Nom Coffee Room

Nom Coffee Room

Entertainment Cocktails and ridiculous themed mini golf holes, an easy date-night or birthday plan. It's more about the silly novelty holes than serious… Tap for the details

Holey Moley Golf Club

Kürtősh Wollongong

Kürtősh Wollongong

Entertainment Basically a fancy, circus-themed arcade with a bar. It's a fun, nostalgic night out with friends, and the staff are known for… Tap for the details

Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq

Entertainment A Korean convenience-store-style café where you cook your own ramen, pick a slightly unusual drink and browse K-pop merch while you wait.… Tap for the details

Moonbear Cafe

Entertainment Escape room, then karaoke, then cocktails, all under one roof. It's a really good group activity, and the steampunk-style decor makes it… Tap for the details

Breakout Bar & Escape Rooms

Food The brunch spot you take visiting friends to. The menu goes a bit beyond the usual eggs on toast. The pear and… Tap for the details

Lee and Me

Entertainment Throwing axes is way more fun than it has any right to be. The coaches get you from nervous to competitive surprisingly… Tap for the details

Battle Axe Throwing

Food An easy coffee stop when you're in town running errands, right inside Wollongong Central. The coffee is the reason to come. People… Tap for the details

RÜH Wollongong

Entertainment Free, quiet and right in the middle of the city, a nice reset between errands or on a rainy day. There are… Tap for the details

Wollongong Art Gallery

Food The sit-down brunch version of RÜH, down the beach end of Crown St (listed on Google as RÜH Lower Crown). Brisket is… Tap for the details

RÜH Lower Crown

Entertainment Our local theatre, and it gets some genuinely great shows. You don't have to go to Sydney to see a musical. The… Tap for the details

Illawarra Performing Arts Centre (IPAC)

Food A café that's also a bar. They're licensed from mid-morning and open Thursday nights, which is kind of the best of both… Tap for the details

Utopia Cafe Bar

Entertainment An underrated study spot. It's open until 8:30pm Monday to Thursday, it's quiet and there's internet access. They also run free programs… Tap for the details

Wollongong Library

Food Plant-filled corner café with a sunny courtyard and a little sunroom. It's a really nice place to sit with a laptop or… Tap for the details

Lili J

Entertainment Made for young people, and so underused. There's a small skatepark and a basketball court, an art room, a kitchen and even… Tap for the details

Wollongong Youth Centre

Food Come for the bagels. They're soft with a bit of crunch, and the hashbrown with chive cream cheese one is a strong… Tap for the details

Opus Coffee Brewers

Entertainment A creative space tucked into Keira Lane with exhibitions, live music and workshops, plus a bar. It's still pretty under the radar,… Tap for the details

130 Art Studios

Food Proper hearty brekkie. The plates are huge and the staff actually chat to you. The Buck's Benny is the classic order. It's… Tap for the details

Buck's Cafe

Entertainment Pottery date night, sorted. The wheel classes are beginner-friendly and you actually leave with something you made. There's a Clay and Sip… Tap for the details

Clay Wollongong

Food A quick pastry-and-coffee stop inside the mall. The burek is the thing to get, a filling hot breakfast on the go, and… Tap for the details

Alexander's Bakery

Entertainment An independent, grassroots creative space upstairs on Crown St. There are gigs (lots of heavy and alternative nights), a big shelf of… Tap for the details

Society City

Food A newer Italian spot on Market St with a nice fit-out and a good gluten-free pizza base, which is honestly hard to… Tap for the details

BASTA Trattoria

Entertainment The laneway that runs the Gong's nightlife. Dessert at Kürtősh, dinner at Bar Lina, then drinks at Bevanda or a gig at… Tap for the details

Globe Lane

Food Tacos, corn ribs and margaritas. That's the whole plan. It's a go-to for birthday dinners and group nights out, and the portions… Tap for the details

Chechos

Entertainment The main shopping strip, and the walk-through between Crown St and the beach end. It's handy for everything, from Coles to H&M… Tap for the details

Crown Street Mall

Food Date-night or 'we're celebrating something' territory. It's modern European share plates done really well. People rave about the scallop carpaccio and, weirdly,… Tap for the details

K.Malu Kitchen & Bar

Entertainment Thursday night plans, sorted: food trucks in the mall. There's everything from Filipino BBQ skewers to gözleme and lobster rolls, and the… Tap for the details

Crown Street Markets

Food Small, cosy and a little bit romantic. They play vinyl while you eat. The menu is Portuguese-leaning share plates. Order the croquettes… Tap for the details

Bar Lina

Entertainment Fish and chips on the grass by the boats is peak Wollongong. It's an easy, pretty walk, the lighthouse is right there,… Tap for the details

Wollongong Harbour

Food More of a drinks-first spot. The cocktails and the staff are why people love it, and it gets lively at night. The… Tap for the details

Dagwood

Entertainment The city's main beach: a long, wide stretch of sand that never feels too crowded. Swim at the patrolled north end in… Tap for the details

Wollongong City Beach

Food A stylish steakhouse on Crown St that suits anniversaries or a big family dinner. Funnily enough, the salt and pepper squid and… Tap for the details

7 Cutz Steakhouse

Entertainment The lighthouse on the hill that's on basically every Wollongong postcard. Go at sunrise or sunset and bring a jacket, because it… Tap for the details

Flagstaff Point Lighthouse

Food The group-dinner answer when nobody can agree. Big Lebanese share plates, plenty of vegan options, and they're good at fitting in large… Tap for the details

Samaras

Entertainment A big grassy park right by the beach, perfect for a picnic with friends. On some days you can watch skydivers land… Tap for the details

Stuart Park

Food A nice break from the usual Thai-or-Chinese choice. If it's your first time, the Combo Magic is the move: you get a… Tap for the details

Balinese Spice Magic

Entertainment Free, peaceful and so pretty in spring. The rose garden is the photo spot, and there's a little tour bus that takes… Tap for the details

Wollongong Botanic Garden

Food Classic Italian with a bonus: there's often a live show upstairs, so you can do dinner and a gig in one night.… Tap for the details

Centro CBD

Food Probably the most talked-about Indian in the Gong. The butter chicken and fresh naan are what people keep mentioning, and there's a… Tap for the details

Asees Indian Restaurant

Food The pizza people plan whole weekend trips around. The garlic bread and polenta fries are basically mandatory starters. It's on the pricier… Tap for the details

Kneading Ruby

Food You're here for the view. It's right on the beachfront at North Wollongong, so a long breakfast here feels like a mini… Tap for the details

Diggies Cafe

Food A reliable all-rounder for brunch any day of the week. The pancakes and the brekkie burger get the love, and they're good… Tap for the details

Bull & Bear

Food Serious ramen in a little laneway spot with old-school hip hop playing. The Black Beast Ramen is the one to try. Their… Tap for the details

Beast Good Food Eatery

Food Cheap, fast and honestly really good. The chicken is juicy, the tawook roll is the fan favourite, and it's open late. Not… Tap for the details

Al Tazah Charcoal Chicken

Food A tiny Vietnamese spot tucked behind Lee and Me, just near IPAC. The sticky rice with crackling pork and the crispy chicken… Tap for the details

An Chut Chut

Food A late-night bar with live bands, pinball and board games, very much a 'one drink turns into five' place. Check what's on… Tap for the details

La La La's

Food Hidden down a little arcade off Crown St, this is the Gong's grungy, cool whisky bar. They have a whole page of… Tap for the details

Howlin' Wolf Whiskey Bar

Food A basement-feel bar on Globe Lane with craft beers on tap and cocktails that don't break the bank. It's the kind of… Tap for the details

Bevanda Bar