Sydney transforms into one of the most vibrant Lunar New Year destinations outside of Asia. Welcoming the Year of the Horse—a symbol of energy, passion, and momentum—the city comes alive with illuminated night markets, traditional lion dances, and limited-edition banquets across its finest dining precincts.
Whether you’re looking for high-end Cantonese dining, festive street food pop-ups, or cultural festivals, here are the top 10 places and experiences to celebrate Lunar New Year in Sydney.
1. Prosperity Banquets & Yee Sang at Lotus Barangaroo
Location: Barangaroo & CBD
Lotus is renowned for throwing one of Sydney’s most iconic Lunar New Year celebrations. Featuring festive prosperity banquets, their highlight dish is the Yee Sang (Seafood Prosperity Toss Salad) loaded with fresh salmon and scallops, meant to be tossed high for luck and wealth in the year ahead. Pair it with live lion dance performances along the waterfront promenade.
2. Limited-Edition Festive Eats at Darling Square
Location: Haymarket / Darling Harbour
Darling Square becomes a glowing central hub wrapped in red lanterns. The precinct’s popular venues roll out exclusive, festive menu items:
- Gelato Messina: Hong Kong French Toast gelato layered with condensed milk and peanut butter.
- 15cenchi: Black Sesame Mochi Basque Cheesecake.
- IIKO Mazesoba: Limited-edition Year of the Horse dry ramen dishes.
3. Coastal Mud Crab & Lion Dances at The Malaya
Location: King Street Wharf, Sydney CBD
A staple on the Sydney Harbour dining scene, The Malaya brings loud, energetic lion dance performances straight to the dining room floor. Their festive multi-course banquet features seasonal local mud crab tossed in fragrant dry Kam Heong spices.
4. High-End Cantonese Feasting at Pearl Dining
Location: Quay Quarter, Sydney CBD
For a sophisticated night out, Pearl Dining offers moody, velvet-draped interiors paired with contemporary Cantonese fare. Expect char siu pork, luxury live seafood, and limited-run Lunar New Year tasting menus that celebrate traditional regional flavours with modern polish.
5. Night Markets & Lantern Installations in Chinatown (Haymarket)
Location: Dixon Street & George Street, Haymarket
The beating heart of Sydney’s Lunar New Year festivities. Haymarket hosts massive night markets, street food stalls selling handmade dumplings and scallion pancakes, roving street performers, and breathtaking illuminated lantern overhead displays.
6. Modern Hotpot Banquets at Master Cow
Location: City / Haymarket
For interactive group dining, Master Cow features stacked hotpot banquets anchored by their signature Golden Cow centerpiece. For shared dining with family and friends, their private dining rooms offer an intimate setting for festive steamboat feasting.
7. Opera House Dining with Chef Victor Liong
Location: Yallamundi Rooms, Sydney Opera House
For an unforgettable culinary event, two-hatted chef Victor Liong hosts an exclusive dining series against sweeping harbour views. The menu pairs modern Chinese storytelling—such as eight-treasure duck and prosperity sashimi salads—with fine wine and tea pairings.
8. Chatswood Lunar New Year Cultural Festival
Location: Chatswood
Chatswood hosts one of the largest outdoor cultural celebrations in Australia. Featuring over 130 food stalls, martial arts demonstrations, children’s workshops, and fortune booths, it’s a premier destination for families wanting an immersive cultural day out.
9. Inventive South-East Asian Flavours at Lilymu
Location: Parramatta Square, Parramatta
Western Sydney’s premier Asian dining venue blends traditional Chinese and South-East Asian techniques into bold, fiery plates. Lilymu hosts lively festive banquets complete with traditional drum performances and lion dances weaving through Parramatta Square.
10. Street-Food Feasting at Burwood Chinatown & Eastwood
Location: Burwood & Eastwood
If you crave authentic hawker-style street eats, head to the bustling night market precincts of Burwood Chinatown or Eastwood. Expect over 50 hawker stalls serving everything from sizzling skewers and Jianbing to sweet rice cakes and boba tea amidst live community entertainment.
