Newtown may be one of the few places you can get a drink in the early hours, but try getting something to eat and it's a different story.

The City of Sydney council has cracked down on shops opening beyond their approved trading hours, enforcing development conditions as old as 1965.

Crowds outside the Marlborough Hotel in Newtown, which is open until 4am. Credit:Daniel Munoz

But the businesses – including two kebab shops and a convenience store on King Street – are clustered around bars such as the John Singleton-owned Marlborough Hotel that can remain open as late as 4am daily.

Istanbul on King, long a favoured late-night haunt for greasy food, is required to close at midnight under its 50-year-old DA (development application). But for more than a decade, owner Yasar Er has traded until 4am on weekends with little attention from authorities.