The 20 Best Restaurants in Sydney: Our Expert Guide to Iconic Flavors, Locations, and Must-Try Dishes Based on Reviews

WorldClubDirectory • Editorial Feature

Sydney’s 20 Best Restaurants — Definitive Guide to Locations, Hours, Prices & Insider Tips

By WorldClubDirectory Team • Updated for 2025

Sydney’s dining scene is a vibrant tapestry of ocean-fresh seafood, multicultural fusion and fearless Australian produce. This original, magazine-style roadmap ranks the 20 best restaurants in Sydney using a blend of critical acclaim, local love, consistency and cultural impact. Expect exact locations, typical hours, price ranges, signature dishes and pro moves to book (and eat) like a Sydneysider.

Why Sydney Stands Out

What elevates Sydney? Shoreline produce, pan-Asian influence and chefs obsessed with sustainability — think dry-aged fish, native herbs, wood-fire, and wine lists that champion Australia. Planning tools: the official city portal Sydney.com — Eat & Drink and booking platforms like OpenTable AU and TheFork. (Note: Australia isn’t covered by the Michelin Guide; local accolades are typically “hats” from the Good Food Guide.)

The 20 Best Restaurants in Sydney

1) Quay — The Rocks’ Harbour-View Icon Tasting Temple

Location: Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch Fri–Sun • Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: tasting ~$295–$340 AUD

Signature: Peter Gilmore’s seasonally evolving seafood courses; famed desserts.

Ask for window seating; book 6–8 weeks out for weekends.

2) Bennelong — Dining Inside the Opera House

Location: Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch & Dinner most days • Budget: $95–$180 pp

Signature: Modern Australian produce with harbour theatrics.

Perfect pre-theatre; leave time for photos under the sails.

3) Oncore by Clare Smyth — Sky-High Luxury

Location: Level 26, Crown Sydney, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: tasting ~$320+

Signature: “Potato & Roe” and pristine, produce-first plates with sweeping views.

Dress up; request window tables when booking.

4) Tetsuya’s — Japanese-French Institution

Location: 529 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat • Budget: tasting ~$295

Signature: Confit ocean trout with kombu & citrus.

Reserve weeks ahead; serene dining rooms suit milestone dinners.

5) Firedoor — Surry Hills’ Wood-Fire Wizardry

Location: 23–33 Mary St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Hours: Dinner Mon–Sat • Budget: $120–$220 pp

Signature: Everything cooked over custom wood grills; dry-aged steak & fish.

Counter seats = theatre of the flames; book early.

6) Saint Peter — Paddington’s Seafood Revolution

Location: 362 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021

Hours: Dinner Wed–Sun; some lunches • Budget: $110–$200 pp

Signature: Josh Niland’s nose-to-tail fish butchery; tuna “pastrami.”

Book the fish butchery demo next door when available.

7) Sixpenny — Stanmore’s Quiet Perfection

Location: 83 Percival Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048

Hours: Dinner Wed–Sat • Budget: tasting ~$240

Signature: Intimate, produce-led degustation; sublime bread & butter.

Small room; cancellations sometimes drop day-of.

8) Aria — Circular Quay’s View & Wine Classic

Location: 1 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: $95–$220 pp

Signature: Modern Australian with a heavyweight cellar, Opera House outlook.

Lunch tasting is value; arrive early for harbour golden hour.

9) Rockpool Bar & Grill — CBD Steakhouse Majesty

Location: 66 Hunter St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner Mon–Sat; some lunches • Budget: $110–$250 pp

Signature: Dry-aged beef, wood grill, grand Art Deco room.

Business-casual vibe; book the dry-age room tour if offered.

10) Ester — Chippendale’s Wood-Fired Creativity

Location: 46 Kensington St, Chippendale NSW 2008

Hours: Dinner Wed–Sat • Budget: $90–$160 pp

Signature: Charred king prawns; cult wood-fired bread & butter.

Ask for counter seats to watch the oven in action.

11) Bentley Restaurant & Bar — CBD Wine-Geek Heaven

Location: 27 O’Connell St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner Mon–Sat • Budget: $110–$220 pp

Signature: Inventive tasting menus; benchmark wine list.

Bar menu is a smart entry point to the kitchen.

12) Mr. Wong — CBD Cantonese Glam

Location: 3 Bridge Ln, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: $40–$90 pp

Signature: Dim sum, roast duck, bustling two-level room.

Walk-in friendly off-peak; ask about off-menu seasonal dumplings.

13) Restaurant Hubert — French Theatrics Underground

Location: 15 Bligh St (Basement), Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner daily; late hours • Budget: $60–$120 pp

Signature: Chicken fricassée, steak frites, live jazz vibe.

No rush policy — linger with a martini and crème caramel.

14) Cirrus Dining — Barangaroo’s Seafood & Chardonnay

Location: 23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch & Dinner most days • Budget: $80–$160 pp

Signature: Line-caught fish, shellfish platters, waterfront breezes.

Book terrace tables for sunset; great for long lunches.

15) Icebergs Dining Room & Bar — Bondi’s Ocean Drama

Location: 1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach NSW 2026

Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: $80–$170 pp

Signature: Italian-leaning seafood, cliff-edge views over the pool & surf.

Book lunch for blue-on-blue vistas; bar for spritz & snacks.

16) NOMAD — Surry Hills’ Fire, Flatbreads & Wine

Location: 16 Foster St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Hours: Lunch Fri–Sun • Dinner daily • Budget: $70–$130 pp

Signature: Wood-oven flatbread, charry veg, Aussie charcuterie.

Counter seats near the pass = delicious theatre.

17) Porteño — Surry Hills’ Argentine Parrilla

Location: 50 Holt St (or 358 Cleveland St), Surry Hills NSW 2010

Hours: Dinner most nights • Budget: $70–$140 pp

Signature: Slow-cooked asado, morcilla, and smoky sides.

Share the parrillada; keep room for flan.

18) Cho Cho San — Potts Point’s Mod-Japanese

Location: 73 Macleay St, Potts Point NSW 2011

Hours: Dinner daily; some lunches • Budget: $50–$100 pp

Signature: Prawn buns, charcoal chicken, sake highballs.

Great for groups; book late seating for buzziest room.

19) Spice Temple — Dark, Sultry Regional Chinese

Location: 10 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Lunch & Dinner daily • Budget: $60–$120 pp

Signature: Numbing-spicy Sichuan & Yunnan flavours; silky bang-bang chicken.

Flag chilli tolerance; cocktails are top-tier.

20) Bistecca — The Tuscan Steak Underground

Location: 3 Dalley St, Sydney NSW 2000

Hours: Dinner Mon–Sat • Budget: $70–$150 pp

Signature: Thick-cut bistecca alla fiorentina cooked over ironbark.

Phones are locked on entry — lean into the analogue vibe.

How to Dine Like a Sydneysider (Quick Playbook)

Book smart: Peak tables drop 14–30 days out; enable alerts on OpenTable/TheFork. Walk-in bars often save the day.

Lunch vs dinner: Waterfront lunches can be better value (and the views are brighter).

Dress code: Generally smart casual; resort-elegant for skyline venues.

Transit: Light rail/ferries are scenic & fast. Rideshare for late finishes.

Budget: Range widely from $40 casual gems to $300+ tastings — plan a mix.

What’s Trending Now

Expect seafood-centric menus, native botanicals (lemon myrtle, Geraldton wax), fire-focused kitchens, serious non-alcoholic pairings, and neighbourhood bakeries graduating into all-day wine bars. Barangaroo keeps booming; Redfern & Enmore are the next waves for chef-driven casual.

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