Good restaurants in Sydney

Hi, as part of the thank you to the friends that are accommodating us during our reccie in Jan we would like to take them out for a *special* meal as a thank you – thinking meat rather than seafood and welcome to ideas on areas from central Sydney northwards to Pymble and beyond….

Have a look on our Sydney forum, I know there is a thread on there with the best restaurants in Sydney http://www.sydneyforum.com/threads/top-restaurants-in-sydney.161349/

Hi,

I can so recommend 'Wildfire' on Sydney harbour. It's on the ground floor of the cruise ship terminal 'opposite side to the Opera House'. My friends were very impressed and the menu is fantastic!

Went out with mates to Cafe Sydney (top floor of the Customs House in Circular Quay) - very nice! Would be happy to go there again - once I've saved up for the special meal!

thanks for the ideas... ahve thus far booked Aria near the opera house and thinking of "wildfire" also, potentially there or Jonas in Whale Beach...

Radio Cairo in Cremorne is great- more of a neighbourhood restaurant than a flashy place, but great food. You could combine it with a trip to the Orpheum (Art Deco cinema) across the road, or with drinks in the beer garden at The Oaks in neutral bay.

Fratelli fresh on bridge st in the CBD is lovely- gourmet Italian in a wonderfully atmospheric basement. However it's very popular, and they don't take bookings I don't think.

Hi,

I can so recommend 'Wildfire' on Sydney harbour. It's on the ground floor of the cruise ship terminal 'opposite side to the Opera House'. My friends were very impressed and the menu is fantastic!

We went there for my birthday this year. Expensive, but great food and friendly service. HOWEVER I would hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly because if there's a huge great cruise shop blocking the entire window frontage (as there was when we were there) the food and service alone doesn't justify the price IMO. You need to be very sure that you'll have a ship-free night (and also ask to be seated by the windows, not towards the back as we were) to make it worth it.

I have had some of the best steaks anywhere in The Meat and Wine Co. Next to the imax theatre in Darling Harbour. I love the vodka and blue cheese sauce they do, goes really well with a big steak. Never been disappointed there. I am usually over there on work trips and have eaten at some great restaurants. I went over with my wife and youngest for our wedding anniversary and thought we would go here for a treat.

Funny how you never really look at prices when work are paying but we went and had a look at the menu and my wife said "bit expensive isn't it". We ended up going to China town for something cheaper.:cool:

I have had some of the best steaks anywhere in The Meat and Wine Co. Next to the imax theatre in Darling Harbour. I love the vodka and blue cheese sauce they do, goes really well with a big steak. Never been disappointed there. I am usually over there on work trips and have eaten at some great restaurants. I went over with my wife and youngest for our wedding anniversary and thought we would go here for a treat.

 

Funny how you never really look at prices when work are paying but we went and had a look at the menu and my wife said "bit expensive isn't it". We ended up going to China town for something cheaper.:cool:

Going there tonight :-)

We found a really wide choice round Darling Harbour and if you go on a Saturday night they have a fireworks display that I was told is most weeks.

Hi, as part of the thank you to the friends that are accommodating us during our reccie in Jan we would like to take them out for a *special* meal as a thank you – thinking meat rather than seafood and welcome to ideas on areas from central Sydney northwards to Pymble and beyond….

There are lots of OK neighbourhood restaurants on the Upper North Shore but nothing I'd really say was "special". Cook's Garden in North Turramurra probably the nicest IMO. The Far North (bar) next door is quite nice too

Jonah's is pretty special though, even if the food doesn't quite hit the mark the location is brilliant

Have also had good food at Sails, McMahon's point, and a couple of places in Manly - Q station (food a 7/10 but again magnificent location) and 4 Pines brewco (but that's pubby, good fun but not a restaurant). Mumu in Crow's Nest is ace if you like steak (again a couple of good bars round the corner), agree with Radio Cairo recommendation, I used to like Bather's Pavilion on Balmoral Beach but it's VERY expensive and has changed hands and gone downhill, so avoid

Haven't tried Wildfire but have heard good things, tbh I got put off restaurants on Circular Quay after a not-that-great experience at Quay, which is seriously pricey. Cafe Sydney another place that's always worth a go, as the setting is magnificent even if the food doesn't always hit the heights (although it's not bad, don't get me wrong)

All of the places with great views (like Jonah's) are good for weekend lunch or very early dinners IMO. It gets dark here quite early, even in summer, so you miss the best bit if it's night-time

Going there tonight :-)

Try the blue cheese and vodka sauce mate.

Quay

Rockpool

Have to agree with Paul, the Meat and Wine Co on Darling Harbour is fantastic food, their calamari is the best me and the wife have ever tasted, try the mixed ribs they lovely ! Go on a Saturday night around 8pm and enjoy the fireworks as a bonus

I have had some of the best steaks anywhere in The Meat and Wine Co. Next to the imax theatre in Darling Harbour. I love the vodka and blue cheese sauce they do, goes really well with a big steak. Never been disappointed there. I am usually over there on work trips and have eaten at some great restaurants. I went over with my wife and youngest for our wedding anniversary and thought we would go here for a treat.

 

Funny how you never really look at prices when work are paying but we went and had a look at the menu and my wife said "bit expensive isn't it". We ended up going to China town for something cheaper.:cool:

Didn't see said sauce Paul

Steak was OK, pretty good piece of meat tbh. Chips were OK. I mean, it was nice, but I wasn't raving about it. 7/10. It is quite pricey too, isn't it? (I wasn't paying, so no drama). I probably should have had something different, I mean at the end of the day a steak's a steak, but, well, if you go somewhere like that you have to have the meat, don't you? Mumu is better IMO

Fwiw, I find Sydney generally excellent for casual dining type places, middle market stuff. Lots of good cafes, restaurants and so on. And there are some really good ethnic places, especially Thai and Chinese (some stonking Chinese places in Chatswood, as you would expect, because it's probably a majority Chinese area). At the top end it's a bit lacking though. In fairness to the Meat & Wine Co, it's a middle market place, just one of the pricier ones

My favourite places to eat are still Dunes at Palm Beach, and Galley Foods at Bobbin Head (daytimes and summer weekend evenings only). Both because the world always seems a better place when it's sunny and I'm sitting in them. Food at both quite unpretentious and they've not let me down. I don't know why I didn't namecheck these previously tbh, especially the latter as it's pretty handy for Pymble??? Must be going senile in my old age

I had the best Pho I've tasted outside Vietnam in some place in Surry Hills - fantastic - but cant for the life of me remember what it was called. Some scrubby little cafe......

Didn't see said sauce Paul

 

Steak was OK, pretty good piece of meat tbh. Chips were OK. I mean, it was nice, but I wasn't raving about it. 7/10. It is quite pricey too, isn't it? (I wasn't paying, so no drama). I probably should have had something different, I mean at the end of the day a steak's a steak, but, well, if you go somewhere like that you have to have the meat, don't you? Mumu is better IMO

 

Fwiw, I find Sydney generally excellent for casual dining type places, middle market stuff. Lots of good cafes, restaurants and so on. And there are some really good ethnic places, especially Thai and Chinese (some stonking Chinese places in Chatswood, as you would expect, because it's probably a majority Chinese area). At the top end it's a bit lacking though. In fairness to the Meat & Wine Co, it's a middle market place, just one of the pricier ones

 

My favourite places to eat are still Dunes at Palm Beach, and Galley Foods at Bobbin Head (daytimes and summer weekend evenings only). Both because the world always seems a better place when it's sunny and I'm sitting in them. Food at both quite unpretentious and they've not let me down. I don't know why I didn't namecheck these previously tbh, especially the latter as it's pretty handy for Pymble??? Must be going senile in my old age

 

I had the best Pho I've tasted outside Vietnam in some place in Surry Hills - fantastic - but cant for the life of me remember what it was called. Some scrubby little cafe......

Hope they haven't taken the sauce of the menu. You had to order it as a side and got quite a big pot of it. I was like you northshore, not paying for it myself so I would have had a good cut of meat and whatever else I fancied. It's been a couple of years since I've been and last time I was in Darling Harbour the was a lot more choice with the new part opening. Have to try out a few of the new places next time I'm over.

Darling Quarter?

Taste cafe is really good. Excellent lunches. Braza is OK if you like that sort of thing, it's a chain, there are a few around. Not tried any of the other places, Stacks Taverna looks all right but not eaten there

The water playground down there is brilliant for kids. Actually the whole playground there is great, loads of stuff for older kids there which is good, as 90% of the playgrounds in Sydney are OK for under-6s but offer very little for kids a bit older

Darling Quarter?

 

Taste cafe is really good. Excellent lunches. Braza is OK if you like that sort of thing, it's a chain, there are a few around. Not tried any of the other places, Stacks Taverna looks all right but not eaten there

 

The water playground down there is brilliant for kids. Actually the whole playground there is great, loads of stuff for older kids there which is good, as 90% of the playgrounds in Sydney are OK for under-6s but offer very little for kids a bit older

That would be it I think. We stayed in the Holiday Inn near China Town and walked through there most days. Seemed to be a few places doing a good happy hour with $5 pints. We had the youngster with us otherwise we might have sampled a few more.

I love thier great food and wine, plus that special combination of excellent service.

thanks for the ideas... ahve thus far booked Aria near the opera house and thinking of "wildfire" also, potentially there or Jonas in Whale Beach...

You won't go wrong with "Aria" food is fantastic.......not cheap.....but fine dining. Also "Quay"......naturally at Circular Quay is also fantastic.....is rated in the top 50 worldwide....executive chef is Peter Gilmour......his snow egg desert is to use an oft used cliche to die for (so my partner exclaimed)......again not cheap but for a special occasion,.... like Aria......well worth the money.

Didn't see said sauce Paul

 

Steak was OK, pretty good piece of meat tbh. Chips were OK. I mean, it was nice, but I wasn't raving about it. 7/10. It is quite pricey too, isn't it? (I wasn't paying, so no drama). I probably should have had something different, I mean at the end of the day a steak's a steak, but, well, if you go somewhere like that you have to have the meat, don't you? Mumu is better IMO

 

Fwiw, I find Sydney generally excellent for casual dining type places, middle market stuff. Lots of good cafes, restaurants and so on. And there are some really good ethnic places, especially Thai and Chinese (some stonking Chinese places in Chatswood, as you would expect, because it's probably a majority Chinese area). At the top end it's a bit lacking though. In fairness to the Meat & Wine Co, it's a middle market place, just one of the pricier ones

 

My favourite places to eat are still Dunes at Palm Beach, and Galley Foods at Bobbin Head (daytimes and summer weekend evenings only). Both because the world always seems a better place when it's sunny and I'm sitting in them. Food at both quite unpretentious and they've not let me down. I don't know why I didn't namecheck these previously tbh, especially the latter as it's pretty handy for Pymble??? Must be going senile in my old age

 

I had the best Pho I've tasted outside Vietnam in some place in Surry Hills - fantastic - but cant for the life of me remember what it was called. Some scrubby little cafe......

Hey NSP....have you ever tried "The Balkan" in Oxford St. Haven't eaten there for 12 odd years but it was always great food (Croation) and large helpings......was wondering if it was still as good as ever ?

I have had some of the best steaks anywhere in The Meat and Wine Co. Next to the imax theatre in Darling Harbour. I love the vodka and blue cheese sauce they do, goes really well with a big steak. Never been disappointed there. I am usually over there on work trips and have eaten at some great restaurants. I went over with my wife and youngest for our wedding anniversary and thought we would go here for a treat.

 

Funny how you never really look at prices when work are paying but we went and had a look at the menu and my wife said "bit expensive isn't it". We ended up going to China town for something cheaper.:cool:

took the recommendation and wasnt let down, many thanks! The ribs and steak combo was superb! the only let down was being ripped of by a taxi driver (which in fairness isnt the restaurants fault!)

would recommend for a nice meal without being "exceptional" or top end... Aria was "nice" but left me wanting more so for that reason Im glad I went but wont be racing back to it - the food was lovely but..... I cant put my finger on it....it left me uninspired I suppose...!