Celebrity spotting in Sydney - where to go

There’s something special about Sydney. Of all the destinations in the world, this is the place that can make you feel like a celebrity as you dress to impress and sit looking across the water at the world’s most famous opera house. The area around Darling Harbour and The Rocks is crammed full of bars, clubs, restaurants and casinos, and is one of the southern hemisphere’s great magnets for glitterati, both from Australia and further afield.

If you want to maximize your chances of rubbing up against, let’s say, Drew Barrymore, Sienna Miller or maybe Kim Kardashian, we’ve got some insider tips, so read on.

Eat, drink and party under one roof at The Ivy

Don’t mistake it for the somewhat staid restaurant of the same name in London, although both are great for celebrity-spotting. The Ivy in Sydney is a party destination with multiple dance floors, several restaurant options and a rooftop pool and bar.

Russell Brand, Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman are among the stars who like to let their hair down at this George Street venue.

Head to Icebergs to chill out with the rich and famous

Bondi Beach is a 15 minute drive – or limousine ride – from The Rocks. It’s one of the most gorgeous beaches on the planet and is where the great and the good go to show that less is more with their designer swim gear.

All that sun-worshiping is tiring work, so head for Iceberg’s for a light lunch. Regular patrons include Oprah Winfrey, Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung. Nearby Gould Street is also something of a celebrity magnet, with its wall-to-wall designer fashion outlets.

Get lucky in famous company at the Star Casino

Australians love a wager, and The Star is one of two major casinos in Sydney. It’s been a difficult couple of years for Australia’s casino industry for all sorts of reasons. Many casual players have abandoned physical casinos and pokies and instead favor online pokies in Australia for real money players. However, celebrity high rollers favor the real thing. With 1500 pokies plus dozens of table games like roulette, sic bo, blackjack and baccarat, you certainly won’t get bored.

The Star also has numerous function rooms and hosts some of Sydney’s biggest events. It’s one of the best vantage points for celebrity spotting. The dozens of famous names seen coming and going in recent months include singer Amy Shark and model Tegan Martin. Hollywood veteran Mel Gibson has also been known to stop by for a game of blackjack!

Nightcaps at the Park Hyatt

When it’s time to turn in for the night, there’s a fabulous choice of top end hotels. The Park Hyatt might not look as impressive as the Four Seasons or the Crown Tower, but it is the longest-established luxury hotel on The Rocks, and its location, nestled in the shadow of Sydney Harbour Bridge, cannot be matched.

Elton John, Drew Barrymore, Bette Midler and The Rolling Stones are among the regular clientele, and all have been known to stop for a nightcap at the hotel’s sophisticated cocktail bar before turning in for the night.

Brunch with the stars at Bill’s

We are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not everyone on the Sydney celebrity circuit wants to cook their own bacon and eggs the morning after a night out on the town – especially when there is the alternative of “the egg master of Sydney.”

That moniker belongs to none other than Bill Granger, a celebrity in his own right, having published the “Bill’s” range of cookbooks and appeared on several Bill’s Kitchen TV specials. His restaurant in Surry Hills, just up the road from the Sydney Cricket Ground, is famed for its breakfasts, but also serves a wide range of food till late at night. Taylor Swift makes it her first port of call and heads there straight from the airport whenever she visits Sydney.