It might not be open yet, but its rooftop bar and restaurant, Monica, with its view north-east across Taylor Square and to the Harbour Bridge, is taking bookings for next Mardi Gras.
Its four restaurants and cafes include Jacob the Angel, the first retail venue to sell Lune Croissanterie outside the owner’s shops, cocktail wine bar The Mulwray, and the Palomar restaurant.
Rooftop of 25hours Hotel The Olympia.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Each venue can be accessed from the street.
Moore said the new Olympia would be a catalyst in the continuing revitalisation of Oxford Street.
“It’s going to be beautiful, and there’ll be lots of things happening. It’s on the cusp of transformation. Our bike lanes have already gone in,” Moore said.
Council was approving extra floor space for developers if they included areas for the community or that could be used for cultural events.
Kylie Minogue made guest appearances at the old Olympia’s Grand Pacific Blue Room. Here she is still partying in 2025.Credit: Joe Armao
Moore said she had been working to commemorate and celebrate the area’s LGBTQ community and history. That included the transformation of the old Darlinghurst police station into QTOPIA, a queer cultural centre.
The area was once home to gay bathhouses, and bars such as Gilligan’s and Ivy’s Birdcage.
Other venues, such as the Taxi Club and Ruby Reds, known as an all-girls club, were going to get some love. “They’re all undergoing new life,” Moore said.
A guide to the ‘Golden Mile’ published in the Oxford WeekenderNews.Credit: Scott McKinnon, University of Wollongong in The Conversation
Moore made history by being the first member of the Legislative Assembly to march in the Mardi Gras. It created an absolute frenzy among the media, she said.
“The sky was going to fall in, and I would never be re-elected,” said Moore, the longest serving mayor since the City of Sydney was formed.
