Midden by Mark Olive

Australian restaurant · Sydney

Midden by Mark Olive

Australian restaurant · Sydney

1

Western Broadwalk Sydney Opera House Sydney, Bennelong Point NSW 2000, Australia

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Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null
Midden by Mark Olive by null

Highlights

Indigenous Australian ingredients, kangaroo, barramundi, native high tea  

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Western Broadwalk Sydney Opera House Sydney, Bennelong Point NSW 2000, Australia Get directions

middensydney.com.au
@middenbymarkolive

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Western Broadwalk Sydney Opera House Sydney, Bennelong Point NSW 2000, Australia Get directions

+61 2 9250 7220
middensydney.com.au
@middenbymarkolive

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Last updated

Aug 15, 2025

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Midden – Sydney, Australia - Gastro Obscura

"For thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians built middens from leftover shells and bones. The remarkable mounds recorded what they’d eaten, and ensured they didn’t over-consume oysters and other sea creatures. These monuments to sustainability were much more than remnants, though. “They were vibrant communal spaces where Indigenous people cooked, ate, and gathered as families. Similar to a modern-day family kitchen, these places were filled with laughter and conversation.” You’ll read those words when you open the menu at Midden, the Sydney Opera House’s harborside Indigenous restaurant. It’s located where First Nations clans traditionally congregated for feasts, at a site the local Gadigal people called Tubowgule. Midden pays tribute to the get-togethers that amassed around these shellfish mounds. The restaurant’s menu is overseen by Mark Olive, a Bundjalung man known as Australia’s first Indigenous celebrity chef. He initially highlighted First Nations ingredients (such as emu and wattleseed) on his Message Stick TV segments over 20 years ago. He’s since gained an international following for various shows (The Outback Cafe, The Chefs’ Line). His Midden menu includes a potato gnocchi with native pesto that recalls a version he blitzed together on his On Country Kitchen program: The herbal punch isn’t from the basil that’s traditionally pounded with nuts in Italian recipes, but from Warrigal greens, an Indigenous ingredient is also called Botany Bay spinach and refers to a nearby body of water. The chef reimagines many other staples with bush foods at Midden: Panna cotta is flavored with strawberry gum, hummus is hit with native thyme, and even butter is whipped with eucalyptus. And the classic Aussie dessert, pavlova, is given a thrilling remix: The meringue shells are teamed with the tart notes of native fruits (think Illawarra plum, rosella, and riberries) and the coffee-like flavor of roasted wattleseed cream. Then there’s Midden’s high tea, which puts an Indigenous spin on the British tradition, with offerings like wattleseed scones with a swoosh of lemon myrtle cream and strawberry rosella jam or finger sandwiches with the zing of pepperberry-cured salmon. They’re designed to go well with Indigiearth’s brews, such as native green tea that’s steeped with guradji, a plant that Indigenous Australians have used medicinally for thousands of years. Know Before You Go Midden is located on the Western Boardwalk of the Sydney Opera House. Walk-ins are welcome, but bookings are recommended for peak times (like pre-theater periods). You should also reserve 72 hours in advance for the Native High Teas, which take place on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings and afternoons." - Lee Tran Lam

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/midden-restaurant
View Postcard for Midden by Mark Olive

Genevieve Nightingale

Google
Went here before the concert at the opera house and it's very convenient for it. The food was wonderful, we recommend the kangaroo prosciutto entree. The cocktails are also very nice, our recommendation is the peach and plum sour, and the lemon cheesecake. The staff were great, always attentive and looking out for us. The atmosphere was nice, lovely view, cold but they have overhead heaters and blankets. It is outside, we only realized this right before but yes. They are very accommodating despite this though and definitely made our night just that much better. I recommend booking purely for the best seats but I can also imagine it getting quite busy in summer.

Em

Google
Fantastic Australian Native grazing platter. It felt like a magical experience trying different native foods, and Australian meats. The quality of the tea and food was excellent. Very accommodating to allergens. Plenty of gluten free options. The atmosphere was magical. Nice service - highly recommend.

David deMarco

Google
Booked for lunch and fortunately we had a sunny winter day as all the seating is outside. Service was a little slow to start, but once we ordered, things moved along well, with a nice glass of Riesling. We ordered the grazing plate to start with then Kangaroo Fillet, Pumpkin and Cucumber Salad to share as the plate is quite a lot. Overall an enjoyable meal, with some different flavours that may not be to everyone's taste. We were keen on the Hummus but loved the cucumber salad and pumpkin sides. The Kangaroo Fillet was very good and would have been sensational if it had been hotter. given we only had one main, it should have arrived piping hot and not on a cold plate. We finished with the pavlova, which was delicious. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch and experience.

Christina Thomas

Google
As someone who has lived in Sydney long enough and never quite found the right answer to “what’s Sydney cuisine known for?”, dining here definitely gave me the answer. What a wonderful experience trying new flavours. The kangaroo prosciutto with melon was a brilliant pairing, and the kangaroo steak was yum. Desserts had beautiful flavours of Australian botanicals. A great experience overall and definitely one I’d recommend if you want to learn about the beauty of Aboriginal cuisine. That said, I will say there’s room to improve on service. My wine glass was poured halfway full twice l, which was a bit off-putting. Felt like the staff were in a rush to close. Nothing that can’t be worked on. Thanks to the chefs! Will return.

Byu S

Google
Chose this restaurant by recommendation of a friend as I wanted to dine with the harbour view (unfortunately weather did not cooperate that day). I had the pan seared duck breast, honestly it was alright, not spectacular taste or texture as one might hope for at this price. The sourness of the plum sauce did go very well with the sweetness of the pears and it was enjoyable to finish nonetheless. Portion was filling. My friend had the barramundi and that was very fresh and well flavoured. I’d probably recommend that one since it also comes in the lunch set menu at better value. We booked in advance but the area was quite empty since it was a Friday morning. Outdoor seating area only but heaters are turned on.

Eleanor Cheng

Google
Can't beat the view at the restaurant. Food was good but was expecting more of an indigenous twist to the food. Overall it's a good place to have dinner before a play or opera or to showcase Sydney to friends visiting here.

KC L

Google
The description of the high tea is much better than the actual taste. The tea served was quite different which was great. Otherwise, you can’t really tell how this is a native inspired affair. To echo what other has already written, staff here is at best apathetic, and the security guard standing there is just out right rude. Was hoping this would be a gem to take others to experience it. Don’t… nothing special except for the view and even the crowded Opera Bar would be a better option.

Petra-Susanne S.

Google
We loved everything from start to finish. The food was exceptional, with unique flavours beautifully paired. The staff were absolutely amazing—especially the blonde waitress from Spain—and the view of the Harbour Bridge was stunning. We would come back 100 times over! Thank you so much for this incredible experience :)