Sydney eats with style. Whether you’re booking a long lunch with harbour sparkle, squeezing into a neighbourhood room the locals guard like a secret, or chasing a buzzy new opening everyone’s Reels are already obsessed with, this city delivers. We’ve done the legwork (and the leftovers) to bring you the restaurants that genuinely shape how Sydney eats right now.
Urban List’s Sydney editors and contributors live for a perfect wine-list footnote, know which kitchens are quietly doing the most, and care about the culture around the food. As a result, this curated list blends icons, innovators, and community favourites. Expect mind-blowing menus, warm service, and rooms that feel like the city: diverse, delicious, and always a bit extra.
We update this guide regularly so you can book with confidence—date nights, big birthdays, solo counter seats, and everything in between. See you at the table.
How we choose: Culinary excellence, consistent service, cultural relevance, sustainability where possible, and real-world buzz from our team and community.
The Best Sydney Restaurants At A Glance
Jump to:
- Fine Dining And Tasting Menus
- Casual And Neighbourhood Spots
- Date Night Spots
- Group Dining & Banquets
- Special Occasion / Bucket List
- More Of The Best Sydney Restaurants
Fine Dining And Tasting Menus
Oncore By Clare Smyth
Level 26/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Oncore by Clare Smyth
Perched on level 26 of Crown Sydney, Oncore by Clare Smyth is her only international outpost and a benchmark for special-occasion dining with serious harbour views. The room is polished without feeling stiff, and the kitchen is led day-to-day by head chef Alan Stuart.
“One of the best meals I’ve ever had in Sydney was at Oncore,” says chef Matt Moran. “Clare Smyth’s food is insanely good, and head chef Alan is doing a great job,” he told Urban List.
What to expect: two tasting paths—Classic (Core signatures reimagined with Australian produce) and Seasonal—both beginning with generous snacks and finishing with jewel-box petit fours. The wine program runs deep, with a 3,000-bottle list and smart by-the-glass options. Bookings drop two months ahead, and prime times go fast.
A top choice for polished cooking that lets top-shelf ingredients shine, theatre in the plating, and a room that makes any dinner feel like an event.
Insider Intel
- Not doing the full dance? Hit the bar for an a la carte bite or a dedicated tasting that’s lighter on time and spend. Walk-ins often possible.
- Keep your camera app open. Presentation swings from whimsical to architectural, without losing flavour.
- Watch the floor team for a masterclass in classic silver service. It's truly hypnotic.
Saint Peter
161 Underwood Street, Paddington
Image credit: Saint Peter | Website
Saint Peter, Josh Niland’s globally lauded seafood temple, now anchors the Grand National Hotel — a 40-seat dining room with a chef’s table, a dedicated bar and 14 boutique rooms upstairs. The brief is the same, only bigger: wholly Australian seafood, handled with inventive technique and zero-waste smarts.
Dinner is a nine-course tasting, with an 11-course chef’s table for the full close-up; lunch runs as a relaxed two- or three-course choice. If you’re testing the waters, the Saint Peter Bar serves an à la carte hit list and smart snacks.
Niland makes seafood feel new without losing the soul — think fish-bone noodles, tuna ’nduja, and pristine, line-caught fish treated like Wagyu. The new hotel setting turns dinner into a mini escape.
INSIDER INTEL
- Make it a sleepover. Book one of the 14 rooms and wake to the three-course hotel breakfast — the marron scrambled eggs with marron-bisque hollandaise is the move.
- Bar mode is the cost-savvy way in: cocktails, seafood pies, and a few signatures by the slice.
- Reservations: main dining room seats 1–6; chef’s table is dinner-only. Plan ahead.
Allta
50 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Allta | Instagram
For the serial fine-diner, Allta is a must-book. Chef Jung-Su Chang runs an intimate 12-seat, counter-only room serving a 15-course modern Korean degustation that’s equal parts precision and storytelling. Expect a tight service rhythm, personal interaction with the chefs, and plates that riff on tradition through a contemporary lens.
A set menu at $325pp that tracks from snacks through seafood, meat and inventive finales, poured over from the U-shaped counter is chefs kiss.
Why we love it: city-edge theatrics without fuss, Michelin-level craft, and a dining room that feels like a chef’s studio more than a restaurant.
Insider Intel
- Reservations drop two months ahead on the 15th — the toughest ticket in town goes fast.
- Funda, next door, is the laid-back sibling if you want a looser (and friendlier-priced) taste of Chang’s style.
- It’s counter seating, adults-only, with limited ability to adjust the set menu. Check specifics before you book.
Infinity By Mark Best
Level 81/108 Market Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Infinity Sydney Tower
Eighty-one floors up, Infinity, is Mark Best’s return to the pass — a sky-high dining room with a revolving 360° panorama and a menu that reads like a love letter to Australian producers. Best cut his teeth in benchmark kitchens including L’Arpège (Paris) and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons (UK), then defined a generation with Surry Hills fine-diner Marque (opened 1999).
Start with the cult sea-urchin crumpets with clotted cream from the snacks list, then go all-in with the tasting menu — currently $230pp with optional pairings. Expect pristine seafood, precise technique and produce-first courses that evolve with the seasons.
The room completes its skyline sweep in about 90 minutes, so every seat gets the city in full — go at golden hour for that sunset-to-starlight glow. The food has Best’s trademark clarity and control, matching the view without the theatre getting in the way of flavour.
Insider Intel
- Chasing sunsets? Book an early dinner; the rotation makes golden hour the move. 6-7pm in September before Daylight Savings kicks in.
- The $120 pairing is dialled for the menu; there’s also a premium flight and a non-alc pairing.
- Order the sourdough crumpets with clotted cream and sea urchin, you won't regret it.
Casual And Neighbourhood Spots
Homer Rogue Taverna
3/3 Surf Road, Cronulla
Image credit: Homer Rogue Taverna | Trent van der Jagt
From the brothers behind local favourite Ham Café, Harry and Mario Kapoulas bring a raw, Athenian-style taverna to the Shire; Homer Rogue Taverna. Homer is a graffiti-streaked Greek restaurant 100-seat venue that delivers a lively room, an open kitchen working the wood fire, and floor-to-ceiling wine fridges where you can grab a bottle for the table.
Family recipes and flame-kissed plates made to share meet the brief. Go for the spanakopita-style flatbread, manouri cheese baked with hot honey and kataifi, octopus souvlaki from the Kapoulas grandparents’ recipe, and rotating charcoal souvla.
Co-owners Harry and Mario Kapoulas are leaning into the beach-town vibe Cronulla has to offer, “We want people to feel comfortable to wander up from the beach, but still knowing they’ll be getting restaurant-quality food and wine.”
Insider Intel
- Order a “See Through Pornstar” or the mini $10 Martini; both are house hits.
- Look for Homer’s Epic Lager, brewed exclusively with Young Henrys.
- The wine fridges are part of the fun — pick your own bottle and settle in.
Explore more of Sydney’s best restaurants:
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- 11 Of The Best Mexican Restaurants In Sydney Right Now
- 30 Of The Best Italian Restaurants In Sydney Right Now
Cafe Paci
131 King Street, Newtown
Image credit: Cafe Paci | Instagram
Finnish-born chef Pasi Petänen has turned his once-pop-up into a polished neighbourhood favourite, Cafe Paci. The room feels welcoming and a little bit rock ’n’ roll: a curved central bar for walk-ins, blue leather booths for groups, and tables that suit everything from quick snacks to a full send.
Order the cult rye taco stuffed with ox tongue and sauerkraut to start. Then chase seasonal pasta, and the springy potato dumplings with trout XO. The à la carte format makes it easy to drop in for a bite or build a shared, multi-course feast.
Why we love it: clever flavour play without the fuss, a menu that evolves, and a dining room that works for date night, solo seats, or a mates’ catch-up
Insider Intel
- Set aside any hesitations and open with the ox tongue taco.
- A $90pp set menu is available, and required for groups of six or more.
- Make it a King Street snack crawl — there are plenty of wine and snack bars nearby.
Baba’s Place
20 Sloane Street, Marrickville
Image credit: Baba's Place | Instagram
Stumble through Marrickville’s industrial backstreets and you might come across Baba’s Place, a homey, living room-esque restaurant behind an unassuming garage door. Through a small doorway, the warehouse space opens into high ceilings, knick-knacky decor and busy tables filled with happy guests.
A short but sweet Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-influenced menu offers snacks and bigger share plates, with a neat drinks list spanning Greek, Croatian and Lebanese wines. Definitely opt for the piped tarama on fluffy shokupan; roasted cauliflower with cavolo nero, crunchy chickpeas and sambal; and finish up with the chewy sticky date with black pepper crème pat and warm butterscotch sauce.
Insider Intel
- Book the kitchen table to watch the masters at work—we reckon it's the best spot in the house.
- If it's good enough for Nigella Lawson, it's good enough for us. The celebrated food figure stopped in for a meal on her 2025 tour.
Date Night Spots
Gran Torino
24 Bay Street, Double Bay
Image credit: Gran Torino
Neil Perry has flipped his Cantonese diner, Song Bird, into Gran Torino, a slick two-level Italian inside heritage-listed Gaden House. It’s classic Italy through a modern Australian lens and very much a return to Perry’s produce-first sweet spot.
The menu features house-made antipasti, generous handmade pasta, pristine seafood, proper steak, and a dolci list worth saving room for. Pair it with a Bellini, Martini or Campari Spritz; the wine list roams Italy, Australia and beyond with food-friendly picks.
It's giving grown-up Double Bay dining without the fuss — confident service, seasonal cooking, and the kind of room you want to linger in.
Insider Intel
- Bar Torino is now pouring downstairs in the old Bobbie’s space: ideal for a pre-game Negroni or a nightcap after dessert.
- Don’t skip dessert. There are plenty of options, but the tiramisu “to share” is the move.
- Make a night of it in the Margaret precinct — Gran Torino sits alongside Perry’s Double Bay heavy-hitters. Bring back
barrestaurant hopping!
Clam Bar
44 Bridge Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Clam Bar | Jason Loucas
Clam Bar is A slick riff on the New York steakhouse from Dan Pepperell, Andy Tyson and Mikey Clift (the team behind Bistrot 916 and Pellegrino 2000), set in a handsome Art Deco-leaning room on Bridge Street. Expect glossy wood panelling, statement lighting and a big-city buzz.
What to order: start classic — prawn cocktail, oysters Metropole, and the New York strip. There’s also spaghetti with clams and an extravagant raw-bar spread that can land as a full seafood tower.
The team truly nails the polished grill vibe without feeling stiff, and the Martini ritual is part of the show (yes, those cone-shaped flutes on branded napkins).
Insider InteL
- If you’re a Martini person, this is your spot — Clam Bar serves one of the city’s best Martinis.
- Prime times book out. Lock in ahead via the site or OpenTable.
- Sharing mood? Go the seafood tower and make a night of it.
Ursula’s
92 Hargrave Street, Paddington
Image credit: Ursula's | Instagram
One of Sydney’s prettiest dining rooms, Ursula’s charms from the first step inside: caramel tones, Yves Klein blue accents, and a two-storey corner terrace by designer Brahman Perera. It’s elegant without feeling precious, and the upstairs Blue Room sets the scene for intimate celebrations.
What to order: start with the salmon roe and egg sandwiches, then chase the Moreton Bay bug pasta with crustacean butter. Add a side of fries with “Ursula’s Everything Seasoning” and thank us later.
Why we love it: top Australian produce with European nods and a little Aussie nostalgia, delivered with polish in a room that photographs beautifully.
Insider Intel
- Book the Blue Room (up to 12 guests) for one of the city’s loveliest private dining spaces.
- Order the fries with Ursula’s Everything Seasoning – a quiet signature on the sides list.
- Gift cards are available if you’re treating someone special.
Check out more restaurants all around Sydney:
- The Best Restaurants In The Sydney CBD Right Now
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- The Best Restaurants In Parramatta Right Now
Lottie
Rooftop, The EVE Hotel, 8 Baptist Street, Redfern
Image credit: Lottie | Instagram
For Mexican and mezcal mastery, Lottie is a rooftop gem sitting high and dry above The EVE Hotel in Redfern. Designed by George Livissianis, the all-weather rooftop restaurant is adorned with terrazzo flooring, glossy burgundy tables, and boasts sunny skyline views.
Kick off with guac and aguachile, before loading up on Sinaloa-style chicken or pork jowl in a deep cola mole sauce, piled into house-pressed masa tortillas. Pair with a round of classic, spicy or seasonal margaritas.
Insider Intel
- The menu is also 100% gluten-free—a major win for the coeliac crew.
- Head down for pre- or post-dinner drinks at Bar Julius, The EVE Hotel’s art-filled lobby bar.
- Book a room and let the party roll until bedtime.
Group Dining & Banquets
Young’s Palace
1 Kellett Street, Potts Point
Image credit: Young's Palace | Instagram
Behind a red door on Kellett Street, chef couple “Big” Sam Young and Grace Chen are serving unfussy, nostalgic Chinese dishes in a buzzy neighbourhood room. Think a cosy bar up front for cocktail watching, neon-lit dining, and a chandeliered back space built for groups. Young’s Palace is the new Potts Point venture from the duo behind S’More.
The menu is all about regional Chinese fare that’s fuss-free; prawn toast (yes, you can add caviar), kung pao chicken, Sam’s sweet-and-sour pork, and a crispy banana roll with hot chocolate fudge to finish. It’s comfort food done with care, pace and plenty of personality.
Why does it make the list? Young's Place is a love letter to Chinatown classics with the polish you’d expect from this duo, plus warm, lively service that makes it an easy “let’s book again” spot.
Insider Intel
- Let the kitchen steer with the banquet — $85pp or $98pp and you’re sorted.
- Order the mango pancake cocktail. It’s a crowd-pleaser.
- There’s a private dining room built for celebrating special occasions. Do with that info what you will (but get in early for Christmas parties)
AALIA
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: AALIA | Instagram
AALIA is the most luxurious restaurant from the ESCA Group, the team behind Nour, Jōji, Itō, Henrietta and Lilymu, sitting at 25 Martin Place, and delivering polished Middle Eastern and North African cooking in a sleek, city-core setting. The name “AALIA” nods to elevation — think refined technique, generous hospitality, and a menu that reads lighter and more sea-influenced than most, without losing depth.
Start with the Persian caviar service and the house-made khorasan pita; follow with quail and king prawn skewers, then share a seafood or meat main. If decisions aren’t your thing, the Classic Banquet is $129pp and covers the hits.
We are obsessed with the polished, contemporary Middle Eastern feel that still feels generous and relaxed — perfect for birthdays, client dinners, or a long lunch that turns into a second bottle. Menus are updated often, so let your waiter guide you.
Insider Intel
- The ballooned, house-made khorasan pita is a must-order for scooping mezze.
- The Classic Banquet ($129pp) is the easy button for first-timers.
- The menu is deliberately hard to Google. Your waiter will be your bestie by the end of the night.
Special Occasion / Bucket List
Quay
Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Quay | Instagram
Like Bennelong, Quay is another titan in the Aussie foodie scene also by Peter Gilmore. The harbour icon is a love letter to Australia’s odd, beautiful produce and the artisans behind it. Expect precision, texture and a sense of theatre in a dining room that looks straight across to the Opera House.
Expect a seasonal multi-course tasting — currently the Quay Experience ($365pp), with occasional shorter formats — plus thoughtful pairings and a deep, producer-led wine list.
If Bennelong nods to Australian culture, Quay spotlights the landscape — sea, soil and seed — through heirloom varieties and bespoke ingredients that Gilmore has championed for decades.
Insider Intel
- Mind the ships. Views can be obscured when a cruise liner docks at the Overseas Passenger Terminal; check schedules if the Opera House outlook is a must.
- The legendary Snow Egg retired in 2018, famously replaced by White Coral; the pastry team continues to rotate showpiece finales. Smashable desserts are part of the fun.
- Make it a night: stroll the quay after dinner and watch the harbour light up.
Bennelong
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Image credit: Bennelong | Instagram
Inside the Opera House sails, Peter Gilmore’s Bennelong serves a produce-first, very Australian menu in one of the city’s most spectacular dining rooms. It’s the kind of place you take people you love — and it’s been described as the “Holy Grail of Australian restaurants” by The New York Times.
A three-course menu with sides for $210pp, built around seasonal signatures: WA marron on buckwheat pikelets, NT mud crab tangled through house-made noodles with koji emulsion, 72-hour Blackmore wagyu brisket, and the Bennelong pavlova shaped like the Opera House.
Bennelong nails “only-in-Sydney” — iconic room, confident service, and a menu that celebrates Australian producers with clarity and flair. The bar upstairs keeps things flexible if you’re pre- or post-show.
INSIDER INTEL
- Bring the visitors. It’s a memory-maker with harbour views for days.
- Short on time or cash? Head to the Bennelong Bar for a drink and a la carte snacks; walk-ins are often possible from early evening.
- Order the WA marron pikelets. They’re a cult favourite for a reason.
More of a morning person? Check out brunch and lunch options:
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Yoshii’s Omakase
Level 2, 1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Crown Sydney | Website
Yoshii’s Omakase is an exquisite 10-seat Sydney Japanese restaurant helmed by chef Ryuichi Yoshii, who is a second-generation sushi master with almost 40 years of experience.
A stand-alone venue within Nobu at Crown Sydney, the omakase menu is $380pp and offers a world-class meal, sharing the true reverence of the intimate Japanese dining style, served as guests look on from the counter seating. As well as an extensive selection of sake, a wine list covering exemplary expressions from Australia and France is available by the glass and bottle. Bookings are released monthly for seatings Tuesday–Saturday.
Insider intel
- Organise to book on the first of the month if you need a specific day or seating time.
- When you're sitting this close to your neighbours, it pays to be friendly. Lean in and have some fun with your new besties.
- Omakase is all about details. Note the left-handed folks, Yoshii will be.
Aria
1 Macquarie Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Aria | Cole Bennetts
Twenty-five years in and still the benchmark: Aria delivers Opera House views, modern Australian cooking, and service that feels effortless. Executive chef Tom Gorringe leads the kitchen, with Matt Moran at the helm, and the room remains a masterclass in special-occasion Sydney.
Choose five- or eight-course tasting menus, or go two- or three-course for lunch and pre-theatre. Recent pricing guides put the two-course at $120pp and three-course at $180pp. The wine program leans proudly Australian while roaming the Old World for classics.
The main serve however is timeless harbour theatre with food to match. As chef Clare Smyth put it, “a classic, timeless restaurant that cooks delicious food… with beautiful ambience.”
Insider Intel
- Open Sunday and Monday nights, with a 15% public-holiday surcharge noted — handy when other fine diners are dark.
- Two-course prix fixe from $120pp is your pre-theatre sweet spot.
- The bar menu is a sleeper hit — make time for the wagyu smash burger with Section 28 cheese. Walk-ins often okay.
More Of The Best Sydney Restaurants
Rovollo
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Rovollo
In the shadow of Harry Seidler’s 25 Martin Place, Rovollo is a family-run Italian restaurant from the team behind Surry Hills’ Mille Vini. Set on the ground floor of Harry Seidler’s 25 Martin Place skyscraper, the space oozes elegance with a 10-metre-long, hand-painted ceiling mural, a golden marble bar and a dramatic pendant light made from a repurposed parachute.
Head chef Zane Buchanan (ex-Clam Bar, Fish Butchery) believes “great Italian food is about letting exceptional ingredients speak for themselves,” a philosophy reflected in a menu built on fresh antipasti, handmade pasta, premium grilled meats and local seafood.
The signature pici carbonara twirled tableside in a 20-kilo Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel, grilled seafood and steaks from the griglia, and the towering 24-layer dark chocolate cake with warm rosemary berry sauce. To drink, start with the seven-sip cocktail flight that takes you on a “journey through Italy,” or dive into the deep wine list with 25 by-the-glass options.
Insider Intel
- Skip the decision fatigue with the chef’s tasting: $115pp for four antipasti, a pasta or protein, sides, and tiramisu spoon.
- The cocktail list is by award-winning talent and reads like a postcard — look for Amalfi and Napoli.
- Nab an alfresco table for peak Euro-summer vibes. BUT, Outdoor seats book fast at lunch. If you’re planning a client catch-up, lock in early.
Sean's
270 Campbell Parade, North Bondi
Image credit: Sean's
For more than 30 years, Sean Moran’s ocean-gazing dining room has set the bar for produce-first, home-style cooking in Sydney. Much of what lands on the plate is grown on Moran’s Blue Mountains farm, a philosophy that’s been in place since the doors opened in 1993.
Sean’s has a three-course choice menu for $140pp (appetiser and house bread included) that changes daily with the best of the season. It’s simple, precise, and unmistakably Australian, served in a room that feels like Bondi at its best.
Why we love it: the chalkboard menu, the farm-fresh produce, and the kind of restrained technique that lets ingredients do the talking — all with that North Bondi view.
INSIDER INTEL
- BYO wine is welcome; a corkage fee applies (recently around $35 per bottle, $60 for magnums).
- If you like to linger, book a later seating so you’re not rushing dessert.
- Ask about daily specials; the menu shifts with what’s best from the farm and markets.
Shell House Dining Room & Terrace
37 Margaret Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Shell House | Instagram
One of the city’s most handsome rooms, Shell House’s ninth-floor Dining Room & Terrace pairs sun-lit elegance with a produce-first menu from Culinary Director Joel Bickford and Head Chef Brad Guest. You’re perched above the CBD, with the Clocktower Bar next door and the Sky Bar just upstairs for post-lunch or sunset drinks.
Start with the cult choux cruller filled with whipped fish roe, then the Signature Martini served with Oscietra caviar. Follow with seasonal pasta and luxe mains (think lobster, dry-aged beef) from the à la carte. The cellar is serious; the venue has taken out Wine List of the Year gongs in recent Good Food Awards.
Refined without being stiff, a rooftop terrace that feels made for long lunches, and a program of music and culture that keeps the precinct lively.
Insider Intel
- Pick a blue-sky day and book the terrace for peak golden-hour vibes. Then slide into Golden Hours (their happy hour) 4–6pm across the bars.
- Jazz nights pop up regularly — from free City Jazz at Menzies to one-off headline shows — worth watching their What’s On page.
- For a pre- or post-meal sip, detour to the Clocktower Bar inside the working 400-tonne clock. It’s a flex.
Kicking on for drinks? We’ve got the lowdown on all the best bars:
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Arthur
544 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Arthur | Instagram
Arthur is a warm and polished Surry Hills restaurant neighbourhood room where everything is Australian — produce, wine, the lot. Chef-owner Tristan Rosier and head chef Juwon Gwak build tightly edited set menus around peak-season ingredients, with a few global cues for balance.
What to expect: two set-menu paths — Chef’s Menu $130pp and Arthur Menu $160pp — moving from one-bite snacks to mains and dessert, plus smart supplements like the cult Bruny Island cheese tart. An all-Australian wine list backs it up, from icons to new-wave makers.
Dinner feels like a friend’s beautiful terrace with sharper service and a producer-first point of view — a clear, modern take on Australian dining.
Insider intel
- Solo friendly: a few bar stools are perfect for dining à un.
- Unhurried? Book the later dinner seating so you can linger.
- Booked out? Try sibling spot Jane just down the road — same crew, similar spirit.
Ester
46-52 Meagher Street, Chippendale
Image credit: Ester | Website
Mat Lindsay’s wood-fired benchmark Ester has been shaping how Sydney eats since 2013. The mood is stripped-back and warm; the cooking is precise without feeling precious. Signatures still slap: the fermented potato bread with kefir cream, dashi jelly and roe; buttery grilled prawns; and the cult blood-sausage sanga.
An à la carte changes often, plus a set menu that pulls together the greatest hits. Finish with the leftover sourdough ice-cream or a seasonal dessert from the wood oven. The wine list leans producer-driven and food-friendly.
Flame, flavour and restraint in perfect balance — this is the kind of cooking chefs rave about and regulars cross town for. Ten years on, it still feels essential.
Insider Intel
- For the full tour, opt for the set menu (Saturday dinner is set-menu only; groups 6–7 are asked to do the set or meet a per-person minimum). Wine pairings are available.
- Order the blood-sausage sanga. There’s a reason it never leaves the board.
- Drinks wise, start with an Ester spritz then explore the savvy, natural-leaning list.
A'Mare
Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: a'Mare | Instagram
A'Mare is pasta master Alessandro Pavoni’s polished Italian at Crown Sydney, all about golden-age service, seafood hero dishes, and a little theatre. Expect coastal classics, precise cooking, and a room that feels special without the stiffness.
With a name like a’Mare, fresh seafood is obviously given a solid showing. Start with crudo, then lean into pasta – the Eastern rock lobster paccheri/spaghettone is a signature.
Refined, seafood-led Italian with proper old-school touches — think cart service, storytelling at the table, and a wine list built for celebrations.
Insider Intel
- Order the house focaccia. It’s a cult favourite and often features in the signature set.
- Veg, vegan, and kids’ menus are available, so mixed groups are easy to host.
- Christmas dining is a thing here. Book early if you want the festive menu with harbour views.
Margaret
30-36 Bay Street, Double Bay
Image credit: Margaret | Instagram
Neil Perry’s first solo venture is a polished neighbourhood landmark built on top-shelf Australian produce and old-school hospitality. In 2025 it was named No. 2 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants (and No. 1 in Australia), a nod to the quality of cuts from producers like CopperTree Farms, alongside pristine seafood and seasonal plates.
Look for CopperTree beef cooked over the grill, Eastern rock lobster (often with sambal or rich shellfish butter), and the rotating Wollemi duck dishes when they’re on. The menu shifts frequently, but the brief stays the same: best-in-class Australian ingredients, treated with care.
It’s celebratory without being stuffy — a “special lunch” spot that still feels like a local, with a savvy, Australian-leaning wine program.
Insider Intel
- Kick on at Double Bay sibling venue Next Door—right next door.
- That steak ranking is real — tables go fast at peak times, so book ahead.
- It's named after Perry's mum... cute!
Firedoor
23/33 Mary Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Firedoor | Instagram
With no gas and no electricity in the kitchen, Firedoor prepares every dish with, you guessed it, fire. With two wood-fired ovens, three grills, and a wood-burning hearth at their disposal, the team—headed by chef Lennox Hastie—cooks up a menu of delectable smoky goods that change daily.
Oyster mushrooms, bread, cod, and lamb are all regulars in the heat, and Hastie draws on the Spanish asada tradition for his cooking. Having worked in Michelin Star restaurants across Europe, he learned to wield the flame in the Basque Country and is a wizard with the heat.
Insider intel
- Since appearing on Chef's Table: BBQ, Firedoor is wildly popular—book well in advance.
- If you can't get a booking, try Gildas, Hastie's Basque-inspired wine bar just across the street.
- Request a seat at the counter to get up close and personal (and hot) with all the action.
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Fratelli Paradiso
12–16 Challis Avenue, Potts Point
Image credit: Fratelli Paradiso | Kristoffer Paulsen
Another heavy hitter from the team behind 10 William Street, Fratelli Paradiso gives the Paradiso brothers the space to show off their skills and showcase the breadth of Italian cuisine—the roast scampi spaghettini is a Sydney rite of passage.
It’s a slick, vibey affair at one of the best restaurants in Sydney with the ubiquitous Italian-style coffee bar for slamming down espresso and outdoor street seating prime for people-watching.
Insider Intel
- Walk-ins are available too, but it's best to secure a spot in advance on weekends.
- Try the handwritten blackboard specials for the freshest produce-led dishes.
- This is the home of the long lunch so book a later sitting to make the most of it.
Mister Grotto
212 Australia Street, Newtown
Image credit: Mister Grotto | Supplied
The standout Sydney seafood restaurant sitting in Paisano & Daughters’ Newtown strip (also home to Continental Deli, Osteria Mucca, Flora and Australia Street Suites), Mister Grotto is a celebration of all things oceanic.
There’s a raw bar for oyster shucking and crudo prepping, plus a full kitchen led by head chef Måns Engberg, who brings mega seafood skills from Saint Peter. Everything is dedicated to Australia’s dedicated fishers and suppliers across Australia, with standout picks like curried bay school prawns on toast, southern bluefin tuna three ways, Cloudy Bay diamond clams in jamón broth and barbecued swordfish medallion with chewy beetroots, hazelnuts and mustard leaf.
Insider Intel
- If you’re heading with a group, the front window has a coveted curved booth.
- Start with something from the ever-changing cocktail list curated by Michael Nicolean, creator of the Mar-tinny.
- Don’t sleep on dessert, it’s dreamt up by the group's head pastry chef, Lauren Eldridge (ex-Osteria Francescana).
Main image credit: Gran Torino | Yusuke Oba
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