Lights up, it’s that time of year again! Far from retreating into hibernation, Sydney/Eora is about to become a late-night playground, as large-scale immersive light installations dot the city and bring life to every pocket of town.
Vivid Sydney is about igniting all the senses—building lasting memories through engaging with the sights, sounds, and tastes of the festival. And every year, the Vivid food offerings get more creative and enlightening. Taste the best the festival has to offer with our picks for the most delightful dining options at Vivid Sydney 2024.
Vivid Fire Kitchen
The Goods Line, Ultimo
Image credit: Vivid Fire Kitchen | Destination NSW
Gather around the fire at Vivid Fire Kitchen, the hottest hub of the festival where you’ll find flame-seared street food and live demonstrations from local and international culinary legends. The loaded lineup includes flaming favourites like Lennox Hastie, chef and owner of Firedoor, Australia’s only fully wood-fuelled restaurant.
After you’ve sampled the best from the BBQ, skip down memory lane at the Messina Milk Bar, the gelato giant’s take on the traditional milk bar with a modern twist. Sample gelato-infused chocolate bars, Dixie cups, and spiders, or try the warm Milo sundae with cereal milk gelato, Milo mud cake, and choc malt mousse topped with torched Italian meringue—a perfect companion on a cold night.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 24 May–Saturday 15 June
Where: The Goods Line, Ultimo Pedestrian Network, Ultimo
Tickets: Here
Aster x Vivid
Macquarie St, Sydney
The stunning Aster Rooftop Bar invites you to experience Vivid at new heights, with bespoke cocktails and small plates served 32 floors above the city. Each sitting begins with a Japanese Fuji Single Grain Whisky palate cleanser, followed by a seasonal two-course meal with paired cocktails. Keeping sustainability front of mind, the cocktails make clever use of leftover ingredients from the Aster menu.
The Four Pillars Gin-infused "Second Chance" uses leftover strawberries and brioche from the kitchen, and the "Expedition" uses leftover pineapple from the Aster menu to create tepache, a pineapple-fermented beverage that is right at home with tequila, pistachio, and green tea.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 24 May - Saturday 15 June
Where: Aster, Macquarie St Sydney
Tickets: Here
Fred’s x Max Coen
Oxford Street, Paddington
Image credit: Dorian | Supplied
The Vivid Chef Series presents a city-wide celebration that brings unexpected collaborations between the world’s expert chefs. Distinct but complementary cultural backgrounds collide in never-to-be-repeated menus bursting with innovation.
One favourite collab coming up in this year’s series sees Max Coen of Notting Hill’s Dorian teaming up with Ben Greeno, executive chef of Fred’s, the rustic Merivale institution known for farm-to-table dishes and cosy quarters. The perfect combo of rustic and refined, Max’s mastery of wood-fire flavours and Ben’s trademark simplicity come together to celebrate quality ingredients in a minimal-intervention cooking collaboration that champions quality NSW produce.
THE DETAILS
When: Sunday 26 - Wednesday 29 May
Where: Fred’s, 380 Oxford St Paddington
Tickets: Here
The Charles x Sally Abé
The Charles, Sydney
Another exciting installment in the Vivid Chef Series combines French decadence with British nostalgia. Sally Abé of London’s iconic fine-dining institution The Pem joins friend and former colleague Billy Hannigan at The Charles Brasserie and Bar.
Having worked together at three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury in London, their reunion promises to bring Sally’s flair for modernised British nostalgia into concert with Billy’s elegant French approach in the opulent surrounds of The Charles. The menu concludes with creations from The Charles’ head pastry chef Rhiann Mead, former head pastry chef at Bennelong.
THE DETAILS
When: Tuesday 28 - Thursday 30 May
Where: The Charles Brasserie and Bar, Sydney
Tickets: Here
Warakirri Dining Experience
Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Image credit: Warakirri Dining Experience | Jacqui Manning
Carriageworks will be transformed into a vibrant entertainment district for the festival, with live music and food spanning 16 spectacular nights. Highlights include a partnership with Plate It Forward and the Coyoacán Social residence serving authentic Mexican street food—for every taco bought, a meal will be donated via local community kitchens to people in need.
You’ll also find an immersive First Nations dining experience. Over two nights, Ngemba Weilwan chef Sharon Winsor will host an intimate 5-course dinner using native ingredients sourced on Gadigal Land. Fusing modern techniques with traditional methods alongside storytelling, dance, and music, this experience is set to be as illuminating as the festival lights themselves.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 31 May - Saturday 1 June
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Tickets: Here
AALIA x Ivan Brehm
Martin Place, Sydney
Image credit: Nouri | Supplied
Nouri’s Ivan Brehm and AALIA’s Paul Farag bring Middle Eastern flavours to the fore in the elegant ambiance of AALIA. This international fusion will feel like you need a passport to show up to the plate, taking your tastebuds on a round-the-world trip.
Chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Singapore restaurant Nouri, Brehm knows the ins and outs of global gastronomy. Having worked at some of the world’s best restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, he brings a truly traveled view of world cooking to this collaboration, complemented by Farag, who spotlights the culinary traditions of Turkey and Lebanon.
THE DETAILS
When: Tuesday 11 - Wednesday 12 June
Where: AALIA, 25 Martin Place Sydney
Tickets: Here
Luke’s Vivid Table
BridgeClimb Pylon Lookout & Museum, The Rocks
Australian restauranteur and chef Luke Mangan has enjoyed tenures at some of the world’s best restaurants, gaining him notoriety right up to his latest venture at Luc-San in Potts Point. His seasonal three-course menu for Vivid is a multi-sensory delight, enjoyed at the most iconic venue in the city—the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Bathed in the lights of Vivid, enjoy canapes and champagne 200 steps up with sweeping views from the Pylon Lookout. After settling in, you’ll be treated to premium wines and an elevated experience at a 20-person communal table that will be heavily laid with dining delights from one of the culinary greats.
THE DETAILS
When: From Tuesday 28 May
Where: BridgeClimb Pylon Lookout & Museum, South East Pylon, The Rocks
Tickets: Here
Plates With Purpose—A Taste of Ukraine
Kyiv Social, Chippendale
Chef Boris Chernyk arrived in Australia in 2023, escaping the ongoing crisis in Ukraine—he brought with him a knowledge of traditional Ukrainian cuisine to Kyiv Social, which will host a celebration of Ukrainian culture in a ten-course degustation that brings purpose beyond the plate.
While enjoying the authentic dishes and reimagined classics, an all-female Ukrainian band will play traditional music, and you will feel even fuller knowing that through a collaboration with Plate It Forward, the event will contribute 200 meals to Ukrainian individuals in need in Sydney and Ukraine.
THE DETAILS
When: Tuesday 4 June
Where: Kyiv Social, Chippendale
Tickets: Here
A Culinary Canvas By Danielle Alvarez
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Celebrate women in Australian gastronomy, winemaking, and music in a night of art, culture, and cuisine in the Yallamundi Rooms at the front of the Sydney Opera House. Leading the charge is Danielle Alvarez, whose career has seen her take up residence at Chez Panisse, The French Laundry, and holding two hats during her time at Paddington’s Fred’s.
Wines curated by leading Australian sommelier Louella Mathews feature the greatest offerings from female winemakers, served with a side of great music from Australian musician Katie Noonan. A percentage of the ticket sales from the event will be donated to the Vivid Sydney charity partner, Médecins Sans Frontières.
THE DETAILS
When: From Friday 7 June
Where: Yallamundi Rooms, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Our Shared Humanity
Refettorio OzHarvest, Surry Hills
Refettorio OzHarvest plays host to Our Shared Humanity, a series of exclusive leading-chef-curated dinners with connection at their heart. Australia’s best chefs will partner with OzHarvest to bring three-course vegetarian menus that will feed your heart and soul as much as your tum.
We’re hanging out for the authentic Neapolitan vegetarian menu from Orazio D’Elia, who is known for approachable Italian dishes usually plated at his acclaimed Bondi venue, Da Orazio. All meals will be created using rescued produce, ensuring that not a moment or an ingredient is wasted.
THE DETAILS
When: From Friday 24 May
Where: Refettorio OzHarvest, Surry Hills
Tickets: Here
Header image credit: Vivid Fire Kitchen | Destination NSW
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