15 Sydney Restaurants, Bars and Cafes We’ve Farewelled in 2026

The following 15 venues have closed (or announced their closure) this year.

Ursula’s, Paddington

Phil Wood and Lis Davies’s charming butter-yellow dining room held its final service last month. “Running a small independent restaurant the way we believe it should be run has become increasingly difficult and, with the lease coming to an end, it felt like the right moment to close this chapter,” Wood shared in March, ahead of the closure.

The corner spot was a favourite for many, with an outcry of sadness from the city (and many from its hospitality industry). “When we opened Ursula’s, the goal was simple – to create a small independent restaurant that was generous to its staff and guests, deeply connected to its neighbourhood, and built with care and integrity,” Wood continued. “I can honestly say, with great pride, that we achieved this.”

Ursula’s final service was Saturday May 23, 2026.

Quay, The Rocks

Peter Gilmore’s peerless fine diner held its final service in early 2026. It’s a venue that’s as famous for its view as it is for its chef, and one that elevated Sydney’s hospitality scene. Alumni include Nik Hill, behind award-winning French bistro Porcine; Tassie-based Analiese Gregory, the esteemed chef, forager, author and TV presenter; Black Star Pastry founder Christopher Thé; and Darryl Martin, who’s now in the Bentley Group’s Watermans kitchen.

“It’s mixed emotions,” said executive chef Peter Gilmore. “It’s been just a little over 24 and a half years – a lot of memories, a lot of stuff’s happened here in this space. I feel very proud of what we’ve achieved but, you know, nothing ever lasts forever, of course.”

Ahead of the finale, our top chefs and food writers farewell the icon, sharing what the venue, and the man, meant to them.

Quay’s final service was Saturday February 14, 2026.

Bar Freda’s, Chippendale

It felt like a match made in heaven when Freda’s announced it was opening a neighbourhood bar at the Abercrombie Hotel and leading the pub’s music programming last year – but the partnership came to an end soon after.

“When Carla and I took on this role, we understood the challenges that were in front of us; the enormity of the project and reality of running a late-night business in 2026. However, the opportunity to try and bring this old institution back to its former glory was too good to pass up,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.

“Whilst this marks the end of this chapter, it does not mark the end of Freda’s. Our commitment to culture, community, and human connection through art and music remains. This fire burns bright.”

Freda’s Forever lives on, with the team popping up at venues around town. Stay up to date on Instagram.

Bar Freda’s held its final service on Wednesday February 28, 2026. The team ceased its programming of The Abercrombie’s club and rooftop in April 2026.

The original Sydney Fish Market

Before our flashy new fish market – a staggering $750 million architectural feat – we had the charmingly grungy original just around the bay. The old oft-romanticised market was the third largest in the world and had been located at Blackwattle Bay since 1966.

Ahead of its final day of trade, photographer Theo Miller captured the original fish market as it is.

The original Sydney Fish Market’s final day of trade was Sunday January 18, 2026.

Tita, Marrickville

This Filipino carinderia was small in size but big on vibes. It opened in early 2024, by siblings Kenneth Rodrigueza and Karen Rodrigueza-Labuni, along with Christopher Palamara. It was a go-to for morning longanisa, egg and cheese sandwiches, fresh pandesal buns and vivid ube lattes. The venue quietly closed in late March.

The final service was Sunday March 29, 2026. 

Wildflower, Marrickville

After 10 years on its inner west block, the brewery known for its wild-fermented fruity, funky and fancy brews announced its closure. Kind of.

“We are relocating,” says brewer Topher Boehm, who co-founded Wildflower with his brother-in-law Chris Allen. “We are going to move, but we don’t have that next spot yet. It’s going to be some time in-between drinks – maybe a few years till we’re back set up with the next thing... “We’re very fortunate, what that space has become to a lot of people. It’s quite meaningful to the community, and we’re very grateful for that – it’s been really lovely to see the reaction [to the news].”

While there’s no new site locked in, the team is looking for a farm somewhere rural to set up the next Wildflower. They’ll retain the name and business in its entirety, only selling some equipment as they downsize.

Wildflower’s final service was Sunday May 31, 2026. 

Bentley Restaurant & Bar, CBD

After close to two decades of service, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt are closing their celebrated fine diner – for now. “Bentley, it’s 20 years old. When we have our careers, you have long-service leave. So we’re thinking about it having its long-service leave,” Hildebrandt says. “It’s having a sabbatical, let’s say that – it’ll be back.”

The duo (also behind King Clarence, Eleven Barrack and Watermans) are on the hunt for a replacement restaurant – somewhere with room for 40 to 60, and private dining rooms. Bentley’s lease comes to an end in August, leaving enough time for the pair to run a “greatest hits” menu for three months. Classics from 2006 through to today will close out this era of Bentley.

In the meantime, the pair are opening two new venues in the CBD this July. 

Bentley Restaurant & Bar’s final service is in August 2026. 

Mary’s Underground, Circular Quay

Seven years after opening, the burger lords are closing their harbourside live music venue. 

“Over 1000 shows, 3000 artists and 150,000 tickets sold, Mary’s Underground stands proudly amongst the best venues of its size in the country,” the team shared in a statement. “While these are achievements of which we are extremely proud, we have made the tough decision to close Mary’s Underground. Our chapter as custodians has come to an end.

“It will come as no surprise that this is due to financial reasons and the many headwinds the live music industry currently faces, especially for venues under 500 capacity. Declining bar sales, coupled with increasing costs and sky-high Sydney land values do not make a recipe for success.”

The bar lives in the space formerly occupied by The Basement, a legendary jazz club that entertained Sydney for 45 years – with sets by some of the most famous musicians of all time, like Herbie Hancock and Prince.

Mary’s Underground will close in winter 2026. 

Arthur, Surry Hills

Is a pivot a proper closure? Maybe not, but the new iteration of Tristan Rosier and Bec Fanning’s Surry Hills fine diner will be a big departure from its set-menu-only origin story. After a six-week refit, everything but Arthur’s name and dedication to all-Aussie produce is changing. The venue will re-emerge with outdoor dining, a bespoke new kitchen and fresh interiors. The food will be snackier and walk-in-friendly – so you’re sorted whether you want to have a quick drink or settle in for longer. It’s a format the team does well at its ever-heaving Jane, just a few blocks away.

“Fine-dining restaurants have almost refined themselves out of existence,” Rosier shared in March. “You know, pushing boundaries, culinary speaking, it doesn’t always make the best businesses.”

Arthur’s final service was Sunday May 31, 2026. Arthur 2.0 is expected to reopen in late winter 2026. 

Gaia Gelato, Randwick

This little gelateria has been supplying excellent scoops to Randwick and surrounds for a little over two years. We know many who took a trip to The Ritz stopped in before or after their film, choosing from the all-natural artisan flavours. Italian classics like lemon, vanilla and amarena, an excellent pistachio and a rich dairy-free chocolate gelato were among the favourites.

In May, the team shared that they had closed. “Due to the ongoing economic challenges facing the hospitality industry, including the significant rise in operating costs over recent years, we have unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to close our doors … We are incredibly proud of the community that grew around Gaia Gelato, and we will always be thankful for the memories shared with us.”

Gaia Gelato closed in May 2026.

Baptist Street Rec Club, Redfern

The upstairs Thai-leaning bar is no more – in its place you’ll find Vitelli’s Upstairs. Expect Italian American classics: pasta (made fresh at the team’s CBD joint Grana), porchetta, Milanese. Plus tiramisu, a late-night cheeseburger (with Calabrian chilli) and classic Italo cocktails. 

Baptist Street Rec Club’s final service was in early 2026. 

Bistro Bondi, Bondi

The Lox in a Box team closed its beachy bistro six months after opening.

“This is not about the performance of the bistro,” owner Candy Berger shared in a statement. “I kind of wish it was. It would have been a lot easier to process closing if it was a flop, or if no one liked what we were doing.”

The closure is reportedly due to a dispute between the hospitality team and the landlord of both the Bistro Bondi site and the neighbouring space the team previously leased and operated as Greenbergs. Since the disputes are ongoing, Berger declined to give specifics, but said the bistro was “bustling”.

While the Euro-leaning bistro was short-lived, it was beloved for its steak frites, anchovy-topped latkes and umbrella-adorned cocktails.

The final service at Bistro Bondi was in mid-April 2026.

The Corner, Avalon

The Boathouse team added big-city wine-bar energy to the pointy end of the northern beaches in September last year. Five months later, the group called time.

While the concept was adored by locals, bookings weren’t strong enough to sustain the venue outside of peak summer trade.

The Corner’s final service was Sunday March 1, 2026.

Bar Torino, Double Bay

As we welcome Neil Perry’s Pizzeria Sotto, we farewell basement cocktail joint Bar Torino. “Look, I don’t think we’re really that great at running bars, to be honest,” said Perry. “We make great drinks, but the idea of making it more [of a] restaurant gives us more opportunities when it’s busy down here, on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and lunches as well as the evenings.”

Bar Torino’s final day of service was Saturday May 23. 

Kittyhawk, CBD

The handsome cocktail bar, from the team behind The Lobo, opened in 2016 with an aesthetic that nods to post-war Paris and drinks that heroes rye and rum (think a dedicated Old Fashioned section). In late 2025 the venue rebranded to Kittyhawk New York, with an Italian menu and DJs most nights of the week. But a decade on from the first service, final drinks were poured in late January.

“Unfortunately, we have come to the end of our current lease and the market conditions do not allow for us to continue with a new lease where we are,” the team shared on Instagram.

Kittyhawk’s final service was Saturday January 24, 2026.