Camelot Lounge, MarrickvilleCredit: Destination NSW
Patrons enjoying drinks and live music at Camelot Lounge, Marrickville in Sydney's inner west.
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According to Time Out, inner west Sydney suburb Marrickville is one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. It boasts a multicultural food and drink scene, it’s the hub of Sydney’s craft brewery and distillery movement, and its backstreets harbour live music venues and bustling markets. It’s innovative, traditional, new, old, vibrant and relaxed all at once. Here’s how to enjoy the area like a local.
Dinner dates
Marrickville’s restaurants showcase the suburb’s history and its future. Award-winning venues like Baba’s Place and Barzaari explore the identity and flavours of Sydney’s European and Middle Eastern communities while keeping the mood fun and relaxed. While local favourites like Corinthian Greek Restaurant (a three-decade old Greek diner) show Marrickville’s Greek history. Casa Do Benfica (an old-school Portuguese restaurant attached to a tennis club) is another relaxed, traditional option.
Tour the bars
Marrickville’s bar scene is one of the most vibrant, diverse and innovative in Sydney. Start at Pepito’s with a zesty Peruvian cocktail and a ceviche, then walk five minutes down the road to find The Marrickville Hotel, a bar serving tap beers and toasties {or Vietnamese from next door) to communal wood benches, and Where’s Nick, a hip but unpretentious bar sporting a menu of natural wines (highlighting Australian women in wine) and seasonal, Mediterranean snacks. Then there’s the pubs: choose between live music and sports nights at the The Vic on the Park or a kid-friendly courtyard and a cuisine-mixing menu at Henson Park Hotel.
Live music, parties and comedy
Sydney’s live music scene is thriving in Marrickville. Camelot Lounge and Lazy Bones are two of Sydney’s last remaining jazz bars, but the eclectic, retro bars also host folk, rock and traditional music from around the world. Gasoline Pony is a lively small bar where craft beer drinkers battle for space with local acts playing folk, soul and rock. Community-oriented bar The Great Club also has a wide repertoire of genres and sometimes pulls in international acts. For a more youthful party vibe, hit up the Marrickville Bowling Club; its dance floors are famous in the area. The biggest in size and reputation is the Factory Theatre, a champion of independent art and culture that hosts not just live music but comedy, cabaret and dance parties, often with a food truck to fuel you up at half time.
Tour the breweries
Marrickville is the undisputed hub of Sydney’s craft beer scene. At one end of the brewing spectrum is The Grifter Brewing Co., offering a range of Sydney-style bright, extremely drinkable beers that appear in both pubs and expensive restaurants. At the other end is Wildflower Brewing & Blending – an experimental brewery blending unique sour beers using native yeast. Between them, find a brewery with a nostalgic Australian-Chinese restaurant at the Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre, Mixtape Brewing with 18 rotating taps and no core range, plus many more. And you can tour them all on foot; walking between each of these is an easy stroll.
The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, Marrickville Credit: The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre
Ansett Bar, The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville
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The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, Marrickville Credit: The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre
Ansett Bar, The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville
Camelot Lounge, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Bartender creating a cocktail at the Camelot Lounge, Marrickville in Sydney's inner west.
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Camelot Lounge, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Bartender creating a cocktail at the Camelot Lounge, Marrickville in Sydney's inner west.
Explore the local Vietnamese hub
Cabramatta is Sydney’s famous Vietnamese hub, but little-known fact, the city has many Vietnamese areas, each with their own tilt. Marrickville is the centre of the Northern Vietnamese community, with restaurants, cafes and banh mi shops all serving the locals. VN Street Foods serves a full family meal in a single-person, customisable bento box. Try Alex 'N’ Rolls for takeaway, northern-style sticky rice with roast pork. Or try to get a seat at Banh Cuon Ba Oanh, a tiny eatery doing some of the best silky, rice noodle rolls in Sydney.
Brews and brunch
While most suburbs are lucky to have one great local cafe, Marrickville has multiple cafes bringing people from across Sydney just to try their wares. Two Chaps champions sustainability with an all-vegetarian menu where almost everything made on site. You can try a $20 rare coffee at specialty coffee bar Ona, taste a slice of New York at the bagel-slinging Lox in a Box, get American diner food but with a good brew at Valentinas or try for a table at the Japanese-influenced mini-cafe Kurumac. Double Tap Coffee is a more relaxed option while Deluca is more of a modern, stylised coffee bar. Or act like a local and pick up some fresh fruit and Egyptian street food at the Marrickville Organic Food Markets every Sunday.
Camelot Lounge
This is another intimate venue that locals appreciate. Camelot Lounge showcases everything from jazz to Latin music and classical to reggae. Sydney songwriter Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss) even recorded his live album here. The moody crimson space is full of character: it’s decorated with retro bric-a-brac, band posters, vibrant artworks and lots of camel figurines.
Hidden distilleries
In between the industry and art of Marrickville there are more than six hidden distilleries dotted around the suburb, each with their own vibe. Poor Toms is the original. The gin distillery, opened in 2015 by Jesse Kennedy and Griffin Blumer, has now picked up many awards and has its own bar. It’s a relaxed, sun-lit hang out in the backstreets of Marrickville. Drop into ALTD Spirits to discover what premium, non-alcoholic spirits taste like and try gins at Ester Spirits, Unexpected Guest Distillery and Moonshiner Distilling Company.
VN Street Foods, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at VN Street Foods, Marrickville.
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VN Street Foods, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink at VN Street Foods, Marrickville.
Poor Toms, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Couple browsing the gin products available for purchase at Poor Toms Gin Hall, Marrickville.
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Poor Toms, Marrickville Credit: Destination NSW
Couple browsing the gin products available for purchase at Poor Toms Gin Hall, Marrickville.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.