The weather may be all doom and gloom, but we’re rounded up some fun activities and delicious activations to keep you in a positive frame of mind this month!
Bottomless Lunch at Mama Saan, Bondi (Every Saturday)
Under the beauty of Mama Saan’s huge cherry blossom tree, sit back to enjoy a 2hr freeflow of your favourite tipples. The bottomless drinks offering, in collaboration with Patrón Tequila, features bottomless Patron Spicy Margaritas, Patron Paloma’s, plus a whole bunch of selected tap beers & wines. The five-course shared banquet menu is centred around elevated Japanese street food flavours showcasing peak Bondi beachside casual-chicness. Find out more here.
Up To 50% Off Your Meals For TheFork Festival (Now Until 29th May)
TheFork is offering up to 50% off your meal at some well-loved establishments for the next 6 weeks and there are 40 participating restaurants in Sydney to choose from. Enjoy a dapper dining experience at one of the Bentley Group restaurants including Bentley Restaurants & Bar, Monopole, Yellow or Cirrus and score 30% off the food bill. If a casual Italian eatery is more your style, head to Criniti’s in Castle Hill, Kotara or Wetherill Park and get 30% off pizza, pasta and all the usual eats. If you really want to hit the jackpot with this deal, we’d be heading to AMBER on Pitt Street, Pappy’s Bar or The Social Bondi for a whopping 50% off your total food bill. Find out more here.
Limited Edition Middle Eastern Meets European Menu at Nour, Surry Hills
Surry Hills institution Nour is bringing notes of Sicily to its limited-edition menu available for the month of May. Head Chef Gianluca Lonati has created special dishes including smoked swordfish on top of panelle made from chickpeas, pasta chi sardi which is a thick spaghetti served with sardines, saffron and lemon sauce and pine nut pangrattato, and traditional cheese curd and almond cake. To close out the month-long menu, Nour has invited Lino Sauro from Olio Kensington Street to co-host ‘Taste Of Siquillya’ on Wednesday, 25th of May. Experience a unique 7-course banquet menu where these two cuisines merge for $150pp. Find out more here.
$15 Spicy Margaritas At North Bondi Fish When It Rains
North Bondi Fish serves up one of our favourite Spicy Margaritas in Sydney. Lucky for us, the team have just announced they’ll be pouring them for $15 every time it rains. With a very wet forecast ahead for May, we’ll be taking advantage! All you need to do is follow NBF Instagram and they’ll be posting when the rainy day margaritas are live.
$1 Oysters Every Friday at Bitton Gourment, Alexandria, Oatley & Rose Bay
Satisfy your salty seafood hankerings with a round of freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters served natural or with fresh lemon and mignonette dressing for just $1 each. The offer is available every Friday lunch from 12pm – 2pm in May. Find out more and book here.
Australian Cocktail Month (Between 1 – 31 May)
For one month only, your favourite bars will be partnering with some of the most renowned alcoholic brands to champion the country’s bar scene. Cocktail enthusiasts will be able to unlock unique bar experiences across the city for just $20 bucks. This exclusive ticket will give you free rein to a specially crafted cocktail menu at venues including Maybe Sammy, Currow Bar, Hickson House, Jangling Jacks and more. With cocktails priced at $14, and non-alcohol options at $10, nightlife in May just got cheaper and more delicious. Find out more here.
All You Can Eat Pizza Every Friday at Apollonia, CBD
The CBD’s favourite Sicilian bandit’s drinking den has just launched several new cocktails to ease us into the cooler months and an All You Can Eat Pizza offer every Friday between 12pm – 4pm for just $20pp. The pizza sourdough slices will come piping hot from sister venue Bar Mammoni next door giving you the perfect opportunity to work your way through their sensational list of toppings including tomato, pork, king prawn, octopus, roasted fennel and garlic cream; and stracciatella, truffle honey, black garlic and broccoli pesto. Find out more here.
Dumplings, Cocktails & Live Music Every Sunday at Lilymu
Every Sunday in May from 12pm – 4pm, Executive Chef Brendan Fong will be dishing up a seven-course tasting menu at Lilymu featuring dim sums, new cocktails and a live DJ to bring the buzzy atmosphere. This contemporary eatery is known for crafting Chinese & South East Asian dishes in the heart of Paramatta. The menu features dishes including Beef Rendang and Mozzarella Spring Rolls, Mud Crab and Scallop Dumplings, Tom Yum Prawn Dumplings and Live Pippies in Lilymu XO Sauce. This is paired with a selection of specially curated cocktails from Four Pillars. Find out more and book here.
Taco & Tequila Fiesta at So Cal, Neural Bay (Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th May)
Sydney’s adored Mexican eatery, So Cal, is bringing back their Taco & Tequila Fiesta this Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy a staggering lineup of interactive events and specials to celebrate this quintessential Mexican celebration. From All You Can Eat Tacos for just $39pp on Tuesday the 3rd, Tequila Cocktail Masterclasses on the terrace with live music on Wednesday the 4th, the annual Chilli Eating Competition and Sweaty Senorita Lunch featuring reformer Pilates classes and a bottomless lunch to follow on Saturday the 7th, there’s plenty of reasons to book a table this Cinco de Mayo. Find out more here.
Bottomless Fiesta This Cinco de Mayo at Salty’s, Bondi (Thursday 5th May)
Salty’s is bringing you all you can eat tacos with 2 hours of bottomless, beer, wine and spirits for just $69pp this Cinco de Mayo. Take your pick from Chargrilled Chicken, Pulled Pork, Spiced Prawns and Buffalo Cauliflower. To add to the celebrations, there will be live DJs playing beats in the restaurant till date, $5 taco, $15 classic margaritas and happy hour between 4-6pm. Find out more and book here.
$1 Tacos at Milpa Collective Venues This Cinco de Mayo (Thursday 5th May)
Newly opened Milpa Collective venues including Londres 126 in The Rocks, Casa Merida in Potts Point and Santa Caterina in the CBD will be offering up tacos for just $1 each all day long this Cinco de Mayo. With techniques and recipes directly imported from Mexico, Milpa Collective are offering one of the most authentic Cinco De Mayo in town. Each venue will have two tacos to choose from including the Cochinita Pibil (Yucatan slow-roasted pork) and a vegetarian option. Casa Merida will also have $14 margaritas all day to pair. Discover their seven locations and book here.
Chiswick’s 10th Birthday Menu (From Thursday 5th May)
The team from Chiswick in the heart of Woollahra are celebrating the restaurant’s 10th birthday this May. Matt Moran has curated a special menu to celebrate that will be available from Thursday, 5th of May for $90pp. The menu features some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes over the last decade including Popcorn Prawns, Butterflied Trout, Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder and so much more. Discover the full menu and book your table.
Mother’s Day Celebrations (Sunday 8th May)
From mums to grandmothers and other motherly figures in your life, we can all agree they deserve a day to be celebrated. Sunday the 8th of May is the day we shine a light on the mums in our lives and all the incredible things they do for us. We’ve rounded up some ways to make them feel special including booking a table at a harbourfront restaurant, settling in for studio time with a unique photoshoot experience and more. Find out more here.
Atticus On Fire Pop Up at Esteban, CBD (Monday 9th, 16th & 23rd of May)
Atticus Hospitality (Tequila Mockingbird & Esteban) are turning their attention to Argentinian cuisine with a new multi-storey restaurant coming soon to Balmain. Although the doors won’t open until later this year, you can get a taste of what’s to come at the ‘Atticus On Fire’ pop-up happening at Esteban. Each week a limited number of guests can experience the very best Argentinian flavours brought to life with premium Australian produce for $105pp. The pop-up will run for five exclusive sessions where each guest will be asked to review the dishes and their overall experience through a QR code. Find out more and book here.
Chef Marcelo Munoz From Continental Takes Over PS40, CBD (Tuesday 10th of May)
Unique Sydney cocktail bar PS40 has invited Chef Marcelo Munoz from Continental to take over the kitchen for a special event. Known for transforming the common vegetable from humble to hero, expect a menu of exceptional creativity and intriguing flavour combination for just $65pp. Dishes include housemade focaccia, Broccoli Lollipop with anchovy mayo, Pea Tart with buttermilk ricotta, Gnoccho Fritto, a cocktail on arrival and so much more. Bookings are available at 6pm & 8pm and can be secured via email – bookings@ps40bar.com
Bottomless Weekend Launch at Mama Saan, Bondi (Starting Saturday 14th May)
Bondi’s chic beachside eatery Mama Saan is launching a bottomless lunch offering that will kick off with a party on Saturday 14th May. The five-course shared banquet menu is centred around elevated Japanese street food flavours. For entrées, freshly shucked Oysters with Sweet Yuzu Dressing are on the menu, followed by a signature Sashimi Taco and eking Duck Baos. Sit back to enjoy a 2hr freeflow of your favourite tipples including Patron Spicy Margaritas. The bottomless lunch launch party will be soundtracked to a sun-drenched DJ set from Billy Otto and friends. Find out more and book here.
Diplomatico x Alibi Bar & Kitchen Sustainable Dinner Series (Wednesday 18th May)
One of our favourite rum brands Diplomatico has partnered with Alibi Bar & Kitchen, Sydney’s adored Vegan restaurant nestled inside Ovolo Hotels in Woolloomooloo has launched a Sustainable Dinner Series to commemorate World Earth Day. Expect a menu of conscious cuisine highlighting the best Australian produce across plant-based dishes. From Beetroot Tartare, Mushroom Pithivier and a Banana Old Fashioned on the drinks menu, get ready to challenge your perception of what sustainable dining looks and tastes like. There are tickets available for the next dinner on Wednesday, 18th of May for $150pp. Find out more and book here.
Great Australasian Beer Spectacular, Darling Harbour (Friday 20th & Saturday 21st May)
Australia’s longest-running craft beer festival returns to the shores of Sydney Harbour bringing its biggest line-up with over 100 new and unique craft beers, ciders and seltzers for punters to sample. The festival is jam-packed across the weekend with gourmet food stalls, meet the brewer sessions, blind tastings and live entertainment. Find out more here.
Four Pillars x Luke Mangan Gin Dinner, Kimpton Margot Sydney (Wednesday 25th May)
If you love fine dining and gin, we’ve got the perfect event for you. Join Four Pillars co-founder Stuart Gregor and celebrated chef Luke Mangan for an exclusive dining experience in the city’s newest hotel, Kimpton Margot. This collaboration dinner features a complimentary cocktail on arrival, a four-course menu with dishes including Petuna Ocean Trout Gravlax and Duck a l’Orange, and matched cocktails including Big Dill featuring Rare Dry Gin, rhubarb creaming soda, fennel verjus and dill, and Democracy Manifest made with Olive Leaf Gin, duck fat, whole orange and five-spice pickled onion. Tickets are $165pp for a four-course menu and paired Four Pillars cocktails. Book here.
Semi-Permanent Book Fair (Wednesday 25th – Friday 27th May)
An art and design book fair will take place at Carriageworks as part of this year’s Semi-Permanent Sydney Festival. The three sessions will be free for anyone to attend, inviting a diverse range of publishers, artists and designers to share their printed and digital matter with an audience of fellow creatives. Perfect for an after-work activity on a weeknight, the event will run between 9am – 9pm on Wednesday, 12pm – 9pm on Thursday and 12pm – 6pm on Friday.
Pyrmont Festival (Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th of May)
Pyrmont Festival will bring together the very best food, wine and art offerings to celebrate NSW’s vibrant culinary culture. Spearheading the 21-day festival is the return of the family-friendly, 2-day highlight event in Pirrama Park. With all the delight of a cellar door tasting tour without the travel, sip your way through award-winning wines while setting up the picnic blanket for unrivalled views of iconic Sydney Harbour. Find out more here.
The Ultimate Autumn Market at Entertainment Quarter (Sunday 29th May)
Cambridge Markets are back with their annual Autumn Market on Sunday, 29th of May between 10am – 3pm. Invite your friends or bring the whole family to Moore Park for a day of browsing, shopping and socialising at Sydney’s most quintessential market. There will be over 100 stalls featuring hot food, artisan providores, gifts, clothing and homewares. We’d suggest starting your day with a hot chocolate from Velicious Plant-Based and pairing it with a donut from OMG Donuts East Sydney. Of course, you can’t forget about Ottoman Turkish Gozleme or Bao Boys for lunch. Find out more here.
Flow After Dark (Monday 30th May, Monday 6th & 13th June)
Flow Athletic is hosting another round of Flow After Dark Yoga Silent Disco experience in May & early June. You’re invited to one of the largest health-conscious parties going around. Think illuminating headphones, progressive style beats, and your best yogi moves – all at one of Sydney’s favourite rooftop bars, Zephyr Bar. Find out more here.
Got an exciting event to be considered for our May guide? Email newsletter@eatdrinkplay.com
