When good food meets stunning views, something magical happens. Simple meals become celebrations, while incredible flavours meet their match with spectacular sunsets. Discover destinations in and around Sydney where delicious local produce, from fresh seafood to upscale farmhouse produce, are complemented by endless ocean and landscape views.
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Best Restaurants in The Rocks
Quay Restaurant
Expect sublime perspectives of Sydney’s most famous monuments at Quay Restaurant, set within the Overseas Passenger Terminal. In addition to offering breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, Quay Restaurant is widely regarded as the premier destination for luxurious dining in the city. Executive Chef Peter Gilmore serves up an ever-evolving and imaginative menu that has won numerous culinary accolades. His seasonal eight-course degustation menu focuses on Australian produce and rethinks native flavours – from bone-marrow noodles to pasture-raised duck. Stay a 10-minute walk away at Shangri-La Sydney for the ultimate harbourside experience.
Luna Lu
Stare into the sails of the Sydney Opera House from the waterfront Luna Lu restaurant, sitting pretty on Campbells Cove in The Rocks. The culinary team pays homage to the traditions and flavours of Asia with a modern twist – think Byron Bay pork belly with cinnamon dark soy sauce; crispy Peking duck and barramundi drizzled with chilli jam, ginger and galangal sauce. For those seeking a more intimate affair, opt for the venue’s dining dome, which comes complete with a cocktail on arrival and four-course banquet – the perfect place to watch the world swirl past. Best of all, it’s just a 15-minute walk from the Langham Sydney.
Best Restaurants in Bondi
Icebergs Dining Room and Bar
For ocean roar and waves that soar, head to Bondi’s Icebergs Dining Room and Bar for iconic views of one of Australia’s most famous surf beaches. Known for its laid-back, bistro-style vibes, this dining darling serves up inventive Italian fare in a sun-drenched room that seems to hover above the oceanside. Owner Mauric Terzini channels his heritage to bring flavours from regional Tuscany to a quintessentially Australian setting. Every seat in the house gives you stunning vistas of the sandy stretch below – making it a great place to raise a glass to any occasion.
Sean’s
When you take a seat in a homey corner of this quintessentially Sydney spot, conveniently located just a 10-minute walk from QT Bondi, you’ll feel like you’re being cared for by your best friend. Each day, Chef Sean Moran highlights specials on a blackboard menu, featuring dishes such as roast chook, Murray cod and kingfish carpaccio, crafted with ingredients sourced from his Blue Mountains farm. But don’t just take our word for it – ask any Sydneysider who loves to eat, and they’ll have a dreamy story about dining in this farmhouse kitchen by the sea.
Best Restaurants in Circular Quay
Aria Restaurant Sydney
The chef-hatted Aria Restaurant Sydney is a carefully choreographed dance: owners Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon bring their creative vision, Executive Chef Thomas Gorringe brings his inventive spirit and the location brings sweeping Sydney Opera House and harbour views. The restaurant rests on the very tip of Sydney’s glistening harbour, offering a peaceful place to watch the world go by. Your culinary journey may include Abrolhos Island scallops, Peking duck consommé and Gundagai GLQ 5+ lamb, with dishes changing with the seasons. After two decades of service, Aria’s menu continues to buzz with energy from excited diners who return year after year.
Bennelong Restaurant
Rub shoulders with couples celebrating anniversaries and other momentous occasions as they sip on a glass of bubbly at Bennalong Restaurant at Sydney Opera House. Many consider Bennelong’s rotating roster of Australian produce and wine the cherry on top of a cultural performance beneath the white sails of Sydney’s most famous monument. Symphonies of flavour are achieved with exquisite combinations of produce, with dishes such as house-made koji-enriched noodles and pink snapper roasted to absolute perfection. After dinner, walk hand in hand with your beloved along the harbour while gazing into the blue abyss – the InterContinental Sydney is only 10 minutes away.
Oborozuki
It’s not just the Sydney Harbour Bridge views that are enchanting at Oborozuki, a 120-seat diner in the Opera Residence Tower. This fine-dining venture inventively fuses kaiseki, teppanyaki and omakase and turns it up to elegant new heights. Imagine a single oyster resting atop a theatrical ice sculpture, which, as it melts, creates a mystical smoke display at your table. Rest assured – innovative presentation is of course paired with delectable, high-end ingredients, from truffle chawanmushi to otoro tuna sashimi.
Best Restaurants in Darling Harbour
Oncore by Clare Smyth
Take a ride up to level 26 at Crown Sydney and you’ve arrived at Oncore by Clare Smyth. Settle in at a table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows to savour serene skyline views above the hustle and bustle – improved with award-winning sparkling wine from House of Arras and acclaimed gastronomical magic. The menu is inventively broken up into The Beginning, featuring lobster rolls and Sydney Rockefeller oysters, followed by your choice of the Classics or Seasons menu and wrapping up with The End. Take your tastebuds on an unforgettable journey, made even more delicious with the vista of Sydney Harbour at golden hour.
Lotus Barangaroo
The third establishment of the Lotus group finds its home on Wulugul Walk in Barangaroo, with Darling Harbour and the city skyline as its backdrop. With most of its seating outside, this restaurant is the perfect spot for oysters and cocktails at sunset. But that’s not all that’s on offer – stay longer for the stellar menu of pan-Asian delights, like salmon sashimi dressed with a fresh apple ponzu or lobster, scallop, prawn and squid ink dumplings. Pair these delicious dishes with a lychee and vodka Bu Bu Cha Cha and Negroni Eclipse, the Chinese-inspired negroni for a great night out. With QT Sydney only a 13-minute drive away, getting back to a plush bed for a night is easier than ever.
LuMi Dining
Perched next to the luxurious lineup of superyachts moored in Wharf 10, and opposite The Star Grand Hotel, LuMi Dining pairs enchanting views of the harbour with an equally impressive tasting menu. This is fine dining at its finest, put together by ex-Noma, Attica and The Spit chef Federico Zanellato. The menu showcases classic Italian dishes finessed with Asian ingredients, like crispy chicken skin on a kombu tart filled with yellowfin tuna or bites of wagyu resting on a potato nest with foie gras cream and white sturgeon caviar. Flick through the lengthy drinks list put together by sommelier Michela Bocagni for the perfect pairing.
Best Restaurants near Rose Bay
Catalina Rose Bay
Uninterrupted marina views meet ocean-fresh dining at Catalina Rose Bay. Let delicate seafood and contemporary Australian fare dance on your palette as you join Sydney’s glitterati to watch seaplanes skim the glimmering water. Start by slurping Sydney’s freshest oysters, then opt for the silky, rich and creamy king prawn bisque, followed by saltwater barramundi and spanner crab. Save room for one of the legendary desserts – you’d be particularly remiss to leave without a taste of the apple, plumb and rhubarb pain perdu.
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel
Blissfully situated a few headlands around from Sydney’s CBD, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel’s restaurant and bar promises a retreat for those seeking an endless summer. Whether you want to escape for an hour, linger over lunch or retreat for a few days, it’s all on offer at this beachfront hotel. Clink glasses of sparkling over seafood platters down by the waterfront, where striped umbrellas lead right to the shimmering ocean. At dusk, enjoy plates of antipasto and pasta while admiring the catamarans that retire to the wharf for the night.
Best Restaurants in Potts Point
The Butler
Sitting on the leafy outdoor terrace of The Butler, Potts Point on a sunny evening, overlooking Sydney’s best city vistas, it’s easy to forget where you are. While groups make the trip to relish the sunset hues over the city and indulge in a jug of sangria, others come for the delicious food in the open-air patio dining room. Dining here feels as though you’re in a forest–oasis – you’d never believe you’re in the middle of bustling Potts Point. The menu is an indulgent run-through of Ibero-American cuisine – market fresh fish crudo, flaky empanadas and tacos with Western Australian octopus or sumptuously sizzled grilled steak.
Restaurants with a View Worth Travelling For
Jonah’s
Just 50 minutes from Sydney CBD lies Jonah’s, nestled atop a serene hill in Whale Beach on the Northern Beaches. Here, well-heeled crowds escape the city in favour of leisurely lunches or long weekend getaways and are treated to delectable views of the Pacific Ocean. Elevated Italian plates crafted with top-quality produce rival the jaw-dropping vistas of the coast. Think grilled king prawns and squid ink linguine to start and a whole eastern rock lobster as the main event. A leisurely lunch wouldn’t be so leisurely without a tipple – peruse an epic wine list of more than 1,600 international and Australian drops.
Pilu at Freshwater
On a slope leading out to Freshwater Beach sits a beach house with award-winning Sardinian fare: Pilu at Freshwater. Giovanni Pilu has been behind the pans for the last 16 years, and along with his wife Marilyn, he’s created a dining destination made for long lunches filled with handmade pasta shapes that hail from their home region. Tuck into warm parcels of creamy ricotta, hand rolled fregola and hiramasa kingfish cured with mirto, a Sardinian liqueur. With coastal views and bright, white interiors, expect to be transported to a Mediterranean island holiday within seconds.
Cottage Point Inn
Far removed from civilisation, Cottage Point Inn is located opposite the tranquil Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This idyllic location, once a boathouse then a post office, is now home to a gorgeous waterfront restaurant just an hour’s drive from the city centre. The storybook dock provides stunning panoramas of the Hawkesbury River, where river birds are only metres away from the outdoor dining space. Dine on French food with a distinct Australian twist, including the likes of Atlantic scallop with macadamia and lemongrass, or Aqua Murray cod served with sugar plum tomatoes. For those that want to go all out, hop on a seaplane from Rose Bay over the Northern Beaches to arrive at the restaurant’s door.
Find more inspiration with Beyond Sydney: 10 of the Best Foodie Experiences in Regional NSW.
Featured image: Oncore by Clare Smyth – Crown Towers, Sydney. Supplied: Destination NSW
