Restaurants in New South Wales
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A
Betty’s Soup Kitchen
An unpretentious retro diner in the Oxford St maw, Betty’s serves a simple menu of soups (d’uh), pies, pastas, stew, bangers and mash, and fish fingers, with a salad bar on the side. Awesome value. We’re not convinced the photo of Betty on the menu is legit – she seems too regal somehow…
reviewed
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B
Zinc Bar
Corner bistros don't come fancier than this joint, and if you score an outdoor table you'll be sitting among the prettiest people in Potts Point. Luxurious breakfasts (think pancakes with spiced plum sauce and creme fraiche, or poached-pear muesli) are served until mid-afternoon on weekends, when you'll fight for a spot.
reviewed
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C
Concrete
This slick, minimalist joint boasts tasty offerings like buttermilk pancakes with grilled pineapple for breakfast, while lunch means eggplant and roasted almond ravioli or Mediterranean lamb skewers. Enjoy it all at a shady outdoor table. The location is a bit off the tourist path, just a few blocks from Darling Harbour.
reviewed
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D
Fu Manchu Restaurant
Think 21st-century Hong Kong slick chic, with chopsticks and elbows getting a workout. Here you will find some of the best Asian eating in Darlinghurst, and it won't kill your wallet. Wrap your fingers around some steamed barbecue pork or ginger buns for a heavenly treat. Plenty of vegetarian options are also available.
reviewed
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E
Pinto Thai
Avoid the fast and furious takeaway downstairs and try to hook a table in the little upstairs dining room - there are surprising harbour bridge views. Most of the usual Thai faves (curries and stir fries) are under around A$20 but you'll shell out a little more for crab (blue swimmer or soft shell with a lychee salad).
reviewed
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F
Ripples
Flanked by the Harbour Bridge, the choppy harbour and Luna Park’s insane grin, Ripples does well to compete with the view and come out on top. Expect lots of seafood with subtle Asian and European flavours, along with fish and chips cooked to crispy perfection.
reviewed
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G
Caffe Salina
Salina is onto a winner, with long brunches and hangover specials (bacon, egg, steak, roast tomatoes, chips and a glass of iced Berocca). Fix-you-up food, great coffee and soothing seaside air – perfect for when you’re feeling subpar. It’s licensed too, if you feel like launching another assault.
reviewed
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H
Dolcetta
Perhaps it's because they double as a providore that this friendly little neighbourhood eatery can offer beautiful meals at such reasonable prices. Where else in Sydney can you find fresh, zingy blue swimmer crab pasta with garlic and lemon zest for around A$13? Try the truffled scrambled eggs for breakfast.
reviewed
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I
Uchi Lounge
Dress up creatively - your server certainly will, and the decor will reflect that. Blissful Japanese food takes centre stage; however, start with chilled udon with lime ponzu and follow with kingfish sashimi, seared tuna or tempura oysters. The raspberry lychee or ginger sake goes down real smooth.
reviewed
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J
Pure Wholefoods
This wholefood minimart has a great little street cafe serving organic vegetarian goodies, including flavoursome flans, salads, nori rolls, cakes, cookies, wraps, burgers and smoothies. Vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free purists are also catered for.
reviewed
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K
Fusion 7
Chef Lindsey Schwab worked with the father of fusion cuisine, Peter Gordon, in London but returned to Port to be closer to his family. Despite this pedigree and the restaurant's name, the food is more Mod Oz than fusion. Desserts are particularly delicious.
reviewed
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L
Deus Cafe
Strewn with vintage motorcycles and kooky two-wheelin’ art, Deus Cafe is an extension of an eccentric motorbike shop on frenzied Parramatta Rd. Start the day with a classic: a Triumph Bonneville T100 or a ham-and-cheese croissant with a high-revving coffee. Hearty mains (burgers, steak sandwiches, pasta) kick in as the day progresses.
reviewed
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M
DOV
It's probably linked to endless nights of party-love, but big breakfasts are something Sydney does well. DOV, the busiest café on Victoria St, does one of the best. If they sleep through breakfast, locals, backpackers, style-mongers and filmmakers squish in for lunch and dinner. The DOV burger reigns supreme.
reviewed
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N
Fifi's
Chef Fifi Fudda brought the secret of her deliciously smoky baba ganouge dip with her from Beirut. Her restaurant gives Lebanese cuisine the respect it deserves, with white linen and classy décor. Opt for either a three-course omnivore or vegetarian banquet (around A$30) or supersize to five-courses.
reviewed
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O
Green's Café
This institution-green neighbourhood café has a 1950s nana-chic aesthetic and is prone to doing oddball things like hosting tea towel and apron exhibitions. Devonshire teas are served, but the menu is contemporary café fare, with excellent all-day breakfasts (try the delicious parmesan scrambled eggs).
reviewed
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P
Maya Tandoori
On a strip of mainly vegetarian Indian restaurants, Maya is proof that the best dinner companion ain’t always the prettiest. Bright lights, naff furniture, general lack of ambience…don’t be deterred! The food’s authentic, spicy and great value. Get preposterously coloured Indian sweets next door at Maya Sweets.
reviewed
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Q
Café Sofia
In the heart of Erskineville village, Café Sofia's sunny back courtyard is a popular spot to enjoy an all-day breakfast and great coffee. The salmon muffin with poached eggs and salad is a steal at around A$6, and the friand and cake selection is always fresh and luscious. Greek mezze is served after 18:00.
reviewed
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R
Savoy
The Savoy has booths (we love booths), perfect for day-time pastas, burgers, focaccias and salads. At night the lights lower and the menu lifts – progressive dishes such as pan-seared barramundi with lime and chilli, and kangaroo sirloin with roast zucchini, garlic and red wine jus bring smiles to faces.
reviewed
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S
La Piadina
A piadina is a filled flat bread common in northern Italy, and the Zizioli brothers are the only ones serving them in Sydney. Fillings include prosciutto, rocket, mozzarella and ndjua, a kind of spicy sausage. Have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but whatever you do have them – they’re delicious!
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Chu Bay
It's a little sad to be blowing the cover of this local hideaway, but this wonderful family-run eatery is one of our very favourites. This is an authentically Vietnamese establishment - the pink walls and moving waterfall 'paintings' prove it. The food is always fresh and flavoursome and the service welcoming.
reviewed
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And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
Local yuppies cram into this charming little Paddington deli to lunch on beauties like great pasta or organic chicken and tofu burgers. It's a primo spot to pick up picnic fixings or takeaway lunches and dinners, and breakfast is served all day. Try the low-fat 'skinny burger' - it tastes too good to be true.
reviewed
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V
Barefoot Coffee Traders
Run by surfer lads serving fair-trade organic coffee from a bathroom-sized shop, Barefoot heralds a new wave of Manly cool. Food is limited but the Belgian chocolate waffles go magically well with macchiato. Opposite the wharf, there's a second cafe, which works symbiotically with its neighbour Adriano Zumbo; grab some sublime patisserie and devour it over a coffee.
reviewed
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W
De Luca
The main contender for Sydney’s best gelato. The third-generation artisans at De Luca (since 1937) whip up all the usual flavours, as well as the more exotic; try the whimsical rose petal or the challenging chocolate and chilli. They even churn up a beer-flavoured version for St Paddy’s Day.
reviewed
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X
Xic Lo
Xic Lo’s shiny, angular interior is a glossy departure from the pho houses of yore. The menu, though, is reassuringly familiar: fresh rice-paper rolls, vermicelli salads and piping-hot bowls of aromatic pho (soup with slippery rice noodles, fragrant basil and beef) are the stars.
reviewed
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Y
Badde Manors
The feeling’s eclectically Old World, but Badde Manors is a New Age kinda joint. It can get hectic here, but service remains cool and composed – no sign of the alleged bad manners. Dogs sleep blissfully outside, dreaming of the Portuguese custard tarts and rhubarb crumble behind the glass.
reviewed