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$$$$ | Circular Quay |
With windows overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Aria could easily rest on the laurels of its location. Instead, celebrity chef Matthew Moran creates a menu of extraordinary dishes that may be your best meal Down Under. It doesn't come cheap but fine fare rarely does, especially in Australia. This foodie favorite enjoyed a recent multimillion-dollar refurbishment, with the restaurant now being one of the most stylish in Sydney.
1 Macquarie St., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Known For
- Foodie favorite
- Seafood like Skull Island prawns and surf clams and eel
- Incredible views of the harbor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends, Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | |
Sitting at the edge of newly completed Barangaroo like an elegant stack of wide, plant-filled bowls clad in charred timber, this three-level spaceship has a seating capacity of 900 people and a variety of spaces for casual and fine dining. The House Bar at the pedestrian promenade level offers craft beers and share plates, like barramundi bites; In the middle is Bea, a sprawling fine-dining restaurant with elevated Australian fare and both indoor and outdoor dining; the buzzy rooftop bar, Smoke, has good views across the harbor.
35 Barangaroo Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Excellent design
- Bea's whole roast duck from the Southern Highlands
- Lively rooftop bar
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$$$ | Balmoral |
Balmoral Beach is blessed. Not only does it have an inviting sandy beach and great water views, but it also has one of the best eating strips north of the Harbour Bridge. Queen of the strip is Bathers' Pavilion, which includes a restaurant, café, and lavish private dining room. Here you'll find a menu packed with the best local ingredients no matter if you're dining for a casual breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. There's a choice of fresh light salads, wood-fired pizzas, and seafood dishes for around A$30. No reservations taken for the café.
4 The Esplanade, Sydney, New South Wales, 2088, Australia
Known For
- Great views
- Casual dining at the café
- Superior seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Circular Quay |
One of Australia's most renowned chefs, Peter Gilmore, oversees the kitchen at possibly the most superbly situated dining room in town. Tucked into the side of the Opera House, the restaurant affords views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city lights. Gilmore's creations are as special as the view and showcase the best of Australia's produce with a focus on terroir. Whatever you do, leave room for dessert, with the cherry jam lamington, a clever interpretation of an Australian classic, which has been a constant on the menu for almost a decade. It's that good. Pretheater dining is available if you are going to a performance in the Opera House.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Incredible views
- High-end dining experience
- Opera House–shape pavlova
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays, Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$ | |
It's named after a cloud, but with its floor-to-ceiling-windows looking out on Cockle Bay, timber fencing (both on the floor and strung in different lengths from the ceiling) akin to what you might see in sand dunes, a suspended/flying vintage speedboat named Alvin, and perhaps the best and freshest seafood offerings in Sydney, Cirrus may as well be named for the sea it floats above. The five-course, degustation-style menu is very popular but the seafood platter of oysters, fat Skull Island prawns, strawberry clams, ocean bugs, and pipis (triangular clams) with seaweed mayo ponzu and red-wine vinaigrette is a must. The wine list is carefully curated and all about the white wines, with red limited to those light in body.
23 Barangaroo Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Five-course menu
- Seafood platter
- Views of the harbor
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | Bondi Beach |
The fashionable and famous (including celebrities like Mick Jagger and Paris Hilton) just adore perching like seagulls over the swimming pool at the south end of Australia's most famous beach. It is one of the must-visit restaurants in Sydney, for both the sensational view and the exquisite food. Take a seat on a low-back suede chair, check your reflection in the frosted glass, and prepare to indulge in sophisticated Mediterranean creations like buffalo mozzarella air-freighted from Campania, wood-fried artichoke hearts, aged Sicilian salted anchovies, and ligurina olives served with bruschetta and an array of fresh seafood pasta dishes. The focus here is on sustainable fish so the menu is ever rotating in its offerings. Those who just want to drink in the view, and a cocktail or two, can enjoy delicious morsels—such as oysters and mini-ciabattas—in the bar.
1 Notts Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Bondi institution
- Amazing views of Bondi and the beach
- Superior food and drinks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | The Rocks |
Quay has been Sydney’s top restaurant for 30 years and it's still going strong with chef Peter Gilmore's experimental Mod Oz cuisine created with seasonal, local produce. The menu has carefully created seafood dishes, like greenlip abalone. But it’s the White Coral dessert, which is what Quay has become known. It's a white chocolate ganache shell filled with feijoa ice cream and coconut cream. Add in the sweeping vista of the Opera House and the sparkling harbor, and it's perhaps no surprise that prebooking is essential.
Overseas Passenger Terminal, Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Experimental cuisine
- White Coral dessert
- Harbor views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays, Reservations essential
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$$$$ | City Center |
A meal at Rockpool is a crash course in what Mod Oz cooking is all about, conducted in a glamorous, long dining room with a catwalk-like ramp. Chefs Neil Perry and Corey Costelloe weave Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences into their repertoire with effortless flair and originality. The menu is extensive, with caviar from around the world to start. The Wagyu beef is butchered on-site, with the premium oyster blade cut costing A$125; the spanner crab with semolina noodles is equally satisfying. Don't miss the date tart for dessert—it's been a Rockpool favorite since 1984.
11 Bridge St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Date tart
- Wide caviar selection
- Dramatic interiors
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Mon., and Tues. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$$$ | City Center |
It's worth getting on the waiting list—there's always a waiting list—to sample the unique blend of Western and Japanese-French flavors crafted by Sydney's most applauded chef, Tetsuya Wakuda. The serene, expansive dining room's unobtrusive Japanese aesthetic leaves the food as the true highlight. Confit of ocean trout served with unpasteurized ocean-trout roe is a signature item on the set 11-course degustation menu, while other dishes may include New Zealand Scampi with chicken liver parfait, or roasted breast of quail with quail leg rillettes. Views of a Japanese garden—complete with bonsai and a waterfall—make this place feel miles from the city center. It's open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, and lunch on Saturday only.
529 Kent St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Incredible Japanese fare
- Degustation meals
- Quiet atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Wed. No lunch Tues.–Fri., Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
Head chef Justin Wise’s focus here is celebrating the elements of air, land, and sea in a menu that celebrates local farmers and fine Australian wines. Menu highlights include the pork jowl with black pudding and riberries and lamb neck with potato and broad beans. There's a seven-course dessert tasting menu if you prefer to skip dinner, and the specialty dessert bar is so popular that it’s available through Uber Eats, so you can get the flourless chocolate cake with salted caramel wherever you are in the city.
100 Barangaroo Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Superior wine pairing
- Dessert bar
- Tasting menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.
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$$$$ | The Rocks |
The lure of this decadent restaurant high above Sydney Harbour on the 36th floor of the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel, is the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but the Mod Oz dishes presented with a strong European influence are equally impressive. The produce hails from local farmers. For a special occasion, gather a dozen friends to dine in the opulent, egg-shape private dining room, or indulge in the seven-course degustation with matching wines. On weekends the adjoining bar can be a little noisy as the night wears on, so it might be a good idea to beat it early or join in the fun.
176 Cumberland St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Stylish dining
- Locally sourced produce
- High-end prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Sydney Harbour |
Tucked beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge with views of the harbor and Sydney Olympic Pool, this is a popular restaurant for both lunch and dinner. And it is open seven days a week for both. The menu features a lot of fresh seafood, which you can pair with a choice of over 300 Australian wines. Reserve a balcony seat at sunset for a truly unforgettable experience.
Northcliff St. and Paul St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2061, Australia
Known For
- Incredible views
- Outstanding seafood
- Smooth service
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$$ | City Center |
It's hidden behind huge black doors in one of the city's historic sandstone buildings, but once you're inside you'd swear you were in Paris. Dark-wood paneling, black-and-white photographs, and mirrors bearing the day's specials in flowing script lend a bistro feel. The fare is predominately Italian with a sprinkling of French and Mod Oz dishes. Being in the heart of the city, it's also popular at breakfast where the delicious crab omelet makes an exotic start to the work day. At dinner you can't go wrong with the pan-grilled John Dory with Jerusalem artichoke. A pre- or postmeal drink in the marble-lined, chandeliered Bambini Wine Room is a must.
185 Elizabeth St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Great location
- Outdoor dining options
- Open late
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No breakfast or lunch Sat.
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$ | Haymarket |
You can find better basic Chinese food elsewhere in town, but for duck and pork, barbecue-loving Sydneysiders know that this is the place to come. The poultry hanging in the window are the only decoration at this small Chinatown staple, where the food is so fresh you can almost hear it clucking—make sure you sample the duck pancakes. Barbecued pork is the other featured dish, and the suckling pig is especially delicious. It's open from 11 am until late at night, when the average customers are large groups of mates sprawled at the Formica tables feeding their drunken munchies, or Chinatown chefs kicking back after a day in the kitchen. The service can be a little brusque, but it's all part of the low-budget charm.
18–20 Goulburn St., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Known For
- <PRO>duck pancakes</PRO>
- <PRO>late-night feed</PRO>
- <PRO>quick turnaround</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$ | Woollahra |
This bistro in the Woollahra Hotel spills over with happy-go-lucky patrons—mostly locals from around the leafy suburb of Woollahra—who have been coming back for more than 20 years now. The best dishes are inspired takes on Parisian fare, like the grilled Sirloin Café de Paris, French onion soufflé gratin, and port sausages with potato puree and Lyonnaise onions, although the signature dish you must try is the much-loved, twice-cooked soufflé. The casual café and bar, Moncur Terrace, serves mains such as wagyu beef burgers and gourmet pizzas.
116 Queen St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2025, Australia
Known For
- Great atmosphere
- Friendly staff
- Caters to a long lunch
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$$ | Potts Point |
Incredibly chic, this is where the hippest of the city come for early dinner during the week or a late-night nibble with cocktails on the weekend. The feel is Parisian bistro, with a lively atmosphere and traditional French cuisine like steak frites.
50 Macleay St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2011, Australia
Known For
- Chic interiors
- Delicious eats
- Lively atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | Darling Harbour |
Blackbird Café is great place to take a break while exploring Darling Harbour. The weekday lunch specials are all under A$20 and a good value. There are great views from the balcony, so try and nab a table there. The à la carte menu includes starters of haloumi and vegetable stack or grilled prawns and crab, and there's a wide range of pizza, pasta, burgers, and grills.
201 Sussex St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Family-friendly
- Great value
- Balcony with views
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$$$$ | Royal Botanic Gardens |
With wide verandas providing tranquil views over the gardens, the sound of birdsong filling the air, and a menu created by celebrated chef Luke Nguyen, Botanic House is a top choice for a long lunch or a sunset dinner. The menu is modern Asian, leaning more toward Vietnamese, with dumplings, bao, and grilled meats usually on the menu. The restaurant is within the Royal Botanic Gardens; it can be accessed from either the Palace Gate on Macquarie Street or from Lion Gate on Mrs. Macquarie's Road.
Macquarie St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Pretty Botanic Gardens setting
- Fresh Vietnamese meals
- Great service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Mon.-Thurs.
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$ | Bondi Beach |
You have to seek out this Bondi Beach restaurant, as it's situated several hundred feet back from the beach. You'll quickly find out, however, why locals love this place: organic, seasonal, handcrafted food. This daytime café and evening bistro is small, hip, and always buzzing. Weekend breakfasts, brunches, and lunches are popular, especially if you like Moroccan eggs (slow-cooked with English spinach, chorizo, spiced peppers, and tomatoes) and sweet treats such as mouthwatering buttermilk pancakes. It's a popular place for dinner, too, so book ahead. Main course favorites include fish pie with leek and truffle oil, while the hazelnut chocolate fondant with honey malt ice cream has to be experienced.
106 Curlewis St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Wholesome food
- Focus on health
- Great location near beach
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No breakfast or lunch Tues.–Thurs.
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$$$ | Paddington |
Walking into this happy, bubbly place is like turning up at a private party in the backstreets of Naples. Host, chef, and surrogate uncle Armando Percuoco invests classic Neapolitan and Tuscan techniques with inventive personal touches to produce such dishes as the thinly sliced kingfish with gin and orange and truffled egg pasta. Everything comes with Italian-style touches that you can see, feel, smell, and taste. Leaving the restaurant feels like leaving home, especially if you've partaken of the wonderful six-course degustation menu.
108 Boundary St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2021, Australia
Known For
- Friendly staff
- Great service
- Stand-out menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs., Reservations essential
