Luxury Escapes Guide to Sydney CBD

Combining local ingredients with Middle Eastern and Spanish flavours, NOMAD offers sharing-friendly menus that celebrate the best of two cultures. Chefs make cheese, bread, dips, pickles and cured meats in-house, creating dishes like cannellini bean hummus with cumin burnt butter and flatbread, and zucchini flowers with pecorino cheese and truffle honey. The wine list is exclusively Australian, inspired by the idea of a cellar door experience in the city. Most drops are available by the glass, so you can flit from a Tasmanian sparkling to a white from the Yarra Valley and end with a South Australian red.

Note: NOMAD is re-opening September 2020

Found in one of the city’s newest precincts, Spice Alley celebrates the diversity of Sydney’s Asian food scene. Twelve different stalls and small restaurants dish out flavours from all over the sub-continent, covering Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Settle in under a glowing-lantern ceiling to enjoy Singapore chilli prawns, pork belly stir fried with Chinese broccoli, char kway teow, banh xeo or mee goreng, all washed down with a cocktail from resident bar, Gin Lane.

Seafood savants can’t miss Saint Peter. The Paddington restaurant is owned and operated by chef Josh Niland, who is quickly making a name for himself globally for his innovative approach to fish butchery. He’s on a mission to showcase local sustainably sourced seafood, so the menu changes based on what’s available each morning. Past dishes have included BBQ Flinders Island calamari with tomatoes and native thyme, and handpicked Ballina spanner crab with Kinkawooka mussel and purslane. This attention to detail also applies to the wine list and dessert offering, with a select, Australian-only offering.

There are icons, and there is Golden Century. This Chinese restaurant has served its classic dishes every day until 4am since 1989, carving out a name as the must-go spot for many Sydney chefs and global superstars (Rihanna and Rod Stewart have both been spotted here). Service isn’t paramount but it doesn’t really matter; the food arrives promptly and is consistently delicious. The salt and pepper squid is a must, along with sweet and sour pork, live pippies with XO sauce and the off-menu Chinese doughnut sticks, stuffed with prawn mince.

Back in 2003, Single O opened its doors on Reservoir Street, delighting locals and visitors with its house-roasted coffee blend and delicious breakfast and lunch dishes. Nearly 20 years later, it continues to do the exact same thing, albeit with a slightly larger operation. Coffee remains its main priority, with a brew bar next door serving up its house Reservoir blend and up to four single origin options. In the main cafe, dishes include a native spiced bean cassoulet with poached eggs, nettle chimichurri, muntries and toast, or their version of a BLT.

With regular appearances in ‘Best Bars’ lists (usually somewhere near the top), the Baxter Inn is no stranger to many discerning drinkers. Hidden down an alley, it would be hard to find, if not for the queue of people waiting to get in. The sophisticated, candle-lit space pays homage to times gone by, with a jazz soundtrack and moustached bartenders scrolling library ladders to find one of the 360 types of whiskey on offer. A strong selection of cocktails, wines, beers and spirits complement the main offering, all curated by some of the best in the business.

With a history dating back to 1921, the Glenmore Hotel has become an Aussie icon. The Public Bar, found on the ground floor, holds all the tradition of a local pub, welcoming everyone for classic pub fare or an after-work schooner. A short walk upstairs is the Glenmore Lounge, featuring a cocktail bar and set of private dining rooms. However, the piece de resistance sits at the very top – the rooftop bar has long been a destination for those looking to eat and drink under the sun, all while enjoying 180-degree views of Sydney Harbour.

Escape into a historic sandstone cavern in Harbour Rocks Hotel, to find Tayim Restaurant and Bar. Modern meets traditional on its menu, where Executive Chef Ran Kimelfeld has combined the Israeli flavours of his childhood with Libyan influences from his mother’s cooking. Coupled with sustainably sourced Australian ingredients, the result is a party of textures, tastes, smells and colours. The menu is a multi-course affair, so expect dishes such as mussels, calamari and prawns in a spicy north African sauce, and 18-hour lamb shoulder on the bone served with white bean masabacha, tahini, tatbila and puffed freekeh.

A stalwart of Sydney’s speciality coffee scene, Paramount Coffee Project has been providing locals and visitors with high-quality coffee and Asian-inspired dishes since 2013. The team of baristas rotate through local and international roasters, putting an emphasis on transparent sourcing and strong relationships between producers, growers and importers. Their food offering is just as considered: the all-day menu includes a take on avo on toast and the PCP Bibi, with sticky black rice, bean sprouts, pickled enoki, carrot, kale, rhubarb peanut kimchi, fried shallots and a fried egg.

Self-described as a “hard to find, shoe-box-sized 45-seater room”, Bulletin Place is the epitome of small but mighty – it’s one of Australia’s most awarded bars, recognised worldwide for its charming team and innovative approach to cocktails. The cocktail menu changes daily to reflect the seasonal ingredients found at that market that morning, while the craft beer selection shifts weekly. Even the wine list has a makeover every season, meaning you’re bound to encounter something new on every visit. Sustenance between sips comes via a charcuterie or cheese board, or a four-cheese toastie.

From its underground setting, Hubert hits the restaurant trifecta: deliciously decadent food, a constant supply of champagne and a warm atmosphere that’s hard to manufacture. Soft lighting, wood-panelled booths and a piano set the tone for the entire experience, complemented by dishes such as duck parfait with a maple syrup jelly and roasted snails with a XO sauce. With three bars dotted throughout the space, you’ll be spoilt for choice drinks-wise, with a huge selection of wines, spirits, beers and cocktails. It’s joie de vivre at its best.

There’s no better way to really appreciate Sydney than from the sky. Take it all in with a scenic flight over some of the city’s best landmarks. Sydney Seaplanes offers a variety of flights — on the ‘Sydney Secrets’ charter you’ll soar like a bird over the famous coastline, heading north to Palm Beach and returning via the waterways of Pittwater before a a final circuit over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

For the first time in 15 years, Broken Bay Pearl Farm is opening its doors to allow a unique insight into the culture of pearl farming. AEA Luxury Tours runs small group and private tours to the farm, giving guests a rare chance to get hands-on with the harvesting of Akoya pearls, world renowned for their high lustre and unique colours. The tour also includes a tasting of local Sydney Rock oysters, lunch at a local waterfront restaurant and the chance to explore Brisbane Waters National Park, known for its diverse array of local flora and fauna.

No visit to the CBD is complete without a closer look at the Sydney Opera House. For a special experience, book a table at Bennelong, found within one of its sails. Executive Chef Peter Gilmore oversees a menu befitting of its location, showcasing the diversity and outstanding quality of Australian food and wine. The multi-level space is home to three dining and drinking areas, meaning whatever the occasion, you can enjoy the best of Bennelong. Afterwards, head to the Opera Bar for a drink – with direct views of the Bridge, it’s the perfect way to end the day.

Bennelong isn’t the only restaurant Peter Gilmore holds under his (many) hats – its sister restaurant, Quay, is a spectacular dining experience that sits in the dress circle of Sydney Harbour. The six-course tasting menu is a masterclass in texture and flavour and takes inspiration from the farmers, fisherman and producers that create produce specifically for the restaurant. Nature is the running theme, with dishes such as brassicas with raw scallop, cultured cream, sea cucumber crackling and ossetra. The drinks list is just as locally focused with an emphasis on showcasing drops that communicate a sense of place and time.

Immerse yourself in Sydney’s CBD with Luxury Escapes’ hand-picked Experiences. We’ve curated a selection of cultural activities, adrenaline thrills, food adventures and luxury add-ons to help you discover your destination. These Experiences are bookable when you purchase your next escape. Simply select your travel dates and number of travellers for any package, and opt to tailor your escape by selecting the available Experiences.