Darling Square is Sydney’s newest urban neighbourhood filled with eats, beats, bars and street art.
The first eateries will open in the emerging inner city hub by May 2018 on Steam Mill Lane, with vendors including 8bit; Belles Hot Chicken; Fishbowl; Marrickville Pork Roll; and Edition Coffee Roasters. Toby’s Estate the first retailer in the precinct, opened in July this year.
Made up of small laneways and narrow streets connecting communal open spaces, bars, restaurants, cafés, student accommodation, apartments and offices, Darling Square will feature edgy bars and eateries and offbeat boutiques. The new neighbourhood is located on the Boulevard that connects from Darling Harbour all the way to Central, via the Goods Line.
Melbourne favourite 8bit will bring their video game inspired  burgers, milkshakes and fries to Sydney for the first time at Darling Square. 8bit is an American-style diner that takes its cues from 80s and 90s video games. Craft beers are on offer alongside chef Shayne McCallum’s burgers.
Morgan McGlone’s Belles Hot Chicken is a Nashville-style eatery that champions fried chicken and natural wine. The menu includes fried chicken tenders, mac and cheese, hot fish sliders and chicken ribs in peach BBQ sauce. With stores already established in Melbourne and Sydney, this is the seventh venue for Belles.
Fishbowl combines LA style with modern Japanese ingredients to create sashimi salad bowls. The five-step build-your-own-bowl allows customers to pick a base, add a protein and some Japanese-style vegetables, toss in a dressing, and then top off with something crunchy
Already a cult hit in its namesake suburb, Marrickville Pork Roll features bahn mi with more than 10 ingredients to choose from including roast pork, cold pork, chicken, tuna, paté, mayonnaise, fresh and pickled vegetables, and chilli.
Edition Coffee Roasters owner Daniel Jackson selects single origin/estate green beans and roasts them for batch brew, pour-over, Japanese drip and cold brew. Chef Jack New combines Nordic and Japanese cuisines to create the menu of seasonal breakfast and lunch dishes. A selection of teas are also available.
Located in the lobby of the new Commonwealth Bank of Australia offices, Toby’s brings its ‘Espresso Bar’ concept to Darling Square with a state-of-the-art mavam machine. Chef Joseph Assanti dishes up a range of hot and cold breakfast and lunch options including fresh seasonal salads, soups, stews, and rice and pasta dishes. There’s also pastries, cakes and muffins from the Bread and Butter Project.
