Restaurants

12 Of The Best Cronulla Restaurants Right Now

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Cronulla is known for its stunning surf beaches and sheltered swimming spots—so it's about time The Shire's dining scene stepped up to match these natural wonders.

Beautiful venues and attention to local ingredients have transformed Cronulla's dining culture into a suburb (and its surrounds) people will travel to for a restaurant booking. While something about Cronulla’s restaurant scene still feels young, there's a lot of sophistication hitting plates in this south Sydney suburb.

Here are 12 of the best Cronulla restaurants right now.

Benny's 

27 Tonkin Street, Cronulla 

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Image credit: Benny's | Take Studios

Benny's is a seaside lunch and dinner spot overlooking Gunnamatta Bay, providing everything from elevated Mediterranean-inspired dishes to casual takeaway bites like crispy beer-battered fish and chips and gelato bars, all at the helm of Chef RJ Lines (from the now-closed Inner West favourite One Penny Red). 

The creative cocktail list at this Cronulla restaurant features signature sips crafted by Australian Gin Champion of the Year Neilson Braid like the must-try Bubbles @ The Bay Spritz infused with gin, mandarin syrup, lemon, mint and a splash of prosecco. 

Summer Salt

66 Mitchell Road, Cronulla

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Image credit: Summer Salt | Instagram

Summer Salt is a sparkling contemporary Italian restaurant and bar in Cronulla with floor-to-ceiling ocean views overlooking the sunny shores of Elouera Beach—it's been serving the goods for near on 20 years.

The coastal menu celebrates a variety of locally caught Australian seafood and produce, with coal-grilled seafood, premium steaks, pasta, and a must-try limoncello tiramisu.

Fior 

756 Kingsway, Gymea

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Image credit: Fior | Supplied

It's slightly out of Cronulla, but close enough to be worth a mention; Fior is an Aussie spin on Italian classics from the team behind beloved Surry Hills spots Jane and Arthur. The rustic menu is designed to share and blends traditional Italian techniques with local, seasonal produce across 18 antipasti options, house-made pasta dishes available in half serves, filling mains and flavour-packed desserts, alongside a roaming gelato trolley.

The 120-seater restaurant has a stunning dining room dreamed up by award-winning interior design firm Luchetti Krelle, complete with a wrap-around terrace, setting the perfect backdrop for a romantic date night or a large group catch-up. 

Alphabet St

5/8 Kingsway, Cronulla

best cronulla restaurants alphabet stImage credit: Alphabet St | Instagram

Modern Thai restaurant Alphabet St occupies the same corner of Cronulla as Sealevel and The Pines. The vibe is fresh and funky with excellent fruity cocktails to enhance the party.

The snack menu is filled with dumplings and bao, while mains feature favourites like Massaman curry (with a whole lamb shank), crispy pork belly, and steamed whole fish. Set menus are available, portions are fair and you’ll definitely be back to try whatever you couldn’t fit in the first time.

Pino’s Vino E Cucina Al Mare

15 Surf Road, Cronulla

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Image credit: Pino's Vino e Cucina al Mare | Website

Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare is a second location for the Inner West Italian restaurant by Matteo Margiotta. This Cronulla restaurant is set in a vine-covered space with floor-to-ceiling windows, and takes inspiration from Puglia with a focus on seafood. 

Pasta is made in house daily with an imported, Italian-made extruder, while mains might offer whole grilled fish with capers and lemon butter sauce, a one-kilo Riverina Fiorentina steak, or a mixed platter of grilled seafood. Much loved Italian and Australian wines sit alongside South African producers to honour Matteo’s wife Nerina’s home country, and cocktails also take inspiration from the coastline.

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Sealevel

2 Kingsway, Cronulla

best cronulla restaurants sealevelImage credit: Sealevel | Website

Sealevel is a go-to Cronulla restaurant for special occasions, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining area that offer excellent views of the Esplanade and ocean beyond. The excellent view goes down a treat with the $160 seafood platter for two (with optional half-lobster Mornay for $48).

The rest of the menu, which alternates every two weeks under the guidance of head chef Nathan Allouche, is seafood-focused with Italian and French influences.

C.C. Babcoq

Shop 4/5/66-70 Cronulla Street, Cronulla

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Image credit: C.C. Babcoq | Instagram

C.C. Babcoq has to be one of the best-named venues in all of Sydney, right? But there's nothing uptight or WASP-y about this colourful, buzzing and trendy eatery.

C.C. Babcoq is a crowd-pleasing restaurant and bar designed for social evenings by the sea. The menu offers an Aussie twist on classic Euro bistro dishes, with a fun summery cocktail list to match and bargain $45pp set menu available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Mia’s Cronulla German Beerhall

2/45 Gerrale Street, Cronulla

If you like meat and beer, Mia's could be your Garden of Eden. Servings are large and flavour-packed. German favourites like schnitzel, pork knuckle and varieties of wurst (sausage) are on the menu, but the pièce de résistance could be the $89 Bavarian platter for 2–3 people, which includes all aforementioned meats plus leberkäse (a sausage loaf), sauerkraut, chips, and mash. Wash it all down with a beer tasting paddle (5 x 300ml beers for $40) and you’ll have to roll yourself home.

Queen Margherita Of Savoy

9/2-8 Surf Road, Cronulla

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Image credit: Queen Margherita of Savoy

Queen Margherita of Savoy dishes out the best wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza in southern Sydney. In fact, thanks to its master pizzaiolo, Lee Carroll, Queen Margherita is certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (APVN), the ruling body that awards authentic status to Naples-style pizzerias worldwide—one of only 10 venues in all of Sydney to have this certification.

The pizza bases are soft and stretchy, with that light and airy crust, and are topped with the finest ingredients—including meats from the restaurant’s deli. 

Bobby's

6R The Esplanade, Cronulla

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Image credit: Bobby's | Instagram

Right off the sand of Cronulla Beach, Bobby’s is a Mediterranean-influenced spot with something for all hours of the day.

The seafood-driven menu is perfectly suited to its beachside location, offering the community a prime oceanfront spot to enjoy ocean-to-plate eats like a brioche prawn roll, ocean trout crudo, a barramundi burger, a one-kilo rib-eye with green peppercorn sauce, and whole snapper with burnt butter, citrus and caperberries. Wine picks from local producers and Mediterranean makers focus on fresh and saline white varieties and reds that suit chilling for Aussie summer days, while cocktails include a limoncello spritz, tequila highballs, and a tropical twist on the Negroni.

Yalla Sawa

2/59-65 Gerrale Street, Cronulla

This mostly Lebanese restaurant is a local favourite where you’re guaranteed tasty food and excellent service. You can expect delicious mezze in a warmly lit venue with loads of charm. Start with some dips, cauliflower and falafel, then move on to the chicken shwarma and lamb shish. 

The Pines

1/8 - 18 Kingsway, Cronulla

Image credit: The Pines

Just up from Sealevel is The Pines, an exciting venture with executive chef James Metcalf at the helm. This Hamptons-inspired venue showcases fresh seafood and fare from the grill, with flavours taking inspiration from around the globe.

Local produce is the hero, including on the wine list (curated by Chris Hoy of Rockpool and Merivale fame), where you can find plenty of drops from the Barossa, Yarra Valley, and Margaret River.

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Main image credit: Summer Salt | Jacqui Turk 

Urban List Best Of: has our highest stamp of approval—curated lists of the very best recommendations for you to eat, do, see, buy or book, carefully chosen by our Editors.

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