There’s nothing quite like dining out in the city. Whether for a first date, an anniversary, a family lunch, or any old Tuesday night—the Sydney/Eora CBD offers up a long list of delicious restaurants.
From fine dining on the shore of Sydney Harbour to cosy gems hidden in back streets, famous chefs, local secrets, and everything in between—the city covers a lot of ground and there's so much to discover.
Here are Urban List's picks for the best restaurants in the Sydney CBD right now.
Know what you want? Skip to
- The Best New Sydney CBD Restaurants
- The Best Casual And Affordable Sydney CBD Restaurants
- The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants with A View
- The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants For Groups
- The Best Sydney CBD Steak Restaurants
- The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants For Dinner
- More Of The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants
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The Best New Sydney CBD Restaurants
Conte
151 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Conte | Supplied
For a slice of Italian glamour and negroni-fuelled nights, Conte provides the goods. The moody 130-seat, two-level bar and restaurant in Sydney CBD is a cracking concept by owner Raffaelle Lombardi (of Bar Conte in Surry Hills) with input from partner Victoria Hampshire, head chef Steven De Vecchi and sommelier Marta Carruccio.
“The [Surry Hills] venue’s popularity has completely blown us away,” says Raffaelle. “So the time felt right for a larger, ‘grown-up’ offering, realising the dream of a chic and contemporary dining and drinks space that we know Sydneysiders will want to visit as much as we do!”
The menu definitely knows how to turn it on—caviar and crudo, fancy fromage, deli meats from the Berkel, luscious handmade pasta, hearty mains and over 30 negronis drowning the drinks list.
Insider Intel
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Negroni aficionados should try the Negroni flight that runs through verde, rosso and bianco contrasts.
Clarence And V
2/191 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Every seating at Clarence and V is a new experience. The Euro-leaning menu changes daily and focuses on wholesome, home-style meals centered around local produce and executed exceptionally.
Owner Vito Mollica (who owned Latteria cafe in Darlinghurst), has recruited former 10 William Street and Bar Vincent chef Stella Roditis to run the kitchen, pulling off simple, honest and seriously good cooking influenced by her Greek heritage.
Insider Intel
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This one covers all bases—come for comforting brekkie plates and Atomic-made coffee, head back for lunch in a burgundy leather banquette, or dinner and drinks for date night.
Eleven Barrack
11 Barrack Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Eleven Barrack | Instagram
Set in a grand, old 1849-built bank on Barrack Street, Eleven Barrack channels the polished steak and seafood grills you’d find in Paris. In the thick of the city’s buzz, this gem from Bentley Restaurants Group (behind other Sydney CBD restaurants Bentley, King Clarence, Brasserie 1930, and Monopole) is all about elevated wood-fired fare and standout service in a Baroque-style dining room built for long lunching and lingering dinners.
A menu of over 50 dishes stars grilled Wagyu T-bone and Balmain bug spaghetti, alongside a more casj bar menu featuring king prawn buns with shellfish rouille, with a world-class wine list and top-shelf champagne to round out the upmarket offering.
Insider Intel
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For special occasions, there’s a chic private dining room worth splashing out for.
Neptune’s Grotto
Lower Ground Floor, 44 Bridge Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Neptune's Grotto | Instagram
New kid on the block, Neptune’s Grotto, is one of the most romantic restaurants in the Sydney CBD. The candlelit underground diner focuses on regional specialties from Italy’s north and is splashed with cherry red across the artsy walls, curved leather booths and even on plates in the form of tuna caponata and pomodoro-slicked taglioni—not to mention in glasses of Nebbiolo and Barolo that Roman gods would be proud to drink.
The Bridge Street restaurant was born from the trio behind Clam Bar, Pellegrino 2000 and (now sadly closed) Bistrot 916: chefs Mikey Clift, Dan Pepperell and Andy Tyson—who continue to wow Sydney with their modernised old-world flavours.
Insider Intel
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Don’t skip dessert—there’s seasonal gelati, tortas and digestifs.
The Best Casual And Affordable Sydney CBD Restaurants
Bar Mammoni
Shop 2 Loftus Lane, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Bar Mammoni | Instagram
Named after the affectionate term mammoni (meaning mumma’s boy) and inspired by Italy’s quaint corner stores, Bar Mammoni is a laidback Italian deli and pasta bar in the Sydney CBD. Espresso and breakfast bites quickly turn into spritzes and you guessed it—pasta. Glossy, guanciale-laced spaghetti carbonara and Wagyu lasagne can be munched on for lunch alongside prosciutto, mortadella, roast chicken and falafel-filled focaccia sandwiches.
You can’t book, but feel free to walk on in and pull up a seat, or order ahead online.
Insider Intel
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Grab $10 pasta bowls on weekdays from 11am–2pm.
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Chat Thai
Various Locations
Image credit: Chat Thai | Instagram
Chat Thai has grown from a 1989 Thai diner on Liverpool Street in Darlinghurst to a colossal powerhouse with five locations across Sydney—three of which are smack bang in the middle of the CBD in Circular Quay, The Galeries and Westfield Sydney, plus one in Chinatown.
Expect a massive menu of grilled bites (cough cough $5–$6 skewers), spicy salads, curries, soups, noodles, rice dishes, and heavenly wok-fried fiascos, on top of drinks and dessert—the sticky rice with local mango and coconut cream is a must.
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All-day cafe and restaurant BOON is a partner of Chat Thai, slinging sarnies by day and Isaan by night in Haymarket’s lesser-known Thaitown.
El Loco At Slip Inn
111 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: El Loco At Slip Inn | Instagram
Sussex Street’s rainbow Mexican fiesta, El Loco At Slip Inn, is one of the best casual restaurants in the Sydney CBD. Tacos work out to be $9 each, with delicioso fillings like smoked beef brisket, crispy tempura barramundi, chipotle chicken, and vegetarian-friendly mushroom barbacoa.
There’s heaps of weekly specials too, like free pool on Saturdays ‘til 7pm, a $20 lunch deal (available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm), and late-night bites under $27 (Thursday to Saturday from 10pm).
Insider Intel
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Hit up the happy hour for $7 schooners, wine and spirits, $9 pints, $14 Aperol Spritzes and $18 cocktails, Monday–Saturday, between 5pm and 7pm.
Hakata Gensuke
Regent Place Shopping Centre, 501 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Hakata Gensuke | Instagram
Go-to CBD ramen joint, Hakata Gensuke serves award-winning tonkotsu ramen that’s worth forking out two tenners for. The rich and silky broth uses premium pork bones to create a super fulfilling broth (that you’ll wanna bathe in). There’s also spicy, black garlic, and vegetarian versions, and you can add extra slices pork char-siu.
With only 40 seats and no bookings, be prepared for a short queue or order online to skip the queues.
Insider Intel
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You can also grab ice tea under $5, plus chicken katsu and gyozas under $10.
The Spice Room
The Quay Building, 2 Phillip Street, Sydney CBD
The Spice Room is a casual Indian restaurant that sits alongside Circular Quay and is all about Peshawari-style cooking. It serves some of the best tandoor-cooked dishes at a price your wallet can actually afford, unlike many of Sydney CBD’s other restaurants that close to the Harbour. Street food-style bites kick off the menu (all under $20), with meat, seafood and vegetarian mains sitting around or under $35.
Insider Intel
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Ditch the butter chicken and go for the signature black lentil daal makhani—it’s slow-cooked overnight with tomato puree, butter and cream.
The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants with A View
Canvas
Level 4, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 140 George Street, The Rocks
Image credit: Canvas | Supplied
Canvas is a breathtaking restaurant on level four of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Australia) in The Rocks, blending the art and culinary worlds in an ever-changing experience. It's hard to say what might be on the menu at this CBD restaurant, because Canvas hosts a new chef in residence each season.
Acclaimed Edinburgh-born chef James Scott (formerly at two-Michelin-star Gidleigh Park, three-hatted Sepia, and LuMi Dining) is the latest chef in residence at Canvas, crafting sustainable, no-waste dishes with Australian natives and a Scottish spin, such as the Lambington (a lamb Wellington) and crab cappelletti with finger lime and lemon myrtle.
The dining experience at Canvas has been meticulously coordinated down to the fragrance, floral displays, relaxed staff uniforms and soundscape, all paired with the restaurant's views across Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House, uninterrupted outlook on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and a textured, neutral interior.
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Canvas serves a two-course ($95pp) and three-course ($120pp) menu between 11.30am and 4.30pm Wednesday–Sunday.
Aria
1 Macquarie Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Aria | Instagram
Aria's award-winning menu and breathtaking Circular Quay location have long been an attraction for discerning diners from Sydney and afar. Owners Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon appointed Thomas Gorringe (Bentley Restaurant and Bar, The Gantry) as head chef in 2021, and he's carrying on the restaurant's legacy of stunning dishes made with fine produce from solely Australian suppliers, all paired with one of the country's most-awarded wine lists.
Insider Intel
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Despite the views, it's the food and wine at this renowned fine diner that will really hold your attention.
Cafe Sydney
Level 5 Customs House, 31 Alfred Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Cafe Sydney | Instagram
Boasting one of the best views of any Sydney establishment, Cafe Sydney is a go-to, but not just for its panoramic views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House from its rooftop location in heritage Customs House. Cafe Sydney’s sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere, impeccable service and superbly executed dishes is the real reason Sydneysiders keep coming back.
Menu options range from local seafood and tender meat cuts to rich pastas and a vegan-friendly menu, with influences from around the world (a true virtue of modern Australian cuisine). The over 200-bottle wine list is expertly explained by the on-site sommelier, who knows exactly how to elevate your long lunch or romantic dinner.
Insider Intel
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Make sure to book well in advance to secure a seat on the outdoor terrace: the most coveted spot in the house.
The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants For Groups
The Wine Bar At The International
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The International | Instagram
Inside drinking and dining destination The International in the Sydney CBD, The Wine Bar offers three unique spaces to sip and snack: an intimate 40-seat wine bar overlooking Martin Place, a mid-century-inspired 60-seat dining room and a piazza-style courtyard with an outdoor bar and enough space for bigger groups.
The open kitchen, led by Executive Chef Danny Corbett, turns out Neapolitan sourdough pizzettes from an Italian Marana Forni oven, saucy handmade pastas, and large mains like steak frites, alongside a selection of small bites, crisp salads and sides, plus a group banquet menu for $110pp. As for drinks, wine is obviously the main event, supported by a handful of classy cocktails to round out the offering.
Insider Intel
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For lunch, you can grab pizzas for $15, pasta for $25 and wine by the glass for $10 between 12pm and 3pm.
The Cut Bar & Grill
16 Argyle Street, The Rocks
Image credit: The Cut Bar & Grill | Supplied
Sydney steak restaurant The Cut Bar & Grill reopened in its heritage-listed cellar in 2024 after being closed for four years. The slow-roasted prime rib, sliced and served tableside, is the signature, with modern takes on steakhouse classics like Eastern Rock lobster in herb butter, John Dory with romesco sauce, and a Borrowdale pork chop with vadouvan butter, all prepared on the wood-fired grill.
The Cut’s drinks menu shares timeless classics like a signature Gibson, made with house-made Gibson mignonette and oyster shell gin, and served with a Sydney Rock oyster. While the original exposed brick and wood beams of the site remain, an interior refresh brings new appeal to the much-loved Sydney CBD restaurant.
Insider Intel
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The Cut takes group bookings of up to 20 guests in the main dining room, or it has a private wine room for up to 10 guests for more intimate celebrations.
MuMu
330C George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: MuMu | Instagram
The atmosphere at MuMu matches the menu perfectly: a vibrant lineup of flavour-packed South East Asian street food bangers from the legendary Sydney chef Dan Hong, who was inspired by a trip across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
To start, order sweet prawn betel leaves and steak tartare with a Tom Yum dressing, before moving onto crispy eggplant in a black vinegar glaze, DIY five spice duck maryland bao buns, and the signature Angus short ribs, which are sous vide-cooked for 12 hours before being char-grilled and served with sambals, lettuce leaves, herbs, pickles and various sauces.
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Banquet menus are required for groups of 10 or more, with $65pp (Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm only), $98pp and $158pp options.
The Best Sydney CBD Steak Restaurants
Rockpool Bar & Grill
66 Hunter Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Rockpool Bar & Grill | Instagram
Rockpool Bar & Grill was crowned the 12th best steak restaurant on the 2025 World’s Best Steak List alongside ten other Sydney restaurants (go us!). Wood-grilled premium meats and seafood carries the entire menu lineup, starring top picks like David Blackmore’s Wagyu and Cape Grim beef, butchered in-house daily. Pair with an award-winning red from the 3000-strong international wine list and settle into the stunning dining room in the 1936-built art deco skyscraper.
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There’s also an oyster bar worth exploring, an intimate 50-seat Rockpool Lounge on Level 1 above the main restaurant, and a dedicated bar food menu starring world-class steak sandwiches and burgers.
The Grill at The International
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The International | Instagram
Only two places behind Rockpool, The Grill at The International sits at number 14 on the 2025 World’s Best Steak List. Chef Joel Brickford is the wood-grill master here, donning the badge of Group Culinary Director and working his magic on premium cuts like Ranger’s Valley flank, Westholme Wagyu rump cap, O’Connor scotch fillet, and Kidman dry aged sirloin on the bone, served with peppercorn, Bordelaise, Béarnaise or Café de paris sauces.
When you’re not in a meat mood, there’s also grilled seafood, pasta, vegetarian-friendly plates and a swish caviar service—and don’t forget about dessert.
Insider Intel
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The Grill has a couple of banquet menus, ideal for groups, date nights or pre-theatre dining.
The Gidley
Basement/161 King Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Gidley | Instagram
The Gidley is a subterranean steak house from the Bistecca team with herringbone floors, moody stone benches, olive green velvet banquettes and candlelight. Here, Australia’s exceptional Riverine Black Angus rib-eye is the main event, and you can order it one of three ways: char-grilled over charcoal and ironbark, with the textural spinalis cut, or as prime rib roast.
Sauces include roast chicken gravy, homemade BBQ, Café de Paris butter and garlic butter, and sides such as broccolini with an almond puree, roasted pumpkin, and three cheese truffle mac and cheese. To drink, expect an impressive selection of Australian and international styles and high-quality back vintages that hero sustainability and biodiversity.
Insider Intel
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The Gidley also has a chic private dining room with its own bar that seats up to 20.
The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants For Dinner
Ragazzi
1 Angel Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Ragazzi | Nikki To
If you had to describe Ragazzi in three words: Italian, pasta and wine. So popular is chef Scott McComas-Williams’ hand-crafted pasta that it spawned Fabbrica, a takeaway shop and pasta emporium also in the CBD.
Whether you’re in for an after-work vino or a weekend lunch, expect an often-updated menu showcasing the wonders of Italian flavours and pasta, in a fast-paced, vibey setting with a cracking playlist to boot—but the must-order anchovy and butter on sourdough always remains.
Insider Intel
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A 250-bottle wine list pays homage to classic and contemporary Italian winemaking.
Monopole
16/20 Curtin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Monopole | Instagram
Sydney restaurant Monopole has existed in a few forms; Bentley Restaurant Group owners Nick Hildebrandt and Brent Savage introduced it to the world as a Potts Point wine bar, relocated and expanded in the CBD and, in July 2024, pivoted to focus solely on French cuisine.
Modernised French classics are served in an elevated dining room among velvet curtains, vintage wine posters and antique light fittings, with menu standouts like Bœuf Bourguignon starring braised beef cheek, smoked eel mille-feuille, and an indulgent dry-aged duck breast. Finish it off with chocolate mousse, French wines, liqueurs, aperitifs and cocktails.
Insider Intel
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A five-course set menu is available for $90pp, perfect for decadent dinner dates and groups of over eight guests.
The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar
66 King Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Charles | Steven Woodburn
The Charles is an elegant affair complete with lashings of black marble, a wrap-around mezzanine, a sculptural staircase, and twinkling chandeliers. The brasserie has its own duck and poultry dry-age room and two flashy copper-plated duck presses, which form part of the theatre of its signature dish: canard à la presse (10-day whole dry-aged roasted and pressed Maremma duck) complete with tableside saucing and carving. Elsewhere on the menu is a Black Opal Wagyu rump cap MBS9+, there's a caviar service (of course), and snacks like a soft pretzel with freshly picked mud crab and fennel cream.
On drinks is director of wine and sommelier Paolo Saccone (ex-mimi's, Flying Fish), who's dreamt up a list of 600+ wines from France and Australia, with a few other notable European regions in the mix too.
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This multi-space CBD restaurant features a Euro-style cafe, wine bar, and ultra-grand two-level brasserie all in one, built into the Art Deco ACA Building.
Restaurant Leo
12 Angel Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Restaurant Leo | Instagram
Restaurant Leo is a venture from the melding of minds from the twin powerhouses behind Newtown’s former Oscillate Wildly and LuMi, and it's one of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney.
It’s a slick wood-furnished endeavour that caters to the end-of-week-long lunch, cruisy dinner, or knock-off Negroni, but pulls it all off with exceptional style and flair.
Insider Intel
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Leo's offers an affordable five-course set menu that's perfect for dinners, at $70pp.
Clam Bar
44 Bridge Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Clam Bar | Instagram
Clam Bar has plenty of love for Aussie seafood and beef with some American grandiosity and flair. In its charming dining room fitted out with booth and table seating, Murano glass sconces, Art Deco chandeliers, and custom artworks, Clam Bar turns out premium cuts of meat and whole fish from a Josper oven, a must-order spaghetti vongole, and a significant raw bar offering with various oyster treatments, prawn cocktails, and steak tartare.
On the drinks menu, American classics take centre stage, with martinis and Manhattans in the mix, and a sizeable wine list packed with well-known producers.
Insider Intel
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It's on the former site of The Bridge Room from the trio behind pumping venues Pellegrino 2000 and the Italian gem Neptune's Grotto downstairs.
More Of The Best Sydney CBD Restaurants
Letra House
Old Kent House, Rear/344 Kent Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Letra House | Instagram
Down a cobblestone passage off Kent Street, look out for the glowing pink angel that marks Letra House. The intimate 60-seat underground CBD wine bar and restaurant offers a refined, seasonally driven, Spanish-leaning menu that covers a selection of tapas like croquettes, grilled octopus skewers and house-favourite manchego custard-stuffed doughnuts, followed by sizeable mains built around whole fish and premium cuts of meat.
The wine program is stacked with around 50 bottles from both well-known and under-appreciated wine regions around the globe, all available by the glass too—making Letra perfect for pre-dinner sips, shared group meals or a late-night rendezvous.
Insider Intel
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Letra House is tucked beneath Italian eatery Palazzo Salato—both from the Love Tilly Group, also behind Love, Tilly Devine, Dear Sainte Éloise and Fabbrica Pasta Shop.
Shell House Dining Room & Terrace
37 Margaret Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Shell House | Instagram
The historic Shell House boasts two epic bars, a dining room and a rooftop terrace, all leaning into the stunning building's Interwar commercial palazzo-style architecture with indoor and outdoor settings over 1,600 sqm of space.
Shell House Dining Room & Terrace is fitted out with curved booths, cane chairs, rich timbers, an amber light-flecked ceiling, and beautifully tiled flooring, and flows out onto the sandstone terrace, which offers views across the CBD to boot.
As for the food, expect refined, Mediterranean-leaning dishes that hero top-quality local produce, and a wide spread of small snacks that are worth working your way through.
Insider Intel
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Head to Menzies Bar or Sky Bar for a flawless pre- or post-dinner drink.
AALIA
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: AALIA | Supplied
You'll find AALIA within the stunning multimillion-dollar Martin Place precinct, by the ESCA Group, who are also behind Nour in Surry Hills and nearby bar Jōji. The name AALIA loosely translates to elevated or exalted—meaning you can expect a heightened version of the polished, creative Arabic and Levantine-style food the group has become known for.
The menu follows a unique coastal theme—a lighter vibe, not typically associated with Middle Eastern fare. Highlights include the ballooned, house-made khorasan pita, Murray cod masgouf, and lamb neck shawarma.
Insider Intel
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Go luxe with the Persian caviar service.
Mr. Wong
3 Bridge Lane, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Mr Wong | Instagram
With Chef Dan Hong at the helm of this Cantonese-style Sydney CBD restaurant, Mr. Wong became an instant favourite in the Sydney CBD. The 240-seat joint serves over 80 dishes across two levels, so you’re spoiled for choice with Hong’s diverse menu.
Pop through for the crowd favourite whole Chinese roasted duck, and local produce like crispy fried Balmain bugs and rock lobster or Chinese classics like Kung Pao chicken.
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There’s also a lunchtime dim sum menu too that won’t break the bank.
Bistro Papillon
98 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Bistro Papillon | Instagram
When Bistro Papillon owners Ludovic Geyer and Xavier Huitorel met in the UK, they frequented a French bistro in Bath called Papillon. Coming to Australia, they opened their own restaurant under the same name in tribute to the place they loved and classic French cooking in general.
With ingredients sourced from France and the markets and butchers of Sydney, the pair pride themselves on simple French classics like duck confit, beef bourguignon, and escargot that people rave about. It’s a hearty, warming place perfect for a winter feast.
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“We've always kept things simple,” Ludo tells us. “Old recipes, our grandma’s recipes, but also French classics. That's our concept.”
Keen for more of the city's best? Check out
- Sydney's Best Waterfront Venues
- Sydney's Most Beautiful Restaurants
- The Best French Restaurants In Sydney
Main image credit: The Cut Bar & Grill | Supplied
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