NEED TO KNOW
- Hamsi Taverna is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at Sydney Fish Market with stunning harbour views and a lively, unpretentious seaside taverna vibe.
- The menu highlights fresh seafood and signature dishes, including Sydney rock oysters, poached prawns, seafood tartare, baked crab pasta, and grilled swordfish.
- The drinks menu features inventive cocktails like Two Minutes, Turkish and All In, alongside a curated selection of Australian and European wines.
On a bright, sunny Saturday, my friend and I made our way to Hamsi Taverna, a striking Mediterranean restaurant overlooking the water at Sydney Fish Market.
With around 200 seats and sweeping harbour views, the venue offers vistas towards the CBD, Pyrmont, and Glebe.
It feels less like a fish market restaurant and more like a seaside taverna that drifted from the Aegean to dock in Sydney.
Created by renowned Turkish chef Somer Sivrioğlu and the Efendy Group, Hamsi blends the spirit of Bosphorus fish restaurants with the relaxed energy of a Mykonos beach bar.
The menu at Hamsi Taverna is inspired by the Mediterranean seaside, featuring fresh seafood, rustic pides, pastas dressed at the table, and hearty options like steak and lamb.
Keep reading to find out what’s a must-order!
We were warmly welcomed by the host and then by Tristan, the manager, who enthusiastically guided us through the menu.
The drinks offering features a well-curated selection of approachable Australian and European wines alongside a vibrant cocktail list.
There’s a mix of cocktails and mocktails, ranging from light, herbaceous refreshers to more spirit-forward classics.
On his suggestion, I started with the signature cocktail Two Minutes, Turkish.
The drink arrived with the restaurant’s name engraved on the ice – a small detail that made me irrationally happy.
Light, aromatic and refreshing, it was the perfect start.
The appetisers focus on raw and lightly cured seafood, complemented by a selection of vibrant mezze.
You’ll also find dishes like burrata with pomegranate molasses, Antakya-style hummus, and whipped taramasalata served with warm bread.
We began with half a dozen Sydney rock oysters topped with a tangy sumac mignonette – my first time trying sumac with oysters, and now I’m wondering why it took so long.
A butter lettuce salad with a bright, tangy dressing followed, keeping things fresh before the seafood parade truly began.
Next came poached prawns with Aegean-style tarama, celery and pistachio, and a seafood tartare of scallop, tuna and kingfish dressed with lemon oil and capers.
The prawns were the undeniable star: sweet and perfectly cooked, paired with buttery taramasalata and the crunch of pistachio and celery – a combination so good it felt almost unfair to other prawn dishes.
The tartare was light, citrusy and perfectly balanced – everything raw seafood should be.
Naturally, one cocktail was not enough.
Round two featured All In, a vibrant purple gin cocktail made with butterfly pea tea, Cointreau, cranberry jam and lavender – floral, slightly sweet and dangerously drinkable.
Then came Do You Know What Nemesis Means?, a tequila-based cocktail with passionfruit and a gentle chilli kick – bright, fruity and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.
The Main Courses at Hamsi Taverna celebrate the intersection of fresh Australian seafood and traditional Turkish charcoal grilling.
For mains, we tried the famous baked conchiglie crab pasta with sweet spanner crab and prawn bisque.
Just when you think it can’t get better, a waiter arrives and theatrically shreds fresh crab over the golden, bubbling pasta like it’s the grand finale of a seafood opera.
Alongside it came the grilled swordfish steak with beef jus glaze and crispy capers – surprisingly steak-like in texture but lighter, perfectly cooked and deeply flavourful.
If swordfish had an awards ceremony, this one would probably win.
Dessert continued the Mediterranean theme with pistachio tiramisu – lighter and creamier than the classic version – and a deconstructed baklava with toasted walnuts, hazelnut cream, burnt orange and ice cream.
Warm, cold, crunchy, creamy – basically everything you want in a dessert.
We paired it with strong Turkish coffee, which arrived bold, unapologetic and exactly how it should be.
By the time we finished, the harbour was still sparkling, the room buzzing gently with laughter and conversation.
Hamsi isn’t just another waterfront restaurant – it’s a lively Mediterranean escape where seafood, cocktails and sunshine come together in the most delightful way.
And if you arrive for lunch on a sunny day as I did, don’t be surprised if you end up staying a little longer than planned.
