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Mongers
Gourmet, grease-free fish-and-chips for those who are fond of tradition, but not at the expense of their waistline. Grab some low-joule grilled whiting and some thin-cut sweet-potato chips and head for the sand.
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Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen
Shimmering in plastique splendour beneath the monorail, Mother Chu's blends vegetarian Taiwanese, Japanese and Chinese influences to ensure the perfect tofu or claypot hit. There's not much going on in terms of ambience, but the veg-lovers don't seem to mind.
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Nick's
This hugely popular, glass-fronted fishbowl is king of the newly ensconced Bondi Pavilion restaurants. Mood and marketing are 'mainstream chain' (Nick's is one of five around town), but the beach views are bodacious. Try the kangaroo fillet or char-grilled octopus with tomato, fetta and olives.
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North Bondi Italian Food
Expansive windows float your eyes beyond the terrace to the sighing North Bondi swell. You won't hear any sighs inside (it's all hard surfaces and conversations) but the pasta, seafood, soups and salads engage your other senses. Try the generous wild boar papardelle . Wines by the glass.
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Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Goat curry! This place has won more 'Sydney's Best Indian' accolades than you've had vindaloos. Jazz plays as patrons tuck into tandoori quail and duck curry with kipfler potatoes and leeks. Owner Basil is as spicy as his cooking.
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Old Fish Shop Café
In a converted fish shop (no prizes for figuring that out), this is Newtown's tattooed, dreadlocked, caffeine-hungry hub. Friendly pierced staff will fix you a double shot as you put your feet up on the cushions in the window and watch the freak-show on the street.
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One Alfred Street
An unexpected gem among the morass of Circular Quay fast-food joints, One Alfred Street serves up classics like slow-cooked Wagyu beef with potato and parsnip flakes and quality fish-and-chips. Also great for a morning caffeine fix or a lazy afternoon vino (Antipodean wines only!).
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Osteria dei Poeti
Fostering 'benign benevolence' through stomach satisfaction, the talkative 'Tavern of Poets' serves unpretentious, home-style Italian that's poetic enough to be beyond most domestic kitchens. If the occasional poetry readings are overly florid, head for the deck outside.
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Otto
Forget the glamorous waterfront location and A-list crowd - what Otto will be remembered for is single-handedly dragging Sydney's Italian cooking into the new century. Dishes like strozzapreti con gamberi (artisan pasta with fresh Yamba prawns, tomato, chilli and black olives) define culinary perfection. Bookings essential.
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Otto Ristorante
Otto is one of Sydney's best restaurants, complete with water views and covered promenade seating. Chef James Kidman whips up a fine pasta selection (try the fresh egg taglierini with baby clams) and some truly gourmet meats (such as the braised wagyu beef cheeks with potato gnocchi). Find it among a handful of other eateries; it'll be the most popular one.
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Park Café
Tucked away in a surprisingly leafy pocket of Alexandria with the factory outlets only a block away, Park Café is a great spot to refuel during a shopping frenzy or to celebrate your bargains with a glass of wine on the sunny terrace. The food's fresh and fabulous with a distinctly Mediterranean feel and the coffee's excellent.
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Perry Lane Café
Follow the freeway-style signs down Perry La to this unexpected little café and escape the Oxford St hubbub for a while. There's great coffee, breakfast burritos, and it's very kid- and tea-drinker-friendly (each with dedicated menu pages). The lemon chicken Turkish sandwich with chilli mayonnaise is a doozey.
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Pier
Jutting out over pretty Rose Bay, Pier has a well-deserved reputation for delicately cooked, incredibly fresh seafood that is unsurpassed in Sydney and quite possibly the whole country. A recently added tasting room offers bite-sized versions of the grown-up portions next door; it's still not exactly a cheap option (around A$18 - A$34 ) and don't expect to walk away replete.
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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).
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Pizza e Birra
Bentwood chairs clatter across the polished concrete floor; friends laugh, clink glasses and unwind; waiters spin, smile and style - Pizza e Birra is the perfect neighbourhood bistro, with enough style to be cool, and enough familiarity to be comfortable. Try the classic Napoletana pizza: tomato, mozzarella, olives and anchovies, washed down with a cold Peroni.
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Pompei's
While the pizza here is good, it's the northern Italian dishes whipped up by ex-pat George Pompei that are really special. Try the delicious handmade ravioli stuffed with spinach, ricotta and nutmeg, but be sure to leave room for the flavoursome sorbets and gelati.
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Prasit's Northside Thai Takeaway
There are only a handful of tables upstairs at this popular plum-painted eatery, so put your name on the list and grab a drink nearby. The menu covers a wide range of Thai specialties; look for the sublime Moreton Bay Bug in curry sauce in the specials.
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Prime
Need a massive shot of iron? Venture into this carnivores' paradise, deep in a dark, subterranean sandstone bunker. The succulent 400g, aged rib-eye with silky potato puree and a red wine sauce is a protein-packed knockout.
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Pure Wholefoods
Where Manly's hippie surfers come to refuel, this wholefood mini-market has a great little street café where you can chose from all manner of organic vegetarian goodies including flavour-filled flans, salads, nori rolls, cakes and cookies. Those on more restrictive diets (including vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free) are also catered for.
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Quay
Quay is shamelessly guilty of breaking the rule that good views make for bad food. Peter Gilmore may be one of Sydney's younger celebrity chefs, but Quay's exquisite cuisine proves he's at the top of his game (doubters should try the crispy-skin Murray cod with shitake). And the view? Like dining in a postcard. Bookings are recommended.
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Raw Bar
While the traditional way to eat fish in Bondi is with a coating of batter and a couple of scallops, these days Bondi's movers and groovers share big plates of super fresh sushi and sashimi at this wasabi-hued, bento-box sized restaurant. Views of Bondi beach are a bonus.
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Red Lantern
Before anything else, call to make reservations - and ask for a front-terrace table. This hot Vietnamese joint, headed by Mark Jensen and the brother and sister team of Luke and Pauline Nguyen, serves up some great shrimp rolls in rice paper and an exotic muc rang muoi (chilli salted squid), all the while softly glowing in atmospheric lighting.
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Relish On Regent
This little deli in the backstreets of Paddington has a large communal table and sunny window seats. Chose from the enticing salads, filo pastries and frittatas at the counter or direct the construction of your own sandwich from the fresh ingredients. This is a great place to assemble a picnic on the way to Centennial Park or the beaches.
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Ripples
Flanked by the Harbour Bridge and the manic grin of Luna Park, the food does well to compete with the view and come out a winner. Expect lots of seafood with subtle Asian and European flavours on the ever-changing menu, along with fish and chips (around A$22 ) cooked to crispy perfection.
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Rockpool
Some of Sydney's finest food is produced at this sleekest of Neil Perry's restaurants, which has been tingling diners' culinary senses for over 15 years. The award-winning seafood is exceptional, with filtered tanks keeping critters fresh until the very last minute. Your cheque will be astronomical, but Rockpool remains a quintessential Sydney experience.
