rooftop in time for summer!

Saké is making a splash at Manly this spring, get ready for bespoke gin, sashimi, and sunset views over the manly wharf. Saké puts its signature super-fusion stamp on the seaside suburb. The new venue has been architecturally designed by Luchetti Krelle which accentuates views of Manly Cove. The new...

Tis the Season to Throw a Christmas Party & We’ve Got the Best Venues Here!

The silly season is fast approaching, and if you have been appointed the task of organizing your workplace or family’s annual Christmas Party, not to fear, those midnight nightmares about function venues and canapes you wake up screaming from will soon be over for good! Check out some of Sydney’s...

Sydney’s Most Luxurious End Of Year Event Venue

Marquee is one of the leading nightclubs and venues in all of Sydney. With an ambient atmosphere, seductive scenery, and an outstanding outdoor area, Marquee is the go to place to feel like a V.I.P. The venue is cleverly designed, and well decorated to replicate the extravagant Marquee clubs in...

An Ethical Event Venue Making a Difference

When Bethany and Guy decided to get married, they agreed they would rather elope than put their money into what they felt was a profiteering industry. With backgrounds in ecology and community development, they wanted their money to go towards an ethical cause. “We felt the wedding industry is completely...

Tropic Like it’s hot at Sydney’s Best Tiki bar

Thirsty for an island getaway but can’t quite justify a trip to the Bahamas? The Cliff Dive in Darlinghurst have got you covered. This Tiki-infused cocktail bar serves up all things under-the-sea kitschy, with their motto being good times and great drinks. Located in the bustling Oxford street, this bar...

This Former Opium Den May Just Have the Best Cocktails in Sydney

Etched between the cosy sandstones of Sydney’s most affluent suburb, you’ll find a whiskey bar steeped in charm, history and of course, booze. While it’s now known for creating some of the most inspired drinks in Sydney, this underground whiskey bar was once a hot spot for opium trading. The...

A new Japanese-French Fusion Restaurant has Landed in Sydney’s Inner West

The Inner West of Sydney has a new addition to the first class dining scene, welcoming Katsumi Japanese Restaurant to the evergreen suburb of Mortlake. The Japanese fusion restaurant channels a delicate French flair, making it a rarity in the area since its doors opened in late November of 2017....

Sydney’s Brand New Brewery & Beer Garden

Located at the King St Wharf in Sydney, is the brand new microbrewery that does it all. All Hands Brewing House is the latest Red Rock Leisure venue to be not only a brewery, but also a restaurant and bar. The brewery takes its inspiration from the history and tradition...

Where To Get A Drink In The CBD

Known for its glamorous (and highly expensive) real estate and iconic landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, Sydney is the typical cosmopolitan city fit for the country’s elite and anyone else who has hundreds and thousands to splash on rent every week (seriously, how do some...

The Best Asian Fusion Restaurants on Kensington St

Downtown, things will be great when your downtown, no finer place for sure, downtown, everything’s waiting for you… are the words you will be singing when you stumble upon this glorious selection of Asian cuisines, seafood sensations and the finest coffee you will find in Sydney. Kensington Street is a...

Sydney’s Best Function Venues with a View

Can’t find the perfect venue that ticks all the boxes? Struggling to secure a venue that has the perfect view? If you’re anxiously nodding, then stop stressing and keep reading. HCS have found you some amazing venues to host an upcoming special event or if you’re simply looking to impress...

Top 5 Date-Worthy Restaurants

It’s tough being in a relationship, especially after those first 3 months pass by and you’re sadly no longer in the honeymoon stage. Keeping the romance alive and surprising each other takes a lot of effort and we seem to get everything and anything delivered these days so why bother...

Bertonia Lounge – A Hidden Gem In Parramatta

In charge of organizing the work Christmas party this year? Realising that your 30th birthday isn’t as far away as you thought (or hoped) it was? Can’t make a decision on a venue but still need to throw a baby shower preferably before the baby gets here? Well sit back, relax, grab...

Fine Dining That Won’t Break The Bank

Are you trying to save up for that European holiday you’ve been wanting to take for the past 5 years? Need a new car? Going overboard with online shopping because you need the 54th pair of shoes that you promised will be your very last online purchase? Don’t want to...

Escape The City and Find Freedom

The Freedom Hub, situated in Sydney’s Waterloo where design and industry intertwine to create a community dedicated to the nurture and cultivation of creativity and technology, is the perfect location for this socially conscious venue space. Not only can you grab a coffee at their cute-as-a-button cafe, or host your...

The Best High Teas In Sydney

Who said you have to be rich to feel royal? We have a few treats in-store for you Sydney-goers. Get your pinkies at the ready as we present to you the top High Teas across the City. As a fellow pommy, I have had my fair share of scones and...

Top 10 Places to Host Birthday Drinks

Your birthday is fast approaching and the Facebook event you’ve created, have your friends itching as to where you are going to host it. It’s a big task. You want it to be memorable but still be a convenient location for all of your friends to make it home with...

Mejico; A Restaurant To Taco Bout…

There is a restaurant in Sydney that actually encourages the enthusiasm some (me) get when the opportunity arises to chant me-hee-co whilst clacking invisible castanets in the air. Mejico in Sydney’s CBD brings the very best of Mexican cuisine to the shores of Sydney, allowing those of us not fortunate enough...

10 Newtown Bars You Need To Know About

Ah Newtown – the hippest, most unsuspectingly ‘it’ place at the moment, with its hidden establishments, grungy bars, appealing food and rowdy nightlife. There isn’t anywhere quite like Newtown. The locals will tell you that. And after a night spent running around some favourite Newtown haunts (that we’ve listed below),...

Easter Sunday: Rooftop Reggae Party

What do Easter Sunday, Rum and reggae have in common? Absolutely nothing. Other than your Easter Sunday could be spent in the best way possible, with booze, dancing, live music and the sounds of the Caribbean. The Cauliflower Hotel & Forgotten Cask Rum Bar are proud to present a FREE...

The Eastern

This four-level establishment in Bondi Junction houses some of the best venues that Sydney has to offer. Don’t let the fact that it shares its building with Westfield shopping center deter you, The Eastern is a little world within itself. You’ll find a different experience on each level, unique to...

Tatle-tale At Tatler

A cocktail lounge designed to make you thirsty and an extensive canapé menu destined to make you hungry…welcome to Tatler… Tatler is a venue located in Darlinghurst, that really does have it all. It includes a dancefloor (aptly named the discotheque) which features rich mahogany furnishings, romantic lighting, limestone walls...

A Secret Whiskey Room Just For You…

Eau De Vie is one of Sydney’s best hidden gems. Translating to “water of life”, Eau De Vie was named The World’s Best New Cocktail Bar in 2011, and is ranked among the top 50 bars in the world. If you’re after somewhere a little more quiet and sophisticated to host...

Since I Left You – Unique Bars Sydney

Since I Left You is arguably one of the most unique venues in Sydney. In a heritage listed storehouse, in the heart of the CBD, the venue has a relaxed old school charm reminiscent of the 1920’s. Added to this we’re greeted by a cobblestone carriageway that is friendlier on...

Balmain Hotel – An Institution

As a frequent visitor to Sydney, with both my siblings living in Balmain, I thought I knew the area in and out. Well that was the case until I visited arguably Balmain’s most vibrant and lively pub, The Balmain Hotel. Positioned on busy Mullens Street and well away from the...

The True Representation of China

China Republic A true representation of China By Arnham Markac Asian food, as well as culture, has always been a massive part of my life. However, Chinese food has always been too “hit and miss” for me to put my trust in as a choice for a Saturday night restaurant. I grew...

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Send Your Tastebuds On Vacation With These International Bites!

Craving a getaway without the nightmarish plane turbulence, jet lag, and never being able to find your passport? We have the solution. Sydney’s bars and restaurants are packed with cuisines from across the globe, ready to welcome you on a worldwide vacation in your own city. From Japan to Franc

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Need A New Cocktail Order? We’ve Found Sydney’s Best!

Anybody seeking a well-needed break from their regular cocktail order? (Not a break-up, just a breather. I’ll always love a mojito.) If so, you’re in luck! We’ve hunted high and low across Sydney’s bars and restaurants to bring you our edit of the best creative, unique and innovative cocktail

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Sydney’s Top 30 Event Spaces

So, you have an occasion to celebrate? Yay! Now to find the perfect place to host it! We’ve compiled our favourite venues in Sydney all in the one place, so you don’t have to freak out! (Seriously, take a deep breath.) From hidden gems, to waterside wonders, to taking to the waves, there&#

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