All change at The Rocks as Taqueria Zepeda joins new wave of openings, William Blue Dining closes

• Review: Spanakopita meets dumplings at Ploos at The Rocks
• Gin distillery and bar Hickson House opens in heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores at The Rocks

The Rocks is in the midst of a hospitality opening boom.

This week the doors swing open on Taqueria Zepeda, a Tijuana-style taqueria from US-based chef Claudette Zepeda.

Next week, it's a new cocktail bar Alice on Argyle Street. And it's just the tip of the granita iceberg for the precinct.

But while one door opens, another shuts. In early September, William Blue Dining will call time on its seven-year run in the former Rockpool site.

Neil Perry tells Good Food he isn't plotting a return to The Rocks, where he made his name.

But the site – which deserves a blue plaque acknowledging its role in modern Australian food history – will attract interest.

It's a few doors along from Le Foote, the Swillhouse venue set to open its doors later this year.

Also bringing new faces to Sydney's oldest suburb is a series of pop-up venues from the Playfair Takeover program, an initiative from Placemaking NSW.

Last week MasterChef alum Jess Hodge opened Small.Good, a three-month pop-up with Australian smallgoods and a "roo-ben" sandwich on the menu.

On Thursday, Playfair Street will welcome Taqueria Zepeda.

Fans of the Netflix reboot of the US version of Iron Chef will recognise its namesake, Claudette Zepeda.

The San Diego-based chef has a long affinity with our food scene, and Good Food understands she is headed to Sydney to oversee its Tijuana street-food menu.

It sounds promising, the kitchen planning corn tortillas and tacos that skip from beef tongue confit to crispy pork belly cooked carnitas-style.

A fried cheese Mexican "dosa" will also slide on the menu.

The next venue out of the blocks on Playfair Street is a deli concept from Fine Food Store.

And Good Food can reveal that two young emerging powerhouses of the Sydney restaurant scene are also opening a pop-up on the strip.

Manager Shirin Topaloglu and chef Fransisca Setiawan, last spotted at Efendy Group, will open Libano Mexicano on October 1, serving Lebanese tacos, among other things on the small but "sexy" menu.

The experienced duo has plans for The Rocks beyond its three-month pop-up, with a permanent restaurant on the cards. Stay tuned.

Taqueria Zepeda will open Tue-Sun 11.30am-3pm, Thu-Sat 5pm-9pm at 22 Playfair Street, The Rocks, taqueriazepeda.com.