TOUCH WOOD

Overview

With the new Sydney Fish Market now welcoming visitors to its landmark precinct on Blackwattle Bay, the harbourfront destination has opened a dedicated all-day restaurant. Perched on a sun-soaked corner of the market complex, Touch Wood poses a simple question: what happens when classic Australian brunch is reimagined through a seafood-focused lens?

The answer might arrive in the form of blue swimmer crab and XO butter sourdough crumpets topped with maple syrup. It might also look like smoked white fish bruschetta with avocado cream and fennel salt — or even a hearty fish chowder pie.

Leigh Griffiths

It's not all seafood, though — the breakfast lineup also features fish-free dishes like buttermilk hotcakes with lemon myrtle cream and even a turkey croque monsieur.

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Courtney Blyde (Baba's Place, The Apollo, Cho Cho San), who leans into clean, seafood-forward cooking shaped by his Samoan heritage and upbringing in New Zealand. The menu centres on bright, balanced flavours and seasonal produce sourced from the market itself, keeping dishes familiar while letting premium seafood take centre stage. That sense of comfort carries through to a concise dinner menu featuring dishes like anchovy-topped potato cakes and fish-sausage vodka rigatoni.

Leigh Griffiths

Inside, the airy space pairs warm timber finishes with native botanicals and a large-scale flora mural inspired by the Australian landscape. The venue seats 150 diners, including 100 on a north-facing terrace overlooking the harbour — the only restaurant in the precinct with this orientation.

Coffee also plays a central role, with industry veteran Paul Cabezas-Heathwood curating a rotating selection of beans from boutique Sydney roasters and overseeing more experimental brewing methods, including nitro coffee on tap.

Created by Tyson Rowsell (Dirty Red), Touch Wood brings a neighbourhood cafe sensibility to the city's biggest seafood destination, offering a relaxed way to experience the Sydney Fish Market beyond the trading floor.

Leigh Griffiths

Top images: Leigh Griffiths.