A decade after the NSW Government announced plans to build a new Sydney Fish Market, and five years of construction work later, the landmark precinct has officially opened its doors to the public.
We went down to Blackwattle Bay to check out the huge new foodie hotspot, which now has 40 retailers trading under one roof, plus an impressive mix of local seafood traders, casual takeaway options and even a gelato shop.
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A first look at the new Sydney Fish Market. (Images: Isabelle James).
Exploring the building
The first thing you notice about the new Sydney Fish Market is its sheer size. From the wraparound terrace, the old Sydney Fish Market sits across the water, dwarfed by the vast new precinct and looking especially tired beside its sleek, modern successor.
The old Sydney Fish Market has officially ceased operations, with retailers packing up on Sunday evening before reopening the very next day at the new location.
Although only steps away from the old building, the new Fish Market feels worlds away from its predecessor, leaving some to worry it may lack the original’s charm and character. However, the presence of the original retailers and beloved seafood vendors at the new market means it carries a comforting sense of nostalgia.
You can still get your prawns from Claudio’s, and now, there’s more space to sit, relax and enjoy them.
Retailers like Claudio’s, Christie’s Seafood, GetFish and Peter’s all have prime locations in the middle of the bustling market. On the outskirts sit the newbies, including Top Juice, Mayfarm Flowers and Cow & The Moon.
While there are plenty of new retailers, the CEO of Sydney Fish Market, Daniel Jarosch, stresses that this is “a working, operating fish market”, with its “primary purpose… first and foremost to deliver seafood to the country.”
That said, the new building houses more than 20 new businesses and is roughly 20 per cent larger than its predecessor. Now, there’s “something for everyone”, a phrase that Jarosch repeats throughout the day.
The new pizza store, La Dea. (Image: Isabelle James).
What’s new?
In the bid to make the new Sydney Fish Market also appeal to those who don’t like seafood, there are plenty of new retailers serving up all kinds of dishes.
Non-seafood options
La Dea Pizza is a pizza parlour, serving large slices, with flavours including Sirena, which features sardines and chilli paste, or the Principessa, with mortadella, stracciatella, and crushed pistachios.
Cow & The Moon will provide relief in the form of gelato on hot Sydney days, with the large store space serving up scoops of miso caramel, sticky date crumble and pomegranate.
If you prefer turf over surf, grab a burger from TJ’s Po Boys, offering Southern US-inspired burgers and craft beers, or if you’re at the market in the morning and can’t stomach an oyster, pop by German bakery Lüneburger for a pastry. Brewing pros Stitch Coffee are also there for your morning caffeine cravings.
Other new retailers and restaurants at the Fish Market include:
- The Japanese Collective: think ramen, donburi, seafood BBQ and a sake bar
- Tam Jiak by Ho Jiak: Chef Junda Khoo, who runs four restaurants across Sydney’s city centre, will bring his award-winning, hatted Malaysian restaurant to the market
- Tin Tin Harbour: Quality live seafood and classic Cantonese yum cha
- Sergios: a European-style patisserie, featuring high tea, cakes and pastries.
- Hamsi: Turkish charcoal dishes and mezze bar by chef Somer Sivrioglu and the Efendy Group
- Mani: Modern Asian fusion
- Lua: Luke Nguyen’s flagship Southeast Asian restaurant
- Olivetta: Sydney’s first specialty Olive Oil concept store
- Touch_wood: Inner west favourite Dirty Red delivering a premium waterfront café by day, bistro and bar by night
- Nanjing Dumplings: traditional and specialty dumplings
- Top Juice: sells a range of healthy juices, protein shakes, cold-pressed shots, salads and acai bowls
- Fruitezy: an award-winning destination for farm-fresh produce
- Green Valley Goes Nuts: offers a wide range of packaged and freshly roasted nut varieties, specialty products, blends and sweets
- machimachi: a famous milk tea brand
- Little Red: an all-day dining hotspot by the team behind Dirty Red
- The General Store: the gift shop of the new Sydney Fish Market with a huge range of specialty gifts and merchandise
- Tavira Bakehouse: freshly baked breads, pastries and sweet treats
- Mayfarm Flowers: flower store offering some colour to the new Sydney Fish Market
- Leyrd: authentic Vietnamese street food with a focus on fresh salads, rice paper rolls and Banh Mi
- Ichié: high-quality Japanese cuisine Ichié will serve ramen, donburi and sashimi alongside a sake bar
- Squid Inc: From the owners of The BoatShed and The Fish Cafe, Squid Inc blends traditional seafood favourites with modern culinary creativity
- Gotcha Fresh Tea: Homegrown bubble tea store blending Taiwanese ingredients with Southeast Asian and Western flavours.
Top picks
One of the most picturesque waterfront dining venues at the new Sydney Fish Market is Hamsi Taverna, who serve whole, charcoaled fish grilled over an open fire, seasonal vegetables, fresh oysters and plenty of cocktails. Their Mediterranean influence extends to their outside seating area, which looks like an Aegean coast beach club.
Although opening day was cloudy and drizzly, the promise of alfresco dining at the new market on a warm summer evening felt absolutely enchanting. Other waterfront dining highlights include the beloved Boatshed restaurant, which has relocated from the old market into a bright, new space.
If you want to beat the lunch and dinner crowds, head to Touch Wood for all-day dining, offering everything from favourite Aussie brunch picks and coffees to Bloody Marys and chilled glasses of rosé.
However, with so many new eateries, it’s easy to forget that a dozen oysters from Peter’s, enjoyed at the casual waterfront seating, never disappoints. The old retailers continue to deliver on delicious, fresh Australian seafood, making sure that the authentic Fish Market experience remains the same.
The Sydney Fish Market actually hints that the seafood will taste even fresher in their new location, thanks to the loading dock areas and trading floor now being temperature-controlled to better preserve the quality of the fish. Other state-of-the-art facilities installed include ice-making systems capable of producing 51,000 kg of ice daily, plus more live crustacean tanks and an automated crate wash system that cleans up to 900 crates per hour.
Prices
Prices vary store-by-store at the new Sydney Fish Market, with some premium options and some much cheaper choices.
A dozen Sydney rock oysters from Peter’s cost $29.99, with a minimum buy of six (costing $15). A Peter’s lobster platter goes for $35.99, whereas prawns from St. Nicholas Seafood go for $39.99 a kilo and cooked black tiger prawns at Claudio’s go for $37.99. Jumbo cooked black tiger prawns at Claudio’s cost $44.99 per kilo.
GetFish’s iconic sushi taco is still available at their new location and remains at the same price of $9.80.
Pizza from La Dea starts at $9.90 for a generous slice, moving up to $14.90 for their more decadently topped pizzas.
If you’re just looking for a small snack, grab fresh Nigiri from Peter’s Sushi Bar for $3.80.
If you’re interested in pricing for the sit-down restaurants, you can check out The Boat Shed’s menu and Hamsi Taverna’s menu for reference.
When asked if any traders or retailers had raised their prices due to the new move, the Sydney Fish Market stated that “pricing is set independently by individual retailers. The move to the new building does not dictate prices”.
Reactions from the public
Even at 7am on opening day, the Sydney Fish Market was buzzing with tourists and locals, and you’d never guess it was so early with so much seafood already being devoured.
I spoke to Sydney locals, Chris and Bella, who were at the new site before work, and were impressed. Chris said, “You can really tell that once the sun comes out and people start using the space, it’s going to be a really great place to hang out.”
“The high ceilings are much more inviting. The other one was a lot more cramped, and you used to have to make your way between people”.
It’s also hoped the more spacious design will help dissipate the strong seafood smells that typically come with a working market. Minns himself even declared it would be “the best-smelling fish market in the world.”
A “big problem” fixed?
I also chatted with 3XN (the architects behind the project) employee Nina, who highlighted one of the new space’s biggest perks: the seagull nets.
Nina states that “the number one wish from everyone” was to sort out the seagull issue, adding “it was a big problem in the old one”.
Although the outdoor seating area will be prone to seagull swoops, it is hoped that the pesky birds will struggle to get inside the actual building, thanks to the extensive netting at any gaps in the infrastructure.
Opening hours
The new Sydney Fish Market will stay open later than ever before, letting visitors enjoy dinner, drinks and live music by the water. The official opening times are as follows; however, individual retail trading hours apply.
| Monday | 7 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 7 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 7 am–12 am |
| Saturday | 7 am–12 am |
| Sunday | 7 am–10 pm |
How to get there
- Light rail: Hop off at Wentworth Park stop (400m away), Glebe stop (450m) or the Bank Street stop (700m)
- Driving: Access via Bridge Road, Pyrmont. There’s multi-level underground parking with 400 spaces and short-stay drop-off zones.
- On foot/bike: Join the Bays Foreshore Walk, connecting Woolloomooloo, Darling Harbour, Glebe and Wentworth Park.
It will likely be about a year before Sydneysiders and tourists can catch a ferry to the Fish Market, as a new wharf is still in the design phase. The $30 million project isn’t expected to be operational until 2027.
When to go
The Sydney Fish Market is set to be buzzing in its first month, with visitors flocking from across the city and beyond to explore the new location and its lineup of retailers.
But when’s the best time to go?
I arrived at 7am on opening day, and it wasn’t too busy, but by lunchtime, the queues had wrapped around the building and spilled into Glebe.
I’d recommend visiting the new Fish Market at off-peak times (early in the morning before work or later in the evening) when you’re less likely to face queues and the building is noticeably calmer.
However, once the opening-buzz settles, I would definitely head to the market on a sunny evening at sunset, the perfect time to sip cocktails, snap pictures and enjoy your seafood as you take in stunning city views.
For more information about the new Sydney Fish Market, click here.
