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Sydney's dining scene is as sunny and cosmopolitan as the city itself, and there are diverse and exotic culinary adventures to suit every appetite. Mod Oz (modern-Australian) cooking flourishes, fueled by local produce and guided by Mediterranean and Asian techniques. Look for such innovations as tuna tartare with flying-fish roe and wasabi; emu prosciutto; five-spice duck; shiitake mushroom pie; and sweet turmeric barramundi curry. A meal at Tetsuya's or Rockpool constitutes a crash course in this dazzling culinary language. A visit to the city's fish markets at Pyrmont, five minutes from the city center, will also tell you much about Sydney's diet. Look for rudderfish, barramundi, blue-eye, kingfish, John Dory, ocean perch, and parrot fish, as well as Yamba prawns, Balmain and Moreton Bay bugs (shovel-nose lobsters), sweet Sydney rock oysters, mud crab, spanner crab, yabbies (small freshwater crayfish), and marrons (freshwater lobsters).
There are many expensive and indulgent restaurants in the city center, but the real dining scene is in the inner city, eastern suburbs, and inner-western suburbs of Leichhardt and Balmain. Neighborhoods like Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington, and beachside suburb Bondi are dining destinations in themselves. Plus, you're more likely to find a restaurant that will serve on a Sunday night in one of these places than in the central business district (the city center)—which can become a bit of a ghost town after offices close during the week. Circular Quay and The Rocks are always lively, and the Overseas Passenger Terminal (on the opposite side of the harbor from the Opera House) has several top-notch restaurants with stellar views.
This elegant, pillared dining room is the perfect setting for showing off chef Peter Doyle's modern, light touch with Mod Oz cuisine. Menu highlights include the prawn tartare and the aged pork loin with rhubarb, mostarda, and cabbage. Finish off with a dessert of intriguing tastes—Earl Grey ice cream with blood orange citrus curd doughnuts and blood orange sorbet. There's also a four-course chef's menu (A$160) and various two-, three-, and four-course lunch options, but no à la carte menu.
This gem for pasta aficionados, offering a delightful journey through artisanal Italian flavors, offers a range of freshly made pasta crafted daily with meticulous attention to detail. From rich, velvety tagliatelle to perfectly stuffed ravioli, every bite reflects a dedication to quality and authenticity. The atmosphere is charming and rustic, capturing the essence of Italian culinary tradition while nestled in the lively Darlinghurst neighborhood.
At this cute, popular little pub in Paddington, chef Colin Fassnidge (an Irishman who emerged as the most controversial guest judge on Australian TV cooking show My Kitchen Rules) has been wowing patrons for years with his shared dish for two of slow-braised lamb shoulder with kipfler potatoes, baby carrots, and salsa verde. His whole suckling pig is also a popular Sunday long-lunch treat. Starters and mains change monthly, and the restaurant's popularity has seen it open for lunch and dinner six days a week.
For two hours—or as long as it takes for you to consume delicately steamed prawns, luscious mud crab with ginger and shallots, and pipis (clam-like shellfish) with black-bean sauce—you might as well be in Hong Kong. This restaurant has a cult following, having closed its doors in Chinatown only to open in nearby Star Sydney, a luxury hotel with many restaurants, bars, and a nightclub. The same menu attracts here, with a more upmarket interior in line with the hotel. Come for the big-ticket seafood or a simple meal of deep-fried duck. Supper is served until 11 pm so it's popular with late-night revelers.
This classy restaurant has four levels in total: the ground offers traditional Australian pub fare, the second is a private dining area that can seat up to 250 people, and then there's a swanky cocktail bar. But the real jewel here is the rooftop bar and restaurant offering trendy cocktails and a modern Japanese menu of sushi, sashimi, and sizzling plates.
The cocktails are legendary, the view is captivating, and the food, a traditional Chinese/Malay fusion, is extraordinary. After over 50 years in the business (first opened in 1963), in different venues around Sydney, this modern Asian restaurant still does a roaring trade. Signature dishes include beef rendang (Indonesian-style beef curry), and the spanner crab san choy bow, a fabulous twist on a classic Chinese lettuce wraps. Try one of the four set menus (for a minimum of three people) for a true feast on the extensive menu's flavor combinations.
A bit of a hidden gem, to enter this New Orleans--inspired smokehouse you have to come through a door in an alleyway just off Barangaroo waterfront. Take the elevator up two floors and when the doors open you'll be hit by that incredible American barbecue smell. This 270-seat restaurant has water views, around 500 whiskies and a 2½-meter-long open-grill fire pit and a hickory-packed smoker. The atmosphere is buzzy every night of the week.
Few restaurants have the magnetic pull of Otto, a place where radio shock jocks sit side by side with fashion-magazine editors and confirmed foodies. Yes, it's a scene, but fortunately one with good Italian food prepared by chef Richard Ptacnik. The homemade pastas are menu standouts; try the spaghetti, baby octopus with trapanese, a Sicilian pesto sauce. The selection of Italian wines is expensive but rarely matched this far from Milan.
A charming restaurant located known for its cozy ambience and refined cuisine. There's a range dishes at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and each focus on fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. The three-egg omelet from breakfast is a standout. With a reputation for excellent service and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s a great spot for a relaxed meal in a picturesque setting.
You'll probably have to wait to get one of the tiny tables in this rustic hole-in-the-wall café and wine bar on the northern end of Bondi Beach, but it's worth waiting for as it's one of the best (and healthiest) breakfasts in Bondi. Once you've got a seat and a cup of the fabulous coffee, the service is fast and efficient. Breakfasts range from porridge with flaxseed, amaranth, and quinoa to bowls of kale, spinach, coriander, mint, and avocado, with a couple of eggs thrown in for good measure. After sundown, the café morphs into a hip little wine bar on weekends.
This South American--inspired restaurant offers a wide range of flame-grilled and charcoal-roasted meats that come with a variety of fresh sides, like char-grilled vegetables or light salads. But it's the wine list that is the star of the show here, with more than 300 wines from South America, Italy, and Australia to choose from.
Owned by Vietnamese TV chef Luke Nguyen, this restaurant is popular with his legions of TV fans. The menu focuses on a modern take on Vietnamese cuisine, blending traditional flavors with contemporary presentation. From aromatic pho to inventive banh xeo (crispy pancakes), all crafted with high-quality ingredients. The restaurant’s chic, stylish interior creates an elegant dining experience complemented by attentive service. The Feed Me Banquets are for two people and offers a tasting menu cross sampling the menu's top dishes.
This French restaurant oozes old-school glamour, with live jazz playing each night as diners tuck into traditional French fare, like soufflé and beef tartare. There are five rooms that make up this classy eatery, which include two bars serving classic cocktails, two dining rooms, and an old-school theater where classes and workshops are held.
This is the top destination for contemporary Japanese cuisine in The Rocks. Each dish is crafted from fresh ingredients with a creative twist, offering a unique culinary experience as the team blends modern Japanese flavors with traditional elements. The menu features standout options like Hamachi kingfish with coriander-infused ponzu sauce. Enjoy every bite and explore an extensive beverage list that includes a wide selection of saké. Open every day for lunch and dinner, and no booking is required.
North Bondi Beach wouldn't be the same without Sean's, perched on a slight rise a stone's throw from the famous beach. It's been there since the mid-1990s and owner Sean Moran loads his menu with fresh produce grown on his farm in the Blue Mountains. Dishes change regularly and are only featured on a blackboard: they may include baked blue-eye fish with roasted cauliflower, or a ravioli of zucchini, mozzarella, and lemons. The many fans in Sydney means it can be difficult to secure a table but if you're lucky enough, Sean's is the epitome of Bondi—cool and laid back.
The culinary focus of this chic basement eatery is regional China. There are dishes from far-flung Yunnan, Hunan, and Sichuan provinces, and as the names suggests, they all have a kick. The food is meant to be shared, and the menu features innovative dishes like tea-smoked duck and kung pao chicken, alongside a selection of dim sum and small plates. The elegant, contemporary interior provides a sophisticated yet relaxed dining atmosphere. Complementing the food, the extensive wine list and creative cocktails enhance the dining experience. It's a busy, trendy eatery (down a somewhat steep flight of stairs), so if you have to wait at the bar for a table, grab a cocktail and a spicy pork bun and take in the opium den ambience.
Found within the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, this is a popular choice from breakfast all the way up to a late dinner. The menus vary for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but each is Italian-inspired, with hearty risottos, wood-fire pizzas, and plenty of pasta dishes. On weekends, there's bottomless brunch, which is four courses and as many mimosas as your heart desires. And you can even pick up picnic boxes to take away and enjoy in the surrounding gardens.
Most people come to this buzzy bar at the end of Pier 4 for a quick bite before a show at the adjacent Sydney Theatre Company, but the views of the Harbour Bridge are so spectacular that it's worth coming here any time. It gets busy before a show starts, but then the crowd vanishes, leaving it a pleasant place to linger over a quiet glass of wine or cocktail and soak in the amazing view. The menu is split into small tapas-style eats to share or large mains, and there's plenty of variety from hearty pastas, fish-and-chips and antipasto boards.
Found a little farther up Bondi Road, away from the beach, this restaurant has been a bit of an unexpected hit since opening in 2018. Unexpected because it's housed above a run-down pub called The Royal, but once you're up the stairs it's an incredibly classy restaurant serving Italian-inspired wood-fired mains. The chef Khan Danis has worked at some of the best restaurants in Sydney and is hailed as the king of wood fire in the city. Each dish is impressive, with pizza-size flatbreads arriving with house-made charcuterie, pickled fish, and seasonal fruit. There's also alfresco dining available, and there's lunch and dinner served every day.
Found inside the Roslyn Packer Theatre, the Walsh Bay Kitchen offers light Asian fusion fare, with flavors of miso and wasabi-crumbed fish often found on the menu. It gets busy here before a show, due in part to the fact that the food here is so much cheaper than at neighboring restaurants. It's a pleasant spot to linger and enjoy a quiet wine from the extensive list when the crowds empty out.
A vibrant, beachside atmosphere with stunning harbor views is the draw here, and the outdoor eating area is a popular spot at sunset. The menu features a variety of options including seafood platters, fish-and-chips, barbecue ribs, and vegetarian pasta, along with fresh salads and indulgent desserts like chocolate brownie and lemon tart. The drinks menu is focused on cocktails, local and international wines, craft beers, and nonalcoholic beverages. Often there's live music or a DJ playing as the sun goes down. And you can even stay in the on-site accommodation for A$250 a night, or simply grab a coffee to go from the kiosk.
Once just a standard pub in Surry Hills, this spot was completely gutted and renovated and recently opened as a high-end dining experience. Upstairs you can start with a cocktail or two, which gets very lively on weekend. Then downstairs, the dining space is expansive but feels intimate with low lighting. Each dish is carefully prepared and a taste explosion. Roasted chicken skin with liver mousse and sweet Davidson plum is a must to start, followed by the dry-aged Aylesbury duck with rhubarb. The wine list is extensive, the cocktails carefully mixed and for art lovers, there's a vast array of bold art throughout the restaurant.
