15 of the Best Things to Do in Sydney When It Rains

Sydney’s built around the outdoors, beaches, rooftop bars, and coastal walks. So when it rains, it can throw your plans. But bad weather doesn’t mean staying home. It just means knowing where to go.

This list pulls together 15 of my favourite places to be when it’s wet out, spots that work when the sky’s grey, the forecast’s off, or you just want to be inside without feeling like you’re missing out. From ramen counters and wine bars to galleries, cinemas, tea tastings and late-afternoon happy hours, here’s where to head when Sydney turns soggy.

15 of the Best Things to Do in Sydney When It Rains

Do a tea or matcha tasting

Potts Point & Surry Hills | Price range: $45-$55 per person

A switch-up from your usual coffee spot: try a tea or matcha tasting. Ms.Cattea in Potts Point runs intimate tastings from a quiet shopfront, choose a flight of three classic teas, or explore a rare experimental tea flight. Over in Surry Hills, Simply Native hosts matcha classes that cover flavour, sourcing, and how to whisk it right. A calming lesson in the traditional Japanese tea ritual.

Listen to live jazz

Ultimo, Potts Point, Surry Hills | Price range: Free entry

A rainy evening is the best time to find yourself in a room with good acoustics and a glass of wine. Foundry 616 in Ultimo channels classic jazz club atmosphere, with local and touring artists playing late into the night. Dulcie’s in Kings Cross does live jazz every Thursday alongside all-Australian cocktails and candlelit booths. Mille Vini leans Italian, think pasta, red wine, and a live set that carries through dinner.

Hide out at Happy Hour

CBD | Price range: $8-$13 drinks and $19 burgers

Hubert is low light, candlelit tables, and French jazz drifting through the dining room. Happy Hour runs daily from 5–6pm, with $8 lagers, wine and G&Ts, plus $13 Negronis at the bar. The Normandy Burger is the move, dry-aged beef, Gruyère, dill pickle and sauce Hubert, for $19. An iconic French restaurant, doing its iconic dish at a price that feels like a loophole.

Visit White Rabbit Gallery

Chippendale | Price range: Free entry

White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale is one of those rare free-entry spots that delivers every time. The exhibitions rotate but are always sharp, strange, or something in between, focused on contemporary Chinese art from one of the world’s best private collections. Stop by the teahouse after for dumplings and jasmine tea to stay out of the rain.

Browse a bookstore

Paddington, Baragaroo, CBD | Price range: Free entry

There’s something about flipping through pages while the city drips outside. Title in Barangaroo is a tightly curated edit of music, design and culture books. Berkelouw in Paddington has a secondhand section and a little wine bar/cafe upstairs. Kinokuniya near Town Hall is huge, chaotic and endlessly browseable. Ariel on Oxford Street is where to find local lit, international mags and books you didn’t know you needed.

Cosy up in a wine bar

Price range: Varies, get a glass or a full meal

Rain is a good excuse to lean into red wine and warm lighting. Try Love, Tilly Devine for a neighbourhood favourite with a deep list. Paski for small plates and Italian bottles. Dear Sainte Éloise if you want to sit solo at the bar with a book and a glass of something interesting. Odd Culture and P&V Merchants both skew natural, expect funk, candles, and no pressure to be anywhere else.

Go vintage shopping hopping

Newtown & Surry Hills | Price range: Free entry

Rainy weather means fewer people rifling through racks, which makes this the perfect time to dig. Crown Street in Surry Hills is lined with vintage and resale stores with a sharp edit. In Newtown, Route 66, SWOP, Uturn and Good Times span everything from 70s tailoring to worn-in denim and graphic tees. Take your time, keep out of the rain and maybe you'll find your new favourite piece.

Watch a film at Golden Age

Surry Hills | Price Range: $19-$25

Golden Age Cinema is built for weather like this. A tiny vintage cinema inside the old Paramount Pictures building in Surry Hills, with curated films and slow drinks at the bar. Catch a cult film or something new, then head upstairs for a coffee or linger at the bar with something stronger.

Take a pottery class at Crock’d

Across Sydney | Price Range: $65 - $150

Crock’d runs casual, hands-on pottery classes out of their studio's across Sydney. You can build a mug, paint a plate or hand-shape a set from scratch, no experience needed. It’s BYO, unpretentious, and just a fun thing to do on a rainy day.

Do a gallery lap

Sydney | Price Range: Free Entry

The Art Gallery of NSW is one of the city’s most iconic institutions, and now with its new contemporary wing open, you can explore both sides in one visit. Start in the original building for the classics, Australian landscapes, European works, 20th-century icons, then cross over to the modern wing for large-scale installations, moving image, and new work from emerging artists. The two buildings are connected by a grassed rooftop and sculpture walk with harbour views. Free to enter, easy to spend the whole afternoon.

Slurp a bowl of ramen

Price range: Varies

There’s something about ramen on a rainy day that just works. Mensho Tokyo in the CBD is the Sydney outpost of the Michelin-recognised Tokyo original, rich broths, wagyu tsukemen, and a line out the door for a reason. Chaco Ramen in Darlinghurst does smoky, savoury bowls with depth. Kosuke has quiet cult status, with stores in Lane Cove, North Strathfield and Newington. Sekka Dining in St Leonards serves refined ramen alongside sashimi, sake and sharp interiors. Find a window seat, watch the rain roll in and stay warm.

Book a bathhouse session

Price range: Varies, Usually $70+

If you're going to stay inside, you may as well be horizontal in a steam room. Book a session at Slow House in Bondi—infrared saunas, ice baths, and herbal tea in a minimal space built for switch-off. Venustus in Paddington is a bit more luxe and holistic, think massages, oils, rituals. Or go full five-star at The Langham’s Day Spa. You’ll forget the weather ever existed.

Catch a comedy show

Price range: Usually under $20

A rainy night is a good excuse to sit in the dark and laugh. Powerbomb Comedy runs fortnightly on Saturdays and usually sells out. Yeah The Girls takes Sundays, with a sharp rotating lineup of women and non-binary comics. Harry’s Comedy is on Mondays. Kweens of Comedy pops up monthly with queer acts and a loyal following. Most shows are under $20 and often held in bars you’d go to anyway.

Wander a gourmet food store

Price range: Free entry (you may leave with a few snacks!)

Rainy days are made for slow laps around a good deli. Gourmet Life in Edgecliff is the go-to for tins of Ortiz, slabs of truffle pecorino, and the kind of olive oil you buy just for the label. Across town, try Victor Churchill for the ultimate butcher browse, Fish Butchery for takeaway sashimi or tuna melts, or Formaggi Ocello in Surry Hills for a fridge full of cheese and Italian pantry gold. Go in with no list. Leave with dinner, snacks, and things you’ve never tried before.

Now go have some fun...

Whether you're after comfort food, culture, or just somewhere warm to spend a few hours, these are 15 of the best things to do in Sydney when it rains. Save it for the next time the forecast turns, and you won’t be stuck wondering what to do.