King Street Wharf: A New Lunchtime Sweet Spot

King Street Wharf houses a string of restaurants overlooking the water, but unlike most waterfront dining in this town, eating there won't wind your bank balance back to 'insufficient funds' territory. Beginning on March 18, and set to last for three months until June 13, the precinct has begun an unprecedented lunchtime program, offering $10, $15 and $20 meals from the likes of Kobe Jones, Bungalow 8, La Cita, Cargo Bar and The Malaya.

In an era where most lunch breaks don't last longer than half an hour, it's all too often that you wind up with a stale bento box or a wilting hamburger from a non-specific fast-food chain beginning with the letter 'M'. King Street Wharf, in all their wisdom, has turned all of that on its head, with their lunch program explicitly designed for frantic office workers.

"Workers are busier than ever often with less than the traditional standard one-hour lunch break," explains Melinda Poile, King Street Wharf’s property manager. "We are catering to these people with special menus enabling service to be even faster. Some King Street Wharf venues are also offering takeaway for the first-time, a great way to sample a range of the menus."

Over the next few months, you can head down to the waterfront and grab a wagyu steak sandwich from Wharf Teppanyaki, a somen and tofu salad from Kobe Jones or a king prawn and fennel risotto from Vessel Italian & Bar, all for under $15, and not have to spend a single minute in the soul-crushing confines of a CBD food court. And you'll be back at work well before your boss can justifiably yell at you for being a lazy sod.

King Street Wharf is one of those areas of Sydney you may have overlooked. Nestled on the eastern shore of Darling Harbour, the former maritime district sometimes seems to slip the mind somewhere between Walsh Bay and Chinatown. But with the revitalisation of Pyrmont and the imminent transformation of Barangaroo from industrial wasteland into a gussied-up wonderland from which we can gaze in awe at the harbour (with or without a casino), King Street Wharf is becoming an increasingly central part of Sydney's CBD and one well worth checking out. Particularly at lunch time.

Check out our pick of the best $10 lunch options here, and the best $20 options here.