The Sydney Festival 2015 Eats Guide

Our city's biggest summer celebration of local and international talent has finally arrived – and you've managed to bag tickets! Good start, compadre. But as any regular arts-goer knows, finding pre- or post-show eats is a tricky business. That's why we've chosen our top places near the main Sydney Festival venues, so whether you're heading to Carriageworks for Kiss and Cry, Enmore Theatre for Atomic Bomb! or the Seymour Centre for Adrienne Truscott's Asking for It, we've got your nosh needs covered.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... THE SPIEGELTENTS, CITY RECITAL HALL OR SYDNEY TOWN HALL

Festival Village
Go for offerings from Bar Pho, Harvest Trader & Co, Jafe Jaffles and more, but leave room for the American-style fare at The Double Down Diner, a genius collaboration between two of our favourite Sydney venues, Gelato Messina and Porteno. While the guys behind Sydney's best Argentinian grill will dish up the savouries (think cheesesteaks, chilli dogs and waffles), Messina promises a gelato burger and pecan gelato 'fried chicken' for dessert.

Mary’s CBD
Mary's has brought its signature burgers (plus some deliciously thick new inventions) over from Newtown. Located on Castlereagh Street, the new Mary’s CBD has two floors, with the upper level functioning as a production space, while downstairs is the kitchen and takeaway counter. The menu features the same burgers we know and love from Newtown. Add to that the new chicken burger, super crispy French fries, and thickshakes. Did someone say smoked maple?

China Lane
Underneath an art installation nest of bird cages in Angel Lane, China Lane is a mix of suits, trendy young things checking out the CBD’s hidden laneway escape, and daters. If you’ve seen any of director Wong Kar-wai’s movies, you’ll get the idea – moody lighting, a modern sense of decor mixed with ’50s Hong Kong glamour, and general snappiness. Japanese sashimi rubs up against Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai on the menu, showing head chef Ben Haywood’s dexterity with Pan Asian cuisine.

Mordeo
Offering the best of Southern European cuisine, Mordeo brings a little piece of the Mediterranean to the inner city. Owner and executive chef Nicholas Aspros worked alongside head chef Marc Gehret to curate an innovative collection of fresh, produce-driven dishes, focusing on the vibrant flavours of Greece, Italy and Spain and ranging from tapas to generous share plates, woodfired meats and pizza.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... THE OPERA HOUSE OR SYDNEY THEATRE

The new-look Opera Bar
D'uh. Pop by this revamped icon and see if it's finally done good. Equip yourself with a refreshing pomegranate and mint Sydney Sling ($18) and head outside to the sun-drenched deck where you and 699 other people can now find a seat.

The House Eatery by George pop-up on the Opera House Forecourt
Kick back in a low-slung cabana chair under a beach umbrella and sample the cocktail menu, which includes the rapaska (vodka, fresh raspberry and passionfruit puree, fresh cloudy apple juice, orange juice) and the San Francisco-invented Tommy’s margarita (Olmeca Altos Plata tequila, fresh lime juice, agave syrup).

The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room
Perch yourself on the bar and you can watch the action right before your eyes as Morrison’s oyster maestros shuck your Pacific, Angassi or Rock oysters to order. Alternatively, opt for the Fast Festival Feast menu, and graze your way through a tasting plate, a main and side to share with a glass of wine each for $30pp.

The Glenmore
The much loved local’s-style pub remains on ground level, but as you head up the stairs towards the first level and rooftop terrace, you can see just how much this oldie has been spruced up. It has one of the best views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, along with some great pub food.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... CARRIAGEWORKS

Rubyos
Newtown institution Rubyos is offering a Fast Festival Feast for $30 a head – a selection of no less than six grazing plates to share. The special menu covers an eclectic selection of dishes, ranging from sweet pea salad and pan-fried haloumi, to twice-cooked pork belly and Korean fried chicken wings.

The Animal at Newtown Hotel
The Animal restaurant unites Newtown’s Greek migrant history with its colourful, trendy present. It’s unfussy, friendly and reasonably priced. The main lure is whole animals cooked on the spit, making up a medley of daily specials.

Cornerstone at Carriageworks
You're there, it's there, what more do you want? We love the colossal monster ferns hanging from cranes, the Edison bulbs burning seductively like lanterns along a lakeside dock, and the option of outdoor seating. The bar food menu is solid and served fast.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... THE SEYMOUR CENTRE

The Rose Hotel
With a lively atmosphere, reasonable prices (thanks to a student-dominated clientele), and a lamp-lit beer garden to boot, the Rose is one of your best options in this part of town. Despite being sandwiched between busy City Road even busier Cleveland Street, the pub manages to keep things intimate. Go for the prolonged happy hours and experimental pizza toppings.

The Duck Inn Less like a pub, more like your mate's place – complete with board games and comfy couches – the Duck Inn does 'homey vibe' well. The pub food doesn't disappoint either, with the menu covering a number of pub classics (beef burger, bangers and mash), plus some new favourites ('deconstructed' beef wellington and BBQ octopus).

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... ENMORE THEATRE

Hartsyard
There’s no denying Hartsyard’s heritage; it’s palpably American in taste, substance and style. As soon as you push open the glass door, the smell of hickory smoked pork greets you with open arms. Salvaged timber and industrial lighting, utility and charm, Hartsyard sits at the intersection of bustling farmhouse kitchen and buzzing late-night diner. A visit wouldn’t be complete without feasting on their fried chicken, served with buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy ($29) just like they do in the South Carolina low country. Just remember that you won’t be able to enjoy KFC in the same way ever again.

Lentil as Anything
Who said you can’t make friends with salad? The not-for-profit vegan chain Lentil as Anything has quickly become the darling of King Street. No need to book, just turn up for amazing food and an atmosphere that can’t be beat. As 30 percent of the ingredients are donated from food rescue operations, the menu changes often so you’ll need to ask your waiter what’s on offer. If you swing by on a Friday or Saturday night, head upstairs for a tasty tonic in their new Lentil on the Rocks mocktail bar.

Secret Garden Bar
Right next to the Enmore Theatre you'll find Secret Garden, a lush, green sanctuary with overflowing hanging baskets above, field-ploughing paraphernalia to the side (courtesy of owner Ashleigh Cavagnino’s grandmother) and outside-furniture-style chez lounges connecting tables along the main wall. As food goes, currently Secret Garden serves just one type of dish: the gluten-free Columbian cornmeal snack widely known as arepas. And, quite frankly, they serve it good.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... PARRAMATTA/RIVERSIDE THEATRES

El-Phoenician
There may be cheaper Lebanese options along Parramatta's Church Street, but you're unlikely to find better quality than at El-Phoenician. Known for its generous servings and loud groups, this local institution is offering festivalgoers a Fast Festival Feast menu of all your favourites – expect hummus, tabouli, falafel, shish tawouk, kamb kafta and an endless supply of bread. If you'd like some belly dancing on the side, head there on a weekend.

The Emporium
While this dual-level food and wine mecca from the guys behind the Coffee Emporium franchise isn't set to open til January 15, the new venture promises great things for festivalgoers and Parramatta locals alike. With a Mediterranean-inspired menu designed by chef Leon Volk and an international wine list, The Emporium hopes to the raise the bar of the area's main eats street. Don't go past the Fast Festival Feast menu, with a whole Spanish mackerel, a fresh Tuscan panzanella salad and a glass of Massena Viognier or Roussanne on offer throughout the festival.

Sabu
This contemporary Japanese restaurant and sake bar sports a sleek fitout and a prime position in the Eat Street district of Parramatta. The menu ranges from sushi, sashimi to robata, with cocktails, sake and sake flights on offer. Sabu is known to exhibit local artists and often surprises guests with live performances, so if you're looking for a culture-infused dinner spot to relax in ahead of your SydFest adventures, this is your go-to.

IF YOU'RE HEADING TO... THE STAR

PizzAperta
Located at the entrance to Star City , this openair pizzeria offers you a better place to spend your dough. With stone-milled flour from Padova, olive oil from Tuscany and a pizza oven from Naples, PizzAperta was created by Stefano Manfredi, the Australian godfather of Italian cuisine, and it’s backed by an impressive Neapolitan woodfire oven (a Stefano Ferrara M130 for all you buffs out there). The outdoor venue has piazza seating (aka Pirrama Road footpath) or you can people-watch from a sleek timber bench bar — a particularly enjoyable sport with the casino entrance nearby.

BLACK by Ezard
Set within luxurious surrounds, BLACK by ezard is the Star’s steak in shining armour. A favourite amongst the casino’s high rolling gamblers, BLACK is a beef fiend’s haven. Chef Teage Ezard plates up American grill-inspired steaks and a considered seafood menu, offering diners variety in choice. If you're after a Fast Festival Feast, two courses for $55 — an entrée of tomato vine ripened salad, buffalo cheese, green kalamata olives, white balsamic and basil dressing and a main course of kingfish salsa verde with fennel salad.

Balla
Balla's Milanese cuisine is fresh and seasonal served with a side of harbourside view overlooking Jones Bay Wharf. This Milanese ‘osteria’ (translating as ‘traditional restaurant’), is headed up by chef Gabriele Taddeucci (ex Ucello and then Beresford). Fast Festival Feasts are value for money here — three courses for $55; saikou salmon with pea purée and preserved lemon, then a choice of orecchiette with prawns, cherry tomatoes and oregano or grilled lamb cutlets with smoked eggplant purée and summer salad, and a tartufo al cioccolato for dessert.

By the Concrete Playground team.