A food & drink guide to The Rocks

Historic locations

The sandstone-quarried heart of The Rocks makes for a stunning restaurant setting. Sake Restaurant and Bar is the spot for contemporary Japanese, wander down the narrow laneways to Tayim for modern Middle Eastern and search out a former underground opium den that’s now The Doss House, a stylish whisky bar. Established in 1988, Fish at The Rocks is the ideal spot for a long seafood-rich lunch, surrounded by maritime art.

Credit: Fish At The Rocks

Hotel wining & dining

Well-known hotel brands offer more than just guestrooms, they also house great restaurants and fantastic bars. Enjoy cocktails and stunning harbour views at Blu Bar on 36, perched on the Shangri-La Sydney’s 36th floor, or Aster, InterContinental Sydney's new rooftop bar. If you want to be right on the water, The Gantry at Pier One Sydney Harbour and The Dining Room at the Park Hyatt Sydney are the top picks.

Cocktails at Blu Bar on 36 at Shangri-La, Sydney - Credit: Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney

Colonial pubs & breweries

Pull up a stool at the pubs where Sydney’s original settlers used to drink, like the Fortune of War, The Hero of Waterloo, Lord Nelson Brewery, The Australian Heritage Hotel and Hotel Palisade. New ales are now being brewed at Endeavour Tap Rooms, inside the building that housed Sydney’s longest-running colonial hotel in the 1800s, while Munich Brauhaus is a festive beer hall with live music and German eats. Other local favourites include The Argyle, Orient Hotel and The Glenmore. Not sure where to start? Take a walk with Dave’s Pub Tours.

Endeavour Tap Rooms, The Rocks

Cocktails & cantinas

Winner of ‘The Best Bar in Australasia’ in the 2020 World’s Best Bar Awards, there perhaps is no better place in the city to order a cocktail than at the trendy Maybe Sammy. If you’re after frozen margaritas and sombreros, head to the large and loud Tex-Mex bar El Camino Cantina, while Hickson House Distilling Co. hosts immersive distillery experiences and serves a great gin cocktail.

Maybe Sammy, The Rocks - Credit: DS OFICINA

Sweets & snacks

La Renaissance is a chic French patisserie in a heritage storefront that’s been turning out the flakiest croissants in town for more than 25 years. Team it with a coffee as you browse The Rocks Markets, which take over the cobblestone streets every Saturday and Sunday. There are food stalls offering everything from Turkish gozleme to Chinese dumplings and smoky South American barbecue. 

La Renaissance Patisserie and Cafe, The Rocks

Harbourside dining

The best-positioned restaurant in Sydney is fine-diner Quay, with uninterrupted harbour views. Cruise Bar is the perfect spot to take in the hustle and bustle of Circular Quay; Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant specialises in fresh local seafood; or walk along the harbour foreshore to Campbell Cove for the dining precinct Campbell’s Stores, home to restaurants such as steakhouse 6HEAD, which also look across the water to the Sydney Opera House.

Outside area at Cruise Bar, The Rocks - Credit: Cruise Bar