There's something special about dining on seafood: the visuals (oyster shells, glistening scales, jewel-like roe), the textures (springy calamari, tooth-tender fish, and plump prawns), and the huge array of flavours from crustaceans to cold-water giants make for endlessly exciting eating.
As an ocean-kissing city, Sydney/Eora has top-tier seafood restaurants, including game-changing fine diners, Cantonese live-tank classics, and glamorous waterside spots.
These are Urban List's picks for the best seafood restaurants in Sydney.
Longshore
5 Kensington Street, Chippendale
Image credit: Longshore | Instagram
Longshore is a cosy, contemporary Sydney seafood restaurant with a focus on sustainability and a touch of Asian flair in ingredients and techniques.
The menu changes regularly, but on our last visit we loved the Fraser Island spanner crab-topped hash browns, pickled Jervis Bay mussels with John Dory tarama and fennel, pipi frites, and coal-grilled Ulla-Dulla swordfish loin with charred peppers and yuzu kosho. You can work through the significant snacks section, small plates and mains with an a la carte approach, or opt for a $120pp shared chefs menu.
Flying Fish
80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont
Instagram: Flying Fish | Instagram
Focusing on seafood from Australia and New Zealand, Flying Fish at The Star is all about letting the quality produce speak for itself, without tonnes of technical interference. Explore the a la carte offerings including smoked eel doughnuts with sea lettuce cream and trout roe, pan-fried snapper with turmeric curry and Moreton Bay bug crepe, and wood-fired lobster on spaghetti with lobster bisque.
For a special experience, opt for the seafood platter served as a cold course (with oysters, spanner crab cocktail and sashimi) followed by hot items including bay lobster, king prawns with oxheart tomato and blood lime and, of course, seaweed salt chips.
Uncut Seafood Delicatessen
135 Bondi Road, Bondi
Image credit: Uncut Seafood Delicatessen | Instagram
When it comes to seafood, simple is usually best. Uncut Seafood Delicatessen is a seafood deli-slash-casual restaurant that takes its market-fresh selections and serves them up to enjoy overlooking Bondi Road, or take away to enjoy at home.
Local favourites include their vibrant mixed sashimi platters, peeled prawns, Greek-style pickled octopus salad, and grilled fish served with pita, taramasalata, and seasonal salad.
North Bondi Fish
120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi
Image credit: North Bondi Fish | Instagram
If you've already paid North Bondi Fish a visit, chances are you're a fan of their iconic fish tacos. The seasonally changing menu here has some year-round staples like the daily selection of sashimi served with wasabi, pickled ginger and ponzu, whole grilled fish in herb butter, and crisp battered fish and chips.
Swing by at sunset for cocktails on the balcony, or grab takeaway fish and chips to enjoy on the Grassy Knoll.
Sydney Fish Market
Pyrmont Bridge Road and Bank Street, Pyrmont Pyrmont
Image credit: Sydney Fish Market | Instagram
While this isn't technically a seafood restaurant, you don't have to be an accomplished home cook picking up supplies to make the most of Sydney Fish Market.
There's a huge variety of shops and stalls offering their goods, ready for the eating. Icons include the Peter's Aburi Bar for lobster rolls, cheesy scallops and flame-grilled crab legs, Singapore chilli mud crab from Christie's, huge platters of sashimi from the Sushi Bar, and massive platters at dine-in restaurant The Boatshed.
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A'Mare
1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: a'Mare | Instagram
Take a little trip to Amalfi at this top-tier Italian spot where seafood is a big deal. A'Mare does a litany of seafood dishes with the likes of snapper crudo with herb buttermilk, rockmelon and chilli; a mixed grill with NSW Eastern Rock lobster, Fremantle octopus and Southern calamari; and paccheri pasta with rock lobster, cherry tomato, garlic and basil.
For more casual meals, swing into a'Mare Cucinetta in the bar for oysters with pinot grigio vinegar, or crisp calamari fritti with lemon mayonnaise.
Saint Peter
161 Underwood Street, Paddington
Image credit: Saint Peter | Instagram
A true game-changer of the Australian restaurant scene, Saint Peter embodies Josh Niland's vision to champion and challenge the limits of Australian seafood in a renovated Paddington pub with various spaces, including a walk-in-only bar.
The menu offers numerous species of oysters, seasonal line-caught fish including John Dory, bonito, kingfish and King George whiting, and complementary ingredients used in interesting applications like Wapengo oyster cream, achiote vinaigrette, and house chorizo made from Murray cod. You can visit for a la carte lunch Thursday–Sunday, or book the seven-course set dinner Tuesday–Saturday. Nab the coveted chefs table for a front-row seat to the kitchen mastery.
Mimi's
Coogee Pavilion, Middle Level, 130A Beach Street, Coogee
Image credit: Mimi's | Instagram
We had to include the spot that put the caviar bump on Sydney's radar... Mimi's is the most glam piece of the Coogee Pavilion puzzle, doing coastal fare with Mediterranean flair.
Expect more caviar atop the scallop mousseline pie (we'd lean towards tart) with citrus butter, warm crumpets with bluefin tuna belly and confit tomato, silver trevally crudo with nectarine, pickled kohlrabi, yuzu kosho and sesame and grilled Murray cod. If you're splashing out—you probably are—there's a live tank with lobster, abalone and mud crab.
Sala
Jones Bay Wharf (Lower Deck), 26-32 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont
Image credit: Sala | Instagram
Perched on the end of the Jones Bay Wharf, Sala is a Sydney seafood restaurant offering the perfect setting for downing seafood with primo water views.
The coastal Italian cuisine looks like crumpets with bluefin tuna and olive, an entire crudo section including a raw seafood platter for two (oysters with caviar, ocean trout and kingfish crudo, the tuna crumpet, and scampi and prawn tartare), grilled Skull Island prawns with nduja butter and bottarga, and the signature squid ink tortellini with crab meat, roast tomato, and lemon and caper sauce.
XOPP
Level M, Shop 31/1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket
Image credit: XOPP | Instagram
From the metaphorical ashes of late-night staple Golden Century came XOPP, a Cantonese eatery with plenty of big-hitting seafood dishes on the menu. From the live tank, you can order the iconic pipis in XO sauce, snow crab, baby abalone and wild coral trout, with preparations like typhoon shelter with chilli and garlic, salt and pepper, or garlic butter.
Other must-order seafood dishes include the signature snack (mini mantou buns with prawn, XO mayo and XO sauce), Singapore-style mud crab, and salt and pepper squid.
Sailmaker
161 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD
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Image credit: Sailmaker | Instagram
Inspired by its nautical outlook over Darling Harbour, Sailmaker Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Sydney serves seafood sourced from sustainable fisheries that practice eco-friendly farming, or wild-caught, MSC-certified fish.
Their incredible value $89pp Seafarer Dinner is available Thursday–Sunday and includes a Mediterranean tapas buffet followed by a three-course choice menu with a selection from six entrees, six mains, and two picks from the interactive dessert trolley.
The Boathouse
Various locations
Instagram: The Boathouse Group | Instagram
While the menu varies slightly between locations (including Rose Bay, Balmoral, Shelly Beach, Palm Beach, Manly Pavilion and more), The Boathouse Group's seafood restaurants are a no-brainer for easy, breezy waterfront dining in Sydney.
Decked out with gorgeous beach-chic interiors, these waterside spots serve the likes of scallop ceviche with sea spray, makrut lime leaf, dill oil and lime verjuice, bougie seafood platters, classic golden fish and chips, and bay lobster risotto with prawn, saffron bisque and caviar.
Fish At The Rocks
29 Kent Street, Millers Point
You know you can trust a spot when they’ve been serving up fresh, quality food for over 30 years. Fish at The Rocks is an old-school seafood restaurant that's perfect for a long lunch or laid-back seafood dinner.
Menu highlights include tempura tiger prawns, lobster and prawn ravioli, whole baked barramundi stuffed with diced prawns and vegetables in red coconut curry sauce, and the piled-high crustacean platter for two: grilled scampi, king prawns, grilled lobster, Moreton Bay bugs, salad and chips.
Looking for more dining inspiration? Check out our picks for the
Main image credit: Flying Fish | Instagram
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