20 of the best fine dining restaurants in Sydney

Quay, Circular Quay 

There are chefs, and then there’s Peter Gilmore, who oversees the award-winning dining room at Quay, with stellar views over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. This three-hat icon is frequently named as the best restaurant in the city and serves up a six- or eight-course menu of native ingredients and inspired flavours with artfully created dishes almost too pretty to eat. 

Quay Restaurant, The Rocks 

Bennelong, Circular Quay 

Gilmore is also in the kitchen at Bennelong, another Sydney legend that’s tucked beneath the sails of the Opera House. If you can draw your eyes away from the architecture and the views, the menu promises innovative Australian cuisine that heroes local ingredients. 

Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney

LuMi, Pyrmont 

The two-hat LuMi sits on the waterfront at Pyrmont, overlooking yachts bobbing in the harbour and the sparkling lights of The Star casino. Serving Italian cuisine with a Japanese twist, the indulgent tasting and omakase menus have up to 16 individual courses and are dripping with fresh seafood, truffles, caviar and more. 

LuMi Dining, Pyrmont

Sixpenny, Stanmore 

Set in a century-old building in the Inner West, Sixpenny is both a nod to history and a celebration of innovative Australian cuisine. The team work with small-scale producers and farmers to create a six-course tasting menu that looks fresh and vibrant whatever the season. Save room for the bread – regular diners rave about it. 

Sixpenny, Stanmore - Credit: Sixpenny

Ester, Chippendale 

Chippendale’s Ester was a pioneer in cooking over an open fire, and still turns out steaming platters of woodfired oysters with chicken fat butter, Yamba king prawns and perfect steaks. For the ultimate group meal, splash out on the decadent suckling pig feast – just remember to order it at least a week in advance. 

Ester Restaurant, Chippendale

Aria, Circular Quay 

The flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Matt Moran, Aria has been a Sydney favourite for almost 25 years. It retains the feel of a chic members club, pairing wood panelling and million-dollar harbour views with a menu of fine dining staples like scallops, duck, quail and rich beef fillets. 

Aria Restaurant, Circular Quay

Ursula’s, Paddington 

Inspired by European neighbourhood bistros, Ursula’s is inside a classic corner terrace in leafy Paddington. The dining rooms are bright and colourful, and the menu fuses classic French techniques with Australian ingredients – think coral trout with warragal greens or golden syrup dumplings (inspired by a recipe from the CWA).

Ursula's Paddington - Credit: Nikki To

Firedoor, Surry Hills 

There’s no gas or electricity used in the kitchen at Surry Hills’ Firedoor, where everything is prepared over coals, allowing the ingredients to shine. Chef Lennox Hastie has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world and his five-course menu changes daily, using the freshest produce available. 

Steak at Firedoor, Surry Hills

Chiswick, Woollahra

The Hamptons-inspired Chiswick in Woollahra is surrounded by manicured gardens and serves up produce-driven fare using ingredients from the kitchen garden and owner-chef Matt Moran’s farm in regional NSW. The sun-drenched dining room is a favourite for long lunches, where diners tuck into generous share plates of roast chicken and lamb shoulder. 

Chiswick Restaurant, Woollahra

Restaurant Hubert, CBD 

Embrace old-school glamour at Hubert, a chic Parisian bistro with a dimly-lit dining room decked out in wood and velvet, set belowground in the city centre. The menu is almost impossibly French – escargot, beef tartare, duck parfait, beef bourguignon and crème caramel. There’s live jazz, a stellar wine list and the kitchen is open til midnight. 

Restaurant Hubert, Sydney City

Oncore by Clare Smyth, Barangaroo 

Sitting pretty at the top of the gleaming Crown Towers hotel in Barangaroo, Oncore by Clare Smyth could be the culinary ride of your life. Smyth was the first British woman to be awarded three Michelin stars and this expert chef knows how to prepare a decadent degustation. Which explains why the restaurant claimed three coveted chef’s hats in its first year. 

Oncore by Clare Smyth at Crown Towers, Barangaroo

Le Foote, The Rocks 

When it opened in mid-2023, Le Foote quickly became Sydney’s hottest new restaurant and earned its first chef’s hat within months. Tucked into a warren of sandstone rooms in a historic building in The Rocks, there’s a Mediterranean-inspired menu of small plates plus seafood and meat cooked over charcoal in the original cookhouse. 

Inside Le Foote, The Rocks - Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen | Le Foote

Besuto, CBD 

Arguably the best of Sydney’s new wave of omakase restaurants, the one-hat Besuto is a little slice of Osaka in the city. Seating just 12 diners, the 18- or 20-course menu changes daily, depending on the seafood the chefs have sourced that morning. Match this unforgettable meal with a sake pairing or something from the 100-strong list of Japanese whiskies. 

Besuto, Ciruclar Quay - Credit: Kitti Gould

Mimi’s, Coogee 

You’ve probably seen local celebrities on Instagram doing the now famous ‘caviar bump’ in the sunny dining room of Mimi’s, part of the revamped Coogee Pavilion. But this chic seaside restaurant is more than just a gimmick, serving up an exquisite Mediterranean-inspired menu with a live seafood bar and truffles you can shave over everything. 

Mimi's at Coogee Pavilion, Coogee

Bentley Restaurant & Bar, CBD 

A meal at Bentley is as much about the wine as it is about the food. It’s considered one of the best places in Australia to drink wine and the mammoth list has more than 1,000 entries including rare bottles you won’t find anywhere else. Pair them with the innovative 15-course tasting menu for a night of true indulgence. 

Bentley Restaurant and Bar, City Centre

Rockpool Bar & Grill, CBD 

Famed chef Neil Perry sticks to the classics at Rockpool Bar & Grill, set inside a glorious Art Deco building that’s all green marble and high ceilings. Wood-fired meats, seafood and a world-class wine list star on the menu – though be sure to add a side of wagyu fat potatoes. It was also the only Australian entry in the top 10 in the list of the world’s best steak restaurants in 2023. 

Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, Sydney CBD - Credit: Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney

Monopole, CBD 

Monopole has undergone many changes over its lifetime but in mid-2024 it returned to its roots, relaunching as a fine dining French restaurant with all the trimmings. Antique lighting, velvet drapes and vintage wine posters create an authentic atmosphere, while a menu stuffed with boudin blanc, terrine, pate, duck a l’orange and mousse au chocolate will transport you straight to the continent. 

Monopole, Sydney CBD - Credit: Monopole

AALIA, CBD 

One of the only fine dining Middle Eastern restaurants in the city, the two-hatted AALIA pushes the boundaries of flavour. Chefs have sourced ancient ingredients and uncovered 10th-century recipes, making for a meal that’s unlike anything you’ve had before. There’s also a big focus on traditional Middle Eastern hospitality, complemented by the warm design of the famed Harry Seidler MLC building. 

AALIA, Sydney City

Ormeggio at The Spit, Mosman 

Dining at two-hat Ormeggio is designed to feel like a trip through Italy, from the scallop crudo to the charcoal octopus, lobster risotto and swordfish cotoletta. There’s also a dedicated gelato bar, huge wine list, colourful cocktails and gorgeous water views from the glass-walled dining room. 

Ormeggio at The Spit - Credit: Alessandro Pavoni | Ormeggio at The Spit

Icebergs Dining Room, Bondi 

An icon of the city from the day it opened in 2002, Icebergs Dining Room perches high above the southern end of Bondi Beach and its world-famous pool. The coastal Italian menu pairs perfectly with the uninterrupted views of the Pacific and there’s also a good chance you’ll spot a celebrity or two. 

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi