From Thursday to Saturday, diners can also delight in DJs playing a mix of summery electronic beats with a percussion influence in the evenings or enjoy a relaxed atmosphere on Sunday afternoons with mellow acoustic sets. Celebrity Chef Luke Mangan has been given the green light to open an ambitious new restaurant in the Harbour Bridge’s southeast pylon. The 20-seat restaurant will focus on local produce, including oysters, Champagne, sashimi, and seared beef fillet paired with Penfolds wines. As you can expect, dining here comes with a hefty price tag, around $295 per person.

Other notable menu items include spicy grilled pork, Bulgogi Pizza; clam tang soup; Yukhue beef tartare; seafood Ttoek Bokki; and Tonkatsu. To wash ti down, there’s a range of beers on tap, cocktails, wine, soju, and their famous Honeycomb Magkoli . A historical Redfern neighbourhood pub that operated for more than 100 years until 1990 has completed the final phase of its loving restoration and is now open.

The 72- hour slow-fermented pizza is made with freshly milled flour from Grana Bakery’s flour mill and comes topped with the likes of nduja and caramelised onion. The Rover, a reinvigorated dining and drinking destination has officially opened its doors in Surry Hills. A polished version of its former self, The Wild Rover, The Rover brings the bustling charm of a dapper New York cocktail bar to the reinvigorated inner-city precinct. Escape Hunt has escape rooms all over Australia from Melbourne to Perth, and of course, Sydney. Each room here requires you to complete the mission, sometimes like a secret agent, a wizard, or an assassin in the pub. You will be immersed in different situations such as Sydney in the 1920s when the Razor Gang ruled, and a wizard school, where all the magic disappeared.

One room immerses players in a film noir adventure in the 1950s, and the other is an abandoned cabin where you’re a detective investigating a serial killer case. The Espionage room throws you into the year 1945, as a spy, recruited to find another agent who left a secret message. The owners make their own concepts, narratives, and puzzles, as well as the lighting, and sound design.

Escape rooms combine puzzles, riddles, problem-solving, adventure and the pressure of having to solve the puzzles within a limited amount of time, in an immersive atmosphere unique to each game. The puzzles found in escape rooms range from simple to incredibly challenging, and the level of difficulty is often what distinguishes the top escape rooms from other rooms. A lot of puzzle rooms are themed with each room featuring its own distinct set of puzzles and clues to solve. The most important thing for first timers to remember is to have fun. The pressure of the situation can be tense, but as long as you’re in a great room with a solid team, the experience of solving your way out together should be so enjoyable that you’ll be desperate to book your next one. If they offer hints, either via walkie-talkie, a loudspeaker or another device in the room such as a television or radio, don’t be too proud to accept.

This speakeasy harking back to yesteryear has just opened in the Queen Victoria Building, offering Sydneysiders smooth jazz, custom cocktails, and an Australiana-inspired menu. The menu boasts French onion dip, pork schnitzel, a range of bar snacks, and a bomber Alaska on the dessert menu. The venue will also be hosting the ‘6 O’clock Swill’ every evening from 4 pm to 6 pm for patrons to enjoy, featuring $15 Negroni and Martini, Gimlets, and a select list of wines by the glass. ESQ is open for dinner on Tuesdays and lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, with the venue open until late. Renowned Australian Chef and pioneer in Sydney’s dining scene, Justin North has collaborated with owners Sophie and Con Bousgas of the iconic pub, Bar Cleveland, to open a new Surry Hills restaurant, Sofia. The 60-seat restaurant and accompanying lounge bar feature soft, neutral interiors to showcase the legacy of the original space and is the perfect place to catch up with friends and family or celebrate milestones.