I went to Lakemba Nights for the first time – this is what I thought

Venturing out to the south west Sydney suburb, here’s what I thought of my first visit to the Lakemba Nights Ramadan market.

Like many Brits, I’ve found myself sucked into the ‘Bondi bubble,’ taken in by the lifestyle along Sydney’s Riviera, so the chance to venture out of the bubble and experience some “proper” culture last night made a welcome change.

Lakemba Nights, formerly known as Ramadan Night Markets, has been feeding hungry Sydneysiders since the end of February. After reading, seeing and hearing so much about it, I finally made it down there and this is what I found.

Getting to Lakemba

Frustratingly, the T3 Bankstown train, which takes you directly to Lakemba Station, has been closed since September 2024 while the line is being brought up to standards for the extending Metro. It definitely adds an obstacle to the evening if you’re travelling from Sydney CBD—or the eastern suburbs!

However, alighting the train at Sydenham, you’ll find several bus routes take you to Haldon Street.

We hopped on to the SW2 to take us to Lakemba Nights and SW1 to return later in the evening. Both journeys took around 30 minutes, though their routes differ slightly. The SW1 and SW2 bus routes are fare-free and stop at Haldon St. There is also a dedicated free shuttle bus that run between Lakemba, Campsie and Roselands each night.

Overall, travel to and from the market was pretty seamless. The queues at the bus stop upon arrival at Sydenham were a little confusing, but we were on the bus within no more than five minutes.

On arrival

It’s easy to work out where you need to go. Aside from the signage and staff in their hi-vis jackets, just follow the crowds—and smells rising on the breeze.

We arrived at around 6:30pm, having heard that the crowds start to grow from 7pm, when the sun sets and Muslims come to break their fast. There were already a few queues at the first few stalls when we arrived and within an hour, there were large queues at most places. But it wasn’t anything too overwhelming.

Our game plan was to walk the length of the market on both sides, assessing which stalls caught our eye (spoiler alert: most of them) before making our first purchase. It worked well, but we still left in an inevitable food coma so definitely come with an empty stomach.

Foods we tried at Lakemba Nights

Our first bite was a vegetable samosa to ease ourselves in. Just a simple snack to satiate some of our—by this time—intense hunger and avoid a poorly-thought through purchase. It was a nice idea but it backfired spectacularly as we ended up going back for two more each as they were so irresistibly crisp and packed full with mild but flavourful spiced vegetables. They were $4 each from Desi Hub on the west facing side down near Gillies Street.

Next we walked back down to Skewiies, the food truck which sits alone along The Boulevard. We’d seen it being praised a lot online (i.e on TikTok) before we visited so went to see what all the fuss was about. Perhaps our choice of the chicken skewer was where we went wrong but it didn’t wow us. Ultimately, it was five skewers of simple fried chicken for $16.50. I just wish there had been a soy or chilli sauce. Or any sauce for that matter! The baby octopus wasn’t available when we were there, but the lamb ($17.50) seemed to be a popular choice so maybe try that instead.

My main for the evening came courtesy of Mutabbak, a stall with at least five cooking stations, manned by an expert team who masterfully side-stepped around each other in the small space all evening. I opted for the one skewer and one naan deal for just $18. Portions are big enough for two, with four or five large chunks of chicken that are juicy, tender and beautifully marinated. You can choose from chicken tikka, chicken malai tikka or lamb sheekh kebab. I went with chicken tikka.

Thankfully it’s served alongside a deep pool of mint yoghurt, as the gentle burn of the spice continues to build long after you’ve finished each mouthful. It also came with a side salad of cucumber and huge chunks of raw carrot, which left a little to be desired, but in all honesty, the skewer and naan was more than enough and took all my attention.

Finally, we went on the hunt for a sweet treat. As a nut allergy sufferer, I have to say it was a little trickier as most of the desserts are sprinkled with pistachio, but we prevailed.

Kürtősh provided the goods in the form of its popular kurtosh chimney cakes and freshly fried donuts. Not quite as authentic as the nutty knafeh or baklava but delicious nonetheless. The chimney cakes are also freshly baked in front of you and come served with a choice of sprinkles (cinnamon, pistachio or nutella) and ice cream (chocolate or vanilla).

A Ramadan market where all are welcome

Aside from the fantastic food, the overwhelming takeaway for me was how welcoming everyone was. From a passerby teaching me how to pronounce knafeh (kuh·na·fay) to the smiling tamarind juice men and stall vendors handing out samples and offering advice as soon as they saw you debating whether to take the plunge. The crowds were made from people of all ages and nationalities, all beaming and enjoying the shared experience of feasting, whether breaking their fast or simply here to experience the different cuisines.

Walking along Haldon St it feels like you’d been plucked out of Sydney and transported to a vibrant street market in some parallel Asian and Middle Eastern blended universe. It’s beautiful.

One thing I did notice, however, was that the map I’d seen online wasn’t quite the same in the flesh. The block of stalls from 30 to 51 was nowhere to be found. Instead, that stretch of Haldon St between Oneata St and Gillies St was covered with prayer mats. Sure, I was a little disappointed not to find some of the stalls in that section, including newcomer La Gitana Paella, but Lakemba Nights is a Ramadan event after all. Without the presence of the prayer area, I actually think it could have been easy for tourists and non-Muslim visitors to get swept up in all the foodie excitement and forget the true significance of the evening.

All in all, the journey to the south west suburb was fantastically worth it to enjoy the shared experience of Ramadan and become fully immersed in a different side to Sydney’s culture.

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FAQs

When is Lakemba Nights open?

Lakemba Nights market is open every Thursday to Sunday evening from 6pm until 2am, until March 30.

How do I get to Lakemba?

There are widespread road closures and the T3 Bankstown line is closed for works so travel is a little more difficult than usual. But transportation organisations have stepped in to help—there is a dedicated free shuttle bus and two other free bus routes that run to and from Sydenham station.

How much is it?

Entry is free. The only costs are for any food or drinks you purchase, with prices starting from just a couple of dollars.

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Read more

• Lakemba Nights During Ramadan: Your Guide to the Street Food Festival
• The best foods to try at Lakemba Nights Ramadan market this weekend
• Hay St Market set to open at Paddy’s Markets Haymarket this month