Layover Guide: What To Do in the Sydney Airport
Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy
In the Sydney Airport, the bar tenders and shopkeepers exude such small-town warmth that you’ll forget you’re in the country’s biggest airport, serving nearly 38 million passengers a year.
BEST CAFFEINE JOLT
You’ll likely land at an odd hour, craving caffeine to offset lost hours of sleep on the flight. Head to the Coffee Club, located in Terminal 1 before customs, for a long black or flat white — don’t worry, the servers are happy to help you order and show you where the plugs are to recharge your phone. Bonus: It has a full bar, so if you want to make that coffee Irish — or Jamaican or Spanish — go ahead.
coffeeclub.com.au
BEST-TASTING SOUVENIR
Skip the koala key chains; instead, treat yourself and your loved ones to what Australians call bushtucker. Stop by the Australian Produce Store in Terminal 1 before customs for wines, nougat, jerky, biscuits, rainforest honey and chocolates, as well as crocodile and kangaroo meat. The shop also carries lotions and bath products made from local ingredients.
BEST COCKTAIL HAPPY HOUR
This gem is easy to miss; the only visible signage when passing the central lounge in Terminal 1 is the letter B on the dividing wall. Once inside the Bambini Wine Room, enjoy a cocktail menu with upscale classics like an espresso or French martini. With drinks priced at $16, you’ll want to sip slowly while people-watching and listening to the custom playlist, courtesy of the bar owner’s iPhone.
BEST HASSLE-FREE NAP
Staying awake is better for adjusting to the time change, sure, but if you can’t fight that drowsy feeling, rooms are available by the hour at Rydges Sydney Airport hotel. Find it across the street from the International Terminal. All 318 rooms have been recently remodeled and are now wonderfully soundproof.
rydges.com
Courtesy: Rowers on Cooks River
BEST OFF-SITE EATERY
If you have at least four hours between flights, flee the airport and walk six minutes west to Rowers on Cooks River, a waterfront restaurant and rowing club. The fare, such as chili-fried calamari, is simple but well-executed.
