Great places to eat in Sydney and NSW

If you’re not sure where to begin, start with The Sydney Connection for a curated dining tour of Sydney’s inner city precincts Darlinghurst, Potts Point and Surry Hills. Or visit Kiff and Culture for an immersive travel experience through local flavours of Northern NSW regions Tweed Valley and Byron Bay. To help inspire your next dining experience, we have curated some of our favourite places to eat in Sydney and across NSW. 

When you’re looking for a meal that goes beyond simple sustenance, the fine dining options in Sydney and NSW offer an elevated experience.  

• Ten Stories Sydney: Nestled on Market Street in the heart of the Sydney CBD, Ten Stories Sydney serves up a unique menu from award-winning Executive Chef John Pugliano. Recognised for their sustainable, locally sourced produce, be sure to try signature dishes to enjoy the surprise ingredient – honey sourced from the restaurant’s rooftop beehives! 

• Bar Morris: Housed within the art deco boutique Hotel Morris is an intimate Italian cocktail bar and restaurant. Bar Morris invites you into a cosy space where you can escape a busy day to enjoy good food and a small bar approach to mixology. 

• The Blue Door: Explore a diverse dinner with a seven plus course tasting menu that boasts sustainable and ethical produce from NSW farmers. This locally sourced produce influences an ever-evolving menu, so each visit is a new experience.  

• Nick and Noras: A cocktail and Champagne bar that brings glamorous and decadent post-prohibition soirees to the modern day accompanied by sky high views of Parramatta. The canapé-style menu showcases the best in local oysters, world-class caviar, artisanal cheeses, and charcuterie to complement your Champagne or cocktail. 

• Pipit Restaurant: Coastal dining and premium seasonal ingredients converge in a flavourful tribute to the Nothern Rivers. Enjoy the best local produce the region has to offer in an open-plan design that directly invites you into the creative culinary process.

For those who love to accompany their dinner with a good drop, consider a winery or distillery in regional NSW for your next great place to eat.

Amanda's on the Edge: A modern Australian menu, local wines and views of Windsor’s Edge vineyard await you at Amanda’s on the Edge. The staff are renowned for their extensive knowledge of local Hunter Valley wines and are delighted to recommend a complementary pairing for your meal. 

Zin House at Lowe Family Wines: Overlooking the organic Lowe vineyard and farm sits the Zin House. Feel at home in the modern farmhouse with regional dining excellence, highlighting local and home-grown produce, evoking the same spirit as the organic and biodynamic wines. Turn your visit into an overnight stay at Parklands Resort Mudgee, located a 7-minute drive from Zin House.  

• Centennial Vineyards: High teas, a la carte lunches, and Devonshire teas are the bread and butter of the Centennial Vineyards’ restaurant. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or making the everyday special, Centennial has something for everyone. 

• Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar: Located at Peppers Craigieburn homestead, enjoy a reprieve from the bustle of city life with heritage country charm. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are adapted seasonally to reflect the region’s harvest, bringing attention to the vibrancy of Southern Highland ingredients.

• Husk Distillers: In Northern NSW, make a day of it and wander the grounds of Husk Farm Distillery. Book a distillery tour and sample Husk’s trademark rum and ink gin, or just bask on the lawn as you enjoy a lazy lunch and a cocktail. 

Some of the top places to eat in Sydney and NSW are those that highlight indigenous ingredients. With sustainable farming practices and dishes that highlight the unique flavour profile on offer with native Australian produce, these venues are serving up innovative, modern takes on traditional foods. 

• Midden by Mark Olive: At Midden, chef Mark Olive invites you to embrace Indigenous gastronomy. Dishes include items like the Indigenous Australian grazing plate with NSW regional cheese, native thyme hummus and lemon myrtle tandoori crocodile. Anybody with a sweet tooth should also turn their attention to the dessert menu – which features stars like bush pavlova and strawberry gum panna cotta. Situated on Western Boardwalk Sydney Opera House, foodies will not want to miss this standout when it comes to great places to eat in Sydney and NSW. 

• Restaurant Kawul: Consider expanding your trip to Hunter Valley to include a meal at Restaurant Kawul. Located at Calais Estate in Pokolbin, the menu at Kawul includes a range of vegetarian, vegan and meat options with a keen focus on local, native, and organic produce used by our First Nations Ancestors. A must-visit that pays homage to Australia’s Indigenous heritage and multicultural present.

• Harvest Newrybar Restaurant: An old farmhouse converted restaurant, Harvest Restaurant utilises local native produce and ingredients from the township of Newrybar and its Byron Bay surrounds. Enjoy inventive, vibrant dishes against the cosy backdrop of the Northern Hinterlands. Our standout favourites include oysters with burnt lemon and thyme, followed by the market fish with burnt butter, lemon, and local greens. 

• Bush: Situated in Sydney’s Redfern, this unassuming eatery has a local, neighbourhood feel and a succinct dinner menu that concentrates on Indigenous ingredients. Highlight dishes include Warrigal green pesto risotto and wattle seed flan.

While fine dining is a treat, some days you’re in the mood for something more casual and understated to satisfy your hunger.  

• Mee So: Modern dining and cocktails inspired by the streets of Seoul and Toyko are on the menu at Mee So. Located on the doorstep of Surry Hills in ibis Styles Sydney Central, a diverse dining menu boasts a range fusion dishes with innovative flavour combinations. Pair your meal with a signature cocktail that packs a flavourful punch.

• Social Hideout: Fun and unique dishes await at the Social Hideout in Paramatta. The all-day breakfast makes planning brunch a breeze. Even the friends who demand a sleep-in and a late morning can still enjoy their pandan coconut French toast or lamb moussaka benedict. Grab your friends or family and celebrate each other's company over a delicious, picture-worthy breakfast or lunch.

• River Deck Café: Modern Australian cuisine on the banks of the Murray River from an award-winning restaurant – who could say no? River Deck Café’s menus are driven by the natural, native ingredients of the region. Combined with the river setting, you’re in for a unique, memorable dining experience. Situated along the Murray, River Deck Cafe is an ideal stop between Sydney and Melbourne, or an excuse to head away from the bustle of life and enjoy some of the great places to eat in the NSW region.  

• Yard Bird: Fantastic produce, delicious wine, bold flavours, and open-fire cooking are the cornerstones of this Albury gem. The kitchen is powered by Mibrasa wood-fired oven from Spain, and everything is cooked to order. Head Chef Simon Arkless leads Yard Bird, placing a focus on seasonal cooking with precision and care. 

• Madison Kitchen + Bar: Warm, casual and inviting, Mercure Charleston’s Madison Kitchen + Bar is known for its fresh, seasonal, locally sourced produce with a distinct contemporary flair. Nestled between Newcastle’s coast and the Hunter Valley wine region, this charming spot is perfect for a casual breakfast, lunch and dinner or special events.

• Native Food Ways: Freshly baked goods with ethically sourced native ingredients make Native Food Ways one of Sydney’s best bakeries. Located in The Wintergarden in Sydney’s CBD, stop by the bakery from 7 am to 2 pm to enjoy morning tea, lunch or an afternoon sweet treat.

With NSW being renowned for its fantastic coastline, you can trust that there are plenty of great places to eat in Sydney and NSW that feature seafood as the star of their menus. 

• Fins: Boasting 32 years of award-winning, sustainable seafood, the team at Fins still get excited about fresh fish. Located by the beach in pristine Kingscliff region of Northern NSW, Fins proudly claims the title as one of the best seafood restaurants in regional Australia. 

• Tweed River House: In a century-old grand river house with panoramic views and a curated menu that showcases the very best of each season’s produce, Tweed River House is an idyllic dining experience. The menu changes throughout the year according to the season and the available fresh produce, so even if you’ve been before, you might find something new to enjoy at this peaceful riverside restaurant. 

• Casay on the Beach: With its home at the BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort, enjoy stunning coastal views over the secluded Diggers Beach while sampling Asian and Italian-inspired cuisine that underscores the remarkable, seasonal seafood of Coffs Harbour. The philosophy of Casey on the Beach is simple: “The best things in life are meant to be shared.” 

• Taverna: On Kingscliff’s Marine Parade beachfront is Taverna, a boutique, Greek-inspired seafood restaurant. Indulge in the five-course feasting banquet or stop by on a Sunday night for the Chef's Sustainable Banquet – a collection of 4 courses utilising the best local produce the team has on site. This menu changes weekly and features dishes from the a la carte menu as well as new dishes yet to be featured on the menu. 

• The Whalebone Wharf: Expansive waterfront views and world-class cuisine make The Whalebone Wharf an unmissable dining destination in Port Macquarie. Between intimate gatherings or large-scale events, savour fresh, flavour-packed seafood from regional suppliers.

It’s clear that both Sydney and regional NSW have some fantastic restaurants that any foodie would love to visit. If there’s just too many good restaurants to try in a day, make a trip of it and book a stay in a Sydney hotel or NSW hotel to fully indulge in the best dining the state has to offer.