Every year, Vivid transforms Sydney’s waterfront into something genuinely extraordinary. Where do those in the know eat before the city lights up?
This year there’s a new place to dine before (or after) Vivid this year, that brings seafood, harbour views, and $15 parking to your Vivid night out.
Sydney Fish Market hasn’t just had a glow-up, but also grown up and now allowed to stay up til 10pm (or 12am on Friday and Saturday nights).
Sydney’s best kept late night dining secret
Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: Sydney Fish Market isn’t just a morning destination anymore.
The new Sydney Fish Market has brought with it a dining precinct that runs well into the evening — open Sunday to Thursday until 10pm, and Friday and Saturday until midnight.
That means during Vivid (22 May – 13 June 2026), you have a waterfront dining precinct with more than a dozen restaurants and bars, right on Blackwattle Bay, staying open well after the lights come on. No tickets required. Just book a table or walk-in, dine on a seafood feast, and walk out into one of Sydney’s most spectacular festivals.
Park for $15 flat rate when you enter after 5pm. That’s it.
Where to Eat: The Late-Night Guide
Touch Wood
Thurs – Sat open until 10pm
Touch Wood is the kind of restaurant that earns its own pilgrimage. Seasonal, seafood-focused dining with one of the best water views on the precinct — and during Vivid, things get even more interesting. For four nights across 22–23 and 29–30 May, DEADWAX Enmore takes over the dining room, bringing their cocktail programme and DJs spinning soul, funk and R&B from 5pm. It’s a proper night out, and you can reserve your spot here.
Tam Jiak
Sun–Thu open until 9:30pm | Fri & Sat until 10pm
Malaysian dining, harbour-side. Tam Jiak has carved out a reputation for bold, generous cooking. During Vivid, order any selected drink and add a freshly shucked oyster for just $1 each (weekdays only, while stocks last). Or buy a bottle of wine and they’ll send out a complimentary half dozen. It’s the kind of offer that turns a quick dinner into a proper evening. Walk-ins welcome, or secure your table.
Lua by Luke Nguyen
Mon–Wed open until 9pm | Thu–Sun open until 10pm
Luke Nguyen brings his signature Vietnamese-French sensibility to a beautiful corner of the precinct. It’s refined without being stiff; the kind of place you book and settle into for the evening rather than rush through.
Hamsi Taverna
Daily until 10pm
A Turkish seafood taverna, open every day until 10pm throughout Vivid. Hamsi does the kind of coastal Mediterranean cooking that makes a night by the water feel inevitable chargrilled fish, mezes, good wine. Good food, good drinks – no tickets required, just book your table – simple.
Mani
Daily until 9:30pm
Mani’s modern approach to seafood dining makes it one of the precinct’s most versatile options. Open every night, it’s a reliable anchor for groups who want something a little more considered. During the Vivid period, tuck into their Chef’s Special of Queensland yabby in your choice of three flavours – Sichuan fragrant chilli, classic garlic, marinated with Chinese rice wine for an aromatic and sweet finish. Only available for dine-in, while stocks last. Secure your spot.
Nicholas Seafood & Peter’s
Fri & Sat open until 7.30pm
Nicholas Seafood & Peter’s has extended trading on Friday and Saturday nights until 7.30pm, making them a great pick for a pre-Vivid feast. As for the menu, you can’t go past live Western Australian lobster, cooked fresh on the spot with complimentary noodles and your choice of sauce – ginger and shallot, garlic butter, spicy Sichuan, Singapore chilli, XO sauce, salt & pepper, black bean sweet and sour, salted egg or Hong Kong dry style. The hardest part will be choosing!
Get Sashimi
Daily until 9pm
Sometimes the best Vivid dinner is sashimi, handled perfectly, eaten by the water. Get Sashimi does exactly that — quality sashimi-grade seafood served simply and well, every night of the week.
TJ’s Po’ Boys
Daily until 7pm | Happy Hour daily 4–6pm
If you’re heading to the lights early and want something casual and very good before you go, TJ’s is your move. Po’ boys stuffed with fresh market seafood, and during Vivid, a daily happy hour from 4–6pm: $15 cocktails (Patrón Margarita, Aperol Spritz, Passionfruit Daiquiri), $8 beers, $10 wines by the glass. Check the menu here.
Christie’s Seafoods
Daily until 9pm
Classic fish market dining done right — fresh seafood, no pretension, great value. Christie’s is the pick for those who want the quintessential Sydney Fish Market experience at night.
La Dea Pizza
Fri – Sun open until 9pm
For some reason, Roman style pizza on a weekend with water views just feels right. Add as a pre-dinner starter or the main event – or swing by to try their irresistible tiramisu flavours.
Cow & the Moon
Daily until 10pm
Award-winning gelato, open until 10pm. The best possible way to end a Vivid night, even on a cool Winter night. With unique and crowd-pleaser flavours on rotation each night, there is plenty to explore.
But where to park?
Enter after 5pm and Sydney Fish Market offers $15 flat rate every night (not just during Vivid!). It’s the easiest decision you’ll make all evening.
