14 New Sydney Restaurant, Bar and Cafe Openings We Got Excited About in March 2026

• First look: Balmain has plenty of pubs, but it needed a bar like Nacara. The romantic venue is the spot for Euro plates, $15 mini cocktails and an ex-Aria somm’s stellar wine list.

• First look: Taiwanese coffee culture finds a home in Ashfield. Stop at Festive Coffee for an iced batch brew sweetened with longan honey and topped with silky oolong foam.

• First look: will Spanish food be to Sydney in 2026 what Greek food was in 2025? If so, the Aalia team’s sleek new tapas spot arrived at a great time.

• First look: a Niland alum dry-ages fish for sashimi and kaisendon at his excellent, yet unassuming, Bondi Junction eatery.

• The Baba’s Place team invites you to sit at its new Marrickville cafe. Chef-founder Jean-Paul El Tom’s on brekkie duty – with stacked pancakes, artful omelettes and house-cultured yoghurt aplenty.

• Some of Sydney’s best bagels are matcha turtles and coffee-flavoured cats. Cuteness is the MO at Yuki Bagel, which isn’t a newcomer but a pop-up you should make a date with.

• Las Palmas wins with waterside Margaritas and Sinaloa-style prawn tacos. Plus, arrive by boat from the CBD in 20 minutes.

• First look: at Lua, star chef Luke Nguyen lures a crowd with a charcoal hearth and seafood-focused specialties from along the Mekong River – like whole snapper slow-roasted in banana leaves.

• First look: French rotisserie reigns at the new-look Harry’s. The 1912 Surry Hills pub’s had a major reno – expect a flash new bistro and $15 menu specials.

• First look: Enmore’s matcha cubby Mamuki doubles down, with an outpost on Glebe Point Road. Head in for matcha served every way, egg sandos and house-baked treats.

• You’ll find mountains of turmeric celebration rice at Temu Kangen, Haymarket’s Indonesian newcomer. It’s from the Medan Ciak team, with a menu that’s as spicy as you can handle.

• First look: Marrickville’s Alex’N’Rolls site is open again, with a new team on banh mi duty.

• First look: German snacks and grapes are the stars at Kantine 64, the Potts Point bar that’s here for just a few weeks.

• First look: Sushi Oe’s acclaimed omakase has a new home. Eight seats, 30 courses, one service each night – and it books out in minutes.

Closures

• Surry Hills fine diner Arthur is closing – kind of. The Jane team’s restaurant will close for an overhaul of everything but the name and the dedication to all-Aussie produce.

• After half a decade, Phil Wood’s closing his Paddington dining room Ursula’s. “Running a small independent restaurant the way we believe it should be run has become increasingly difficult.”

Additional reporting by Lucy Bell Bird, Howard Chen, Lucy Christopher, Dan Cunningham, Lee Tran Lam and Pilar Mitchell.