Aria is a star in Sydney’s fine-dining firmament, an award-winning combination of chef Joel Bickford’s stellar dishes, floor-to-ceiling windows staring straight at the Opera House, a stylishly renovated interior and faultless service. A good-value pre- and post-theatre menu is perfect for a special meal before or after a night at the Opera House (two/three courses $90/120).
Aria
Top choice in Circular Quay & The Rocks
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.29 MILES
Definitively Sydney, Bondi is one of the world’s great beaches. It’s the closest ocean beach to the city centre (8km away), has consistently good (though…
0.45 MILES
Sydneysiders love their giant 'coathanger', which opened in 1932. The best way to experience this majestic structure is on foot. Stairs and lifts ascend…
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
15.25 MILES
A spectacular mix of sandstone, Australian bushland and tranquil water vistas, this 14,928-hectare park forms Sydney’s northern boundary. It’s located 20…
4.18 MILES
Lovely Watsons Bay, east of the city centre and north of Bondi, was once a small fishing village, as evidenced by the heritage cottages that pepper the…
1.94 MILES
A 12-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, this forested harbour hillside is full of kangaroos, koalas and similarly hirsute Australians, plus numerous…
0.16 MILES
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, this magnificent building is Australia's most famous landmark. Visually referencing a yacht's sails, it's a…
5.62 MILES
About 3km south of central Manly, spectacular North Head offers dramatic cliffs, lookouts, secluded beaches, pretty paths through the native scrub, and…
20.07 MILES
This central section of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a spectacular wilderness, with awe-inspiring vistas over Pittwater and Broken Bay, hidden beach…
Nearby Circular Quay & The Rocks attractions
0.11 MILES
Metal discs cast into the promenade hold ruminations from Australian writers (and the odd literary visitor). The likes of Mark Twain, Germaine Greer,…
0.12 MILES
Set within the Royal Botanic Gardens, this Gothic sandstone mansion (built 1837–43) is the official residence of the Governor of NSW. Its lovely loggia…
0.16 MILES
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, this magnificent building is Australia's most famous landmark. Visually referencing a yacht's sails, it's a…
4. Overseas Passenger Terminal
0.21 MILES
Multi-storey luxury cruise ships anchor at this large terminal, disgorging hordes of shaky-legged tourists onto the Quay. For a killer harbour view, head…
0.22 MILES
In a sandstone building that once headquartered the Water Police, this atmospheric museum plunges you straight into Sydney noir. An assemblage of black…
0.24 MILES
Built in 1816 for Superintendent of Government Boats John Cadman (a former convict with a commuted death sentence for horse theft), this is the inner city…
0.25 MILES
The cheerful, quasi-childlike work of Sydney artist Ken Done is exhibited inside the lavishly restored Australian Steam Navigation Building. Expect…
0.25 MILES
The elegant 1885 Customs House houses this three-level library. There's a great selection of international newspapers and magazines, internet access and…