Australia
Gatsby Cabaret at Sydney Opera House
Address
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Menu
Gatsby Cabaret at Sydney Opera House
Overall Rating
Experience Badge
Recommendation Badge
Our Ratings
Food Quality
How good is the food, really?
Service & Hospitality
How you’re treated matters.
Ambiance & Aesthetic
The mood, the design, the energy.
Value for Experience
Was it worth it?
Surprise & Delight
The moments you didn’t expect.
Ease & Accessibility
How effortless is the experience?
Cost: $$$
We paid $337.76 for 3 people (so $112.59/person) to have VIP Table Seating which meant you were basically in the middle of the performers, right next to the stage, and included small bites and any of their signature cocktails or mocktails.
Timing
The show itself is only 75 minutes. Allow at least a full 90 to get out of the theatre and onto the street.
Final Verdict
TLDR – we think it’s a “lovely, if you’re nearby.” It’s not worth a detour but it’s a very solid go to if you’re in town.
That being said, we think that attending a show at the Sydney Opera House is “worth the detour.” It’s such an iconic building and such an impressive space and architecture that it’s worth it. It was a one a kind of experience to eat dinner at Bennelong and then walk over to an evening of cabaret entertainment and then leave into the warm summer night of Sydney – it was magical.
If you’ve never attended a show at the Sydney Opera House before, I would highly, highly recommend it—not necessarily the cabaret but maybe an opera if that is more your style. It will be a night that’s truly special and you will always remember.
Food Quality
We evaluate flavor, technique, consistency, and overall thoughtfulness of the menu. This score reflects whether the food stands on its own — memorable dishes, strong execution, and meals we’d happily return for.
When you first get seated, you are greeted by someone outfitted as a bartender and they provide you your food, ask for your wine order and then let you know they are around if you need anything at all and to just call for them. Then at one point, they all just started striking poses and dancing simultaneously marking the beginning of the show and a great immersion for the audience in the live action.
The food is not why you attend the show and it certainly is not enough food to have as a full meal so we recommend getting dinner beforehand. We were so full from Bennelong that we barely touched the small bites other than small nibbles. It’s not much to miss, though. The cocktails were less appealing – both red ones tasting more like cough syrup than alcohol. They do make for a beautiful place setting, though.
Service & Hospitality
This measures warmth, attentiveness, pacing, and how well the team anticipates needs or handles the unexpected. Exceptional hospitality feels natural, not scripted — and often defines the experience as much as the food.
Be prepared for interaction if you are seated in the VIP Seating. In addition to the bartender outfitted performers, there is a woman who seemed to be playing the Madame who walks around and engages with the audience prior to the show (and does plenty engaging during the show as well). She was very charismatic, asked if we knew what a cabaret was (and we didn’t – we thought it was like a musical which it is but also isn’t), made some jokes, said the more we engage with them the more fun we’d have, and that the more we drink the better they are. The entire feel of the evening was that they were there to make you smile and hoop and holler, make you blush, and keep you entertained. It was a very fun environment and the performers / staff were really impressive.
Ambiance & Aesthetic
From lighting and music to layout and comfort, this score reflects how the space feels to be in. We value environments that enhance the meal and create a sense of place, whether polished or understated.
The first thing you notice when you walk into the theatre is that you are instantly transformed. They did an amazing job with the set. You descend from a balcony into the theatre which makes you feel like you are descending into the underworld of Gatsby. Everything was aesthetically pleasing – the menus, the coasters, the drinks and bites (even if they didn’t taste the best), the tables and table dressing, the costumes and the performers themselves. The entire experience felt highly curated and thought through in terms of immersion for the audience. The lighting plays a huge role in the show and influencing the mood of both the show and the theatre itself. In summary, the ambiance and aesthetic were incredible and they did a stellar job considering there was really no set change or the like – what you saw when you arrived is what you got for the entire show. The variety was in the acts themselves.
Value for Experience
Not about being cheap — about being justified. This considers price relative to quality, portions, service, and overall experience. A higher score means we’d happily pay for this again, knowing what we know now.
For our first show in the Sydney Opera House and to be as close to the stage as we were, we were expecting to pay more than what we did. We feel it was great value for what we paid and made the entire experience much more accessible than we had originally thought.
Surprise & Delight
This captures the special touches — a standout dish, thoughtful gesture, local twist, or something quietly magical that elevates the experience beyond expectations and makes it linger in your memory.
The entire show was surprising to be honest – we had not done our research on what a cabaret was as we had always associated operas with the Opera House and so never would have figured such a racey show would have been performed in one of their theatres. But in case you do not know what a cabaret is, it’s very racey. We would not recommend it for a work event or for young children.
The entire show was also a show of elevation and upping the anti. Each performance tries to best the last and the performers do a great job of engaging the crowd, keeping the energy high and keeping the crowd excited. The show takes you from being delighted, shocked, in awe, to laughing. It is memorial for sure and not one we will forget any time soon – maybe ever.
Ease & Accessibility
We consider reservations, wait times, noise level, comfort, location logistics, and how easy it is to enjoy the meal without friction. Great food is even better when the experience feels smooth and stress-free.
We were seated immediately upon arrival, The theatre was easy enough to find – we had to ask some attendants outside for directions but overall not too difficult to find. The food was immediately brought upon being seated followed in quick succession by the taking of our drink order. The Madame was making the rounds engaging everyone, our server offered to take our photo by the stage and also encouraged us to take all the photos and videos we’d like throughout the show. The entire experience felt seamless and stress-free which freed up all our time and attention to enjoy the evening’s entertainment.
