Delicious little dumplings are about to descend on Melbourne

Plus, the best new places to eat and drink in Sydney.

Downtown Dumpling Market, Melbourne.

Updated April 1, 2025, first published September 26, 2023

The team behind the Adelaide Fringe festival food hub Gluttony is about to transform Melbourne's Birrarung Marr park into a bustling hawker centre.

If you love dumplings and have been looking for a reason to book a break in the Victorian capital then we have the best excuse for you. The team behind the Adelaide Fringe festival food hub Gluttony is about to transform Melbourne's Birrarung Marr park into a bustling hawker centre with the inaugural Downtown Dumpling Market. Kicking off on November 9, the 18-day festival will serve up perfectly cooked savoury parcels - from traditional Chinese offerings to boundary-pushing bites - along with other Asian delicacies such as baos, noodles, skewers and salad. Free entertainment will keep the families engaged, while adults will love the cocktails at the bars, with one of them specialising in sakes. downtowndumplingmarket.com

Gourmet getaway

Pier Bar, Sydney.

Meanwhile, if you're heading to Sydney for a staycation, here are the best tables to book. Kick off the evening at Pier Bar, which has just opened at the Pier One hotel, with uninterrupted water views, and $12 cocktails and $2 oysters during the 5pm-6pm happy hour on weekdays.

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Jacksons on George, Sydney.

Then head to the brand new Jacksons on George in the CBD, where you can feast on casual fare such as duck sausage roll at the rooftop bar or settle down for something fancier like the salmon gravlax at the bistro. Want to continue the eating spree next morning? Book a table at Devon Cafe, which has just launched a new Uni Brunch Experience, complete with wagyu steak tartare, Hervey Bay scallop and fish sando with caviar. pieronesydneyharbour.com.au; jacksonsongeorge.com.au; devoncafe.com.au

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