Countdown to the Long Weekend: Sydney’s Must-Visit Restaurants & Bars

Australia Day is almost upon us, the weather looks OK and there is plenty to see and do in Sydney this weekend 🔭 🍽️ 🍸️ 🎾 

Given the occasion I have dug up some great options in Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood, The Rocks and a reminder of a special date for the coming month 😍 

1. Get fused with an Asian fusion meal in Sydney's first neighbourhood

Tucked into the Ground Level of Campbell’s Cove with a mesmerizing view of Sydney harbour you find the amazing Luna Lu.

The Luna Lu menu is brilliant. A fusion of traditional with the modern, very much like Sydney itself. A deep and all inclusive Asian inspired menu that will delight all including; entrée of cold and hot seafood, pork belly, beef short ribs, duck spring rolls, artistic dims sims, main courses of seafood, beef, chicken, pork and duck.. Vegetarian and vegan options also available.

The Dongpo Pork Belly slow cooked Byron Bay Berkshire Pork served on crispy leeks, with a dark soy sauce infused with Chinese spices is a must have for the lovers of pork.

If you haven’t yet booked your Lunar New Year celebrations then check out Luna Lu’s Event on Friday 7th February 2025

Open everyday from 12 noon until 10/11pm - you get the option to enjoy the views with a lunch or dinner. Bookings essential, call the team on 02 8220 8401.

2. Bevvies whilst working out and seeing the sights? 🚲️ 🍺 

Ingenuity - pedaling a tavern around The Rocks and checking into a couple of favourite venues for a meal 🍽️ and a drink 🍷 . Just genius 😆 

The team at The Travelling Tavern has assembled two options for a unique travelling pub crawl. “On the Rocks” - you pedal around Sydney’s historic spots, stop at two venues and is perfect for mates, families and history buffs. “Pedal & Pub” sees you and your friends pedaling through The Rocks and stopping at two of Sydney’s finest pubs. A third option is you can customise a ride outside of the usual tour hours - a special event on your terms.

Tours are $1,320 for up to 15 people includes two drinks per person from the Travelling Tavern menu. Available for tours on Saturday and Sunday. Each tour runs for approximately 75 minutes.

All tours kick off at 182 Cumberland Street, The Rocks. Bookings via the website.

3. True crime you say? Yes the type from our dark past 🪒 🔫 

Explore the dark underbelly of Sydney on the Razor Gangs True Crime Tour take a walk on the razor’s edge…

Experience Sydney in a time of war, when the Razor Gangs battled for supremacy, and the balance between good and evil sat on the finest point of the sharpest razor’s edge.

Relive Sydney’s Razor Gang era – a time of gangsters with larger-than-life personalities brutally engaged in the sharp edge of a fully-fledged gang war during the roaring 1920s and into the 30s.

Adult prices are $34. Tours run for 1.5 hours over 2 kilometres on Friday (7:30 pm) and Saturday (5:00 pm) evenings. Bookings via the website.

4. AO - not "Adults Only" it is the Australian Open Tennis Finals weekend 🎾 

Tennis, tennis, tennis !! Yes it is the AO finals weekend which means the best tennis you will see anywhere in the world. The cost to go to Melbourne may be prohibitive but the TV coverage is really first class.

The men’s and women’s singles play out on Thursday and Friday (today and tomorrow). There are also matches for the doubles, juniors and wheelchair competitions.

Saturday 25 January is finals day for the women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles, wheel chair finals and juniors finals. So much tennis jammed into one day 😃 

Sunday (Australia Day) is the finals for the men’s singles and women’s doubles.

All the action can be seen on Channel 9 or advertising free on Stan Sport.

5. Love is in the air - don't forget this Shakespeare classic 💕 

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day 2025 and the Capitol Theatre is hosting “A Love that Defies All”

BIG Live (ballet international gala) are touring Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne with their stunning production of Romeo and Juliet. Set to the breathtaking scores of Sergei Prokofiev and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, brought to life by an extraordinary cast. Featuring Emilia Bignami as Juliet, Joel Burke as Romeo and Ervin Zagidullin, formerly of the Mariinsky Theatre, as the fiery Tybalt.

There are two Sydney performances at the Capitol Theatre on 14th & 15th February 2025 - perfect timing for the love struck Valentine’s.

Tickets start at $89 plus booking fee and can be purchased via Ticketmaster

I hope you have a cracking good Australia Day long weekend.

Cheers and beers,

Mick

Founder of Mick’s Five