Spend a gourmet weekend in Sydney

Conveniently located in Surry Hills, Paramount House Hotel is a cool, design-forward hotel with many of Sydney’s top restaurants, cafes and bars nearby. The hotel also houses a coffee shop, health club, cinema and wine bar.

Learn something new at a rum spicing masterclass and distillery tour at Brix Distillers. You’ll be guided through the rum blending process and get to bring home your own special spiced rum blend.

Paramount House Hotel’s onsite restaurant and wine bar Poly is known for its extensive wine list and inventive snacks. Grab a seat at the bar, or order to your room.

Choose Chef Lennox Hastie’s five-course tasting menu at Firedoor. It changes daily, depending on what local and seasonal produce is available, but dishes such as kangaroo grilled over juniper with malt flatbread, Davidson plum and macadamia or woodfired rum baba often feature. Every dish is cooked over hot coals, even the salads, and the open kitchen allows guests a clear view of the action.

Photo: firedoor.com.au

Discover delicious food stalls and fresh produce at the Carriageworks Farmers Markets. Caffeinate at Roasters with Altitude and grab a fresh juice from Parkers Organic Juice. Pick up some freshly-baked bread for later from Flour & Stone and tasty crumpets from Pepe Saya.

Learn the secrets of traditional Italian pasta-making using local ingredients with Pasta Emilia’s cooking school. From filled ravioli to cappelletti, long linguine and twisted strozzapreti, you’ll create different shapes and sizes of fresh pasta, and enjoy a three-course meal of your own creations, as well as a complimentary glass of organic wine.

Head to nearby Chippendale and wander Spice Alley, a feast for the senses. Stop for a snack at one of the delicious restaurants, like Blossom Bar, Shanghai Dumpling Bar or Bang Luck, or check out KOI Dessert Bar for incredible sweets.

Tucked away in Angel Place alleyway, Restaurant Leo serves delightful Italian dishes using seasonal and local produce. Try the lobster maccheroncini and the veal saltimbocca.

Photo: broadsheet.com.au

Sip a post-dinner drink at the tiny, 20-person-only Cantina OK!. Try one of their signature Mezcal or tequila cocktails, like the Spiced Coconut Margarita.

Indulge in Nour’s Middle Eastern Sunday brunch and enjoy dishes like Bekaa chicken wings and spanner crab Turkish scrambled eggs.

Learn about Aboriginal bush foods and the significance of the land on which the Royal Botanic Garden sits on an Aboriginal Heritage Tour.