Sydney Travel Guide
What to Eat in Sydney
Seafood and oysters, the brunch and flat white culture, multicultural suburbs from Haymarket to Cabramatta, pubs, BYO and the money rules — how to eat well in Sydney at any budget.
Sydney is one of the best places in the world to eat, and not because of any single dish. What makes it special is the combination of superb produce, especially seafood, a relaxed outdoor style, and one of the most diverse populations on earth, which has brought the cooking of Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East into everyday life. You can eat a world-class tasting menu with a view of the Opera House one night and a bowl of pho in a suburban strip mall the next, and both will be memorable. Here is how to approach it.
Seafood first. Surrounded by water, Sydney does seafood brilliantly. The signature is the Sydney rock oyster, smaller and more intense than the Pacific oysters found elsewhere, grown in the estuaries up and down the New South Wales coast; order them freshly shucked, with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon. Look also for king prawns, Balmain and Moreton Bay bugs (a kind of flat lobster), barramundi, snapper, flathead and kingfish. The Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay at Pyrmont is the largest fish market in the southern hemisphere and a fun place for a seafood lunch from the counters; go early in the day for the best choice. And fish and chips on a beach, at Manly, Watsons Bay or Bondi, is a Sydney ritual. At Watsons Bay, Doyles has been serving seafood by the water for generations.
Breakfast, brunch and coffee. Australians take breakfast seriously, and Sydney's cafe culture is one of its great pleasures. Expect inventive brunch menus — smashed avocado on sourdough became a cliche because it started here — and excellent coffee. Order a flat white, the local favourite, or a long black for an espresso topped with water; chain coffee is rare and independent cafes rule. The beach suburbs, Bondi, Bronte and Manly, and inner-city neighbourhoods like Surry Hills, Paddington, Redfern and Newtown have the densest concentration of good cafes. Many open early, around 7am, and close by mid-afternoon.
Asia on the doorstep. Sydney's Asian food is outstanding and often excellent value. Haymarket, beside Chinatown at the southern end of the city, is a dense grid of Chinese, Malaysian, Korean and Japanese restaurants, food courts and late-night dessert shops, and the stretch around Campbell Street is known as Thai Town, with some of the most authentic Thai food outside Thailand. Yum cha, the Cantonese dim sum lunch with trolleys or ordering sheets, is a weekend institution. Further out, the suburbs are where the real depth lies: Cabramatta for Vietnamese, Harris Park for Indian, Eastwood and Chatswood for Chinese and Korean, and Lakemba and Auburn for Lebanese and Turkish food, including the night markets of Ramadan. A train ride to one of these suburbs is a cultural experience as much as a meal.
Modern Australian dining. Sydney's fine-dining scene is among the best in the world, with a style often called Modern Australian: produce-driven, influenced by Asian and Mediterranean cooking, and increasingly using native ingredients such as finger lime, wattleseed, saltbush and lemon myrtle. Some of the most celebrated restaurants have views of the harbour or the Opera House; book well ahead for these, especially at weekends. Local restaurant guides award chef's hats rather than stars, and a hatted restaurant is a reliable sign of quality.
Pubs, bars and wine. Sydney's pubs range from historic sandstone hotels in The Rocks to big beer gardens in the suburbs and beachside pubs with sea views. A pub lunch or a cold beer in a beer garden on a sunny afternoon is part of local life. The small-bar scene has blossomed since licensing reforms, with cocktail bars hidden in laneways and basements across the city. Australian wine is a pleasure to explore: try a Hunter Valley Semillon, a Barossa Shiraz or a Margaret River Chardonnay. Many restaurants are BYO, so you can bring your own bottle for a modest corkage fee; check when you book.
Native food and First Nations cooking. Interest in native Australian ingredients and Indigenous food knowledge has grown fast, and a few restaurants and tours now focus on them. Look for dishes using kangaroo, emu or native herbs and fruits, and for First Nations-led experiences, such as the Aboriginal heritage walks at the Royal Botanic Garden, which explain how the Gadigal used the plants of the harbour.
Money matters. Eating out in Sydney is not cheap, but it does not have to be expensive. Prices include tax, and tipping is not expected, though rounding up for good service is appreciated. Many venues add a surcharge of ten to fifteen per cent on Sundays and public holidays, and some add a small fee for card payments. Water is free; ask for tap water. For value, eat lunch rather than dinner at top restaurants, look for set-price lunch menus, explore the Asian food courts of Haymarket, and picnic on the harbour or the beach with supplies from a bakery or deli.
A day of eating. A perfect food day might start with a flat white and brunch at Bondi, continue with oysters and prawns at the Fish Market, take in an afternoon beer by the water in The Rocks, and end with a long dinner in Potts Point or Surry Hills. Or head to Haymarket for yum cha, then to Cabramatta for Vietnamese snacks, and back to the harbour for a drink as the sun sets over the Bridge. Sydney rewards curiosity: follow the locals, catch the train to a suburb you have never heard of, and eat whatever the queue is for.