Chef takeovers, restaurant pop-ups, unusual locales

They include dinners hosted by Nigella Lawson in a pedestrian tunnel, a wine party in a kooky Italian piazza, pasta making in a distillery and a fun food party in a former rail corridor.

Looking for a food festival that combines fantastic food and drink with a healthy dose of community spirit and an opportunity to connect with top chefs and producers? We’ve got just the ticket.

Archie Rose tastings at StickyBeak Festival. Supplied

StickyBeak Festival, Ultimo

Good for: That person who wants to eat a bit of everything

Admit it, you’re more than a little bit curious as to what’s happening at StickyBeak Festival this weekend. Archie Rose is bringing its annual celebration of food, music and booze to The Goods Line North, an elevated green space set over a former rail corridor in Ultimo.

Head down on Friday or Saturday to catch the Good Food Guide’s New Restaurant of the Year winner Firepop flaming cumin-spiced lamb skewers, Attenzione! loading hot dogs and Ho Jiak hawking its famed Hainanese chicken rice.

Other restaurants on the bill include Lankan Filling Station, Kiln, Grape Garden, Fabbrica, Takam, Flyover Fritterie, Maiz Mexican Street Food and Newtown newcomer Flora.

Drinks wise, there will be free guided tastings by Archie Rose, natural wines by P&V Merchants and cocktails by top-shelf Sydney bars such as PS40, The Waratah, Littler Cooler by Maybe Sammy, and the Good Food Guide’s Bar of the Year Double Deuce Lounge.

The $29 ticket price includes an Archie Rose gift bag worth $50, plus live performances curated by FBi Radio, demonstrations and talks.

Where: The Goods Line North, Ultimo
When: April 4-5
Book: humanitix.com

The Ester Spirits x Aplenty Viva Pomodoro! Tomato Party is a one-day celebration of the long lunch.Supplied

Ester Spirits x Aplenty Viva Pomodoro! Tomato Party, Marrickville

Good for: If you’ve ever wanted to be part of an Italian family

Don’t worry, this isn’t a La Tomatina-style tomato fight. Ester Spirits in Marrickville has teamed up with Sydney event caterer Aplenty to celebrate the sun-ripened flavours of peak-season tomatoes – without the pulpy mess.

The day kicks off with an intimate pasta-making workshop for 20 with Aplenty founder Michaela Johansson. Learn to make your own cavatelli, orecchiette and pici from scratch, before sitting down to enjoy it together.

From 12:30pm, the distillery doors will open to the public for a day of relaxed Italian-style eating and drinking. The menu includes fresh pasta, generous charcuterie boards, cheese and anchovies, all served with warm, crusty bread and pickled tomato. Bloody Marys and tomato martinis will be available from the bar.

Bookings are available online at Ester Spirits Distillery and walk-ins are welcome on the day.

Where: 31 Chalder Street, Marrickville
When: April 6
Book: esterspirits.com.au

The Sampson Street long lunch at Orange F.O.O.D week takes over the main street.Supplied

Orange FOOD Week, Orange

Best for: Lovers of historic houses and cool-climate chardonnay

A trip to the Central West is always delicious, but never more so than during Orange FOOD Week. Australia’s longest-running regional food festival returns for its 34th year in April, with a smorgasbord of events spread across 10 days.

Experience the beauty of Orange in autumn at the Sampson Street Lunch, which includes a three-course menu served under a canopy of russet-coloured plane trees.

Some of the festival’s best events will take place at the “Nob,” which is what locals affectionately call the Hotel Canobolas. Owned by The Point group, which is also behind two-hatted Shell House Dining Room & Terrace and The International in Sydney, the art deco pub will host two events by culinary director Joel Bickford, including sparkling wine night Raw Fizz and four-course produce dinner, Locally Grown.

You can put your food knowledge to the test on April 2 at the FOOD Week Trivia night, co-hosted by Good Food’s national restaurant editor Callan Boys.

Where: Various locations in Orange, NSW
When: March 28 – April 6, 2025
Book: orangefoodweek.com.au

Some of the team behind Loose Lips: The International’s head sommelier Jacqueline Turner, chef Mitch Orr and the festival’s creator Joel Amos.Supplied.

Loose Lips, Sydney CBD

Good for: Thirsty Sydneysiders staying in town for Easter

Loose Lips has popped up across a number of Sydney venues over the years, and this time it’s taking over The Wine Bar at swish Martin Place restaurant The International, creating a CBD cellar-door experience with 30 producers who will be pouring more than 100 vinos.

The vibe is fun and loose, with an emphasis on party vibes and delicious snacks. Chef Mitch Orr (who recently left Ace Hotel’s restaurant Kiln) will be on pizza duty, while one of Sydney’s busiest party-makers, DJ Levins will provide the soundtrack for the after party on the rooftop at The International’s Panorama Bar.

Loose Lips is the creation of Joel Amos of Drnksfame – which was one of Sydney’s first online retailers of natural wine – so expect booze created with minimal intervention by the likes of leading makers and importers such as Brash Higgins, Vino Mito, Ephemera Wines, Les Fruits and Parley. Tickets are $45 and includes tastings and entertainment.

Where: The Wine Bar at The International, 25 Martin Place, Sydney
When: April 19
Book: humanitix.com

Naturellement will feature over 30 natural wine producers from NSW and further afield. Supplied

Naturellement, Ettalong Beach

Good for: Those who can’t resist a free sample

Natty, lo-fi, wild, whatever you like to call it, they’ll be pouring it at Naturellement wine festival, set to be held at Mediterranean-style piazza Galleria Ettalong Beach on the Central Coast in May.

The annual glugfest by drinks guru and P&V Merchants owner Mike Bennie and events specialist Kristy Austin has been fermenting since 2021, and today draws over 30 natural wine producers from across NSW and further afield.

Give your wine glass a workout with more than 120 vinos available for tasting, including top drops from Sabi-Wabi, Harkham and Ten Minutes by Tractor, fortified by snacks by top Aussie chefs Alanna Sapwell-Stone (formerly of Northern Rivers pub The Eltham), Matt Stone from Bangalow’s hatted You Beauty, and Jake Kellie from wood-fired restaurant Arkhé in Adelaide.

Tickets are priced at $60.50 and include access to one 3-hour session.

Where: Galleria Ettalong Beach
When: May 17-18
Book: humanitix.com

Aerial view of Narooma, home to the Narooma Oyster Festival.Narooma Oyster Festival

Narooma Oyster Festival, Narooma

Best for: That person who orders oysters at every restaurant

There are more than a dozen good reasons to head down to the Narooma Oyster Festival. This annual event takes place on Wagonga Inlet on the NSW South Coast, a scenic estuary dotted with oyster farms along its many bush-covered bays.

Tour the local oyster farms on a cruise boat, learn about “merroir” from Australian seafood expert John Susman, and don’t forget to sample some salty specimens along the way. There’ll be rockies, pacifics and flatties to slurp straight or pair with a glass of champagne.

Festivities will unfold along the foreshore, from shucking competitions to cooking demos with top chefs, including Tasmania’s Analiese Gregory and Nornie Bero from recently closed Mabu Mabu in Melbourne.

The three-day festival wraps up with Narooma’s Biggest Breakfast – no points for guessing what’s on the menu.

Where: Quota Park, Narooma
When: May 2-4
Book: naroomaoysterfestival.com

The Muru Giligu tunnel in Martin Place where Vivid Sydney Dinners with Nigella Lawson will be held. Supplied

Vivid Food, Sydney

Best for: If you can’t resist joining a line

While the full program for Vivid Food is yet to be announced, there’s plenty to get you fired up for. Headlining the festival, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson will host Vivid Sydney Dinners, a culinary spectacle of light, sound and food inside the newly opened pedestrian tunnel Muru Giligu in Martin Place.

Festival favourite Vivid Fire Kitchen will reignite at The Goods Line with new theme Fire & Spice. Adjacent to the Fire Kitchen, Maryanne Street will transform into Spice Lounge, a fully pedestrianised area where you can enjoy your smoky snacks surrounded by fire pits and drums.

New to the program, Our Shared Dream will see top chefs such as Neil Perry, Matt Moran and Jacqui Challinor team up with not-for-profit restaurant Refettorio OzHarvest to create a four-course feast using rescued produce.

Where: Sydney
When: May 23 – June 13
Book: vividsydney.com/food

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Erina Starkey – Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground.