The 10 best streets in Sydney
Sydney is best known for its harbour, its beaches and its weather. But let's look beyond what Sydney is most famous for and dig a little deeper to discover what truly makes Sydney...Sydney; the city streets.
From the architecture to the streetscape, from the micro-cafes pumping out the best flat whites in town to the late night bars that push on in spite of the city's lockout laws, this entry aims to compile all the things that make the high street great, and rank the best Sydney has to offer. Here we go.
10. Stanley Street
Location: Darlinghurst
Length: 180m
I wrote about Stanley Street on this blog in August 2017. What Stanley Street lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality and friendly neighbourhood appeal. Quaint terraces and slow speed traffic further enhance the relaxed vibe.
The new Stanley Street lineup has a restaurant for just about every taste and every budget. This includes Brick Lane (Indian), Dumplings and Beer (Chinese), Inca's (Peruvian), Lucky Suzie (Malaysian), Sushi on Stanley (Japanese) and Italian institutions which hark back to the days of Little Italy - Beppi's, Bill and Toni's, Reggio Lounge, Sagra and Verde.
The close proximity and semi-alfresco nature of the street's bars and pubs also make it an attractive proposition for the odd bar crawl - think , Johnny Fontane's, the Lord Roberts, Stanley's, The Long Goodbye and Wings 'n Tins (the newest kid on the block).
How to get here: Hop on the 389 bus to get directly to Stanley Street, or take the 650 metre walk downhill from Museum Station.
9. Dixon Street
Location: Haymarket
Length: 370m
Restaurant hawkers temptingly wave menus at you as you walk past. Buskers are common place. And the weekly Friday Chinatown Night Market has been a huge hit. Welcome to Chinatown.
This largely pedestrianised street runs three blocks from Liverpool Street in the north to Hay Street in the south. You'll find everything from a pub (Covent Garden) to late night karaoke parlours (Dynasty, K1) and late night restaurants (Arisun, Emperor's Garden, Old Town Hong Kong, Superbowl).
But the real rewards of Dixon Street lie beyond what you see on the street. Make time to explore the surprising shopping centres and food courts - from Eating World to Dixon House and Number One Dixon to the Sussex Centre. Here you'll stumble across some of Sydney's best ramen at Gumshara, Indonesian and Malaysian staples at Pondok-Selera and the latest fashion from Beijing to Hong Kong.
A few paragraphs cannot possibly do Dixon Street justice, so check out this complete list of every Chinatown food stall by Noodlies.
How to get here: Catch the light rail to Paddy's Markets, walk 500m from Town Hall Station to the top of Dixon Street, or 600m from Central Station to the bottom of Dixon Street.
8. Queen Street
Location: Woollahra
Length: 530m
Queen Street is possibly the nicest suburban high street in Sydney. The leafy canopy provides a welcome respite from the blazing hot Aussie summer sun, and the mix of apartment buildings, houses, terraces and shopfronts (ranging from art galleries to antique stores and Aussie designers) is immaculate.
Queen Street is also home to some genuine purveyors of fine food (cheers Kel). I'm thinking macarons and tea at Laduree, hampers from Simon Johnson (perfect for a summer arvo in nearby Centennial Park) and meats at the iconic Victor Churchill. None other than Anthony Bourdain described Victor Churchill as the 'most beautiful butcher shop in the world.' Who am I to disagree?
If your little ones are in need of some new clothes after all that food, you're in luck, as Armani Junior has a store at No.118. It is the Eastern Suburbs after all!
How to get here: Hop on the 200 bus or the 328 bus for direct access to Queen Street, the 388 or 389 for access from Ocean Street or the 333, 352, 380, 440 or M40 from Oxford Street.
7. Macleay Street
Location: Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay
Length: 520m
Postcode 2011 was my 'hood for almost three years and Macleay Street is the neighbourhood's main street. The London Plane trees provide plenty of shade in summer and, when they lose their leaves in the cooler months, afford some fantastic views of the historic art deco apartment buildings which line the street.
The 2018 Good Food Guide nominates six hatted restaurants (The Apollo, Billy Kwong, Bistro Rex, Cho Cho San, Monopole, Yellow) on Macleay Street...that's a hatted restaurant less than every 90 metres!
Throw in the cafes, the delis, the wholefood stores and the weekend food markets at Fitzroy Gardens, and surely Macleay Street lays claim to being the best foodie street in Australia?!
How to get here: Macleay Street is easily accessible by train to Kings Cross Station, or catch the 311 for direct bus access.
6. Crown Street
Location: Surry Hills
Length: 1.37km
Crown Street would have featured firmly in the top five on this list five years ago. Crown Street has lost some of its spark in the intervening years with the closure or relocation of restaurant heavyweights such as Bentley, Billy Kwong, Marque and Master.
The Crown Street of late 2017 still provides something for everyone...
Shopping ranges from thrift shops (Cream on Crown, Salvos) to multi-label retailers (Collector Store, The Stables), and international brands (A.P.C, Rapha) to specialty stores (Oscar and Friends for books and Title for music and films). Then there's the monthly markets held at Shannon Reserve.
Eating spans breakfast (Bills, Four Eat Five, Mad Spuds Cafe) to dinner (Bang, Nour, Via Napoli), and watering holes include pubs (The Clock, The Dolphin and Trinity Bar) and bars (Low 302, Rosie Campbell's and The Winery).
The Surry Hills Library and Community Centre has become something of a local landmark, designed by acclaimed Sydney firm FJMT.
How to get here: Crown Street is a bit of a trek from the nearest railway station, so the most convenient form of public transport is the bus. Hop on the 301, 302, 303 or 352.
5. Pitt Street
Location: Sydney & Haymarket
Length: 2.46km
Pitt Street is very much a sum of its parts. Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded. The northern extent of Pitt Street intersects with Circular Quay, Sydney's most famous locality. Pitt Street Mall, one of the world's most expensive retail streets, dominates it's mid-range. And the southern extent of Pitt Street slides through Koreatown and Thaitown before intersecting with Railway Square.
Pitt Street Mall is very much an exercise in globalisation and fast fashion. H&M? Check. Uniqlo? Check. Zara? Check. Microsoft, Sephora, Nespresso? Check, check, check. What makes Pitt Street Mall special is it is one of the few spaces in Central Sydney that is pedestrianised...and this affords visitors a chance to listen to and watch some of the best buskers in the city.
When you're all shopped out, head south and veg out at some of Sydney's best late night restaurants (Korean at O Bal Tan and Myung Jang, Naruone, Sydney Madang, Thai at Boon Cafe, Chonsiam, Khaosan, Yok Sod Thai). If you're lucky, you may even be treated to some Korean or Thai comedy or live music!
How to get here: Pitt Street is well serviced by public transport, with its two extremities bookended by Central and Circular Quay Stations. Come 2024, Pitt Street will also benefit from a new metro station beneath the block between Park Street and Bathurst Street. The new CBD and South East Light Rail Line will run one block to the west, and plenty of buses run north-south on Castlereagh (one block to the east) and Elizabeth (two blocks to the east) Streets.
4. Enmore Road
Location: Enmore & Newtown
Length: 790m
Enmore Road is THE street of the moment, having gone from that road the Enmore Theatre is on to one of the hottest eating and drinking streets in Oz.
Potentially aided by an influx of revellers jaded by the lockout laws in other parts of Sydney, Enmore Road has seen a slew of new restaurants (Bovine & Swine, Hartsyard, Queen Chow, Stanbuli), bars (Jacoby's, The Gretz, The Smelly Goat, Zebra Bar) and dessert options (Cow & The Moon, Saga) open in the last five years.
And the street is positively buzzing. A chaotic but exciting mix of alfresco tables and chairs, large numbers of pedestrians and Sydney's ever constant traffic adds to the atmosphere.
Then of course there is the Enmore Theatre, a landmark live theatre that has been rocked to its core by some of the biggest music acts in the world including Coldplay, Oasis and The Rolling Stones.
How to get here: Hop on the 355, 423, 426, 428, L23 or M30 for direct access to Enmore Road, or take the short walk from nearby Newtown Station.
3. Oxford Street
Location: Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Paddington & Woollahra
Length: 2.43km
Oxford Street has been suffering from the impact of the lockout laws, however this street has had to weather external forces (new Westfields, the GFC, the lockout laws) for the better part of 15 years.
Lower Oxford Street has long been synonymous with Sydney's LGBTQI community. There are a range of popular bars, nightclubs and pubs, and half a million people flock to Oxford Street every March for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, making it the largest street parade in Australia.
Merivale swooped on the upper end of Oxford Street in late 2015, opening one hatted restaurant/pub hybrid, The Paddington. This was followed in 2016 by two hatted fine diner Fred's, a basement cocktail bar (Charlie Parker's) and a chicken rotisserie (The Chicken Shop).
Middle and upper Oxford Street has retained its position as a popular shopping destination, particularly around intersections with Glenmore Road and William Street. Incu is located at No's 256-258, Parlour X has taken up residence in a former church at No.261 and the weekly Paddington Markets continue to draw in crowds.
How to get here: Catch the train to Museum Station or one of 13 bus routes (311, 352, 373, 377, 380, 392, 394, 396, 397, 399, 440, L94, M10, M40 or X39) for access to Lower Oxford Street (Darlinghurst, Surry Hills). For access to Upper Oxford Street (Paddington, Woollahra), hop on the 333, 352, 380, 440 or M40.
2. George Street
Location: The Rocks, Sydney & Haymarket
Length: 3km
George Street has long played the role of Sydney's main street. It runs approximately 3.1 kilometres from The Rocks in the north to Railway Square in the south, linking some of Sydney's most significant civic, cultural and heritage buildings and spaces including the Harbour Bridge, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Martin Place, the Queen Victoria Building, Town Hall and the Capitol Theatre.
George Street is a globalised shopping destination in its own right with three shopping centres (the Queen Victoria Building, The Galeries, World Square), two department stores (Myer, T Galleria by DFS) and flagship stores by international (Apple, Burberry, Nike, Louis Vuitton, Topman Topshop) and national (Cotton On, Country Road, Dymocks, General Pants, Telstra) retailers.
In recent years, George Street's food game has strengthened with the opening of Bistro Guillaume at No.259, Indu at No.350, The Grounds of the City at The Galeries, Tim Ho Wan at No.580 and a suite of new cafes and restaurants at Regent Place.
You'll find the city's busiest cinema (Event) at No.505 and the popular live music venue the Metro Theatre at No.624. These two venues anchor George Street's entertainment district, which also includes more than a dozen late night bars, karaoke parlours and pubs of varying quality.
However the role of George Street as Sydney's main street has been temporarily downgraded as the street is in the midst of major changes. The $2.1 billion CBD and South East Light Rail Line has reached the final stages of construction, ahead of testing and ultimate passenger services in early 2019. George Street will be serviced by no less than five new stops (Bridge Street, Wynyard, QVB, Town Hall, Chinatown), and the 1km section between Bathurst Street and Hunter Street will become a pedestrian mall...a welcome change in a car-dominant city centre.
How to get here: Three of the busiest railway stations in Australia (Central, Town Hall, Wynyard) virtually run beneath George Street. Access to George Street will be further enhanced with the opening of the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford light rail lines in early 2019.
1. King Street
Location: Newtown
Length: 2.13km
For all of its traffic congestion and its location beneath a flight path, King Street is the best street in Sydney. The Inner West has a progressive, open and accepting atmosphere. This is best reflected in King Street, where you can see it in its people, in its buildings and in its street art. Coldplay captured the vibe of King Street well in the music video for its 2014 hit "A Sky Full of Stars."
If the lockout laws have diminished other traditional nightlife precincts in Sydney, they have helped to turbocharge King Street. Where else could you eat dinner at 7pm, watch a movie at 8pm, buy a book at 10pm, catch a gig at 11pm, have a beer at 1am...leave the pub at 3am...and round out the night with some dancing and karaoke until the sun comes up??!
The range of small businesses that line the length of King Street is more diverse than anywhere else in Sydney. Buy books at Better Read Than Dead, Modern Times and Elizabeth Books and music at Hum on King, Pete's Musicians Market and Repressed Records. Listen to live music at the Leadbelly. Play mini-golf at Holey Moley and retro video games at 1989 Kitchen & Arcade. Catch a movie at the Dendy. Enjoy a sit down meal at one of the many restaurants, where over a dozen cuisines are represented.
King Street is also a popular shopping destination with vintage and second hand clothing stores such as C's Flashback, Cream on King, the Collective Ensemble and Vinnies, Aussie brands like AS Colour, Nique, Jack London and The Acadamy Brand, Huffer from New Zealand and multi-label store, Maple.
So whilst Sydney is best known for its harbour, its beaches and its weather, dig a little deeper to explore the city's streets. And although tourists and locals alike gravitate to places such as Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Bondi Beach and Manly, make sure you leave some time to explore Sydney's best street - King Street in Newtown.
How to get here: Catch the train to Newtown Station for access to central and northern King Street, and to St Peters for access to southern King Street. Alternatively, hop on the 352, 370, 422, 423, 426, 428, L23, L28 or M30 for access to northern and central King Street, or the 352, 370 or 422 for access to southern King Street.