Save These North Sydney Restaurants For Your Next Night Out
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
North Sydney is often slept on for its restaurant scene—if you weren't up to date, you'll find wood-fired kitchens, rooftops with tequila and tacos, and seriously cosy pubs just minutes from the Sydney CBD.
Whether you're an ESP at heart, an inner west warrior, or a loyal north shore local, these spots are definitely worth a trip on the metro. We've done our fair share of eating, drinking and socialising on the north side of the bridge, in order to bring you a list worth saving—these are the best restaurants in North Sydney for 2025.
Soluna
168 Walker Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Soluna | Instagram
North Sydney restaurant and bar Soluna—part of the fresh Walker Street precinct—takes its inspiration from the sun-kissed streets and lifestyle of Los Angeles.
The indoor/outdoor restaurant is divided into a distinct bar space, 110-seat dining room that spreads into an all-weather courtyard, and lounge for after-dinner drinks, with a seafoam palette and pale wood elements throughout.
That feeling translates to the plate with dishes like pressed prawn toast from the Bites & Snacks list; peppered bonito with grapefruit, green olive and marjoram off the Light & Raw selection; and grilled coral trout with peppers and a chilli garlic crunch from the Grilled & Fried offering.
Insider intel
- An offering of easy-drinking and approachable wines sits alongside signature takes on much-loved cocktails on the drinks list.
Sol Bread and Wine
Shop 2/168 Walker Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Sol Bread and Wine | Instagram
Sol Bread and Wine is an all-day hotspot that transforms from a bakery to a wine bar. The 40-seater venue has a stunning interior with a warm timber fit-out, a bread cabinet display, comfy seating, and a sleek red spiral staircase leading up to sister venue Soluna.
From 7am, the kitchen provides all your pastry needs and elevated breakfast staples like a sourdough English muffin with pork sausage, fried egg, cheese and pickles. At lunchtime, sandos are served on freshly baked artisan bread, alongside plates like gildas, a daily pasta and duck leg schnitzel with baba ghanoush, which also rolls over into dinner.
Insider intel
- For sips, the wine list is filled with a variety of Australian, French, Italian and Spanish picks available by the glass, carafe or bottle.
Bar Lettera
Level 5, 88 Walker Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Bar Lettera | Supplied
Decked out in decadent blush tones and lush marble, Bar Lettera is an all-day restaurant and bar doing familiar Italian made with top local produce, from breakfast through to dinner and drinks.
Highlights on chef Ryan Perry’s (The Bridge Room, Momofuku Seiobo, and Longshore) menu include burrata with witlof, bottarga and pine nuts, bug fritto misto with house XO sauce, rigatoni with Wollemi duck ragu and Davidson plum gin, and dry-aged CopperTree Farms’ grass-fed rib eye with pale ale jus.
Insider intel
- To finish, there’s a Milo tiramisu with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, distilled up the road.
Poetica
Mezzanine level, 1 Denison Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Poetica | Steven Woodburn
With fire, wood and charcoal at its heart, Poetica Bar & Grill is a refined but relaxed North Sydney restaurant by Etymon Group (The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar, Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur, and Tiva). The light-filled space has a 700-bottle wine wall, 15-metre-long open kitchen, a couple of terraces for open-air dining, and a dedicated bar space.
As well as a premium beef selection cooked over fire, menu highlights include oysters topped with melted beef fat (a la flambadou), grilled sugarloaf cabbage with pickled peppers and fried garlic, and dry-aged swordfish that gets flash-grilled after sitting above the fire.
Insider intel
- 12 signature cocktails feature Australian ingredients and the wine list leans Australian with on-trend makers and classic back vintages, and there's a bottomless lunch on Saturdays.
Genzo
Shop 4/168 Walker Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Genzo | Instagram
Bathed in colourful neon lights, Genzo is a vibrant Japanese restaurant with a bustling open kitchen, booth and bar seating, an outdoor terrace and a temperature-controlled wine and sake room that's home to an extensive beverage program.
From sutikku (sticks) and kushi (skewers) to single bites and sashimi, Genzo offers a unique culinary experience with a generous menu. Hero dishes include yellowfin tuna onigiri with stracciatella, scallop sashimi topped with whipped roe, and roasted duck tsukemen with house-made soba noodles.
Insider intel
- For dessert, you have to try the KitKat-inspired Kitto Katto, with layers of chocolate ganache, sesame praline, and black sesame mousse.
Glorietta
100 Mount Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Glorietta | Instagram
A casual but polished Italian spot for workday lunches, aperitivo nibbles and big group feasts, Glorietta is one of North Sydney's most beloved restaurants. You'll find it in an indoor/outdoor space with long communal tables, leather banquettes, and a few bar stools, plus coveted tables on the leafy terrace.
The simple and unfussy menu lets the great ingredients shine in dishes like house-made pumpkin and taleggio arancini, grilled king prawns with preserved chilli and coriander, and pappardelle with velvety lamb ragu and pecorino.
Insider intel
- There's also wood-fired pizzas which make for a perfect casual spread in the sun with a spritz, signature cocktail or bottle of Italian wine.
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Four Hundred
Greenwood Plaza Rooftop, 36 Blue Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Four Hundred | Chad Konik
Four Hundred is a relaxed Tulum-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar decked out with raw materials, terracotta, natural oak timbers, and hues of blue to evoke the Mexican coastline.
Bold Mexican flavours play off influences from Peru, Spain, Argentina and Cuba, with street food snacks, share-plates and takes on pub-style meals, and plenty of local seafood starring in dishes like salmon crudo tostadas with avocado salsa and aji verde and a Baja-style prawn roll.
Insider intel
- Weekends kick off with DJs every Friday from 4pm, while Saturdays offer an $89pp bottomless lunch.
Antica
196 Miller Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Antica | Instagram
Nestled inside the heritage-listed Montrose House, Antica is a gorgeous Italian restaurant from the group behind Entrata in the Hills District. The venue has heaps of dining options like a la carte lunch and dinner, an express two-course weekday lunch, a bar menu till late, and group set menus perfect for enjoying in the private dining room.
Some of our favourite feeds include the MBS9+ wagyu beef carpaccio with truffle mustard and crispy pecorino, the zesty ocean trout crudo, the mouthwatering lamb ragu casarecce, and of course, the fluffy tiramisu to finish.
Insider intel
- Plus, with over 300 wines from all over Italy, and signature and dessert cocktails, you’re spoiled for choice.
RAFI
99 Mount Street, North Sydney
Image credit: RAFI | Instagram
With a massive 300-person indoor/outdoor footprint and gorgeous contemporary fit-out, RAFI caused quite the stir when it popped up on the North Sydney restaurant scene with sunny terraces, a cocktail bar, a main dining room, a private dining space, a chef's table experience, and a glasshouse structure called The Arbour.
The menu is seasonal and exemplifies Aussie dining with global influences in dishes like raw Silver Trevally with green apple, jalapeño and avocado, figs with endive, Milawa blue cheese, pine nuts and anchovy dressing, and roasted free range chicken with radish, edamame and lemon oil. There's a sizable wine program, and a minimal-waste cocktail list utilising imperfect seasonal picks.
Insider intel
- Swing in for RAFI Hour between 3pm and 6pm Monday–Saturday to make the most of the outdoor areas.
Sou Ramen Lab
Shop 5/141 Walker Street, North Sydney
At Sou Ramen Lab, the bowls are based on a chicken broth that cooks for 20 hours, with favourite combos like black garlic and chilli or yuzu shio. Ramen chef Takeshi Sekigawa has experience in other iconic Sydney ramen spots including Gumshara and Yasaka Ramen, and noted spots in Japan.
Insider intel
- As well as the noodle bowls, there are snacks like takoyaki and fried oysters, and hearty rice donburi of Japanese curry, braised pork or chicken karaage.
Green Moustache
Level 10, 100 Miller Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Green Moustache | Instagram
The leafiest spot in North Sydney, Green Moustache is an elevated oasis where the menu by former Chin Chin chef Pete Fitzsimmons draws from diverse influences.
There are satisfying bar snacks like tuna ceviche, burrata and fries if you're chasing a nibble, or full lunch and dinner menus with standouts like grilled scallops in house-made XO brown butter, spaghetti with bug, cherry tomatoes and chilli, and mirin-glazed pork belly with rice cake, Asian greens and nori jam.
Insider intel
- To drink, browse the substantial wine list—one of the largest in North Sydney—or sip a signature cocktail.
More Restaurants Near North Sydney
Now Open: Ramen Auru
Level 2, 6-8 Falcon Street, Crows Nest
Image credit: Ramen Auru | Instagram
Ramen Auru has transplanted the feel of a traditional Japanese ramen-ya to a Crows Nest street. It's tucked upstairs from sister venue Yakitori Yurippi (also worth a visit) and focuses on just three signature ramens: a rich tonkotsu ramen with all the usual toppings, a lighter yuzu shio ramen with chicken chashu, and an ebi (prawn) ramen with bisque, seafood broth, and prawn chilli oil.
Insider intel
- The interior features traditional tatami flooring (meaning you will be sitting cross-legged on the floor at low tables), and even a custom-made ticket ordering machine, just like Tokyo.
Lavendra
5 Walker Street, Lavender Bay
Image credit: Lavendra | Instagram
Lavendra explores the full range of Indian cuisine with seasonal menus served in a spot that boasts some of the best restaurant views in all of North Sydney, perched above Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden.
A set menu for $87pp covers snacks, mains and dessert with an optional wine pairing, or you can go a la carte to choose from the full selection of shuruat starters like nimbu tikka chicken thighs with kaffir lime spice mix and cashew paste, khana (mains) like duck dosa or south Indian lamb chettinad, flaky naan, and contemporary desserts like an Indian-style tiramisu.
Insider intel
- The menu changes seasonally to meet a geographic or cultural theme, so it's always worth revisiting.
Loulou Bistro
61 Lavender Street, Milsons Point
Image credit: Loulou Bistro | Instagram
Follow the smell of fresh baguettes (they're baked three times daily) to Loulou, where you'll find a restaurant, bakery and traiteur (like a fancy French deli) all under the same roof.
The menu features classic French dishes with a focus on lightness and freshness to better suit the Aussie climate and ingredients, so you can tick of steak tartare with potato crisps, an abundant daily seafood platter, and grilled Murray cod with vibrant sauce vierge.
Insider intel
- The wine list covers major French regions, and there's a $110pp bottomless rosé lunch on weekends.
Sails On Lavender Bay
2 Henry Lawson Avenue, McMahons Point
Image credit: Sails | Instagram
If you’re looking to take in some of the most iconic views of Sydney from its northern side, Sails on Lavender Bay is the place to do it. The large glass windows of this waterfront restaurant look out to Luna Park, through the Harbour Bridge, and beyond to the white domes of the Opera House.
Insider intel
- The cuisine is modern Mediterranean with a focus on seafood, and you can opt for a set menu from $155, with vegan and vegetarian diners well looked after.
Want more Sydney dining inspiration? Check out
Main image credit: Poetica | Steven Woodburn
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