Hay St Market: Sydney’s Newest $20-million Tourist Trap?

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📍 Location: Hay Street Market – 9/13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000

🚗 Getting There: Plenty of options to choose from! Can get off from the Lightrail at either China Town or Capital Square. Or walk directly from Town Hall Train Station. (15 minute walk)

🔎 Tips for Your Visit: A lot of places take card only and no cash.

“Located at Haymarket’s historic Paddy’s Markets site, this epic food hub is home to 48 stalls and more than 25 different cuisines.” – TimeOut

As someone who considers food a big part of my life, I was excited to hear about Sydney’s newest food hub in one of my favourite dining spots—Haymarket. The online hype was huge, with every article I read praising the $20-million investment and describing it as a breath of fresh air for the long-standing Paddy’s Markets. Naturally, I had to check it out.

After struggling to find the entrance—thanks to three misleading, closed entryways—I finally made it inside. The market was visually impressive, with neon signs, trendy seating areas, and picture-perfect food displays. But as I wandered through the stalls, one question lingered: who was this market really designed for? Was it a platform for up-and-coming eateries in an already well-established food district, or was it just another tourist hotspot built for Instagram?

Okay, so to start off my review, I tried three different stalls. I know what you might be thinking 3/48 stores is not a good sample size, but these seemed to be the most popular stalls online and unfortunately, my stomach is only so big and these dishes were expensive 😩.

6/10 Points for presentation, but slightly on the more expensive side and the bread was bland and cold.

5/10 More points for presentation, but it tasted devoid of the most important ingredient. ✨love✨

4/10 The server didn’t notice me waiting to pay because he was busy swiping TikTok thirst traps 💀

While the market offers variety, the execution left me disappointed. Prices were high, the seating areas were sparse, and the food itself didn’t live up to the visuals.

Reading articles from TimeOut, Broadsheet, and Gourmet Traveller, you’d think Hay St Market was a game-changing addition to Sydney’s food scene. But after visiting, I can’t help but wonder—are these reviews genuine, or just another case of sponsored hype outweighing honest critique?

The market looks great, and there’s no doubt it’ll attract crowds. But when it comes to flavour, value, and authenticity, it falls short. Sydney has no shortage of incredible food, yet these major platforms seem more focused on promoting trendy new openings than actually guiding people to the best eats.

Which raises the question: who can you really trust for food recommendations—or recommendations in general—from these big-name sources?

For those seeking quality, authentic eats, skip the market and head straight into Chinatown or the rest of Haymarket. There are so many fantastic restaurants in the area and one day, I plan to share a post listing my favourites!

That’s all for today—what do you think? Are these big food blogs still reliable, or have they become glorified PR machines? And is it even possible to grow a platform while staying truly authentic to your readers? Let me know in the comments below! ⬇️