Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
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.
With a yacht-club theme, this new Sydney venue features a spacious setup with indoor and outdoor seating for over 350 guests, a 20-meter (65-foot) stone bar, and lush greenery making you feel a little farther away from the bustle of the city than you are. Head chef Kyle Quy crafts a menu that combines classic pub cuisine with Mediterranean flavors. There's also theater-style kitchen and a DJ deck, making it a vibrant spot for both dining and evening entertainment.
If you've wanted to know just what's inside that giant face on the north side of the harbor under the bridge, well this is your chance. The Deck is located in a swanky refurbished space just as you step through the giant mouth of Luna Park, Sydney's long-established fun park. The stunning view, however, across the harbor with the Opera House right in your sights, is the real draw. The restaurant and cocktail bar are above a live venue that cranks up on the weekend, so expect a fun night out rather than a quiet tête-à-tête. You may have the place to yourself at a midweek lunch. There's a selection of seafood and non-seafood tasting plates to share, while wonderful classics such as paella and bouillabaisse are on the menu. Sweet treats include blueberry crème brûlée with brandied kumquats.
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.
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.
Griddle pan dishes are the draw at this friendly, and slightly noisy, organic café and food store on the city fringe. Served in cast-iron skillets and topped with two baked eggs, the griddle choices include creamed corn with chorizo or their own home-cured smoky bacon. Cakes and baked goods are made on the premises; diners return time and time again for the coconut cake to savor with a great cup of tea or coffee. It's a perfect break after shopping in nearby trendy Darlinghurst. Much of the produce on the shelves are ingredients used in the meals, and the tea and coffee are grown on organic or biodynamic farms. Here's a place you can happily (and healthily!) browse.
This hidden gem is the city offering of the popular Grounds of Alexandria, a dog- and kid-friendly eatery with a on-site urban farm that's found just outside of the city. This French-style café is less country rustic and more city slick. It's all low lighting, vintage interiors, with soft velvet seating and intimate booths. And the menu edges toward Parisian-bistro influence, with its croque monsieur a favorite dish. There's outstanding coffee, fresh juices, and breakfast and lunch cocktails. The service is always exceptional.
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.
Celeb-chef Matt Moran’s much-celebrated beachfront offering is so much more than just standard fish-and-chips. The ocean views enhance a small and select seafood menu that includes fresh Sydney rock oysters, charcoal-grilled snapper, prawns, salmon, and whole fish of the day. The fancy fish fingers, fish burgers, and classic beer-battered fillets are musts.
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.
Started as a specialty coffee creator, Pablo & Rusty opened a sit-down café back in 2010 and it has been a popular spot for coffee meetups ever since. The interiors are stylish and hip; there are single-origin espressos and sophisticated breakfasts and lunches. There's also outdoor seating.
A charming slice of Italy nestled in Paddington, originally established as a delicatessen before evolving into a beloved local café. Serving as a bridge between Paddington’s retail and residential areas, it's become a second kitchen for many regulars who visit daily. The cozy interior, adorned with dried oregano and hanging prosciutto, exudes warmth and charm, creating a welcoming atmosphere where you can share benches, high tables, and small stools while enjoying paninis and Allpress coffee.
Pancakes on the Rocks was founded in the 1950s by two Australians who had returned from a road trip in the United States. Seven decades later and it's still an iconic eatery in Sydney. There's a huge array of pancakes available, and each are American-style, arriving with eggs, bacon, and syrup.
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.
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.
It might look like nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall but this modest café has been hailed by locals as serving the best coffee in the Potts Point and Kings Cross area. And the seating outside is always packed every morning of the week. To find it, you'll need to head down Llankelly Place, a back lane that runs behind Potts Point, that offers many unique cafés and restaurants. The menu offers all-day breakfast, with the Brekkie Rice (creamed red rice, quinoa, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and stewed rhubarb). If you can't get a seat, there's easy grab and go eats and specialized coffee, with single origin option rotated weekly.
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.
In 2019, this café opened Sydney's first self-serve batch-brew bar, with craft beer--style taps where you can drink as much single-origin coffee as your heart desires or can handle. But this is more than just a trendy spot for coffee: the menu is filled with quirky dishes, with many vegan offerings. The eggplant katsu roll is very popular.
Darling Harbour and Barangaroo are undoubtedly two of the busiest areas of Sydney so for a quiet reprieve step into this tucked-away café. With an impressive wooden art installation snaking around the ceiling, outstanding coffee and freshly baked croissants and muffins, this is the perfect place to recharge before more adventuring.
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.
The first of its kind, the iconic fashion magazine now has a chic café found at the heart of Darling Harbour. A gourmet menu features refined breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea options, along with specialty coffees and elegant cocktails. Its stylish interiors and fashionable atmosphere make it a popular spot for those looking to enjoy a luxurious café experience while looking out at the impressive yachts in Darling Harbour's marina.
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.
