Fish and chips, coffee, and the ultimate surf and turf: Where to eat at the new Sydney Fish Market

The Sydney Fish Market opens its new $836 million precinct at Blackwattle Bay today, and you can sample its best seafood without lugging home a live lobster. More than 25 restaurants, cafes and bars have moved in, and they’re serving everything from dry-aged salmon banh mi at Vietnamese takeaway Leyrd to charcoal-grilled John Dory at Turkish restaurant Hamsi. Here’s the breakdown.

It’s early. Is there coffee at the Sydney Fish Markets?

Look for the bold red branding. That’s Stitch Coffee, a Sydney-based specialty coffee roaster founded by former Circa Espresso barista Nawar Adra. After 10 years of operation, the brand is planning a citywide takeover in 2026, opening four new cafes in three months. Stitch’s Fish Market outpost is the first cab off the rank (with Surry Hills, Marrickville and Sydney Domestic Airport to follow), and it’s takeaway only, serving all the barista-made staples alongside foamy Mont Blancs and a selection of grab-and-go pastries from Tenacious Bakehouse in Darlinghurst.

If there’s a long line, head to Touch Wood (they’re brewing specialty coffee from Sydney roasteries White Horse and Leible) or Leyrd for traditional Vietnamese coffee (order den da for the strongest caffeine kick).

Where can I have a sit-down meal with a waterfront view?

You have a few options. The Boatshed moved from the original Sydney Fish Market to prime position, serving seafood staples (chowder, grilled fish, live lobster) on the upper ground level of the new waterfront promenade. Newcomer Touch Wood is next door, with an all-day offering (dinner to start in February) from the team behind Glebe cafe Dirty Red. They’ve created a good-looking menu which includes buttermilk hotcakes with lemon myrtle cream for brekkie, and blue swimmer crab and XO butter crumpets.

On the western side of the building, you’ll find celebrity chef Somer Sivrioglu’s 200-seat Turkish-inspired seafood restaurant Hamsi Taverna. “We work with raw, cured and flame-grilled seafood, always led by the market and the season,” says Sivrioglu. “Think fresh oysters, crudo dressed in citrus and olive oil, whole fish over open fire and vibrant meze.” He recommends the whole John Dory with a fermented tarhana crust (a mix of yoghurt, grains and spices).

Finally, there’s Lua by Luke Nguyen. It’s not open yet, but Nguyen promises something pretty special – a 300-seater serving Vietnamese-influenced seafood, a cocktail bar (with natural wines), DJs, a fire pit and a raw bar.

Where can I buy fish and chips?

This is, arguably, the most important question. Fish Market Cafe has moved over from the original Sydney Fish Markets, and it’s still your go-to for classic, casual fish and chips (available grilled, beer-battered or a little bit of both). At The Boatshed (the upmarket offering from the same owners) you can order the basic fish (grilled or battered) and chips for $28, or try one of four fish-of-the-day with chips, from $39.50.

Touch Wood ($32) gets a little fancy with it, adding a Waldorf salad, house-made pickles and fish roe tartare to crispy flathead, while you’ll be able to order the charcoal-grilled catch-of-the-day with a side of fries (price TBC) at Hamsi. There is also fish and chips at Christie’s Seafood and Squid Inc.

What about surf and turf?

The Boatshed offers a Creole-style combination of wagyu and lobster tail, or you could visit Ho Jiak owner-chef Junda Khoo’s new Malaysian restaurant, Tam Jiak, where surf and turf takes centre stage.

“Every dish will have an element from land and sea,” Khoo says. That means a menu full of inventive dishes, from scallop cheong fun with foie gras sauce to grilled tong mo sausage made with lamb and barramundi.

I want to splurge on exceptional seafood

Two-hatted sushi restaurant Sushi Oe, from former Good Food Guide Chef of the Year finalist Toshihiko Oe, has moved from Cammeray to a restaurant inside Gyokuu, which also houses GetSashimi and Restaurant 16. It’s an eight-seat omakase experience with up to 30 courses and bookings will fill up fast.

I don’t like seafood. What else can I eat?

Most cafes and restaurants at the Sydney Fish Markets offer something other than seafood. If you’re keeping it casual, there’s Roman-style pizza-by-the-slice at La Dea, spicy pork and vegetable dumplings at Nanjing Dumpling (opening soon), or a brisket burger from TJ’s Po’ Boys, a takeaway joint inspired by southern food in the US. Its signature po’ boy sandwiches (crusty French bread rolls filled with salad, pickles and lemon myrtle mayo) are available with chicken, crisp pork belly, cauliflower and prawns.

For a sit-down meal, Chinese restaurant Mani (formerly located at Milsons Point) serves Shanghai-style poached chicken and red braised pork belly, alongside an extensive selection of seafood. The Boatshed, meanwhile, has steak and burgers.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up