The best places to eat and drink in Sydney

From sunny breakfasts in the morning to tropical cocktails in the evening, Sydney lays it on thick. The sparkling harbour is the perfect backdrop to the casual comfort of cosy wine bars and the craft and creativity of high-end restaurants. And it wouldn’t be Sydney without the smoky sizzle of contemporary Asian street food, and a good corner pub. Come hungry.

24 York

Steak and fries, Sydney style
When the team behind popular steakhouse Rockpool Bar & Grill opened 24 York in 2025 with a single dish on the menu, the people rejoiced. The steak frites – marbled grass-fed scotch fillet with a pile of beef tallow fries – come with a choice of peppercorn, chimichurri, umami butter or veal jus for $48. OK, so the cheesecake is extra, but the wine list is beef-friendly and the big, buzzy room has a sizzle of its own.
24 York Street, Sydney. See 24-york.com.au

Bessie’s, Surry Hills

A celebration of food, wine and friends
If you didn’t know Bessie’s is run by a group of chef mates who know how to have a good time, you soon will. It’s in the high-energy elbow-to-elbow Alma bar, the smoky coal-charred Murray Cod, house-made mortadella, and the friendly approach to beers, cocktails and natural wines. Bessie’s Euro-French food is perfect for sharing, especially the wood-fired crown of duck with agrodolce raspberry and radicchio. Great for date nights and mate nights.
111-115 Albion Street, Surry Hills. See bessiesrestaurant.com

Cafe Margaret, Double Bay

All-day all-Australian dining
The upscale Margaret restaurant next door is reserved for feasting on Australia’s finest fish and dry-aged beef, but little Cafe Margaret draws the same crowd back for more casual all-day dining, seven days a week. Acclaimed chef/owner Neil Perry is the name behind the double-bacon sandwiches and famous cheeseburger, and the reason that even the breakfast fruit platter, freshly baked pastries and simple fish dishes are built on top produce.
30-36 Bay St, Double Bay. Phone: (02) 9068 8888. See themargaretfamily.com

Cibaria, Manly

Everything Italian, by the sea
Pronounce it “Chee-bah-ryah” and you’ll feel molto Italian in this easy, approachable ground floor hotel space, cleverly divided into multiple kitchens that echo the best of Italian seaside dining. Everything is delivered with just the right degree of carefree but not-too-casual Italian flair. Start with a puffy pizza bianco and platter of salumi, follow with pasta, crisp-fried seafood or grills, then grab a brilliant gelato from the gelateria and stroll along the beach.
55 North Steyne, Manly. See cibariamanly.au

Claret Club, Darlinghurst

Wine-friendly food upstairs and down
The heart-shaped sign on the street is a dead giveaway: these people love wine. Bridget Raffal and Harry Hunter have installed a wine-first, food-second diner in a cute and cosy two-storey inner east terrace house, with a rotating selection of 30 wines written on the mirror. Drop in for a cheese plate or stay for simple wine-friendly plates such as confit duck or snapper with juicy cherry tomatoes – and top points for scoring a balcony table upstairs.
77 Stanley St, Darlinghurst. Phone: 0427 744 290. See claretclub.com.au

The Dry Dock, Balmain

Old inner west pub that’s right for today
Sydney’s corner pubs are part of its rich history, built to refresh sailors, labourers and those from afar. The Dry Dock brings that concept up to date with its front bar, bistro and bustling restaurant, refreshing the lucky locals of this leafy harbourside suburb and travellers alike. Chef Ben Sitton’s kitchen is serious about steak-and-fries, the seafood platter is legendary, the wine list is noteworthy. And despite the style and professional polish, you still feel you’re in a Balmain pub. Cheers.
22 Cameron Street, Balmain. See thedrydock.com.au

Flaminia, Sydney

A spritzy salute to Italy
Perched in a glass box right on Circular Quay, just along from the Opera House, Flaminia couldn’t be more Sydney. So how come it feels like a holiday in Italy? From the team behind the much-loved Pilu at Freshwater, the bright and breezy space is good for everything from big celebrations to business lunches and pre-theatre suppers. Go for antipasti (mozzarella in carozza), pasta (spaghetti alla bottarga) and grills (Mooloolaba king prawns) inspired by the port cities of Genoa, Venice and Naples – and Sydney.
Level 2, Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney. See flaminia.com.au

Grandfathers, Sydney

Big-night-out Chinese with nostalgia on tap
One of Sydney’s most successful small restaurant groups (Andy Tyson, Mikey Clift and Dan Pepperell) has escalated the classic “Friday night Chinese” order to something special in this dimly lit, romantic cabaret space. That means clubby cocktails, exquisite dumplings, spicy Hunanese and peppery Sichuan dishes, and an excellent Peking Duck, the cracking-crisp skin arrayed on a bed of prawn crackers. Even the fried rice is elevated to gourmet status.
Angel Place, Sydney. Phone: (02) 9127 7067. See grandfathers.com

Hamsi Taverna, Glebe

Relaxed Mediterranean eatery with added sunsets
The new Sydney Fish Market in Blackwattle Bay is a gleaming sculptural destination dedicated to a live fish market, 40 fish shops and lots of waterside dining options for visitors. Our tip: choose a sunny terrace table at Hamsi Taverna and cover the table with Somer Sivrioglu’s creamy Mediterranean dips, puffy Turkish breads, fried calamari, grilled lobster and Greek salads. Kick back with a spritz as the magnificent Anzac Bridge arcs across the bay in front of you.
Level One, Sydney Fish Market, 1 Bridge Rd, Glebe. Phone: (02) 7235 1886. See hamsitaverna.com.au

Saint Peter, Paddington

Sydney’s fishiest big night out
In foodie circles, Josh Niland is a global star, thanks to his rigorous (and delicious) obsession with treating fish as if it were meat. Think Murray cod chorizo, swordfish belly bacon, tuna Wellington and an impressive selection of seafood charcuterie, delivered in a multi-course degustation with attention paid to every detail. His elegant restaurant, Saint Peter, is ensconced in a lovely old pub in Paddington, with a front bar that has a seriously good snacky menu of its own, and boutique accommodation upstairs.
Saint Peter at the Grand National, 161 Underwood Street, Paddington. See saintpeter.com.au

Happyfield, Haberfield

Stacks of sunny, happy pancakes
If the idea of soft, fluffy pancakes oozing with butter and Canadian maple syrup doesn’t make you happy, then add a stack of crisp bacon, eggs, hash browns or smoky pork sausages. Happyfield will happily do it all, from an espresso to an espresso martini, in its sunny yellow American-style diner. In more happy news, the corner cafe has been joined by a fast order-and-pick-up Happy Shop next door if you can’t wait for a table.
96 Ramsay St, Haberfield 02 (02) 9716 5168. See happyfield.com.au

Ibushi, Sydney

Japanese counter dining touched by fire, smoke and sizzle
This contemporary Japanese izakaya is part of the buzzy, multiple-floored Prefecture 48 restaurant and bar complex, accessed only through a historic sandstone cart-way tunnel. The food sings and hisses on the open robata grill and in the irori sunken hearth. Don’t miss chef Chris Kim’s tuna tartare on crunchy fingers of sushi rice, or the grilled pork chop with miso pumpkin puree – or metallic sculpture above your head that moves gently with the light.
230 Sussex Street, Sydney. See azabugroup.com

WHEN IN SYDNEY…

More quintessential Sydney things to tick off your list. Don’t leave without ...

• Downing half a dozen of the famous Sydney Rock oysters (try Morrison’s pub in The Rocks).
• Eating fish and chips on the beach at Bondi, Coogee or Manly.
• Communing over a great laneway coffee in Potts Point (try Primary, Gypsy, Algorithm or Room Ten).
• Having a drink at the Opera Bar at the foot of the Sydney Opera House and raising a glass to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and those magnificent sails.
• Scoffing that iconic Australian creation, the lamington, elevated to an art form at Tokyo Lamington, a sweet little coconut-dusted inner west bakery. Their flavours are legendary but the OG (sponge cake, chocolate coating, coconut) is benchmark.