• First look: Andy Bowdy and Michael Rantissi’s bright and casual eatery, Salma’s Canteen, opens in Rosebery. The red-brick one-stop shop brings lunchtime-saviour salads, deli provisions and Andy Bowdy’s standout baked goods to south Sydney.

• First look: Raja, the vibrant new Potts Point restaurant by the Ezra team, is “unapologetically Indian”. Its ex-Firedoor chef is blending modern cooking techniques and quality local produce with home-style Indian flavours in dishes like spatchcock makhani (butter chicken); a scene-stealing buttery, garlicky mud crab served with green chutney and roti that’s so saucy it requires a bib; and a cocktail inspired by gola, a shaved-ice street food that’s beloved in India.

• First look: spice rules at Kazando Ramen in Sydney CBD – from its fiery ramen and gyoza to a chilli-salt sundae. Ramens come in three levels of spice, and there’s also a tonkatsu made famous at its owner’s former venue. Plus, yuzu and truffle ramen.

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• “A message stick to the world”: celebrity chef Mark Olive on Midden, a restaurant celebrating native Australian produce at Sydney Opera House. From saltbush to crocodile, Mark Olive has spent more than four decades educating Australians about native ingredients. He’s continuing that mission with a casual all-day diner in one of the world’s most iconic venues.

• North Sydney welcomes Don’t Tell Uncle, the elevated sibling to a favourite Indian spot in Surry Hills. The Don’t Tell Aunty crew opens a more upmarket second location in Cammeray offering crisp and moreish black-pepper fried chicken and decadent curries like beef nadaan.

• Now open: Goods, the Marrickville corner-store-meets-cafe stocking AP Bread and funky pantry fillers. Scout’s second inner-west Pilates studio has expanded with a smallgoods store next door. Stretch, sweat, then grab a New Paradigm coffee and a pastry. It’s the goods.

• AP Bakery continues its domination of Sydney’s bakery scene with the launch of AP Place in the CBD. Its pizza bianca sandwiches stuffed with crisp porchetta, cheesy cauliflower toasties, and salt and vinegar hash browns might single-handedly bring an end to working from home. Plus, it offers AP’s signature pastries and loaves, Reuben Hills coffee, and steamy pies.

• Bar 1880 has taken over the ex-Bulletin Place digs, bringing swish cocktails based on century-old recipes. This moody new CBD bar heroes artful cocktails – including a heady late-night kicker with coffee-laced absinthe, plus “forgotten” creations from 1920s Paris and 1940s Egypt – in a setting that pays homage to its history.

• Now open: chicken joint Wingboy launches a vegan menu for its new location in Newtown. King Street lands a hot new wing spot started by two ex-backpackers featuring Grifter on tap and a bottomless wing special – can you beat the record?

• Enter intimate new Bar Messenger in Circular Quay through a secret door hidden behind a painting. In a former Transport NSW file-storage room, sip from an Aussie-focused wine list and snack on gruyere and ham toasties, and salumi platters.

• Now open: Brooklyn Bridge Deli launches at World Square with Reubens, cheesesteaks and a hip-hop soundtrack. It’s the fourth location of the hit chain serving all-out New York-style sandwiches including a hefty Reuben with corned beef on rye. But those in the know order it a different way.

• An ex-Bella Brutta pizzaiolo joins The Dolphin Hotel in Surry Hills to launch Delfino Pizzeria. There’s a new woodfired oven turning out chewy fermented dough with classic toppings such as pepperoni and buffalo mozzarella, as well as more experimental numbers – like a “surf’n’turf” with king prawns, pancetta and XO sauce.

• Good as hell: Western Sydney’s Filipino-fusion eatery Burger Point lands in Circular Quay (and it’s Lizzo-approved). Visit for doughnut-glazed burger buns, sweet spaghetti with fried chicken, and a cheesy dunking sauce for burgers.

• Now open in Darlinghurst: Lenny Briskets, a New York-inspired diner that’s “as close as you’re gonna get” to Katz’s Deli in Sydney. Settle in for corned brisket-loaded Reubens, or a bowl of matzo ball soup, surrounded by red neon signage and an all-American soundtrack.

• First look: tradition meets innovation – and affordability – at Ultimo’s new soba and onigiri eatery Otogo. Enjoy two pieces of onigiri and warm soba noodles with Kyoto-style duck in Kansai-style broth for under $20. And though cutting-edge technology is key to the menu’s affordability, quality is never compromised, with premium ingredients a priority.

• Now open: Hurricane’s Cronulla has a focus on local seafood and a Mediterranean-style fit-out. Tried and tested classics – including lamb and pork ribs and burgers – are on offer, and there’s a raw bar serving kingfish ceviche and scallops crudo, plus a 1.5-kilogram dry-aged tomahawk.