While The Rocks is best known for its storied history, the area offers many unexpected delicious eats and delectable drinks, particularly this August.

Take a short walk from the CBD or a scenic ferry ride across Sydney Harbour and you’ll find everything from inexpensive lunch options with a view and iconic Sydney dishes to cocktail masterclasses and buzzy music sessions.

We’ve put together a guide of some of the best deals available as part of Forage The Rocks this August — so you can discover something new in the historic precinct.

Put your hat in the ring to win a picturesque picnic under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sample wines from six regional NSW wineries at the NSW Wine Cellar Door, or take part in a cocktail-making masterclass. There’s much to discover this August.

The sun might set, but the deals keep going. Thanks to The Cocktail Trail, you can break bread without breaking the bank. For $25, you can get a cocktail and canapé at 13 restaurants and pubs in the historic area.

Some of the standout steals include a Four Pillars gin martini and four cheese arancini at Frank Mac’s, a Cafe Gaelach — a revamped Irish Coffee cocktail with whisky, coffee and flavoured cream bound to warm you up this season — with mini goat’s cheese cones at Grain Bar, a Smoking Pony — a mezcal cocktail with Moroccan spiced pear syrup and egg white — paired with a woodfired grilled pear with prosciutto and blue cheese on an oatmeal biscuit at Pony Dining.

The area’s most exciting eateries are getting involved, from Middle Eastern restaurant Tayim to European bistro Le Foote from hospitality powerhouse group Swillhouse. The multi-level wine bar and restaurant has quickly become one of the most popular new restaurants of 2023 and will continue to be popular in 2024. As part of The Cocktail Trail, it’s serving up a two-sip martini paired with marinated olives. 

Images: Frank Mac’s martini  (Steven Woodburn), Tayim (Guy Davies), Le Foote (Kristoffer Paulsen), Le Foote (Kristoffer Paulsen)

If you’ve tried every loaded sandwich and green bowl in the CBD, head to one of the venues offering weekday specials at The Rocks — starting with The Glenmore Hotel. You probably know this pub as one of the best spots to enjoy views of Sydney Harbour with a drink in hand, but its midweek deals also make it worth a visit.

Head down on Monday for its steak and chips special ($19.90), Tuesdays are burger days with the venue slinging $12 cheeseburgers (add on fries for $4), Wednesdays is wing day with $1 wings and $6 beers, and every day you can grab a warming bowl of soup — ideal for staying warm during the chilly arvos of August.

But this is just scratching the surface of meal deals in the area. Don’t miss the 10c dumplings and $5 pizza every Thursday at The Argyle, beef and Guinness pie with a pint of Guinness for only $20 at The Mercantile Hotel, $18 lunch specials at Sydney’s oldest licensed pub Fortune of War Lock Up and $29 meal deals with included glass of wine or beer at Endeavour Tap Rooms.

Images: The Glenmore, The Mercantile (Trent van der Jagt), Fortune of War (Trent van der Jagt), Endeavour Tap Rooms

Where’s the best picnic spot in the city? We’d argue The Rocks, with the best view of Sydney Harbour directly under the Harbour Bridge. Head down to Dawes Point for The Rocks Markets’ Picnic Under The Bridge. Free rugs, cushions and blankets will be available; no booking is needed. Just show up between 10am and 5pm to snag your sun-drenched spot under the bridge. All you have to bring is some goodies from the market stalls.

To make your picnic even more special, The Rocks is running a competition to win one of nine hampers, valued at $200, stocked with gourmet treats and local artisan delights from the stallholders. To be in with a shot to win one of the hampers, simply stop by the market, scan the QR code and fill out the online entry form. Winners will be announced on market days (Saturdays and Sundays) in August at 2.30 pm. If you’re one of the winners, you must be present to claim your hamper — a great excuse to take your time perusing the stalls and sample some goodies

After you’ve sampled some of the boozy concoctions on offer at the markets, you can have a go at flexing your own mixology skills with masterclasses at some of Sydney’s leading bars.

Bar Lulu is offering a 90-minute hands-on cocktail class with a glass of bubbly on arrival and lotus chips to snack on — in addition to more substantial nibbles during the class. Attendees will master two different cocktails during the session.

If you want to bring your skills to new heights, Shangri-La Sydney is hosting private 90-minute cocktail-making classes in its iconic Blu Bar on 36. Take in stunning views as you level up your mixology skills.

For wine lovers, Harbour Rocks Hotel is partnering with De Beaurepaire Wines for a wine-tasting event where you can meet the winemaker.

On August 3 and 4, from 10am until 5pm, The Rocks Markets is hosting the NSW Wine Cellar Door at Dawes Point Park. Attendees will be able to taste the best of NSW’s cool climate wines from Orange to Canberra and beyond at the cellar door. Some renowned wineries that will be in attendance include Gilbert, Tamburlaine, Mount Majura, Rowlee, De Beaurepaire Wines and Corang Estate. Guests can sample three wines per producer for $5 or enjoy a full glass from $10.

Image: Anna Kucera

Images: Park Hyatt, The Rocks Market, NSW Wine Cellar Door, NSW Wine Cellar Door

It’s not just delicious food and drinks that should draw you to the historic precinct this August.

Conscious Connections is hosting socialising events catered for different ages and interests. Head down to The Rawson on Thursday, August 8, from 6.30–9.30pm for a board games night for 30-40-year-olds or on Saturday, August 17, from 1–4pm for daytime board games for 40+ year-olds. The Aussie is hosting two board games events, one on Sunday, August 18, from 2–5pm for 25–35-year-olds and one on Thursday, August 29, from 6.30–9.30pm for 20–30-year-olds up on the rooftop.

If music is more your thing, you can enjoy the sultry sounds of free, live jazz sessions from a range of artists, including Virna Sanzone, Jo Fabro’s Home Cookin’, Lauren White, Mary Heart, and Queen Porter Stomp every Thursday in August from 6–9pm in The Rocks Square. Hickson House will be serving cocktails from its on-site pop-up bar so you can relax and watch the stars as you take in the tunes in this charming historic precinct.

Jazz Sessions, The Rocks

Find out more about all the ways you can Forage the Rocks at the website.