Novella Brumby
Our pick of the 29 coolest restaurants to dine at in Sydney right now
Click Here To Play Best Casino OnlineAfter lunch, stroll to nearby Grifter, Batch Brewing Co. and Mixtape – and make a day of it. Service is also bang on – the team strikes the right balance of friendly and knowledgeable, while leaving you to catch up with your people. Factor in the floor team’s charisma and darn good malbec and you quickly understand why it’s just as celebrated after a decade in the biz. Service is as welcoming as walking into a mate’s house. We’ve also got love-heart eyes for the lesser-known handmade pasta shapes. Out front of Bessie’s is Alma, a cocktail bar serving party-ready drinks and salty snacks – all coming from the same open, wood-fired kitchen. The menu is backed up by a banging soundtrack, confident, assured service and a vino cellar for serious oenophiles.
Hospitality veteran Neil Perry’s flagship Double Bay restaurant, serving his signature fusion of modern Australian with Asian flavours. In each dish, Niland celebrates fish in all its glory, whether it’s his fish charcuterie or coral trout noodle soup made from the fish bones, and champions sustainability in each delicious bite. This dimly-lit establishment tucked away on Albion street is worth the hype, serving everything from flat bread to whipped cod roe, to a whole Murray Cod, all designed to be shared. But the grill is worth saving your appetite for, whether its tomahawk lamb chops or the fish of the day that catches your eye. For an extra hot tip – the app Eat Club sometimes do a 20% eat in and 30% takeaway deal for this spot (you'll just have to snag the deal the morning of the day you're going).
So yes, prime-aged steaks are on the menu. Even if you can only get in on a Tuesday at 5pm. The menu is curated to complement the more than 65 types of sake on offer from 21 breweries across Japan. And don’t just take our word for it – food goddess Nigella Lawson is a big fan, dropping in every time she’s in town. Jane, the little sister to chef Tristan Rosier's Arthur, provides more than one of these catchy dishes. Yes, Korean fried chicken, mandoo and dolsot bibimbap are on offer, but branching out into more unfamiliar territory here yields incredibly delicious and memorable rewards.
Not too dressy, but not too casual – just that sweet spot in between. Grab your party a couple of carafes of wine, a burrata or two – and maybe even treat yourself to a plate of their rich Polpette Al Sugo. You might struggle to get a walk-in table there on a weekend, so we'd suggest to book ahead, but otherwise the vibe – and bill – is about as relaxed and easy as it gets. Elegant, sultry and surprisingly spacious (seating 150 guests), Armorica is an indulgence in every sense of the word. One of Crown Street's sparkliest jewels is the French-inspired Grande Brasserie Armorica, from restauranteur and Francophile Andrew Becher (of Franca and Parlar fame for those local to Potts Point).
Meanwhile, tender White Pyrenees lamb rump resting on slow-cooked snow peas and jammy tomatoes, finished with bold tapenade, transports me to a long garden lunch in the south of France. Crunchy golden rosti topped with Goldstreet Dairy curds and tender snap peas, flecked with sunshiny lemon rind, is a bang-on textural hit. Soul is at the heart of this iconic coastal spot, and you can’t help but come away feeling like your cup has been filled. This is special-occasion dining and one of the most memorable meals we’ve had. The hortobágyi palacsinta – a soft, savoury crêpe stuffed with oyster mushrooms and doused in a terracotta-coloured, creamy, paprika-spiked sauce – was one such ripper recommendation.
Sneak in after work for a quiet wine (from a delicious selection), but the free online pokies real money australia kicker here is the food. And if you're looking to maximise the experience, we'd recommend sitting upstairs near the window if possible for some ample street watching. One that flies under the radar a little but is not to be missed for great Italian wines and fares is IMaccheroni, on the border of Paddington and Woolhara. There are simply no misses here – I'd recommend booking on a sunny afternoon to best enjoy a post-meal garden stroll too. Reviving the spirit of a once-thriving Little Greece that existed in the neighbourhood, we'd recommend small sittings here, sharing plates between groups of 3-4 for good maximised portions.
Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson have created a space with delicious food that’s perfectly balanced and seasoned with a retro touch, a space that evokes a warmth, and one that you want to return to. A New York-style steak house by the powerhouses behind Bistrot 916 and Pellegrino 2000. Simply put, there’s no other top-end restaurant tasting menu quite like it. And you would be missing out if you didn’t order a bunch of the exciting and delicious plates coming out of chef Jemma Whiteman’s kitchen. These dishes can be few and far between, but when you find one, it’s almost impossible to stop thinking about it. And you’ve got to applaud a place with enough moxie to put steak Diane back on the menu in this day and age. It's brought to life by a young, energetic service team.
Both the food and the service are every bit as polished as the magnificent setting. An artful, imaginative interpretation of Australian cuisine, under the soaring sails of the Sydney Opera House. Make a day of it and explore all three venues. There’s a bar area that welcomes walk-ins.
Pâté en croûte with flavours of grilled pork bánh mì. So yes, of course, you’ll find a fine diner inside the Sydney Opera House here, but you’ll also find neighbourhood pasta, hole-in-the-wall Thai and venues right by the sea. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, slinging up classics like Laksa, Bánh Mì, Vermicelli bowls and the same phở gà recipe the owner's Grandmother passed down to her. A slick new little restaurant, breakfast spot and wine bar tucked into Kiaora Place.
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