Things To Do Before Dinner At North Sydney’s Best Indian Restaurant, The Colonial Neutral Bay

While we all agree that a nice romantic curry dinner is the best and the safest choice to take someone out on a date, you might sometimes feel like putting in extra efforts into planning out a whole day. Dining out on its own is a good experience, planning out more activities throughout the day will make the day that much more memorable, and you will be able to end on the high note that is great Indian curry that you just can’t get enough of.

We have a list of places you can visit and activities you can do during the day before you dine at The Colonial British Indian Cuisine restaurants at Darlinghurst and Neutral Bay.

1. Luna Park: Luna Park is a heritage listed site, premier amusement park in Sydney. The park offers free entry and lots of rides. When you work up an appetite for some great Indian curry after all the thrill of the rides and games, you can head over to the Colonial restaurant at Neutral Bay which is only 20 mins away from Luna Park.

2. Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden: It is called ‘probably one of the worst kept secrets of Sydney’, Wendy’s secret Garden has been created and kept by Wendy Whiteley since the 1990’s and is open for public visitation. Hidden in the Lavender Bay, the garden was created based on aesthetics and colors. It is filled with whimsy and wonder, and everyone would love to go exploring in there.

3. Cremorne Reserve: The Cremorne reserve is a place worth visiting. Perfect for a picnic, there’s a lighthouse and bushwalks through it with great views of the ocean and the beaches. You can spend a calm evening just sitting there listening to music and then go have some decadent Butter Chicken with some buttery Naan and Pistachio Kulfi in the warm lighting and cosy dining at The Colonial restaurant, and enjoy some quality time with your partner with an affordable, low-expense date night.

4. Taronga Zoo: Australia’s largest zoo, located just 15 minutes away from The Colonial British Indian restaurant in Neutral Bay, is a great place to visit on a date or even with the whole family. The zoo contributes to preserving local wildlife and ecosystems around Australia and provides an opportunity for people of all ages to explore and learn more about sustainability and conservation of wildlife. It is a Covid-safe site so you won’t have to worry about the hygiene either.

5. Catch a ferry: You can catch a spectacular ferry ride to Manly if you live on the other side of the bridge, well worth the time with views of lush greenery meeting with the ocean waves and the Sydney skyline in the background. It takes you to streets bustling with energy and people, lined with stores and lots of beaches— Queenscliff, Freshwater, Shelly, Collins Flat and of course Manly itself. If you’d prefer to walk or jog, you can choose the leafy 10km trail from Spit Bridge to Manly, which links secret swimming spots like Fisher Bay and Sandy Beach. After working up an appetite with the trail, pop in at the Colonial to end your day with some delectable appetizers and an extensive choice of mains.

6. North Sydney Flea and Street Markets: Spend a lazy afternoon in northern Sydney browsing through numerous shops in flea markets at Kirribili, Manly, or Paddy’s Market at Milson Point. Go crazy shopping for everything from jewellery and statement accessories for your home to fresh produce and soap bars. All places are under half an hour away from the Colonial restaurant at Neutral Bay.

7. Go on a cruise: Nothing like a sunset cruise at the Darling Harbour with sparkling wine on sparkling ocean waves. Book a cruise for any duration from 45 min to 3 hours and spend some quality time with your loved ones. A short distance from Neutral Bay Colonial restaurant, get your dinner in a cosy comfortable restaurant where you can choose your own protein and spice level too.

8. Hayden Orpheum: The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace which was originally the Cremorne Orpheum Theatre, is a heritage-listed cinema located in the northern Sydney suburb of Cremorne. It is an art deco 6 screen cinema that screens an eclectic mix of mainstream, cult and special event cinema. If your date plan is dinner and a movie, there’s nothing better than catching an old Hollywood, cult-favourite movie, followed by a nice plate of Rogan Josh lamb roasted with aromatic spices and flavourful curry, paired with Butter Naan and some Mango Kulfi in the hot summers to end your date on a sweet note.