• At Middle Eastern brekkie spot Iftar, classics join twists like shawarma tacos and kofta dumplings.

• Meet Flora, the Continental Deli crew’s veggie-forward dining utopia for the Newtown brunch pack. There’s not a strip of bacon in sight, but there is a short stack of pancakes that we think’s a contender for best in Sydney.

• At Bubooza, find gravity-defying scoops of Lebanese ice-cream – that’s stretchy, chewy and delicately floral – made by a dessert master from Tripoli.

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• First look: the old Ricos Tacos corner spot has new custodians: market bakery darling Khanom House. Stop in for pandan-cream-stuffed doughnuts, Thai-milk-tea Basque cheesecakes and more.

• It’s true, we need to talk about the ceiling at Bar Julius. In the morning there are pancakes and clarified Mimosas, then all-day classics till midnight. It all happens under a spectacular double-arched ceiling decked in a piece by Dinosaur Designs’ Louise Olsen.

• Now open: Petit Loulou joined the CBD mix to immediate queues for baker Brendon Woodward’s super savoury croissants, which win with a long ferment and premium high-fat butter. Expect a chocolatey city exclusive too, and a bistro next door in the coming months.

• Three new all-you-can-eat barbeque buffets are here (for when you just can’t get enough). Find a neon-lit Korean favourite, non-stop sushi and sashimi and a lively yakiniku house in Glebe.

• First look: Baptist Street Rec Club is the parasol in Wunderlich Lane’s $500 million cocktail. Expect Thai pub classics and tributes to kitsch Australiana throughout this Redfern bar.

• The mood is right at Eleven Barrack, the Bentley team’s new woodfired grill restaurant. A fluffy starter riffs on a sweet Bentley original and a tight pasta list supports beautifully done steaks from an inherited grill that’s “about the same price as a Ferrari”.

Additional reporting by Lucy Bell Bird, Jasmine Crittenden, Dan Cunningham, Monique Foy and Pilar Mitchell.