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$ | Darlinghurst |
Named after celebrity chef and cookbook author Bill Granger, this sunny corner café is so addictive it should come with a health warning. It's a favorite hangout of everyone from local nurses to semi-disguised rock stars, and you never know who you might be sitting next to at the newspaper-strewn communal table. If you're not interested in the creaminess of what must be Sydney's best scrambled eggs, try the ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter or the corn fritters. The coconut-poached chicken sandwich with cucumber and lime mayonnaise makes an ideal lunch. Dinner selections at the Surry Hills location (359 Crown Street) are similarly gourmet comfort food.
Known For
- Ricotta hotcakes
- Hip atmosphere
- Great service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Darlinghurst |
There's a reason why there's always a queue snaking down the street. This is undoubtedly the best gelato in Sydney, with unique flavors that change all the time. There's now many Gelato Messina parlors across Sydney but this is the original. DIY sundaes available. No seating so grab and walk down the tree-lined Victoria Street.
241 Victoria St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
Known For
- Authentic gelato
- Friendly staff
- Unique flavors
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$ | Paddington |
The creation of three Italian brothers, this trendy Paddington eatery is a winner at both breakfast or at lunch. The menu has truly unique creations, like the breakfast burger with poached eggs, truffled mushrooms, and crushed peas. There's substantial mains for lunch like lasagne or risotto, including light salads. But for a takeaway option, go for the Italian baked treats, which are baked on-site daily and a coffee.
2 Elizabeth St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Substantial mains
- Unique meals
- Warm and welcoming atmosphere
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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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$ | Bondi Beach |
Bondi is known for being the health epicenter of Sydney and, unsurprisingly, the cafés are all about packing as much healthy food into a dish as possible. Breakfast bowls packed with eggs, vegetables, toasted seeds, and gluten-free toast is a popular option here. There's also fresh juices, smoothies and kombucha, which most grab-to-go and take to the nearby grass bank opposite the beach.
73 Bondi Rd., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Healthy eats
- Convenient location
- Fresh juice
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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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$20 and a good value. There are great views from the balcony, so try and nab a table there. The à la carte menu includes starters of haloumi and vegetable stack or grilled prawns and crab, and there's a wide range of pizza, pasta, burgers, and grills.
201 Sussex St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Family-friendly
- Great value
- Balcony with views
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$ | Bronte |
One of eight or nine eateries in the buzzy café strip opposite Bronte Beach, this is a great place to refuel after the Bondi-to-Bronte cliff-top walk. All share the same postcard-perfect view, but Belo is worth seeking out for its consistently good coffee and spicy sticky chai. It has a little more elbow space between tables than some of its neighbors. The menu has all the standard breakfast and brunch selections, many with a slight Brazilian twist, like the poached eggs served with a spicy tomato ragù.
469 Bronte Rd., Sydney, New South Wales, 2024, Australia
Known For
- Relaxed dining experience
- Brilliant breakfast spot
- Gets busy
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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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$ | Sydney Harbour |
Fresh is the name of the game with this café. Zesty avocado on toast, slow-cooked pulled-pork rolls, fresh juices, and rich coffee. There's limited seating inside but most grab their order to go, taking it to the nearby Bradfield Park which has views of the harbor.
2 Ennis Rd., Sydney, New South Wales, 2061, Australia
Known For
- Fresh eats
- Great coffee
- Friendly staff
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$ | Woollahra |
Few central Sydney restaurants have access to their own homegrown produce, but here in trendy and leafy Woollahra—just a few kilometers east of the city—is an all-white and refreshingly bright restaurant surrounded by formal gardens and a large kitchen garden. Chiswick is all about stylish casual dining using the freshest of produce and a wonderful place to linger over a long lunch on a sunny day. There are small plates for sharing, such as the grilled octopus; large plates for sharing with a group of four (try the lamb from celebrity chef Matt Moran's own farm); and main courses such as the spanner crab casarecci.
65 Ocean St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2025, Australia
Known For
- Hearty meals
- Lively atmosphere
- Great wine list
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$ | Surry Hills |
This buzzy little café serves some of the best breakfasts in Surry Hills, which is really saying something as there is plenty of stiff competition in this part of town. Come here for the house-made muesli and organic yogurt or fuel up with the 485—egg, hummus, feta, pilpelchuma chili paste, Israeli pickles, and red cabbage salad on a bagel or pretzel—and wash it down with some ginger turmeric kombucha. Or if you like to start your day with a sugar hit try the French toast stuffed with banana, dulce de leche, and mascrapone. They also do great sandwiches and a wicked double espresso coffee frappé.
485 Crown St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
Known For
- Espresso coffee
- Desserts
- Relaxed atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Haymarket |
For two hours—or as long as it takes for you to consume delicately steamed prawns, luscious mud crab with ginger and shallots, and pipis with black-bean sauce—you might as well be in Hong Kong. This place is heaven for seafood lovers, with wall-to-wall fish tanks filled with crab, lobster, abalone, and schools of barramundi, parrotfish, and coral trout. You won't have to ask if the food is fresh: most of it is swimming around you as you eat. Come for the big-ticket seafood or a simple meal of deep-fried duck. Supper is served until 4 am so it's popular with late-night revelers. It's not the prettiest of places and service can be hit-and-miss, but it has a legion of fans.
393–399 Sussex St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Large range of seafood
- Late-night dining
- Lengthy queue
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$ | Sydney Harbour |
This Belgian chocolate shop has an on-site café offering ice-cold chocolate milk shakes, frothy hot chocolates, and plenty of sweet treats. Circular Quay is packed with restaurants, but this is only one of a few cafés in the area and with views of the harbor if you get a window seat. Open everyday until 6 pm.
Shop 10/3 Macquarie St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Artisanal chocolate
- Sweet treats
- Water views
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$ | Darlinghurst |
A lot of care goes into the creations in this popular Southeast Asian spot: the pork hock is braised for four hours each night before being pressed and then tossed with homemade chili jam, while coconut milk is smoked overnight and then churned into ice cream in the morning. As delicious and affordable as the sandwiches and dumplings are, be sure to save space for this true star of the show, which is served enveloped in smoke under a glass dome and topped with tender young coconut shavings and a simple pinch of salt.
1/28 Kings La., Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
Known For
- Smoking coconut ice cream
- Jumbo lunch sandwiches
- Delicious Southeast Asian fare
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$ | North Bondi |
Celeb-chef Matt Moran’s much-celebrated beachfront fish-and-chips offering is so much more than just standard fish-and-chips. The ocean views enhance a small and select seafood menu that includes fresh Sydney rock oysters, charcoal-grilled snapper, prawns, salmon, and whole fish of the day. The fancy fish fingers, fish burgers, and classic beer-battered fillets are musts.
120 Ramsgate Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Busy and popular spot
- Oceanfront location
- Fun atmosphere
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$ | City Center |
Started as a specialty coffee creator, Pablo & Rusty opened a sit-down café back in 2010 and it has been a popular spot for coffee meetups ever since. The interiors are stylish and hip, there are single-origin espressos and sophisticated breakfasts and lunches. There's also outdoor seating.
161 Castlereagh St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Exceptional coffee
- Trendy interiors
- Outdoor seating
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends
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$ | The Rocks |
Founded by two Australians who had been on a road trip to the United States, the pair returned and launched Pancakes on The Rocks in the 1950s. Seven decades later and it's still an iconic eatery in Sydney. There's a huge array of pancakes available, and each are American-style, arriving with eggs, bacon, and syrup.
22 Playfair St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Open 24 hours a day
- Lively atmosphere
- Friendly staff
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$ | Bondi Beach |
You'll probably have to wait to get one of the tiny tables in this rustic hole-in-the-wall café and wine bar on the northern end of Bondi Beach, but it's worth waiting for as it's one of the best (and healthiest) breakfasts in Bondi. Once you've got a seat and a cup of the fabulous coffee, the service is fast and efficient. Breakfasts range from porridge with flaxseed, amaranth, and quinoa to bowls of kale, spinach, coriander, mint, and avocado, with a couple of eggs thrown in for good measure. After sundown, the café morphs into a hip little wine bar on weekends.
110 Ramsgate Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Fast service
- Healthy eats
- All-day dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$ | Potts Point |
It might look like nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall but this modest café has been hailed by locals as serving the best coffee in the Potts Point and Kings Cross area. And the seating outside is always packed every morning of the week. To find it, you'll need to head down Llankelly Place, a back lane that runs behind Potts Point, that offers many unique cafés and restaurants. Easy grab'n'go eats and specialized coffee, with single origin option rotated weekly. More than a tiny opening crammed with tables that flow out onto Llankelly Place, this cozy café serves some of the best coffee in the Kings Cross area.
10 Llankelly Pl., Sydney, New South Wales, 2011, Australia
Known For
- Specialized coffee
- Trendy
- Fast but delicious eats
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$ | Surry Hills |
In 2019, this café opened Sydney's first self-serve batch-brew bar, with craft beer--style taps where you can drink as much single-origin coffee as your heart desires or can handle. But this is more than just an übertrendy spot for coffee: the menu is filled with quirky dishes, with many vegan offerings. The eggplant katsu roll is very popular.
60--64 Reservoir St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia
Known For
- Vegan and gluten-free options
- Plenty of seating
- Huge variety of coffee
