The Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant Is the Huge New Yum Cha Restaurant in the Old Golden Century Site

When Golden Century closed down it left a yum cha-sized hole in the heart of Sydney — one that was only compounded by the loss of Marigold later that year. While you can still get the Golden Century team's famous XO-drenched pipis at the appropriately named XOPP, the closing of the original location left many locals longing for the rattling of yum cha trollies and late-night feeds like no other.

Thankfully, the old Golden Century space has not been renovated into a set of apartments or a high-end boutique but instead has reemerged as The Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant, an expansive 600-person Cantonese restaurant with dining until 3am, live seafood tanks and yum cha.

The impressive new Haymarket restaurant is split across three levels. On level one you'll find the a la carte dining room lined with 24 live seafood tanks with lobsters, crabs and fish. Head upstairs to level two for yum cha service or to nab a private dining suite. And on level three you'll discover a dedicated function space that can host 175 guests.

Living up to its name, seafood plays a pivotal role on the menu, with highlights including pipis in XO sauce, lobster and braised noodles, and Singapore chilli crab. There are also plenty of crowd-pleasing classics like Peking duck pancakes, crispy roast pork and honey-glazed char siu.

Up in the yum cha zone, you can expect a classic spread. Prawn dumplings, siu mai and Cheung fun rice rolls are just some of the tasty plates being wheeled around. And, make sure to leave room for dessert, with egg tarts and mango pancakes available after you've worked through the dim sum offering.

Golden Century's late-night opening hours were always a huge drawcard at the original restaurant, and The Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant is committed to carrying this torch. The full menu is available until 10.30pm Sunday–Wednesday, and all the way until 3am Thursday–Saturday.

The Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant is located at 393–299 Sussex Street, Haymarket. It's open 10am–11pm Monday–Wednesday, 10am–3pm Thursday, 9.30am–3am Friday–Saturday and 9.30am–11pm Sunday.