The Sydney Opera House is the centre of Vivid every year. The biggest and best projections play out across the building's iconic white sails. There's no better screen in Sydney. Dining and drinking at Bennelong will put you right in the thick of it. Although most tables are booked out by now, it's worth going to have a drink and a bite at the bar, which is walk-in only.

Mary's Circular Quay opened last month and its refined downstairs counterpart, Mary's Underground, opened last week just in time for Vivid. For eating you won't find a better burger this close to Circular Quay (and the whole menu can be done vegan). For drinking, you can barely find anywhere in the city with $10 glasses of natural wine, let alone this deep into the CBD.

This Rat Pack-themed cocktail bar in The Rocks is a great spot for a few mid-Vivid Martinis. There's also a tight but tasty selection of small plates to keep you going.

Your phone gets confiscated and put away in a locker for the length of your dinner at Bistecca, which is good news for your phone's battery: it will need all the rest it can get before you spend the night using it to snap and post everything you see at Vivid. Steak is the one and only main on the menu. One style in particular: T-bone cooked over coals and served rare.

One of the best options for Vivid dining and drinking. The rum-focused cocktail bar has great drinks, but consider having dinner here, too. Service is fast, and the tight French menu has plenty of crowd-pleasers. The highlights are the roast chicken and the steak frites. Kittyhawk is also just near the Botanic Gardens, which has more installations than ever this year.

Because it's in Miller's Point, this cocktail bar isn't the sort of place you can go to in the middle of a Vivid excursion. Instead, it's a before or after spot. Grab a cocktail at a window seat – the view of the Harbour Bridge from Henry Deane is one of the best views of Vivid.

When you get off the train at Wynyard you'll be moments away from this steak-and-cocktail-focused restaurant. It's the best way to make a running start to the evening.

This New York-style brasserie is right on George Street, close to all of the CBD's main Vivid hubs.

Get a group together and head over to this Cantonese comfort-food diner. Barbeque duck and dim sum are the perfect protein and carb fuel for heading out to battle the Vivid crowds.

It's starting to get really cold (well, for Sydney). This whisky bar in The Rocks is the right place to head to if you need a few warming nips of the brown stuff mid-walk.

A bar with an emphasis on having fun, serving no-fuss Mexican food and great cocktails right across the road from the Royal Botanic Gardens and Sydney Opera House.

Kid Kyoto is right in the thick of things. There's easy access to Circular Quay or Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. So start your night here with some Japanese seafood and cocktails named after '90s grunge hits.

This late-night Chinese restaurant is the place to head if you're a dinner-and-a-show, then-a-second-dinner kind of person.

Right in the middle of the action, perfectly situated to access attractions in Barangaroo, Circular Quay, The Rocks or the Royal Botanic Gardens.

An Argentinian-style grill in The Rocks using local and sustainable produce.

A Mexican basement bar with tacos, burgers and DJs. This one's a great option for late-night dining: on Fridays and Saturdays Barrio closes at 3am, which means you can eat and drink long after the (Vivid) lights have gone out.

This pizza saloon in the middle of the city is open until three in the morning, making it the perfect place to end your night.

World-class cocktails in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge.

The rooftop here has a panoramic view stretching from Darling Harbour to the Harbour Bridge and The Rocks.

A heritage building putting an Australian pub spin on American barbeque with an on-site 600-litre brewhouse that keeps the four rotating taps at the bar full.

A rooftop bar close to three of the festival's biggest attractions in Kings Cross.

A cocktail bar with a nautical-themed cocktail list and views of Sydney's CBD from the second-storey balcony. You can get snacks here too.

Just across the road from the Harbour Bridge, this Edwardian-style pub is known for its Australian-themed "heritage" pizzas such as the half-kangaroo, half-emu Coat of Arms, and the Saltwater Crocodile.

This restaurant virtually underneath the Harbour Bridge serves both modern and traditional Japanese food and has more than 40 varieties of sake.

A refurbished traditional pub with an amazing view of Circular Quay.

Conveniently located on George Street with a fun cocktail list.

Spanish food a stone's throw from the installations in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

A Thai restaurant with a view of the harbour. Not to mention it only uses local Australian ingredients.

A fine-dining restaurant inside Barangaroo House, where you can watch the promenade light up as the sun sets.

It sits right on the harbour and serves food that uses indigenous Australian ingredients in Chinese recipes. A great option if you've just come from the Darling Harbour section and are making your way towards Circular Quay.

A French bar and restaurant overlooking Darling Harbour ideal for watching Vivid's marine-themed lighting installations.

A waterside restaurant that prides itself on using ethically sourced seafood.

Right on the water, this building houses three venues, House Bar, Smoke and Bea, all of which provide great spots to relax and take in Vivid's water-based light installations.

On Wulugul Walk, serving Nashville-style spicy chicken, craft beers and natural wines from local producers.

A whisky and wine bar just near Kings Cross and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Grab a drink at this Woolloomooloo spot before you head into the Botanic Gardens.

An indoor-outdoor venue that spills out onto a landscaped terrace overlooking Sydney Harbour.

A classic bar and restaurant with a menu full of premium Australian produce and wine – right in the thick of the action.

One to check out if you're planning a trip to Kings Cross or Barangaroo; it has more than 250 spirits and your favourite Chinese takeaway dishes reimagined.

A seafood-focused Mexican restaurant right down the road from the famous Coke sign.

Grab an aperitivo or two on Wolloomooloo Wharf, with a side of oysters and antipasto.

A longstanding Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian restaurant with a seasonal cocktail menu and outdoor seating on the Woolloomooloo Wharf.

A hidden gem in Chatswood mall serving Westernised Chinese cuisine and dumplings. A great option if you're checking out the Vivid attractions north of the Bridge.

Our pick for dining if you're heading to the attractions at Taronga Zoo.

Bangkok-inspired plates matched with 90s hip-hop.