Hip Hop Hooray! Big Poppa’s on Oxford Street has got you covered not just on weekends but every day of the week. One for the hip hop fans, this cosy two level bar has everything for a great night out – good beats, tasty drinks and an Italian menu filled with things like hand-cut pappardelle and lamb shoulder ragu to keep you satisfied past 1am. But, for many, it’s the epic cheese menu that has the place heaving from 8pm onwards. 96 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, bigpoppa.com.au

El Loco is a place where the party can just as easily start, as it does finish. Open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, this little Mexican cantina on the side of the Excelsior Hotel oozes strong feast and fiesta vibes. Grab your amigos and a $7 taco or three and enjoy the live DJ tunes. They also have another cantina located at The Slip Inn if you’re partying on that side of town. The Excelsior Hotel, 64 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, elloco.com.au

Easily one of the city’s favourites, the original Chat Thai opposite the Capitol Theatre is the place to go for super fresh and authentic Thai food in the wee hours. Despite there always being a queue to grab a table or takeaway off their popular supper menu (9:30pm – 2am), the line moves fast as the chefs pump out crowd favourites in the open kitchen. Fingers crossed they haven’t run out of their hot, doughnut-like Par tuhng go desserts with Pandan custard. 20 Campbell St, Sydney, chatthai.com.au

If you’re wandering around King Cross on the hunt for something tastier than a back alley pizza or pie, head to Mr Crackles and enjoy slow braised meats that you could only dream of at that time of day. Open till 4:30am on a Saturday, this is the place to go for succulent and crispy skinned meats, roasted for maximum flavour. You can even buy whole sheets of crackling at $25 a pop if you are so inclined. 155 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, mrcrackles.com.au

Another crowd pleaser that regularly has queues out the door, Mamak is the perfect place to go in the early hours when the dinner crowds have gone and you don’t have to line up to get a freshly made roti and slow cooked Kari Kambing or Nasi Goreng. Enjoy the entertainment as the chefs twirl the roti dough front and centre. 15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket, mamak.com.au

If you can find it hidden down an alley off Pitt St, Madang is a great place to enjoy a late night feast of Korean barbecued meats until 2am. Join the late night revellers or shift workers for a glass of soju or two and watch your meats sizzle to your style before you head to your next destination. 371A Pitt St, Sydney, facebook.com/Madang2006

Frankie’s is practically a late night institution, selling pizza by the slice ($6) until 3am daily (last orders 2:45am). Grab a slice or two with your mates, hit the pinball machines and enjoy live music any night of the week. 50 Hunter St, Sydney, frankiespizzabytheslice.com

A cool and cosy bar with a rotating roster of blues, rock ’n’ roll and jazz music with DJs on weekends, Low 302 is open until 2am daily, and fills up quickly. You’ll find their popular $10 steaks and more complex sharing plates go well with a long list of cocktails on offer into the wee hours. 302 Crown St, Surry Hills, low302.com.au

If you’re after something more refined than tasty pub grub or fried foods after midnight then head to the Barangaroo precinct and enjoy an Australian-inspired menu at the late night kitchen of 12 Micron. This modern Australian restaurant complete with a 64-seat dessert bar, headed by pastry chef Darren Purchese, will surely hit the spot. 2/100 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo, 12micron.com.au

If you’re still on the hunt for a fulfilling feed as the sun starts to rise, head to The Star casino and celebrity chef Luke Luke Nguyen’s hawker-inspired The Fat Noodle for a feed. Pumping out over 1000L of Luke’s signature beef broth daily and a heady mix of Vietnamese, sprinkled with Chinese, Thai and Malay meals until 5am daily, you will be sure to find something to satisfy those late night (or early morning) cravings. Pho delicious. Level 1 Casino, 80 Pyrmont Rd, The Star, star.com.au