Good Taste: Where Sydney's Fashion Crowd Ate During Australian Fashion Week 2026

If you're anything like us, you've probably lost track of half the swish restaurants and moodily lit drinking dens fashion people post to Instagram (or added yet another screenshot to your own ever-growing archive). Australia's cultural elite are often among the first to reveal a cheeky new diner or quietly champion a local favourite — whether it's a hole-in-the-wall dumpling spot or a coffee order worth queuing for. So, during Sydney's most style-driven week of the year, the question naturally becomes: where exactly are tastemakers fuelling up between runways, unwinding post-show, indulging in late-night cheeseburgers, or gathering content for the social dump?

Luckily, we've done the legwork. We asked the it-crowd at Australian Fashion Week to voice note or message where they dined last week, so you can save, book, and one day chicly flex your own reservation.

Want more new, now? Check out our list of Sydney's newest venue openings.

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Hetty Appleton-Miles

Styling Editor at Burberry London

"Olympus at The Eve was so lovely, the food was so delicious — very full of flavour and it felt quite naughty. The desserts as well were insane. There was a yoghurt, olive oil and sea salt dessert that honestly, if I wasn't so full, I would have loved. It was just beautiful, very spacious. There was a big tree in the middle and it just had a really nice atmosphere. That was the highlight."

Eugene Canty

Photographer

"Le Foote, which is just behind the MCA, which is a little dynamite place, and then Fred's for a little home-cooked style meal. And then a cheeky Big Mac here and there just for sustenance and efficiency."

Breeana Smith

Founder of L'IDÉE Woman

"Le Foote for the best steak, Icebergs always for post-show lunch celebration on Friday, and South Dowling sandwiches when in a rush and in search of a nostalgic Aussie sandwich — thanks to Shannon at Désordre for the insider tip here."

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Charlotte Hicks

Founder and Designer, ESSE Studios

"I love Clarence and V — it's still a bit of a hidden gem, but that's what makes it feel so authentic and special to us."

Laura May

Founder of Nagnata

"Taking my partner to Pellegrino 2000 post-show for a date night dinner once he arrives in town. He's Italian and absolutely loves it there, it has become one of our favourite spots in Sydney. 10 William is always a classic during Fashion Week. It's one of those places that feels very Sydney to me — great atmosphere, great wine. Friday night wines at Paski with friends is another ritual. By the end of Fashion Week everyone is ready to decompress a little, reconnect and celebrate a big week. In between shows, castings and fittings, I'm usually grabbing coffee or matcha from Alimentari. It's close to the office and has become a bit of a daily ritual while I'm in town. For lunch during the week, I love Jackie's for something fresh, nourishing and still really delicious."

Gary Bigneni

Designer

"I'm going to be honest — in the lead-up to, and during Fashion Week — eating is not always easy because I am so busy and am eating on the run all the time. In a perfect world, it's pizza and pasta for me — but if I have to choose, it would be Restaurant Hubert. I just love the cuisine and the atmosphere."

Maria Thattil

Model, actor, and author

"If anyone's going to go anywhere to eat, there are incredible restaurants at Capella, which is amazing for a lazy girl like me to go downstairs and eat. But also I love Mr Wong, and its kung pao chicken. I've been Googling and researching that recipe for years, trying to figure out what the secret sauce is, and when I go I order two servings of dinner just to make sure I've had enough before I go back to Melbourne."

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Sarah Noonan

Freelance fashion writer and editor

"For coffee between shows, EEF in Darlinghurst is a great place to perch up your laptop and pump out some stories. And then for a late-afternoon, early-evening bite, Le Foote Happy Hour between 4 and 6pm, you can get an incredible burger and fish sandwich. For dinner, Restaurant Hubert."

Ren Kimber

Co-founder of Christian Kimber and AFC Board Director

"I went to Morrison's Oyster Bar and had the best time. I had some wildly good oysters, a sticky date pudding that was super light. It was caramel, almost taken to the edge rather than butterscotch. It wasn't creamy, heavy or stodgy — it was just gorgeous. I love going to Palazzo Salato — it's just pasta perfection. Everything's cooked beautifully, with the most delicate flavours from spanner crab to really simple pork cheek ragu. It's just heaven. They do a roasted artichoke heart dish that's very good. I know it's a bit obvious, but I always do Bills for breakfast."

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Top image: Supplied