Our expert food reviewers’ picks for the best Sydney restaurants

Start with an Oyster Shell Martini, stirred tableside. That’s the best way to begin Josh Niland’s journey beneath the waves at his endlessly innovative fish restaurant, now housed inside Paddington’s Grand National Hotel. Next, you’re likely to follow a fish through many guises – yellowfin tuna, say, served as tartare on a fermented rice cake, then wrapped in pastry as a Wellington, then as a petit four of bone marrow fudge – each showcasing the secondary cuts that are the backbone of Niland’s renowned scale-to-tail craft. Saint Peter is in peak form.

“At Saint Peter’s new home inside the Grand National Hotel, Josh Niland’s groundbreaking approach to seafood reaches dazzling new heights. Known for his whole-fish approach to cooking, the results are both art and innovation… this is Niland’s vision fully realised — and easily one of the most unforgettable dining experiences in Australia and the world.”

— Alexandra Carlton, Gourmet Traveller NSW state editor

GT tip: Drop into the Saint Peter Bar for a more casual dining experience of tuna and swordfish belly bacon cheeseburgers and curried cod pies.

The huge, 50-year-old bougainvillea tree at the centre of this indoor-outdoor dining room has seen a lot of action in its time. Most recently, it’s witnessed the 200-seat modern Greek blockbuster in the Wunderlich Lane precinct packing in diners chasing some of the best taramasalata in town, lamb’s brains with a fragrant hot sauce, grilled sardines and frozen Greek yoghurt.

Porcine has always been about fun times with wine and swine. Chef Nik Hill’s masterful dishes mean having a memorable meal is easier than ever. Mainstays, such as the creton with lentils or an aged pork chop with choucroute and juniper, remain sublime. Porcine is enthusiastic about classic cooking, whole-carcass butchery and congenial service.

“Nik Hill brings precision, imagination and deep technique to every plate. At Porcine, his French-inspired bistro-pub in Sydney’s Paddington, Hill blends the richness of classic French cooking with a modern, playful edge… drawing on everything from Nouvelle Cuisine to Quebecois flavours.”

Alexandra Carlton, Gourmet Traveller NSW state editor

Our tip: Arrive early to have a drink (and perhaps a few oysters) at Porcine’s courtyard bar, L’Avant Cave, downstairs.

Trust us… The moment you take a seat at Cafe Paci, order the wickedly fragrant XO trout potato dumplings. You won’t be disappointed. Where the adventure takes you next will depend on the day and what’s in season, but Finnish-born chef-owner Pasi Petänen’s quest for original ideas and bold flavours is a constant in this haven of cool escapism in a discreet position on loud, vibey King Street.

What a splendid room this is, complete with a baby grand piano and metallic magenta columns befitting any big celebration. The former site of the Barrack Street bank is backed by clever cooking and wine curation from dynamic duo Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt. The brief is upscale Manhattan grill meets smart Euro bistro, where drinks are no afterthought thanks to Hildebrandt’s 1000-bottle wine cellar.

Ask a local chef what their favourite Sydney restaurant is, and there’s a good chance they’ll answer Sean’s. Don’t expect the same menu on your inevitable second visit; the three-course offering, listed on the chalkboard wall, changes on the regular to provide a snapshot of seasonality in one of the most charming dining rooms in the country.

Expect pretty bistro fare with an Australian accent at this charming corner restaurant for the inner west. From the kitchen to the service, a warm confidence from the accomplished trio of owners sets the scene for an effortlessly enjoyable dining experience.

After relocating from a small, CBD location to its more spacious current home, this modern Korean restaurant now serves an 11-course menu demonstrating an incredible degree of attention to detail. Expect to enjoy familiar flavours, and uncover little-seen ingredients and preparations that will linger.

Alessandro Pavoni’s glitzy take on Italian sparkles by the water at this sprawling Italian restaurant. We’re always impressed by the tableside trolley service offered for house-made pasta, desserts and cocktails always, while the significant wine program guarantees a perfect match for every mouthful.

GT tip:  For a more casual experience, grab pizza and pasta upstairs in standalone concept Pizza’Mare.

The warehouse restaurant – a cartwheel of cultures and flavours – captures the vibrancy of Sydney’s inner west with heart, nostalgia and respect. It all evokes the image of a classic suburban home, yet the restaurant’s ambition is bold, never modest. No wonder the signature taramasalata with praline, pickles and shokupan toast has become one of the city’s iconic dishes.

A tiramisù prepared tableside surely needs time to develop its flavours? Not if that tiramisù is created by the expert hand of Giovanni Pilu, who knows exactly how to coax maximum impact from house-made savoiardi biscuits, mirto bianco liqueur and generous waves of mascarpone in front of diners’ eyes. It’s a masterful way to end a meal at this beachfront icon, which draws on the culinary traditions of Pilu’s birthplace, Sardinia, in every dish.

This cool, timber-lined rice wine and record bar on a busy Newtown strip has plenty of polish, but it’s the grittier edges that make things interesting. There’s soul on the turntables and funk in the food. The service is warm, the vibe is cool, and there’s no better place to match small producer sakes with big-flavoured dishes.

GT tip:  Ante is walk-in only, so plan to arrive early or expect to join the waitlist and enjoy a drink nearby.

Bathers’ Pavilion ticks every box: breezy, blond-and-blue furnishings, service that’s professional but never stuffy, approachable dishes that make the most of the country’s best produce and, of course, a knockout beach view.

Sixpenny is now a teenager – just as experimental but with none of the attitude. Chef-owner Daniel Puskas has spent 14 years shaping an innocuous terrace in sleepy Stanmore into one of Australia’s most serene fine-diners, with head chef Tony Schifilliti adding the funk and ferment. Ageing is everywhere, from rice pancakes to nashi pear scales that seal cured silver trevally. Many of the staff here count their tenure in years, not months, because they also know good things take time.

It was going to take a bold operator to move into the former Bar Vincent site; enter Nathan and Sali Sasi and Morgan McGlone of The Goodies Hospitality group (Bessie’s & Alma’s, Bar Copains). The trio managed the challenge of reinventing a beloved site, flipping the Italian cuisine to a crowd-pleasing menu of ’80s-Italo-Australian favourites delivered with style and precision.

Chef-owner Mat Lindsay’s superpower is making the simple so damn impressive. At Ester, the flickering wood oven works wonders, grilling, charring, baking and smoking all manner of the absolute best seafood, protein and vegetables.

Our tip:  Go a little early to enjoy an aperitif at new sister bar Pig Mary down the street.

Sit at the bar in this intriguing inner west diner and you might feel like you’re watching a private show between you and a flaming grill. The skewers – or “pops”, as they’re called here – keep coming, from savoury, smoky, chilli-cumin lamb to cubes of wagyu so marbled it’s like eating butter. Sit upstairs and the velvet carpets and candles make it more the sort of place you’d go on a date. Both ways of experiencing Firepop feel like riding a new wave of Australian dining.

Our tip: Don’t overlook the set menus; they’re generally half the price of some of the city’s big names.

The much-photographed fish finger bao – an irresistible two-bite marvel with silky steamed bun, American cheese and salmon roe – is still in everyone’s Instagram feed, but the rest of the menu at King Clarence is equally captivating. A couple of years on from winning Gourmet Traveller’s Best New Restaurant award, the Bentley Group’s neon-tinged hotspot burns as brightly as ever. The spice-driven, share-friendly plates are complemented by inventive fruit- and tea-forward cocktails and a lively wine list.

Chef and restaurateur Neil Perry’s electric A-list favourite is a temple of top-tier produce, where the steaks would steal the show if only everything else wasn’t equally on point. Sourced from the country’s most storied producers, the sprawling, seasonally driven menu celebrates exceptional local ingredients, prepared with pared-back confidence, precise grilling skills, and a little pan-Asian pixie dust that’s become synonymous with Mr Perry.

Junda Khoo’s Malaysian playground is dining dynamite. Who wouldn’t delight in silky “laksa bombs” – fat chicken and prawn dumplings infused and drenched with creamy soup? Or tender, sticky-sweet roast duck, dry-aged for 10 days and served with optional foie gras and delicate pancakes? The drinks list is equally eclectic, with more than 100 bottles of wine and by-the-glass drops, vibrant house cocktails and classic beers. Add an elevated open-plan hawker-style room and well-versed staff and you can see why this Town Hall haunt is still red hot after more than five years.

This Martin Place diner is Sydney’s north star when it comes to polished Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. From the mezze section, don’t miss ful medames – an Egyptian bean stew – intensified with bone marrow and black walnuts, best scooped up with golden Khorasan pita. Otherwise, go for the Moreton Bay bug chopped through rich chicken-fat orzo and dotted with trout roe.

Chef Narin “Jack” Kulasai may have trained under Australian Thai food master David Thompson and Quay’s Peter Gilmore, but everything at Porkfat is completely his own. While the room can be loud, the flavours in every dish shout even louder. Spice underpins, but never overwhelms, the whole repertoire.

GT tip: BYO wine and you have a foolproof formula for an audaciously fun night out.

This latest venture from father-son omakase duo Raita and Momotaro Noda is designed to energise multiple senses at once. Just 12 guests are seated along a bar in a stormcloud-grey space to eat a 10-course meal prepared in exacting detail in front of your eyes. Sydney’s fascination with theatrical Japanese dining isn’t going anywhere, and this low-key, high-flavour concept is a top example of the genre.

Almost 15 years on from its opening, this enormous laneway restaurant led by chef Dan Hong heaves nightly with patrons seeking mountains of dim sum, roasted duck and XO mud crab.

Sometimes a restaurant simply feels right. Despite being just a couple of years old, Postino Osteria – part of Alessandro Pavoni’s Italian empire, which includes Ormeggio at The Spit and a’Mare – is one of those restaurants. It’s due to the warmth of the service. It’s also the sincerity of the dishes, many of which draw from the team’s childhood memories.

Corner 75, a place of precious memories for Sydney’s Hungarian-Australians, has sat behind a frill of lace curtains for more than 40 years. In 2025, the paprika-red walls welcomed new owners: Alexander Kelly and Jean-Paul El Tom from Marrickville’s Baba’s Place, and Sixpenny’s Daniel Puskas, who realised a chance to explore his own Hungarian heritage. Together they brought new energy – and a light-as-a-cloud schnitzel – to this beloved neighbourhood gathering place. The legacy lives on.

GT tip: Order fried puffs of lángos bread with caraway seeds and house-made sour cream to start.