Here’s Where To Eat Sydney’s Best Charcoal And Fire-Led Cooking Right Now
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
There’s something in the air in Sydney right now—and no, it’s not just your neighbour firing up the Weber. Across the city, chefs are going back to basics, leaning into charcoal, woodfire and open flames to build menus that are smoky, simple and seriously flavour-driven.
Of course, Sydney has always had a soft spot for charcoal cooking (see: the city’s long-standing obsession with a perfectly roasted chook), but what we’re seeing now is a shift. Fire-led cooking is moving beyond takeaway staples and into some of the city’s most exciting kitchens—where flame has graduated to both the method and the menu hero.
So why now? Part of it comes down to flavour—charcoal delivers depth and intensity that other methods struggle to replicate. But it’s also about the experience as a whole. Fire cooking is sensory, immersive and inherently social. It invites diners into the process, through smell, sound and atmosphere, in a way that feels both nostalgic and new.
If it’s blistered skewers, flame-kissed seafood or slow-cooked meats you’re after, here’s where to find Sydney’s best charcoal and fire-led cooking right now.
Rasā House
639B New South Head Road, Rose Bay
Image credit: Rasā House | Instagram
At Rasā House, charcoal sits at the centre of the kitchen’s identity. Under head chef Keno Perlas, the focus is on restraint: letting produce lead, with fire used to deepen the flavours rather than dominate them.
“I think chefs around Sydney are beginning to hone in on simple but precise cookery without overworking the product,” Keno tells Urban List.
“Cooking with charcoal gives that complexity—that smoky, charry, bitter aftertaste that is incomparable. You can sear on it, smoke on it and grill on it.”
Rather than pushing heat to its limits, the kitchen works with it—controlling temperature, stretching time and treating each element with care. Proteins are cooked slowly to allow marinades to caramelise, while more delicate dishes are positioned over coals to balance grilling with gentle steaming.
“Charcoal cooking is delicate,” Perlas explains. “We make sure our temperature is not too high so our marinade doesn’t burn.”
CANESS
348 Oxford Street, Paddington
Image credit: CANESS | Instagram
Set in a former Paddington grocer, CANESS brings a relaxed, tapas-style approach to fire-led cooking—where charcoal is used across a menu of smaller, shareable plates.
From the team behind Shaffa, the focus is on letting flame build flavour without overcomplicating the dish. Seafood, vegetables and proteins are all cooked directly over coals, with a slower approach that draws out depth while keeping ingredients intact.
“We cook directly on the charcoal and utilise slower cooking to bring out depth, while keeping the integrity of the ingredients,” says co-owner Erez Nahum. “The focus is on letting the fire enhance both proteins and vegetables without overcomplicating the dish.”
That philosophy plays out in dishes like char-grilled octopus and the charcoal fish of the day—simple in format, but layered with smoke, sweetness and contrast.
“It adds smokiness, depth and contrast, enhancing sweetness, creating char and providing a unique intensity that’s hard to replicate on gas cooking or other methods,” Nahum says.
“In the Middle East, where I come from, cooking over fire is very common,” he says. “Now Sydney’s hospitality industry and diners are falling in love with the depth, flavour and experience that charcoal brings.”
Hamsi Taverna
Shop E1B, 1 Bridge Road, Glebe
Image credit: Hamsi Taverna | Instagram
Having opened earlier this year inside the long-awaited new Sydney Fish Market, Hamsi Taverna brings a slice of coastal Türkiye to Pyrmont, led by celebrated chef Somer Sivrioglu and the Efendy Group. Positioned above the buzz of the market floor, the ethos here is seafood-driven (naturally), and charcoal-led.
Firedoor
23/33 Mary Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Firedoor | Instagram
Celebrating 10 years in 2025, Firedoor is all about the magic of cooking over wood-fired grills.
“We work instinctively with the fire and the ingredients”, says Lennox Hastie, the chef/owner.
“Experience, patience and instinct are the values we cook by, and we do it all for the beauty of the ingredients”, he says.
If you saw Firedoor featured on the Netflix series Chef's Table, you know to expect a clear view of the kitchen, and a five-course, $195pp menu with frequently changing dishes along the lines of lamb ribs with horseradish and mint; Murray cod with pipis and pil-pil; and charred pineapple with pandan and finger lime for dessert.
Poetica Bar & Grill
Mezzanine level, 1 Denison Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Poetica Bar & Grill | Instagram
Poetica Bar & Grill leans fully into fire as a foundation—anchored by a charcoal Josper grill and wood-fired hearth that drive the entire kitchen. Set within a sprawling, open-plan space with a 15-metre kitchen and multiple terraces, it’s a steakhouse at heart—treating fire with a level of control and precision that goes beyond the usual grill-heavy approach.
The focus here is on building flavour before the flame even comes into play. Premium cuts—from Riverine Angus to Kidman Wagyu—are dry-aged in-house for weeks, then cooked across different heat zones to bring out texture, fat and depth without rushing the process.
Rather than relying on aggressive charring, proteins are carefully managed—rested, tempered and then fire-finished over wood or charcoal to lock in flavour. The result is a more layered expression of fire cooking, where the grill enhances what’s already there.
Main image credit: Poetica Bar & Grill | Instagram
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