What to Expect From The Efendy Team’s New Turkish Taverna

The magic of Hamsi Taverna will no doubt be the freshness of the fish, sourced each morning from the fishmongers in the markets downstairs. Set within the new Sydney Fish Market, acclaimed chef Somer Sivrioglu’s latest project is nearly here – and the team’s feeling “excited, focused, confident”.

“Hamsi isn’t a concept we rushed into,” Sivrioglu, who’s opening the venue with the Efendy Group (Anason, Maydanoz and Balmain’s now-closed Efendy), tells Broadsheet. “It’s built on decades of cooking, travelling and opening restaurants internationally. Opening at the Sydney Fish Market feels like a full-circle moment – the food, the setting, the energy, it all makes sense.”

The government is forecasting six million visitors each year to the staggering new market on Blackwattle Bay. And after construction delays, lawsuits and more, the city’s eager for the new Sydney Fish Market’s arrival on Monday January 19. Hamsi is one of 40 hospitality and retail spots expected to open, and when it does, we’re going straight for the balik ekmek.

The charcoaled fish sandwich is a street food seen along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, and the Hamsi Taverna rendition is a beaut. “It’s about timing, charcoal, and great fish. Ours uses small oily fish, like mackerel or bonito, straight from the market, cooked over charcoal, tucked into good bread with salad and pickles. No fuss. It’s nostalgic, but also exactly the kind of seafood Sydney understands.”

That sanga’s part of a lengthy menu of meze – think crudo, taramasalata and marlin pastirma – small plates, mains from the charcoal grill and more. “The idea has been evolving for years,” Sivrioglu says. “I grew up with Turkish coastal food – where fish markets, charcoal cooking and Mediterranean seafood are part of everyday life. Clean, healthy and deeply social.”

There are sardine pides, kataifi prawns and fired scallops ramped up with sujuk butter, too, along with granita-topped oysters and Sivrioglu’s charcoaled whole fish. “Hamsi reflects everything myself and the Efendy Group stand for: taking Turkish food global without losing its soul. It’s about confidence, generosity and letting great produce, fire, and flavour do the talking.”

Alkot Studio’s behind the all-day dining room’s fit-out, which is on the upper-ground level with water views.

Hamsi Taverna is expected to open at the new Sydney Fish Market, on the corner of Pyrmont Bridge Road and Bank Street, Pyrmont, on Monday January 19, 2026.

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