New South Wales’ time-honoured native ingredients will be showcased this month and next at one of the state’s premier annual events, Vivid Sydney 2026, billed as the southern hemisphere’s largest annual festival of light, music, ideas and food.
Aboriginal cultures and recipes that have nourished Aboriginal communities for over 60,000 years will be flavour of the month at exclusive Vivid Food events (May 22-June 13).
City wide, local chefs are drawing on recipes – from the citrus pop of finger lime to the roasted depth of wattleseed and the bright lift of lemon myrtle – ancient tastes that are reshaping the city’s restaurant scene by giving it a strong sense of “place”.
Along with celebrating native ingredients and culinary innovation, storytelling will be on offer at several city-wide dining events.
These include Warakirri Dining Experience (May 31) where the richness of Aboriginal culture, cuisine and storytelling will be celebrated. Join Weilwan chef Sharon Winsor for an intimate multi-course dining experience celebrating native Australian ingredients. Cost starts from $150 pp (about £80).
On June 7, Oysters in the House is a one-day spectacular at Shell House which will celebrates two of New South Wales’ most iconic culinary heroes: The Sydney Rock Oyster and NSW Semillon. Prices starts from $50 pp (around £26.75).
Other indigenous food experiences are available year-round at popular foodie spots.
For example, beneath the sails of the Opera House, Indigenous chef Mark Olive at Midden tells Australia’s story through a modern menu laced with wattleseed, bush honey and saltbush. Harbour views and deeply local flavours make this one of the city’s most memorable dining experiences.
Perched high above the water at Taronga Zoo, Me-Gal matches sweeping harbour vistas with plates that showcase Australian produce and bush spices. Native herbs and botanicals bring the scent of the bush to fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables for an elegant, nature-connected meal.
BTB Kirribilli is a brunch favourite where relaxed café classics meet bush-food flair. Think avocado on toast lifted with native citrus, herbs and seeds — a simple, approachable way to taste these flavours between sightseeing stops.
Elsewhere, Good Ways Deli brings native ingredients into the morning routine with creativity and colour. Known for its vibrant sandwiches and brunch plates, the café experiments with Australian flavours like lemon myrtle and native herbs, weaving bush foods into everyday bites in a fun and accessible way.
At NEL Restaurant in the Surry Hills, inventive degustation menus give Australian ingredients a playful, fine-dining spin. Expect pepperberry sauces, finger lime “caviar” and roasted-wattleseed desserts in a polished Surry Hills setting made for special occasions.
In the same suburb, at Firedoor, chef Lennox Hastie cooks entirely with wood fire, creating a menu that celebrates the elemental connection between fire, land and ingredient. Seasonal produce and Australian flavours take centre stage, with carefully sourced meats, seafood and vegetables prepared over open flame for a deeply expressive dining experience.
And at Bush in Redfern, expect a love letter to Australia’s larder, with a menu built around Indigenous flavours sourced from local producers. Seasonal dishes include elements like finger lime, saltbush and wild herbs in a laid-back setting that celebrates contemporary bush dining.
