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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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$$$ | |
Head chef Justin Wise’s focus here is celebrating the elements of air, land, and sea in a menu that celebrates local farmers and fine Australian wines. Menu highlights include the pork jowl with black pudding and riberries and lamb neck with potato and broad beans. There's a seven-course dessert tasting menu if you prefer to skip dinner, and the specialty dessert bar is so popular that it’s available through Uber Eats, so you can get the flourless chocolate cake with salted caramel wherever you are in the city.
100 Barangaroo Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Superior wine pairing
- Dessert bar
- Tasting menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.
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$$$$ | Sydney Harbour |
Tucked beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge with views of the harbor and Sydney Olympic Pool, this is a popular restaurant for both lunch and dinner. And it is open seven days a week for both. The menu features a lot of fresh seafood, which you can pair with a choice of over 300 Australian wines. Reserve a balcony seat at sunset for a truly unforgettable experience.
Northcliff St. and Paul St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2061, Australia
Known For
- Incredible views
- Outstanding seafood
- Smooth service
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$ | Bondi Beach |
Bondi is known for being the health epicenter of Sydney and, unsurprisingly, the cafés are all about packing as much healthy food into a dish as possible. Breakfast bowls packed with eggs, vegetables, toasted seeds, and gluten-free toast is a popular option here. There's also fresh juices, smoothies and kombucha, which most grab-to-go and take to the nearby grass bank opposite the beach.
73 Bondi Rd., Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Healthy eats
- Convenient location
- Fresh juice
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$ | Darling Harbour |
Blackbird Café is great place to take a break while exploring Darling Harbour. The weekday lunch specials are all under A$20 and a good value. There are great views from the balcony, so try and nab a table there. The à la carte menu includes starters of haloumi and vegetable stack or grilled prawns and crab, and there's a wide range of pizza, pasta, burgers, and grills.
201 Sussex St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Family-friendly
- Great value
- Balcony with views
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$$ | Paddington |
At this cute, popular little pub in Paddington, chef Colin Fassnidge (an Irishman who emerged as the most controversial guest judge on Australian TV cooking show My Kitchen Rules ) has been wowing patrons for years with his shared dish for two of slow-braised lamb shoulder with kipfler potatoes, baby carrots, and salsa verde. His whole suckling pig is also a popular Sunday long-lunch treat. Starters and mains change monthly, and the restaurant's popularity has seen it open for lunch and dinner six days a week.
105 Sutherland St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2021, Australia
Known For
- Relaxed dining
- Pub-style atmosphere
- Boozy Sundays
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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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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$ | 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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$$ | Bondi Beach |
North Bondi Beach wouldn't be the same without Sean's Panaroma ("Sean's" to locals), perched on a slight rise a stone's throw from the famous beach. It's been there since the mid-1990s and owner Sean Moran loads his menu with fresh produce grown on his farm in the Blue Mountains, aptly named "Farm Panaroma." Dishes change regularly and are only featured on a blackboard: they may include baked blue-eye fish with roasted cauliflower, or a ravioli of zucchini, mozzarella, and lemons. The many fans in Sydney means it can be difficult to secure a table, and some the say the service is hit-and-miss (if not a bit arrogant), so be warned.
270 Campbell Parade, Sydney, New South Wales, 2026, Australia
Known For
- Great seafood dishes
- Average service
- Nice atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Thurs.
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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
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$ | Darling Harbour |
Darling Harbour and Barangaroo are undoubtedly two of the busiest areas of Sydney so for a quiet reprieve step into this tucked-away café. With an impressive wooden art installation snaking around the ceiling, outstanding coffee and freshly baked croissants and muffins, this is the perfect place to recharge before more adventuring.
Tower 1/100 Barangaroo Ave., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Incredible coffee
- Arty interiors
- Quiet
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends
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$$$ | Mosman |
Housed in a beautiful sandstone building that served a number of military purposes for more than 130 years, the Tea Room Gunners Barracks has breathtaking views of the harbor and the surrounding gardens and bushland. Their traditional afternoon tea (A$50) is a great way to relax after exploring the armaments of Middle Head.
202 Suakin Dr., Sydney, New South Wales, 2088, Australia
Known For
- Beautiful desserts
- Idylic views
- Stunning grounds
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$ | Greater Sydney |
Located on a jetty that juts out into the ocean, this café is a favorite with Sydneysiders who travel up on weekends and tuck into hearty breakfasts, like poached eggs on sourdough with avocado and pesto, and its trademark coffee that comes with a cocoa anchor on top. It's licensed with many enjoying a long champagne lunch with fresh seafood. A great spot for spotting Australian celebrities.
Governor Phillip Park, Sydney, New South Wales, 2108, Australia
Known For
- Water views
- Delicious fresh breakfast
- Trendy crowd
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$ | Darlinghurst |
Fast but fancy fare, that's what this Darlinghurst café has become known for since opening in 2020. The cheese toastie comes topped with black truffle, there are poached lobster rolls and caviar sandwiches. The service is slick, the interiors trendy and the coffee rich, but it comes at a price. This is one of the more expensive breakfast or lunch spots in Sydney, with breakfast costing around $30 a main.
303A Liverpool St., Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia
Known For
- Something special
- Outstanding service
- Trendy café
