Central Park, ChippendaleCredit: Destination NSW
Students enjoying an afternoon in Central Park, Chippendale
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Sydney’s Chippendale is an inner-city suburb with a difference: it’s home to the world’s tallest vertical garden; a gallery with one of the country’s most significant collections of contemporary Chinese art; both street food and fine dining options; and a one-of-a-kind place to stay.
Street food, fine dining and a wine or two
Whether you’re after bread, brunch, a quick noodle soup or a multi-course fine dining meal with matching wines, Chippendale has something for all appetites. The suburb’s hub is Kensington Street, a labyrinth of old homes turned into gin bars, patisseries, snack stations and cutting-edge restaurants. Highlights include MasterChef-style patisserie by Reynold Poernomo at Koi Dessert Bar and high-end European menus at Olio (Sicilian cuisine) and Gavroche (French). For a unique cellar door experience in the city, drop into Handpicked Wines for a wine tasting with some of Australia’s best cheeses and some international additions too. On the casual side, check out Kensington Street’s Southeast Asian-inspired Spice Alley, which sees hawker-like stalls distributing everything from ramen to roti canai with a side of curry and sambal.
In the neighbourhood’s backstreets pick up a Persian love cake to take away, settle in for a sandwich served on seeded ciabatta at Brickfields Bakery, or nab a seat in the sun at La Herradura Coffee Stable for hearty Colombian fare and coffee made with Colombian beans. You’ll need to book ahead for Kindred, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant with a strict make-everything-in-house philosophy and Ester, one of the best modern Australian restaurants in Sydney (chef Mat Lindsay was Gourmet Traveller’s Chef of the Year in 2018). For a more casual drop-in meal and drink, head to the Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen for beer or a roast in the sunny, pet-friendly courtyard.
Spice Alley, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink in Spice Alley, Chippendale.
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Spice Alley, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink in Spice Alley, Chippendale.
Kensington Street, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple walking through Kensington Street, Chippendale.
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Kensington Street, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple walking through Kensington Street, Chippendale.
A one-of-kind kind stay
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects’ striking reinvention of The Old Clare Hotel has won multiple international architecture and design awards for incorporating the heritage of the original County Clare Hotel and the old Carlton & United Breweries administration building, with modern sophistication in both its public and private spaces.
Among the 62 rooms in the heritage-listed building is the C.U.B. Suite, which sits in the old boardroom of the brewery. Opulent original features such as chandeliers, timber panelling, even the executive bathroom – have been given a stylish restoration and the hotel’s dining and drinking options are just as impressive. Longshore is a sustainable seafood restaurant from the acclaimed team who used to run much-loved Newtown restaurant Hartsyard, and Clare Bar reimagines Australian pubs with the style of a boutique hotel bar. Add on to that a rooftop poolside bar that offers a grand view of the city and the vertical gardens of the One Central Park building next door.
The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Cocktails at The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale.
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The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Cocktails at The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale.
The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a drink at The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale.
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The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a drink at The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale.
Award-winning architecture and sustainable design
Chippendale is home to the world’s tallest vertical garden. Thousands of shrubs, vines and flowers cascade off One Central Park – creating a ‘green screen’ around the award-winning, sustainability forward building. For more eco-friendly design in Chippendale, book a tour of sustainability campaigner Michael Mobbs’s off-the-grid 19th-century terrace. The tour guides people through the sustainable home, which generates its own electricity and draws on collected rainwater. There’s also the option of adding in consultation on how to make your own residence more environmentally friendly.
One of the most unique art galleries in Australia
A few blocks from One Central Park is White Rabbit Gallery, which showcases one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art. Owner Judith Neilson has acquired more than 2,000 works over several decades with the gallery, a converted former Rolls-Royce depot, exhibiting a regularly rotating range of styles and artists. After browsing the collection, which is free to enter, head to the White Rabbit Tea House. It’s adorned with a striking cluster of suspended birdcages and serves dumplings and an extensive list of Chinese and Taiwanese teas.
Central Park, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Streetscapes of Central Park buildings in Chippendale, Sydney.
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Central Park, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Streetscapes of Central Park buildings in Chippendale, Sydney.
White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
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White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
More Inspirational Stories
Art Gallery of New South Wales, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoying a visit the the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
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Come alive with the possibilities as you delve into Sydney’s dynamic arts scene and cultural institutions. Feel moved as you immerse in striking contemporary artworks at public and private galleries, and take in cutting-edge performances and exhibitions across the city.
Be moved by must-see cultural landmarks
Marvel at the ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House as you approach this iconic performing arts venue, then join one of several fascinating tours on offer here. Discover the building’s unique history and construction on an Architectural Tour, or go behind the scenes on a Backstage Tour. See a show from an ever-changing program of theatre, dance and music in one of the venue’s many impressive performance spaces, then head to the Opera Bar to take in the front-of-house harbour view as you enjoy seasonal fare and a refreshing drink.
Appreciate the striking art deco façade and waterfront location of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), across the water from the Sydney Opera House at Explore the diversity of Australian modern art as you view highlights of a collection of more than 4,000 works, including a significant body of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Take time out and digest the wonderful works you’ve just seen as you enjoy panoramic views across Sydney Harbour from the museum’s rooftop café.
Feel far away from the bustle of the city centre as you enter the Domain parklands next to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and make your way to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the leading museum of art in the state. Step back in time to view colonial and 19th-century Australian works and European masters, as well as a dedicated gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Then explore Sydney Modern, the AGNSW’s dynamic new addition, to discover site-specific works by leading Australian and international artists.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a tour in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
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Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney...Artwork: Moon in a Dew Drop.Artist: Lindy Lee
Immerse in art in cutting-edge galleries
Lose track of time as you explore a myriad of inner-Sydney art galleries. Delight in a dip into one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art at the White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale, on the fringe of the city centre. Be intrigued by the selection from philanthropist Judith Neilson’s collection of almost 3,000 works created in China since 2000 by around 750 artists, before taking in the tranquil vibe at the gallery’s Teahouse as you snack on handmade dumplings and fine Chinese and Taiwanese tea. (You can also plan ahead and enter the ballot for tickets to cutting-edge performances at Phoenix Central Park, Judith Neilson’s risk-taking cultural centre a short walk from White Rabbit Gallery.)
Lean into the grand scale of Carriageworks, a multi-arts centre housed in expansive former railway workshops in Eveleigh, a five-minute drive or around a 15-minute walk from White Rabbit Gallery. Keep an eye on Carriageworks’ events page for visual arts exhibitions and new performance works.
Take your time exploring the many art galleries dotted around the hip inner-city suburb of Surry Hills. Enter the fascinating world of significant Australian artist Brett Whiteley at Brett Whiteley Studio, tucked away in a side street off Crown Street, one of the main streets running through Surry Hills. Take in the singular atmosphere of the late artist’s former home and workplace, with its unfinished paintings, art equipment, books and graffiti wall of quotes and images, and view one of the changing exhibitions of the artist’s works.
Find yourself challenged and stimulated by the conceptual and design-driven art at independent Surry Hills gallery China Heights, then take the short walk under the train tracks to 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Haymarket. Learn about the Asian diaspora in Australia via contemporary art at this fascinating gallery run by the non-profit Asian Australian Artists’ Association Inc.
Thrill to a sense of discovery as you find leading commercial art galleries tucked away in the leafy streets of Paddington in Sydney’s inner east. Roam the side streets of this fashionable suburb to find the likes of Saint Cloche, where gallery director Kitty Clark fosters the city’s emerging artistic talents; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, one of the most influential commercial art galleries in Australia; and Olsen, founded by Tim Olsen to represent the late John Olsen, one of the country’s greatest painters, and showcase contemporary Australian artists.
White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
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White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Women walking through an exhibition at the White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale.
Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills
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Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills