Overview
Recent visitors to Glebe's waterfront will have noticed a behemoth emerging from Blackwattle Bay. The superstructure of the new Sydney Fish Market is fast approaching completion, with the innovative undulating timber beams for the wave-like roof now taking shape.
While the opening of the new dining hotspot is still several months away (the original opening date of late 2024 has been pushed back to early next year), newly released renders have revealed a glimpse of how this architectural marvel will look when it's finally finished. A new foreshore boardwalk connecting with Bridge Road will offer a shady stroll to visitors as they make their way towards to new Fish Market complex, while a new urban park will create a new harbourside green space for locals and visitors to enjoy. Inside the market, there will be multiple levels of restaurants, retail outlets and produce stores, while overhead, the distinctive scoop of the timbre lattice roof lets in plenty of natural light.
When it opens, an estimated six million visitors will flock to Glebe annually to visit the new markets, and with good reason if the latest announcement is anything to go by. Working with Sydney Fish Market, Placemaking NSW — the future operator of the new market site — has released news of the food and beverage offering visitors can expect to find alongside the popular local seafood traders.
The biggest get for the Fish Market is a new Southeast Asian diner by celebrity chef Luke Nguyen, which will be operated by Dolton Hospitality Group. A title for the new venue or details of its menu are yet to be announced, but with such a well-known name at the helm, it's set to be a major drawcard.
A new outlet from the award-winning and multi-hatted Malaysian hawker restaurant Ho Jiak is another big win for the Fish Market. Diners can expect the tasty street food favourites that have made the chain such a popular Harbour City mainstay.
Po Boys, operated by Trippas White Group has been inspired by the cuisine of the Southern USA and the laidback vibes of the East Coast of Australia. The menu will star lobster, burgers, craft beers and of course, the house speciality, po boys, the infamous hot sandwiches from Louisiana.
Speaking of sandwiches, Banh Mi & Phin, the debut venue by seasoned hospo professionals Hailey Nghiem and Charlie Dinh, will offer Vietnamese street food with a focus on fresh salads, rice paper rolls and of course, traditional filled baguettes.
Asian cuisine will be well represented at the Fish Market. Nanjing Dumplings will feature both traditional and specialty dumplings. It will also be one of the only places in Sydney where diners can sample Nanjing-style xiao long bao — the doughier, slightly sweeter cousin of Shanghai's famous soup dumplings. Meanwhile, the Japanese Collective will serve classic izakaya fare including ramen, donburi and seafood BBQ. It will also boast a dedicated sake bar.
There will be plenty to quench the thirst of visitors, including a new outlet for Glebe Point Road favourite Dirty Red, which will serve an extensive bar and cocktail menu and a variety of shared plates; Taiwanese boba bar Gotcha Fresh Tea, which farms its own tea at Taiwan's Mount Ali, and brews each beverage to order; and Aussie company Top Juice, which uses exclusively homegrown produce in its juices and smoothies. The talented baristas of Stitch Coffee will also be on hand to deliver that all-important caffeine fix to any early-morning fish-seekers shopping for the freshest catch of the day.
Award-winning family-run artisan gelato company Cow & The Moon rounds out the hospitality offering at the new Sydney Fish Market, so expect to be strolling the new Blackwattle boardwalk with a cone in hand early next year.
Images: NSW Government