Everything Happening at Our Dine Out Food Festival This Week

Dine Out, our blockbuster new winter food festival, is here! There are radical collabs, unexpected pop-ups, one-off menus and other unmissable food events happening at our favourite venues across town until Sunday August 17.

Some events require a ticket or advance booking, but there’s still plenty you can simply rock up to and enjoy.

Not sure where to start? Here’s your Dine Out Sydney cheat sheet.

On today

Cantina OK and Herbs Taverne
Catch two happy hours in the CBD. First, a $7 mezcal at Cantina OK, and maybe a $12 Marg too. Then a $12 Aperol spritz at Herbs Taverne, just a few doors down. Daily, from 4pm till 6pm.

Ho Jiak
Masterchef alum Brendan Pang and star chef (and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author) Rosheen Kaul walk into the Chinese Malaysian restaurant – deliciousness ensues. Expect three snacks, three entrees, three shared mains and one dessert, at Junda Khoo’s Town Hall restaurant.

Theeca
Head to the Darlinghurst cafe-slash-vinyl-bar for a magnum-powered wine party with the Das Juice team. Choose a la carte or set menu, for dishes like flatbread with porcini butter, grilled king prawns with chilli butter, and stracciatella with persimmon.

Ricos Tacos
Chicago chef Jonathan “Goatboy” Zaragoza is on kitchen duty with Toby Wilson for three nights. Last night went off with birria-style goat tacos in the courtyard, then there are traditional pork al pastor on Friday. On Saturday, a charcoal barbeque is being wheeled out for a carne asada party with a side of salad, fries and salsa.

Maybe Sammy
The outstanding CBD cocktail bar’s putting on a mini special. Three-bite lobster rolls will arrive with your choice of mini cocktail – either a lychee Martini, tropical Margarita, eucalyptus Gimlet, chamomile Martini or jasmine Negroni. The duo will cost you $30, available from August 13 to 16.

Bistro Moncur
The Woollahra institution’s resurrecting the dish that captured its diners’ hearts: seafood bouillabaisse. Shellfish and market fish, seasoned with saffron, orange and Ricard, are served in a lobster bisque. Each bowl comes with a side of rouille and a baguette. Market price, available exclusively from August 12 to 17.

Butter
Drop into the home of fried chicken, champagne and hip-hop for a strictly limited spicy fried chicken ramen made in collaboration with condiment kings The Fermentalists. Bowls are $26 each and available from August 12 to 17.

Woodcut
The Barangaroo dining room’s on sandwich duty during Dine Out. Grab the “ultimate” French Dip sanga, where roast beef, pastrami and bresaola are layered in crunchy bread, with a pot of beef sauce for dipping. They are $28 each, available from August 12 to 17.

Shadow Baking
The team with Messina DNA is putting on two limited-edition baked goods especially for the fest. The Mississippi Mud Pie packs brownie, chocolate ganache and whipped vanilla Chantilly into a croissant-tart shell, while the confit leek and caramelised onion tart comes topped with lemon labneh, pecorino and crushed pistachios. Available in Darlinghurst and Marrickville, from August 11 to 17.

Callao
The Barangaroo Nikkei (Peruvian Japanese) restaurant’s putting on the Raices de Dos Mundos menu all week long. That means oysters with pisco granita, cucumber and jalapeno; tuna and kingfish sashimi with salmon roe, coriander ponzu and wasabi; and scampi tartare on bugak with truffle mayo, avocado, pickled jalapeno and Siberian caviar.

Mapo
The gelateria’s scooping two flash new flavours – apple strudel and sour cream – created in collaboration with Carley Scheidegger, head chef at Hungarian favourite Corner 75. Available in Newtown and Bondi, from August 11 to 17.

The Charles
Head pastry chef Rhiann Mead’s putting a swish spin on her late-night dessert trolley, adding her takes on nostalgic childhood favourites. Mini Wagon Wheels, neenish tarts, a Battenberg cake, an Iced Vovo tart and more will be wheeled around the dining room every night during the festival. Prices vary.

Bella Brutta
Sydney meat maestro Luke Powell is putting a Germanic spin on a suburban icon: the Hawaiian pizza. The $28 leopard-crusted Neapolitan pies come studded with LP’s Quality Meats new schinkenwurst (German for “ham sausage”), oven-roasted pineapples and a chilli kick. Plus, there’s a $20 pouding chômeur (self-saucing pudding à la Québécois) with ice-cream. Both limited-edition items are takeaway-only and can be ordered online throughout Dine Out.

Good Ways Deli
Dine Out marks the return of a day-one favourite: the Waldorf sanga. Poached chook, celery, apple, mayo, walnuts and dressed rocket. Plus, the coveted, weekend-only vanilla slice will be available all seven days. Both are available in Redfern and Alexandria, from August 11 to 17.

Pantry Story
The uber-chic croissant handbag – filled with truffle brûlée custard – is set to be the accessory of the week. The bags are $15 each, and available from August 11 to 17.

Continental Deli x Tokyo Lamington
The Australia Street beauties are pairing up, serving Laming’tins and cheese-and-charcuterie pies. Jam, chocolate and coconut come layered inside a Continental tin, where you’d usually find a Mar-tinny or Can-hattan. The savoury serve is all golden, flaky pastry filled with house-cured meats, cheeses and pickles. Available at Tokyo Lamington in Newtown and Marrickville, and Continental Deli, from August 11 to 17.

On tomorrow

Ormeggio
Dinner With the Maestros will have you devouring the Pavonis’ most iconic dishes of the last 16 years. Think Ormeggio’s snack selection to start, Postino Osteria’s veal saltimbocca and then A’Mare’s tableside pesto. Friday night sold out, but there are a few tables left for the added Saturday lunch service.

Public House Petersham x PSGO
From 4pm, there’s a cocktail carpark party with some of the most inventive drinks in the city. PS40’s pulling up in its 1977 Bedford RV, PSGO. Toot, toot!

Brendan King x The Lamb Lab
The team known for its “super lamb soup” is welcoming Derrel’s chef Brendan King, for a one-day-only menu takeover. That means an Anglo-Indian spin on the joint’s northern Chinese dishes. Available to eat in and take away on August 16.

Kiln
A sky-high supper party’s hitting the Ace Hotel rooftop. There’ll be fancy snacks (sliders! Saltbush-seasoned chippies! Trout roe-topped waffles!) a wine list by Drnks and a killer soundtrack from local DJs – and tickets are only $25.

Sunday

Odd Culture x Hey Rosey
The small-size, big-vibes bar in Orange is known for excellent food, standout wine and a fit-out like your cool friend’s loungeroom. Chef Hugh Piper is tripping in for a Sunday takeover at Odd Culture. It’s going to be good – walk-ins only.

The Waratah x Nomidokoro Indigo
The teeny Japanese darling is taking over the Tah’s public bar downstairs. Expect funky cocktails, an izakaya-inspired Sunday roast and umami-forward snacks. Walk-ins only.