Your Food Guide to Sydney’s Steam Mill Lane

Darling Square is the newest dining destination on Sydney’s food scene, with some of the nation’s most talked about food experiences now in one spot. Here’s a guide to the must-munch-ons in the Haymarket lane.

Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters

The famed Sydney roast house was the first venue to open its door on the lane, serving a brew in the lobby of Commonwealth Bank Square. If breakfast food is your calling, Toby’s serves morning fare until 2pm, with a truffle eggs Benedict and vegan pancakes topped with pomegranate, coconut yoghurt and strawberries that go down perfectly with a cup of the seasonal, single-origin roast.
Shop 2, 35 Tumbalong Boulevard, Darling Harbour; (02) 9281 4003

Ricefields

The Sichuan-inspired haunt from the masterminds behind the beloved Two Sticks brings the special spice and rice that makes this cuisine a favourite around the world. It offers both modern and classic dishes, which you can combine with a selection of side dishes, rice and soups at the takeaway store’s make-your-meal self-serve station.
(02) 9211 6781

Gyradiko

Be transported to a taverna on a Greek island as you chow down on traditional street food. Gyradiko garnered many fans at its original location in Sydney’s south by utilising recipes passed through the generations. The menu features food perfect to grab on the go including gyros, psomakia and open plate merides.

Matcha-ya

The matcha craze continues – this time with a twist. The Japanese antioxidant-filled green tea gets the dessert treatment at Matcha-ya on a menu filled with enough sweet treats to give you a cavity, including creamy matcha soft serve, sugar-laced honeycomb parfaits and even a green matcha fondue. The powder is sourced from the Shizuoka prefecture, the largest green-tea-growing region in Japan.

Marrickville Pork Roll

You don’t need to trek to Marrickville for a proper lunchtime báhn mì any longer. The inner-city haunt has set up shop in Steam Mill Lane, with all the necessary ingredients delivered fresh from the Marrickville store, where the onsite kitchen makes the signature crusty and crunchy baguettes.

The Sandwich Shop

There’s nothing better than a classic sandwich and the offerings at the homey Sandwich Shop meet the mark. The shop’s second store in Sydney serves up everything from a corn beef-filled Reuben to a barbecue sauce-drenched pulled-pork sandwich and even a wasabi tuna offering. If you’re popping by for breakfast, don’t go past the gooey melted cheddar, ham and caramelised onion toastie.

Belles Hot Chicken

If you’re a true lover of Nashville-style hot chicken, then you’ve heard of Belles. After tempting tastebuds across Melbourne and Sydney, the Morgan McGlone-owned haunt is spreading Southern love with its signature crunchy chicken. Whether you like your chicken lightly seasoned or sweat-inducing spicy, pair your pick with classic American sides, such as mac and cheese, coleslaw or roasted yam salad for a proper Tennessee feast.

8Bit

Meshing a ‘50s-style diner with the best arcade games the ‘80s had to offer, this beloved Melbourne haunt brings American-style burgers, classic hot dogs and creamy milkshakes to the hungry bellies of Haymarket. If burgers and hot dogs aren’t your style, 8Bit’s fries can be jazzed up with a cheese and bacon topping.

Fishbowl

This place serves more salads than you can poké a stick at. Taking the humble and healthy Hawaiian dish for a spin, the menu is filled with everything from the O.G, a classic poké bowl with salmon sashimi, kale, beets, edamame and a base of your choosing to one made with braised beef brisket – not exactly traditional but delicious nonetheless. Feeling inspired? Fishbowl also lets you create your own bowl, too.

Edition Coffee Roasters

Edition celebrates the best of Japanese and Scandinavian cuisine. Stopping by for brekkie? The miso banana bread is a highlight, paired with a citrusy yuzu curd. Lunch offerings include a build your own sushi taco, Wagyu steak with oyster mushrooms and, for something seriously Scandi, the Nordic black pudding, served with prunes and broccolini.

Gong Cha

From its beginnings in Hong Kong in 2006, the Taiwan-style tea chain has more than 600 stores around the world. Freshly brewed daily, customers can grab a signature milk foam wintermelon or green teas or a bubble milk tea served with a choice of 15 toppings. For something simpler, the Taiwan green tea is a go-to.

Il Bacio

Il Bacio’s seasonal menu plates up breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. From a strawberry breakfast panna cotta to a classic bowl of lamb ragu pappardelle, the modern Italian cucina paves the way for new interpretations of the classic cuisine. If pizza is more your speed, the restaurant plates up classics, including a spicy diavola with hot salami, and new favourites, including the Prawn-mundi – a pie generously topped with prawns and barramundi.
3/35 Tumbalong Boulevard, Darling Harbour; (02) 8054 0722