If you love great food and wine and you're looking for your next tasty destination, stop searching now! When it comes to great dining, Sydney is the place to be.
Just less than eight hours' flight from Singapore, the New South Wales state capital is one of the world's great dining destinations where you can expect an exciting array of flavours and culinary experiences.
Whether you're looking for new places to try in the inner city, great pubs, fresh produce markets, the best coffees or beautiful wines, you'll find it in Sydney.
Here are four ways to indulge your inner foodie as you weave your way around Sydney's other major attractions.
Go trendy
Explore the hidden cafes, pubs, and eateries in Sydney's super-cool foodie neighbourhoods, where innovation and new flavours are on the menu.
For a multicultural experience, head over to the Redfern and Waterloo precinct. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
If you're looking for a multicultural experience in inner Sydney, head to Redfern and Waterloo. On the corner of Elizabeth and Redfern streets, enjoy contemporary Korean at Moon Park. If Latin food is more your style, check out the soul food at Nourishing Quarter on Cleveland, The Fern on Pitt Street (with a great tequila and cocktail list as a bonus!), and Eathouse Diner on Chalmers Street.
For an unusual twist on Spanish-Moroccan cuisine, try café-tapas bar, Tapeo on Redfern Street.
Enjoy freshly baked cakes, pastries, and sourdough loaves at Bourke Street Bakery. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Enjoy eating in art-friendly neighbourhoods? Surry Hills has a long list of fabulous galleries and boutiques, alfresco dining, gastro pubs and funky bars.
You may have to explore beyond the main area in Crown Street, but it will be worth it. If you're in the mood for freshly-baked cakes, pastries or sourdough loaves, check out Bourke Street Bakery at - surprise, surprise - the corner of Bourke Street and Devonshire.
Forresters on the corner of Foveaux and Riley is a popular spot for pub grub, while Mille Vini and The Winery are both fun with lively bars where you and your mates can chill. If you want to feel really hip, cool, and in-the-know, head to well-hidden bars, such as Sticky Bar or Bar H on Campbell Street.
Meat lovers should check out LP's Quality Meats in Chippendale just south of the Sydney's Central Business District. Grab a bite of lamb belly stuffed with merguez sausage, beef short rib, garlic and paprika sausage, or even half a chook (that's chicken for non-Aussies) straight from the smoker. Try one of the craft beers on tap in your own beer-and-meat matching session! 
Brickfields bakes its rustic bread from scratch. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
You can also find trendy new bakeries in Chippendale such as the Eastern European-inspired bakery-cum-café Brickfields at Cleveland Street, which bakes its rustic bread from scratch and uses it to make delicious sandwiches.
If you're in the mood for a touch of cosmopolitan vibe, point your feet towards Potts Point and Woolloomooloo in the city, where cool cafes, groovy bars, trendy eateries and art deco architecture adds a touch of style. 
Blackwattle Bay Park Cafe in Glebe. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Other don't-miss eateries include the popular Pancakes On The Rocks for 'breakfast' - and more - at all hours; The Rocks branch is open 24/7. Indulge yourself with sublime oysters at The Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay in Glebe, salami, mozzarella and ricotta pizza at Da Mario in Rosebery, and pork ribs that fall from the bone at Hurricane's Grill on Darling Harbour and Bondi Beach.
Go from farm to table
An incredible selection of fresh, seasonal produce in Sydney is easy to find at farmers' markets, delis, organic grocers, and providores.
Shop at farmers' markets like the EQ Village Market in the eastern suburbs for fresh produce. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Try the farmers' markets at Frenchs Forest, Leichhardt, Marrickville, Pyrmont, Redfern and the Entertainment Quarter (EQ) in the eastern suburbs for produce from local suppliers.
Sydney's biggest fresh market is Sydney Markets at Flemington, which houses Sydney Growers Market, Sydney Produce Market, and Sydney Flower Market. The first two open from Monday to Friday, while the Flower Market is open until Saturday. Go early though - they open at 6am with most trade taking place by 9am. Find everything from fruits, vegetables, rare-breed pork, and seafood. At the Sydney Morning Herald Growers' Market held on the first Saturday of the month at Pyrmont, enjoy shopping for fresh food before relaxing by the harbour over breakfast with locally-roasted coffee.
On Fridays, The Rocks Friday Foodie Market runs from 9am to 3pm selling olive oils, condiments, crusty bread, fresh fruit, incredible chocolate, homemade preserves, a whole range of gourmet produce, and more. You can also eat well on gourmet wraps and burgers, lamb kebabs, or barbecued salmon.
Over 70 stallholders sell their farm-fresh products at the Eveleigh Farmers Market on Saturdays. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Eveleigh Farmers' Markets at Carriageworks run from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays with over 70 stallholders selling farm-fresh products. You'll find everything from fruit and vegetables, to lamb, beef, smoked fish, and olive oil. And don't be surprised to find celebrity chefs such as Kylie Kwong making your breakfast using market-fresh ingredients.
The Sydney Fish Market is the largest market of its kind in the southern hemisphere. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Sydney is rightly famous for its beautiful seafood and at Sydney Fish Market, you'll discover why. The largest market of its kind in the southern hemisphere (and outside Japan) is also the world's second largest in terms of variety.
Enjoy an authentic experience here, joining a behind-the-scenes tour. The action starts at 5.30am when buyers arrive to inspect the produce before the start of the auction. You'll also get the chance to buy a wide variety of fresh seafood, which you can enjoy for lunch or dinner overlooking the harbour.
Go for the experience
If you're keen to learn more about Sydney's fabulous food and wine scene while having fun, book a tasting, a cooking class, or a food tour.
Taste Australian and international cheeses and more at the Ultimately Sydney Gourmet Tours.-- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
On a tour with Ultimately Sydney Gourmet Tours, you'll get to know the food, ingredients, personalities, and influences that have created Australia's contemporary culture and cuisine. Taste a selection of Australian and international cheeses, boutique wines, authentic antipasti, and handmade chocolates on the Gourmet Tour of Sydney's Inner West. You'll also learn how to make coffee, prepare high-grade meats, and how to use native and exotic herbs and spices to add flavour to your dishes. On the Gourmet South Sydney Tour, join a multicultural tasting spree that includes sampling goodies such as boutique Sydney beers, Greek butchery items, Asian-inspired dumplings, Vietnamese spring rolls, luscious gelato and Hellenic breads and cakes.
Watch, learn and cook at the Sydney Seafood School. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
If you're already at the Sydney Fish Market, book a place in a seafood cooking class at the Sydney Seafood School and learn different cooking styles from making paella to preparing a seafood barbecue. Go on a weekend and you may be lucky enough to learn from leading chefs, including Chris Manfield, Frank Camorra, and Giovanni Pilu. Watch, learn, cook, and then sit down to enjoy your seafood meal with a complimentary wine tasting. Utter bliss.
No taste of Sydney is complete without sampling coffee and chocolate. Combining two of its passions, the Chocolate Espresso Walking Tour takes you to a terrific selection of chocolate shops and coffee places right in the Sydney Central Business District or nearby Darlinghurst. Soak in the historical highlights around the city while indulging in the city's finest coffee and chocolate treats.
Go for the tipple
Go for a leisurely getaway at Hunter Valley for indulgent wine-tasting and gourmet food. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Wine lovers should plan an easy getaway to the premier wine-growing regions of the Hunter Valley and the Upper Hunter, around two hours' drive from Sydney.
Drive or join a tour and stay for a day or longer to savour fine wine, gourmet food, charming accommodation, and fun events.
Enjoy a glass or two of the Hunter Valley's famous semillon, known for being the world's best dry white wine. Other white wine varieties not to miss include Hunter Valley chardonnay and verdelho, fruit-driven and naturally full-bodied. Red wine lovers will love the Hunter Valley shiraz, known for being food-friendly and of medium body.
Taste the wine varieties that made Hunter Valley famous. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Take time to visit some of its 150 top-class wineries, vineyards, and cellar doors. For a working winery experience, check out First Creek Wines, where you'll see winery operations underway; a winery and bottling wine tour starts at 10.30am daily. Another winery that gives you a peek at the day in the life of a viticulturist, olive maker and wine producer is Whispering Brook Cellar Door, where you can also enjoy a glass of artisan wine and olives with a picnic lunch.
To enjoy beautiful views of the valley, visit Tallavera Grove Vineyard, while at the picturesque Tellace Wines, sample the wine while sitting on the verandah surrounded by a beautiful garden.
Enjoy the variety at Hermitage Road Cellars + Winery, where you'll sample from a wide range of boutique wineries, including Thomas Wines, Margan Family Wine Growers, Polin & Polin, Stormy Ridge, Majors Lane, Lisa McGuigan Wines, and Crisford Family Wines.
Drink in a fabulous view of the Hunter Valley with a taste of wine from the Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
Looking for a taste of history with your wine? Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard, planted in 1866, is the first established vineyard site in Pokolbin. Not only was it given a red five-star rating by James Halliday (denoting a long track record of excellence), it also has a magnificent view of the Hunter Valley to complement its exemplary wine.
Hunter Valley has a wide variety of choices when it comes to food. Bistro Molines (above) serves French provincial cuisine. -- PHOTO: DESTINATION NSW
In the Hunter Valley, good wine comes with good food and many restaurants here offer a wide variety of choices, from modern Australian (Elizabeth's, Emerson's Cafe & Restaurant, Esca Bimbadgen) to French provincial (Bistro Molines), artisanal charcuterie (Lovedale Smokehouse Cafe), Italian (Il Cacciatore, steaks, San Martino Italian Bites), Mediterranean (The Cellar Restaurant, The Brokenback Bar) and more.
Be warned. Foodies will have their senses and tummy full after a gastronomic tour of Sydney and the Hunter Valley. So start planning your trip to Sydney now.
Plan your food trip to Sydney
Qantas flies twice daily from Singapore to Sydney, leaving at 8.20pm and 11.55pm, with two returning flights leaving at 10.25am and 5pm.
Singapore-Sydney fare starts from S$696* for return economy.
Book now at qantas.com.
*Sale ends Nov 9, 2014, unless sold out prior. Travel dates, Terms & Conditions apply.
