The new-look Cruise Bar in Sydney
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Sydney’s iconic Cruise Bar reveals major changes just in time for Vivid

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Chris Singh
Chris Singh
Chris Singh was born and raised in the Western Sydney suburb of Greystanes and has lived in many places across the city since he was 18 years old. With 16 years of experience in online media, Chris has served as both an editor and freelance writer across publications like The AU Review, Boss Hunting and International Traveller. His favourite suburbs in Sydney are Darlinghurst, Manly, Newtown and Summer Hill.
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The Overseas Passenger Terminal precinct has already been buzzing with news of The Squire’s Landing being granted a coveted 24-hour license, now there’s another reason to celebrate as Circular Quay’s symbolic Cruise Bar & Restaurant eyes a reopening date in early May.

The long-standing harbour venue, located almost directly across the water from Sydney Opera House’s Opera Bar, has been reworked by reliable design firm Luchetti Krelle who have reimagined the venue with a bigger focus on high-quality food. It’s clear the “& Restaurant” designation will start to take a bigger shape as Cruise enters a new era, building on a legacy that has hosted everyone from Kylie Minogue and Justin Bieber to Fleetwood Mac.

Front-row views of the Sydney Opera House are always going to be the main drawcard for a venue like this, and to have it open just weeks before Vivid Sydney should inject some much needed life back into The Rocks side of Circular Quay.

‘Time will tell if it remains the “ultimate waterfront destination” it once was, but things seem to be shaping up nicely for Cruise’s reopening. The owners have brought on head chef Han Chen, fresh from stints across a’Mare and Felix, to examine what Modern Australian cuisine actually means.

On the menu you’ll find dishes like bush tomato butter mussels, pan-seared Humpty Doo barramundi with macadamia cream, and confit duck risotto with butternut squash and crispy saltbush.

And while the food menu is extensive, we think what will really bring the crowds in are those Grande Cruise Seafood Towers, showcasing local catches from Australian prawns and zucchini flowers filled with scallop mousse to Royal Miyagi oysters and scallop ceviche.

Cruise Bar may have a new outdoor area, but the familiar interior design only has a few small twists (photo supplied).

“Sydney has changed a lot in the past decade, but there’s always been a place for a venue like Cruise,” offered General Manager John Harvey.

“It’s got history, it’s got views that stop you in your tracks, and now it’s got an elevated experience to match.”

On the drinks side of things, ex-Jane mixologist Tom Bulmer is holding up the other side of Cruise’s laser focus on native flavours. The Lilly Flower, for example, cobbles together raspberry, lily pilly, Casamigos Tequila and hibiscus, while the Afternoon Fashion takes its own angle on the classic Old Fashioned with croissant-washed whisky and toasted wattleseed for a roasted flavour profile.

Cruise Bar & Restaurant will sit on the first floor of the venue while the more exclusive Melba’s Rooftop rests on the second. Named for Dame Nelli Melba of Opera royalty, the events space maximises those panoramic harbour views and complements with sunset hues. The outdoor area is looking like prime real estate for the venue, which is why Melba’s is already offering a special Vivid menu for $100 per person with add-on appetisers like spanner crab crumpets and Tim Tam tiramisu.

“This isn’t just a comeback—it’s a statement,” says a confident Harvey, whose faith in Cruise as Sydney’s ultimate harbourside destination seems well-placed given the admirable focus on strictly Australian flavours.

Cruise Bar & Restaurant

Address: Overseas Passenger Terminal, Level 1, 2 and 3 Circular Quay W, The Rocks NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9251 1188
Opening Hours:

cruisebar.com.au

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