How to spend 36 hours in Walsh Bay

Whirling around Walsh Bay is now more magical than ever. It’s time to get in on the action at Sydney’s newest harbourside dining and performance precinct.

It’s been a long time in the making, but three years after works began to revitalise and restore the wharves at Walsh Bay, the City of Sydney has done the big reveal on this legendary new landmark performance precinct. It’s safe to say, it will take dedicated art and theatre lovers many return visits to appreciate all that’s on offer.

A photo of a bridge over water with the opera house.

Rediscover Walsh Bay.

What to expect

As well as being home to Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre, Sydney’s brightest new arts precinct has also provided Bell Shakespeare with its first permanent headquarters in its 32-year history. It’s also important to mention the Walsh Bay Art Precinct was a traditional meeting place of the Gadigal people for millennia and an industrial hub through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance.

The resident companies at the carefully repurposed, heritage-listed finger wharves, which sit on the land and water of the Gadigal people, also include the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Theatre for Young People, Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Philharmonic Choirs and The Song Company.

A 36-hour itinerary for Walsh Bay

In addition to the award-winning heritage-listed architecture and art, the waterfront neighbourhood of Walsh Bay is a spectacular backdrop for a city weekender. Here’s how to best spend 36 hours in Walsh Bay.

Piers on the water with a bridge and a city.

Walsh Bay is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway.

A workout at Sydney Dance Company

11am: Dig out your best legwarmers, leotard and neon-bright tutu for the Introductory Short Course of Adult Dance Classes that will get you in the groove at Sydney Dance Company, which is renowned around the world for its contemporary dance performances.

Put your sneakers on and dance away to start the day in the right way.

The company has been a resident of the purpose-built studios at The Wharf in Sydney’s Walsh Bay since 1986 and has, in the past few years, found a new audience with its program of online, on-demand and virtual classes.

If you’re not ready for the serious cardio that comes with an adult dance class, you can instead build up to the barre by working on tightening your abs with Pilates instructor Felicity McGee.

As well as offering personalised Pilates programs to members of the public, Felicity, a former ballerina, is now the strength and conditioning manager for the Sydney Dance Company’s ensemble of dancers.

Stretching and a pilates session is another nice way to start your morning.

Felicity moves with all the fluidity of a dancer as she guides me toward the trapeze table to assess which areas of my body I need to focus on. The room, on the second floor of the Sydney Dance Company’s premises overlooking Sydney Harbour, is full of Pilates props such as high-density foam rollers, balls, and back-arc barrels.

Felicity is very intuitive and, as someone who had to pirouette away from her promising dance career due to injury, is right there with me as she instructs me to find the joy in movement and meditation and breath work. I walk out of her studio feeling like I’m three inches taller and, weeks later, still find power in the everyday exercises Felicity gave me to soften my posture and improve on the lingering pain in my lower back.

Channel Jennifer Beal in Flashdance and mooch around the many cafes, bars and restaurants where you can rub shoulders with colourful local residents, Sydney Dance Company dancers, and Australian Chamber Orchestra musicians. You’re also likely to see thespians coming and going from rehearsals, but play it cool. This is not the place to fangirl.

Lunch at Lotus Dumpling

Noon: Watch the dumpling chefs fold and pinch precious little dumplings in this atmospheric spot with an open kitchen that is centred around the chef station.

Take a seat on one of the mint-green stools at the bar and inhale the aroma of the eatery’s most popular pork-and-chive creations while watching the kitchen team preparing baskets of dumplings that disappear within an hour or so of being made.

The Lotus Dumpling bar, which is part of the Lotus Dumpling Group, is a dumpling destination for die-hard lovers of the steamed or pan-seared treats; expect fillings such as shiitake mushrooms, prawns, pan-fried chicken and kimchi and pork and prawns.

A man sitting at a table with Asian food.

Dig in and treat yourself to a range of delicious dumplings. (Image: Alana Dimou)

Follow a plate of dumplings with plates to share such as five-spiced soft-shell crab with chilli and fried garlic, crispy eggplant with honey and chilli and crispy chicken in Shandong sauce. The sweet and sour pork is also one of the restaurant’s signature mains.

Step into the restaurant with the cobblestone floors and you will feel like you’ve landed in a cool backstreet bar in Shanghai: there are Chinese characters scrawled across roughed-up brick walls and oversized copper lights enhancing the atmosphere in the dimly lit space.

A photo of a restaurant with chairs, tables and a bar.

The Lotus Dumpling Bar has all the perfect elements for you to start the weekend off in style. (Image: Alana Dimou)

Spa treatment at the Day Spa by Chuan

1pm: The Day Spa by Chuan at The Langham is one of Sydney’s well-loved underground sanctuaries. After treating myself to a Chuan Harmony massage, I’m invited to choose my ‘element’: Earth, Metal, Water, Fire, Wood after answering a few simple questions about what season I prefer and what time of day. I wind up with Water and at this stage am heavily invested in the massage, which is a signature Chuan Harmony treatment combining acupressure with massage techniques.

The indoors of a spa centre with a reception, bench and flowers.

Getting a massage is a nice touch to your weekend.

I float out of the space with fluffed chakras, wafting lavender in my wake to indulge in some freestyle float therapy in the 20-metre indoor pool, which features a star-dappled night-sky ceiling and summery murals.

Check-in at The Langham Sydney

2:45pm: The hotel is housed in an Irish Georgian-style building that underwent a $30 million remodel located in the historic harbourside enclave of Miller’s Point. It is surrounded by terraced houses and laid-back pubs and my room has a harbour outlook across Sydney, the perfect base for a staycation.

Cocktails at the Observatory Bar, at The Langham Sydney

4.45pm: The Pink Rose cocktail is a lavish indulgence served at the Observatory Bar that perfectly encapsulates The Langham brand, which has pops of that signature colour of pink throughout the lobby bar.

The cocktail bar here is manned by proper mixologists and the Pink Rose cocktail arrives under a cloche and covered in a pink-hued cloud of vapour for extra drama.

Touches of pink can also be found in the bouquets of pink roses on every table and the place is popular for special occasions, with couples here on first dates to those celebrating significant anniversaries.

Pre-show dinner at the Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf

6pm: Act one, scene one. Meet your significant other at The Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf at Pier 4 before seeing the latest show produced by the Sydney Theatre Company or Bell Shakespeare. The newly renovated bar is designed to enhance a night at the theatre with the act of sharing plates of goods with great company as part of the experience.

Try to ignore the A-list actors in the corner and sit outside the warehouse-style space to enjoy a glass of wine alongside plates of skin-on fries and crispy beer-battered fish while drinking in those sweeping views of the Sydney Harbour. The bar is open late in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays if you want to dissect the show.

Catch a show at the Sydney Theatre Company

7:30pm: The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct has long been a place that shares stories through music, song and dance. Tap into the rich vein of content by logging onto the Sydney Theatre Company where you will find behind-the-scenes interviews, features, podcasts and more that will inspire you ahead of the show. Check out What’s On for the calendar year so you can select your seats in advance.

A photo of a theatre in the dark with people sitting and watching the scene.

Get down to the Sydney Theatre Company and enjoy the show. (Image: Brett Boardman)

Set the alarm early to catch the sunrise

6am: The best time to capture the sunrise over Sydney Harbour is at dawn when everything is honeyed in a golden light. The streets of the city around Walsh Bay and Miller’s Point used to feel quite deserted pre-dawn. But the new residential apartments at Walsh Bay have invigorated the area.

Enjoy the chirping of birds and the groups of early-morning walkers all out and about to see Sydney Harbour in all its glory. Clock up a few morning laps in the pool at The Langham Sydney before setting off for the day.

Breakfast at Zupano Espresso

8.30am: This family-run cafe serves delicious breakfast fare in a beautifully relaxed setting right over the water at Walsh Bay. The Zupano Espresso Bar serves as a hub for hip young creatives who slope in their slouchy beanies and wide-leg jeans for avocado on sourdough, and a sophisticated Sydney set who are delighted with their new digs in Walsh Bay.

Bread on a white plate with avocado, eggs and salmon

Refuel your body with Zupano’s delicious breakfasts.

The owners, Antonia and Theo Laliotis, inject a lot of love and Greek hospitality into the offerings here and it’s become a buzzing little hotspot for cyclists, exercise enthusiasts, staycationers and holidaymakers.

During Covid-19, the Laliotis family got creative, and Zupano’s Home Greek Feast Pack remains on the menu. It’s the perfect pit stop for coffee and bakalavak to boureko drenched in a sugary syrup.

Although the menu is inspired by the Mediterranean and loaded with Greek herbs and spices, it’s designed for Australians and suitably described by the Laliotis family as ‘Aussiterranean’.

The homemade spanakopita is so coveted you’ll have to get in early before they’re snaffled. It’s the simplicity and seasonality that makes the dishes here so special and oh the spanakopita … it could operate as its own currency.

Ventuno Walsh Bay Historical Walking Tour & Lunch

10am: Sure, you could set off on foot for your own walking tour of Millers Point. But the area is best explored with Sydney historian Max Burns-McRuvie’s Merchants, Mysteries and Pubs who expands on the history of the harbourside village with colourful tales featuring merchant princes and larrikin locals.

The tour, which goes for just under two hours, sets off from Ventuno restaurant, where a dark, grisly discovery was made by a doctor in a nearby cobblestoned lane. Max colours in the margins for visitors, taking the reins in the glare of bright Sydney sunshine and using the humble terraces and wonderfully ambient wool stores as the backdrop for his storytelling.

In addition to the murky maritime stories, Max rewinds the clock on this notorious neighbourhood as we roam down cobbled alleyways to hear the storied history of the area, which was once teeming with local scallywags, sailors and smugglers.

Max also details the restoration of Millers Point and Walsh Bay before returning to restaurant Ventuno for a communal lunch to unpack all that we’ve learned about the precinct’s colourful past.

Enjoy a glug of good Italian wine and food from the set menu at Ventuno Pizzeria Birreria Enoteca, which is owned by the Sydney Restaurant Group (Aqua Dining, Ripples Chowder Bay, Ormeggio at the Spit, etc) and located near to the Walsh Bay Wharves, which were constructed in the 1920s.

See what’s on at Pier 2/3 at Walsh Bay

2pm: You will have a new appreciation for the heritage-listed finger wharf when you’ve learned all about its industrial history on your walking tour of the precinct designed to ‘sex up Sydney’s history’.

The finger wharf is really one of the jewels in the crown of the Walsh Bay precinct, which was part of a landmark project by the NSW Government and Create Infrastructure to rejuvenate Walsh Bay into a cultural and creative hub.

Australia’s newest cultural precinct was awarded the top honour at the 2022 NSW Architecture Awards alongside the award for Public Architecture, the Greenway Award for Heritage and a commendation for Interior Architecture. The Precinct also won in the Adaptive Reuse category at the National Trust Heritage Awards 2022.

A window overlooking a bridge and water.

Walk around and get amazing views of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge. (Image: Brett Boardman)

Director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, Peter Tonkin, said it had been an honour and a privilege working on the robust and beautiful 20th century buildings at Walsh Bay. During a tour of the Bell Shakespeare space, Tonkin says the spaces were imbued with the kind of richness and texture that cannot be achieved with a new build.

Tonkin consulted heavily with companies such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra to get the acoustics right and the result is a beautifully realised time capsule that has been adapted with great effect.

Explore new worlds of live music. (Image: Nic Walker)

“We’ve used active architecture to change the acoustics of depth and space of the room, so it is like you’re in a cathedral. Creative people are so great to work with because they sort of comprehend the process you’re undertaking. It was important that I understood their brief in order to create something like this," he says.

Roslyn Mayled, director, Create Infrastructure, says the vision for the project was to get ‘a whole lot of creatives together in one space’. “We wanted the production and performers to be in one space. That way, everyone feels like they’re part of this creative process. By bringing all these creative forces together there’s a kind of collaboration that happens by default.

High tea at the Langham

3pm: The crowd at the Langham Sydney’s Afternoon Tea ranges from a pink-haired tween and her grandma to a gaggle of women celebrating a significant birthday, and a couple with angular cheekbones taking Instagram shots of the exquisite arrangement on their three-tiered tray.

It’s a heightened sensory overload, with Laurent-Perrier Champagne flowing and Wedgwood tea sets in a genteel setting that adds to the air of luxury at The Langham. Given the tradition of serving luxury afternoon tea to guests began at The Langham, London, in 1865, it’s fitting that this version on offer is much loved by both visitors and locals.

Duck into the The Langham Sydney between 11am and 5pm daily to enjoy afternoon tea in these opulent surrounds, which provide a refuge from the hubbub of inner-urban Sydney.

Visit The Langham Sydney website to see whether there are any themed afternoon teas on offer, as they change with the seasons but do expect staples such as cucumber and chive cream cheese finger sandwiches and plain scones with strawberry jam and cream. Republica Cel Cacao white chocolate mousse with truffle and hazelnut praline is worth a sonnet on its own.

As well as being a place for celebrations and special occasions, The Langham, Sydney, is a daytime hangout, too, which you can book via DayAway.

Catch a show at the Australian Theatre for Young People’s Rebel Theatre

5pm: The ATYP is a national theatre company that aims to enrich the lives of young Australians through transformative theatre experiences.

Children sitting in theatre seats and smiling.

The Australian Theatre for Young People specialises in integrating professional theatre practice with supportive youth theatre process. (Image: Tracey Schramm)

The 196-seater space, built with the help of a $1 million donation by actor Rebel Wilson is sitting pretty in its new harbourfront home, with rows of rich red velvet seats, state-of-the-art acoustics, and theatrical interiors designed by Tobhiyah Stone Feller.

Two girls standing in a dark room and performing

A show at the Australian Theatre for Young People is always a good idea. (Image: Tracey Schramm)

Details of performance dates and how to book are available via the company websites.

Dinner at Kitchens on Kent

7pm: Kitchens on Kent is a refreshingly laid-back hotel hideout. By early evening, there are some low-fi beats that you will want to add to your Spotify playlist, and a row of comfy couches where you can kick back in. Again, expect a steady stream of locals and, in true Aussie fashion, a dress code that veers from Zimmermann-clad fashionistas to an arty Avalon look of nautical tee with tailored jeans.

There are a lot of different offerings at Kitchens on Kent so time your visit appropriately: truffles are the focus in winter; stone fruits get top billing in summer. Also, you can opt for interactive dining, and buffets that are as diverse as they are innovative, everything from Tales from the Sea to Charcuteries & Grazing, Flavours of Asia and A Taste of India. Sushi and sashimi obsessives will also love the Raw Bar. Vegetables also get top billing.

If you’d prefer a la carte, Kitchens on Kent is also an exciting pit stop. The thoughtful menu by executive chef Stephen Lech includes dishes such as Queensland spanner crab tortellini, Tasmanian octopus with chargrill chorizo, and Riverina Black Angus grain-fed beef fillet with shoestring fries.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!