21 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 degustation 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 Sydney Opera House. If you can draw your eyes away from the architecture and the views, the menu promises innovative Australian cuisine that that celebrates local ingredients. Western Australian marron is served with tart finger lime and buckwheat pikelets; Hervey Bay scallops fill ravioli that’s finished with XO sauce and nasturtium buds; rich pasture-raised Maremma duck is balanced with cherry, blackberry and kampot pepper. The Opera House serves as inspiration for the cocktail menu, with drinks named for famous performances from the bourbon-and-banana-bread Nutcracker cocktail, to the Madama Butterfly made with Mancino Sakura vermouth, strawberry and rhubarb.

Bennelong Restaurant, Sydney

LuMi, Pyrmont 

The two-hat LuMi sits on the waterfront at Pyrmont, overlooking yachts bobbing in the harbour. Serving Italian cuisine with a Japanese twist, the indulgent tasting and omakase menus have up to 16 individual courses featuring fresh seafood, decadent wagyu and caviar. 

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 seven-course tasting menu that’s fresh and vibrant whatever the season. Save room for the clever 'day-old' sourdough, which regular diners rave about. Introduced as a way to eliminate waste, the bread is made daily from a decades-old mother culture combined with a flour of pulverised day-old bread mixed with leftover coffee. Spread each slice generously with house-churned mascarpone butter. 

Sixpenny, Stanmore - Credit: Sixpenny

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 likelike blue swimmer crab, duck, quail and Rangers Valley wagyu. 

Aria Restaurant, Sydney - Credit: Steve Woodburn

Ursula’s, Paddington 

Inspired by European neighbourhood bistros, Ursula’s is housed in 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 Moreton Bay bug pasta with crustacean butter 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. 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. Coral trout might make an appearance, served with peach and wasabi; or Murray cod with smoky paperbark; or Rangers Valley beef served with sweet rossa di milano onion. 

Steak at Firedoor, Surry Hills

Oncore by Clare Smyth, Barangaroo 

Located at the top of the gleaming Crown Towers hotel with dramatic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 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. Light dishes like smoked duck wing, and cheese choux pastry begin a meal which culminates in braised lamb with sheep’s milk yoghurt followed by Spring Ridge venison with haggis and macadamia. Choose the wine pairing to get the most out of the extensive list of old and new world drops.

Oncore by Clare Smyth at Crown Towers, Barangaroo

Besuto, CBD 

Arguably the best of Sydney’s new wave of omakase restaurants, 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 what the seafood chefs source from the markets each morning. A sake pairing or a glass from the 100-strong list of Japanese whiskies rounds off this decadent chef’s table experience. 

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, generous banquet menu, and refreshing cocktails such as the Kenso Pride, a rum-based drink featuring Kensington Pride mango; or the citrusy Mimi’s Margarita made with Fortaleza reposado tequila.

Mimi's at Coogee Pavilion, Coogee

Bentley Restaurant & Bar, CBD 

Bentley is considered to have one of the most impressive cellars in Australia, with almost 1,000 bottles available, from the rare to the extravagant. It’s truly a place to let the experts take the lead. Opt for one of the three matched wine pairings (or the non-alcoholic option) to complement chef and co-owner Brent Savage’s innovative 15-course tasting menu. A meal might start with smoked eel cream with black brioche; followed by blue fin tuna with kiwiberry and lemon myrtle. Rangers Valley rump cap is the dramatic, main event.

Bentley Restaurant and Bar, City Centre

Rockpool Bar & Grill, CBD 

Famed chef Neil Perry sticks to the classics at Rockpool Bar & Grill, his CBD steakhouse set in a glorious Art Deco building with high ceilings and luxurious marble finishes. Wood-fired meats and seafood are the  stars of the menu, with wagyu fat potatoes a must-order supporting act. Perry’s venues Margaret and Rockpool were the only Australian eateries to make the top 10 list of best steak restaurants in the world in 2024. 

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 of boudin blanc, pâté, duck à la prune and mousse au chocolat 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. Executive chef Paul Farag has revived 10th century Arabic recipes and forgotten ingredients to create a menu unlike any other. At AALIA, guests are treated to traditional Middle Eastern hospitality in an inviting space inside Harry Seidler’s iconic 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 yellowfin tuna crudo to the charcoal octopus, mud crab risotto and swordfish cotoletta. There’s also a dedicated gelato bar, extensive 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