The 100 Best Places in Sydney
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The best places in Sydney, according to the experts: The 50, Forbes Travel Guide, and Michelin Guide have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Capella Sydney comes out on top.
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Maybe Sammy and Saint Peter hold the next two places. Australian Good Food Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with The 50 next.
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A former Department of Education building, all golden Edwardian sandstone and ornate bones, now holds one of Sydney's more considered luxury hotels. The restoration layers Aboriginal art and bush-scented spa products into what could easily have been a generic grand-hotel renovation. The 20-metre pool sits where an art gallery once stood, which feels about right. Ranked 12th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list, and holding a Michelin Key.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: #12 · The World's 50 Best Hotels
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
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Rank 2. Maybe Sammy
Cocktail Bar
Jacketed bartenders with accents spanning small Slovakian towns to big Italian cities set the tone at this cocktail bar in The Rocks. The hospitality runs flamboyant, the kind where staff practically compete for your affection and the host seats everyone like a penthouse guest. Named one of the World's 50 Best Bars, Maybe Sammy drinks from a European hotel-bar playbook that Sydney had no idea it was missing.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 5 stars · Difford's Guide
- The 50 The 50: #42 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 1 Pin
- Difford's Guide 5 stars · Difford's Guide
- The 50 #42 · The World's 50 Best Bars
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
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Rank 2. Saint Peter
Modern Australian
Josh Niland built a reputation on treating fish the way other chefs treat beef, using every part of it, which at Saint Peter means ice cream made with fish eyes instead of eggs. It's a modern Australian restaurant inside a handsome old pub in Paddington, and it ranked 66th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025. The cooking is committed enough that Niland's books on the subject won James Beard Awards, which tells you this is not a fish-and-chips situation.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: #66 · The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- The 50 #66 · The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
- The Infatuation The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
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Floor-to-ceiling windows on the new rooftop suites frame the Opera House close enough to feel slightly unfair to every other hotel in Sydney. This is a luxury hotel right on the harbour in the Rocks, practically under the Bridge, and it has the Michelin One Key and Forbes Four Star to show for a recent renovation that replaced a dated nineties interior with something considerably more composed. Butlers are plentiful, marble baths are standard, and the staff manage to be both professional and genuinely warm.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Most of the 531 rooms look out over Sydney Harbour, which sets the tone for a large, full-service hotel that takes its location in The Rocks seriously. The spa and outdoor pool give you somewhere to decompress before a night in the restaurant, and the concierge team is the kind that actually follows through. The Michelin Guide lists it with one Key.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
- The 50 The 50: 2025 · Most Admired Hotel Group Award
- Michelin Guide 1 Key
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Recommended
- The 50 2025 · Most Admired Hotel Group Award
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A Georgian facade on a quiet Kent Street side street, a short walk from the Rocks but removed enough to feel genuinely calm. The Langham is a luxury hotel where the televisions hide inside armoires and slippers wait in cedar wardrobes, which sets the tone. Rooms run to marble bathrooms, mahogany, and deep fabrics in a Regency register. A Michelin Key and Forbes Four Star property that leans boutique in feel despite the full-scale amenities.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
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Rank 7. Aalia
Middle Eastern
Open-fire Middle Eastern cooking in the Sydney CBD, where ironbark wood and charcoal from the Blue Mountains do the structural work rather than playing atmosphere. The kitchen pulls from Levantine and North African tradition, including medieval Arabic manuscripts, and the debt shows in the layering of spice rather than any museum-piece earnestness. It landed at number 14 on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, though it behaves nothing like a steakhouse.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #14 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- World's 101 Best #14 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
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Rank 7. ANTE
Modern Australian
An extensive vinyl collection spins through a high-end sound system, and the whole bar is arranged around taking that seriously, kissa-style, the way listening bars in Japan are. ANTE is a drinks-forward spot in Newtown where the sake list runs deep, with producer notes detailed enough to actually teach you something. It rewards a slow, curious approach to the menu rather than a quick round, which is either a warning or a recommendation depending on your Thursday night.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best International Restaurant Bar
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Australian Good Food Guide 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best International Restaurant Bar
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 7. Sixpenny
Modern Australian
The sourdough starter here has been alive longer than the restaurant, which tells you something about the kitchen's relationship with patience. Sixpenny is a fine dining destination in a quiet inner-west suburb, where the menu leans on fermentation the way other places lean on butter. The mead vinegar custard with strawberry has been on since 2016 and shows no signs of leaving. Four chef hats from the Australian Good Food Guide, and bookings to match.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 19/20 · Four Chef Hats
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Australian Good Food Guide 19/20 · Four Chef Hats
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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The marble lobby sets the tone: soaring ceilings, a black-and-red palette, and a sense that someone thought carefully about every surface. This 171-room luxury hotel in Pyrmont sits inside The Star resort complex, which means five restaurants, a casino, and a cocktail bar are all within a short wander if you never feel like facing the city. The harbor views are spectacular, and the central business district is walkable. A Forbes Four Star property.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Four Star
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Hotels
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Rank 11. Bennelong
Modern Australian
The sails of the Opera House aren't just backdrop here, they're roof. Bennelong is a multi-level modern Australian restaurant with a casual bar on one end and a formal dining room with harbor views on the other, so you can calibrate your ambition and your wallet accordingly. The kitchen runs seasonal Australian produce through deconstructed comfort classics, and the wine cellar is stocked to match the occasion. The setting does a lot of the heavy lifting, but the food keeps pace.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Australian Good Food Guide 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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A wood-fired kitchen with a short menu and no apologies for either, Ester is a casual Italian-leaning restaurant in Chippendale where the off-duty chef crowd fills the room most nights. The fit-out is minimal and the mood deliberately unhurried, which gives the cooking space to make its point. Locally sourced ingredients carry most of the weight, and the team lets them.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Australian Good Food Guide 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The Infatuation The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 11. Firedoor
Modern Australian American Steakhouse
Every morning the menu is written from scratch based on what came in and how the fire is burning, because Firedoor runs on Australian hardwoods alone, no gas, no electricity. Lennox Hastie's Surry Hills restaurant is a serious, sit-down affair where the open kitchen keeps the work visible and the point is restraint, not theatre. It sits at number eleven on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which tells you something about the aged ribeye.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #11 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- World's 101 Best #11 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 11. Margaret
Modern Australian Steakhouse
Neil Perry's wood-fired grill restaurant in Double Bay sits at number two on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which is about as specific an endorsement as the universe offers. The open kitchen keeps the focus on dry-aged beef and whatever came off a boat that morning, and the room follows the same logic: nothing is there to impress you, which is exactly why it does. Australian producers run the whole show, pasture to coast.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #2 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- World's 101 Best #2 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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The floor-to-ceiling windows on the harbor-facing rooms put you at eye level with the top arc of the Harbour Bridge, which is one way to wake up. This luxury hotel in the Rocks sits close enough to the Opera House to feel like the center of Sydney, and the 36th-floor bar earns its press. Downstairs there's an honest pub with a terrace for a pint in the sun, which suggests a certain self-awareness. The spa, pool, and marble baths do the rest.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Hotels
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Potts Point's fully vegan fine dining room went plant-only before the rest of the industry caught up, which is either admirable timing or a very long bet that paid off. The chef behind it has spent years making vegetables do things vegetables don't usually do at this price point, and the kitchen earns its three chef hats from the Australian Good Food Guide without leaning on novelty. Book ahead; the room is small and the cooking has a following.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- Australian Good Food Guide 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
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Rank 17. Cafe Paci
Modern Australian
Finnish chef Pasi Petänen runs this modern bistro and wine bar on King Street, where the cooking roams freely across borders without making a fuss about it. The long moody bar is well-stocked, the wooden tables fill with a mixed local crowd, and the menu moves between fermented things, excellent pasta, and good bread in a way that feels loose but considered. A Discovery pick from The 50.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Rank 17. Firepop
Modern Australian
Cumin-spiced lamb skewers on a barbecue stove at Chinatown Night Markets were the whole operation once. Now Firepop is a permanent Modern Australian restaurant on Enmore Road, where those same skewers sit alongside dishes that treat waste-minimizing as a creative constraint rather than a virtue to announce. The buttermilk panna cotta with pickled strawberries and South Australian olive oil has become a reason people come back. One Chef Hat from the Australian Good Food Guide.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
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Rank 17. Gran Torino
Italian
Neil Perry's Italian restaurant in Double Bay is built around the aperitivo rhythm: Martinis and spritzes arrive first, then antipasti, housemade pasta, seafood, and steak. The beef program leans into rare Australian breeds, including grass-fed Chianina, cooked simply enough that the sourcing does the talking. Ranked 27th on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, though the room reads more like a generous Italian trattoria than a temple to beef.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #27 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- World's 101 Best #27 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 17. Ho Jiak Townhall
Malaysian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
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Rank 17. Maiz Mexican Food
Mexican
Corn isn't a side note here; it's the whole argument. Maiz is a casual Mexican restaurant on Enmore Road where the chef has built the menu around masa in earnest, from esquites broth sharp with lime and seven-chile mayonnaise to tetelas, corn pockets that happen to work for gluten-free and vegan diners without advertising the fact. Sydney's Mexican scene is not exactly crowded with this level of conviction.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
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Rank 17. Porteño
Argentine Steakhouse
The open grill is the room's focal point, its smoke threading through exposed brick and vintage clutter to announce that this is an Argentine asado restaurant, not a steakhouse cosplaying as one. Surry Hills regulars fill the long tables for dry-aged beef cooked over fire with patience rather than theatre, and a wine list that runs Buenos Aires and Barossa in easy company. It placed 36th on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #36 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- World's 101 Best #36 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 17. Restaurant Hubert
French
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
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Rank 17. Rockpool Bar & Grill
Australian Steakhouse
The Art Deco banking hall on Hunter Street sets the stage: marble columns, dark timber, and a warm golden light that makes a Wednesday feel like an occasion. This is a steakhouse, and the beef programme is the point, with dry-aged cuts cooked over a wood and charcoal grill. The wine list is one of the more serious in the country. Ranked 38th on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which seems about right for a room this sure of itself.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #38 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- World's 101 Best #38 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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Thirty-five floors above Darling Harbour, most of the 590 rooms position a deep soaking tub flush against floor-to-ceiling glass, which is either a design statement or a dare. This is a large-scale luxury hotel where the rooftop infinity pool has a Mediterranean bar with striped umbrellas beside it, the ground floor runs a Champagne Bar with over 30 French pours, and the harbor promenade puts the Opera House and Harbour Bridge within a short walk.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Hotels
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Rank 17. The Apollo
Greek
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
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Rank 17. The Grill at The International
Australian Steakhouse
Harbour views through floor-to-ceiling glass, leather banquettes, and Australian art on the walls set the tone at this upscale steak restaurant inside Sydney's International Hotel. The kitchen dry-ages Wagyu and pasture-raised beef in-house, then cooks over wood and charcoal with the confidence of people who don't need to explain themselves. It landed at number 33 on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which tracks.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #33 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- World's 101 Best #33 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The Infatuation The 31 Best Places To Eat & Stay In Sydney
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Rank 29. 20 Chapel
Modern Australian Steakhouse
An in-house dry-ageing room in an old industrial space in Marrickville sets the tone for what this open-fire steakhouse is about: Australian beef handled with patience, then finished over live flame with more discipline than drama. The room keeps the building's bones exposed, the service keeps the formality in its pocket, and the whole place carries the quiet confidence of somewhere that doesn't need to explain itself. It landed at number 59 on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #59 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
- World's 101 Best #59 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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An old industrial building in Surry Hills, close to the CBD, converted with enough retained patina that the brick walls do the decorating for you. The Ace Hotel Sydney holds a Michelin Key, and rooms come with vintage wool blankets and retro styling, with the occasional turntable or acoustic guitar thrown in. The lobby bar, rooftop restaurant, and ground-floor café mean you barely need to leave, which is probably the point.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 29. ARIA Sydney
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 18/20 · Four Chef Hats
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 18/20 · Four Chef Hats
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The awards
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The sandstone arcades of an 1851 Treasury Building form the bones of this landmark Sydney hotel, with 509 rooms stacked in a modern tower alongside it. Window seats frame views that run from the Royal Botanic Garden to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, with harbour-facing rooms getting the better end of that argument. Byredo bath products, locally sourced minibars, and a rooftop bar 32 floors up round out a stay that puts Circular Quay a five-minute walk away.
The awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Recommended
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Hotels
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Rank 29. Shell House
Steakhouse
A beautifully restored heritage building in the CBD sets the stage: high ceilings, original detailing, and a terrace that opens toward the skyline. Shell House is a contemporary steakhouse where the kitchen dry-ages Australian beef before it meets an open fire grill, with the wider menu showing the same restraint. It landed at number 85 on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list, which should tell you roughly what the room expects of you, dress-wise.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #85 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- World's 101 Best #85 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Every room comes with a balcony or terrace, which feels almost reckless for a Sydney hotel at this price point. The EVE is a boutique hotel on the edge of Redfern and Surry Hills, right on Wunderlich Lane, where the cafés and bars run late. Velvet banquettes and terrazzo inside, a rooftop pool and Mexican restaurant up top, and Bar Julius already pulling locals downstairs. The Michelin Guide awarded it one Key.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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The awards
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Rank 38. LuMi Bar & Dining
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 38. Nel Restaurant
Modern Australian
Fine dining that occasionally serves fried chicken and doughnuts without any apparent shame. Nel runs a rotating 11-course degustation in a moody CBD room of exposed brick and open kitchen, where the theme changes entirely and regulars come back to see what the kitchen has cooked up next. The format is unmistakably tasting-menu serious; the attitude is something else. Three Chef Hats from the Australian Good Food Guide.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
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Rank 38. Pilu At Freshwater
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
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Rank 38. Yoshii’s Omakase
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Allta
Korean
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Arrana
Modern Australian
Native Australian ingredients anchor the menu at this fine dining room in Springwood, where the Blue Mountains are less a backdrop than an active ingredient. The kitchen leans into the landscape, pulling flavors from country the Gundungurra and Darug peoples have known far longer than any restaurant critic. The room is intimate and unhurried, the kind of place where the service notices things. Two Chef Hats from the Australian Good Food Guide.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Atelier By Sofitel
French
South of France cooking in a Darling Harbour hotel, with wine racks lining the walls and a menu that leans on local produce shaped into something unmistakably French. The kitchen uses coal and char alongside classical technique, so there's smoke and richness alongside the bright, coastal flavors you'd expect. A polished, unhurried kind of dinner, the sort where you dress up a little and nobody feels self-conscious about it. The Australian Good Food Guide awards it two Chef Hats.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Bathers' Pavilion Restaurant
Modern Australian
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Balmoral Beach from every seat, which makes the nautical theme feel earned rather than decorative. This is a fine-dining restaurant on the Sydney Harbour foreshore, all French blue linen and an open kitchen that spills into a lounge furnished with Moroccan rugs. The chef came up through Sixpenny, and the seasonal menu leans into the harbour setting without hammering the point. A 350-bottle wine list and two Good Food Guide Chef Hats.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 42. Cantina OK
Mezcal Cocktail Bar
A mezcal cocktail bar wedged into a Council Place garage so small it might have previously housed a single hatchback. Cantina OK is the opposite of Sydney's big-shoulder waterfront bars, the ones that eye your footwear suspiciously. Sandals, cowboy hats, and ball gowns all get waved through here, and the agave list runs deep enough that you'll stop pretending you know what you want and just ask.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 5 stars · Difford's Guide
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 42. Catalina Restaurant
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Civico 47
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Franca Brasserie
Mediterranean
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Gildas
Spanish
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Haco
Japanese
Charcoal grilling and tempura in the same omakase menu sounds like a contradiction until you sit at the counter and watch the chef make it feel inevitable. Haco is a compact Japanese fine dining room in the Sydney CBD, built around a single tasting progression you watch unfold in front of you. The name means theatre in Japanese, which the room leans into without apology. It holds two Chef Hats from the Australian Good Food Guide.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Kuro Bar & Dining
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Lana
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Matkim
Korean
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Mimi's
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
Rank 42. Prefecture 48
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. PS40
Cocktail Bar
A bar built around a bottling operation is an unusual anchor, but PS40 commits: the house sodas, made from local ingredients with no preservatives, drive the whole menu. The bush tonic alone runs through Peruvian cinchona bark, lemon myrtle, and native lemongrass. Cocktails pair those sodas with equally niche spirits, and the list reads like a festival lineup. Find the entrance down Skittle Lane, which feels about right.
The awards
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 4.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Difford's Guide 4.5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Sydney, Australia
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
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A century-old department store and theatre, now a hotel that treats restraint as a personal affront. QT Sydney cranks the Art Deco glamour and historical color so high you half expect a flapper to step out of the elevator. Rooms are deeply, unapologetically theatrical, bathrooms especially lavish. Downstairs, the Gowings Bar and Grill and Gilt Lounge pull in enough stylish locals to remind you the CBD has a pulse. The Michelin Guide awarded it one Key.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
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Rank 42. Restaurant Garaku
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. Restaurant Ka
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
-
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Single O has coffee on self-serve tap, which sounds gimmicky until you're pulling a single origin at the brew bar and reconsidering everything. This Surry Hills cafe supplies beans to a significant slice of Sydney's restaurant scene, so there's a decent chance you've already had their coffee without knowing it. The banana bread comes with espresso butter, which is either the logical conclusion of brunch culture or its apotheosis, depending on your mood.
The awards
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Your Guide to Coffee in Sydney
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Where to Drink Coffee in Sydney
- World Coffee Map World Coffee Map: Essential Coffee Shops in Sydney
- World Coffee Map Your Guide to Coffee in Sydney
- World Coffee Map Where to Drink Coffee in Sydney
- World Coffee Map Essential Coffee Shops in Sydney
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Rank 42. Sushi Oe
Sushi
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 42. White Horse
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 66. 10 William Street
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 66. a'Mare
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Abhi's
Indian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Amuro
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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The wine list runs to over 200 bottles, with forty-odd available by the glass, which tells you what Annata is really about before you've even looked at the food menu. It's a modern European bistro on the Lower North Shore, the kind of neighbourhood place where the kitchen sends out precise seasonal cooking and the room genuinely expects you to linger. The alfresco garden is dog-friendly, the set menu comes with wine pairings built in, and locals treat it like a second living room.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Antica Dining
Italian
White tablecloths, chandelier lighting, and walls hung with artwork set the tone at this Italian restaurant in North Sydney, where the menu leans on tradition without pretending the last few decades of cooking didn't happen. The room is housed in a heritage building that gives it the kind of bones a fit-out budget alone can't buy. It holds an Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Armorica
French
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. arthur
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. Attenzione Food & Wine
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Bar Copains
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 66. Bar Infinita
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Bar Lettera
Italo-Australian Italian
Marble counters meet raw hardwood on the fifth floor of a North Sydney hotel, setting the scene for a wine bar and all-day Italian restaurant that leans into Italo-Australian cooking: pasta with native Davidson plum, burrata alongside local persimmon. The room is polished without being stiff, and the menu moves comfortably from a working breakfast through to sharing plates over a bottle in the evening.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Bastardo
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. Berts
French
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. Bessie's & Alma's
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Besuto
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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A European-Australian bistro a short walk from Circular Quay, Bistro George holds an Australian Good Food Guide Hat and pitches itself at the full range: solo bar snacks, work lunches, leisurely dinners. The menu leans on local produce and lands somewhere between Continental and modern Australian, with a wine list broad enough to keep both the table orderer and the sommelier-curious happy.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. Bistro Rex
French
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Brasserie 1930
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. BTWN
Modern Australian
Darling Harbour views frame every table at this theatrical modern Australian share-plates restaurant inside W Sydney. The menu leans on local growers and coastal producers, with wild-caught seafood making a strong case for itself as the room fills and the energy climbs toward something noticeably louder than dinner. The Australian Good Food Guide awarded it a Chef Hat.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Chez Beckett's
Modern French
Softly lit and tucked into Chippendale's Kensington Street, Chez Beckett's is a modern French bistro where the industrial bones of the building meet white-tablecloth formality without feeling stuffy. The menu leans into the classics, escargots, tartare, duck, done with Australian seasonal produce threaded through. The wine list is curated and the cocktails are genuinely considered, which the after-work crowd in the corner seems to have figured out already.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Cho Cho San
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
-
Rank 66. Clarence and V
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Coya Sydney
Middle Eastern
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. CRICCA
Italian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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A boutique hotel in Surry Hills, back when the neighborhood was all vinyl record shops and gallery openings with no obvious place to sleep. The 35 rooms mix Art Deco bones with a modern addition and some genuinely charming touches, like Japanese tea sets and marble bathrooms stocked with Molton Brown. A rooftop deck handles the views. The Michelin Guide awarded it one Key.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Key
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Rank 66. Dean & Nancy on 22
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 1 Pin
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Hotel Bar – APAC
- The Pinnacle Guide 1 Pin
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Hotel Bar – APAC
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Rank 66. Eleven Barrack
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Ennui
Modern Australian
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Entrata
Italian
An Italian restaurant set inside a converted house on the edge of Sydney's Hills District, with bushland visible from the dining room and a sommelier who takes the wine list seriously. The kitchen turns out modern Italian cooking that keeps one foot in tradition, and the room is warm enough that a long dinner here feels like a reasonable way to spend an evening. The Australian Good Food Guide awarded it a Chef Hat.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 66. Esteban
Mexican
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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