Since the 1970s, Paddington Markets has been the arty, slightly bohemian cousin to Oxford Street’s nightlife—150+ stalls of local designers, jewellers, candle makers, vintage hunters and food vendors sprawled around the heritage-listed Paddington Uniting Church. It’s where you go to touch fabrics, chat to makers and find something you won’t see on every second guy at the bar afterward.

Come late morning, grab a coffee and do a slow lap: try on hand-printed tees, stock up on small-batch skincare, pick out gifts for your host or that new crush, then refuel with gozleme or a pastry in the courtyard. The crowd is a very mixed bag—families, fashion students, queers on a pre-brunch wander—so it feels relaxed, not performative.

Location-wise, you’re perfectly placed. Markets wrap up mid-afternoon, leaving time to wander down Oxford Street toward Darlinghurst’s bars and clubs, or cut across to Centennial Park for a picnic. During Mardi Gras season, it’s a great daytime counterpoint to the late-night chaos—same creative energy, a lot more sunlight.