The best outdoor dining spots in Sydney

Out here in the sunny, white courtyard, beneath the thin branches of olive trees, all of Bondi’s well-heeled gather for long lunches and Insta pics of Totti's infamous puffy flatbread – and you can join them. Pick out a bunch of small, share plates – ripe, sweet tomatoes, creamy, languid burrata, and the glorious mortadella should be enough to start you off (and keep you coming back again and again). 

The jewel in the (shell) house is no doubt the Dining Room & Terrace, found on the ninth floor. Designed by Anna Hewett, the sun-lit room features a large open kitchen, cream lamps and beige curved seating. Outside, a wrap-around terrace dotted with fruit trees and cityscape views has long, Champagne-spiked lunches written all over it.

Despite appearances, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel isn't exclusively the domain of the high-flying Eastern Suburbs boomer generation – it's also a lovely spot to sit down for a casual lunch, drink in hand, brimmed hat at the ready. Grab a crisp serve of fish and chips with a zingy tartare sauce, or settle in for a Bloody Mary if it's that kind of afternoon.

Beauty and convenience don’t always go hand in hand, but Opera Bar is a glam exception to the rule. With its menu highlighting local produce, and packed to the brim with sashimi, oysters and cocktails galore, it's perfect for a pre-show snack. You might be jostling for space with other harbourside punters, but it's totally worth it for when you nab that primo spot on the promenade. 

You’ll spot the pink tablecloths first. Cloaked over tables lined up perfectly along Potts Point’s Challis Ave, they are an excellent contrast against the restaurant’s black and grey exterior. Bistrot 916 is by the extremely clever powerhouses behind Alberto’s Lounge and Pellegrino 2000, some of our favourite restaurants in Sydney. So when you see the pink, know you’re in for a damn good time and a delicious feed. We say, book early and sit outside.

Coogee Pav is a venue that takes full advantage of its multi-million dollar location right on the northern headland. Come for the smokey wood-fired pizzas or order a dozen oysters with a bottle of Champagne and a selection of Mediterranean snacks dished out under blue skies on the rooftop. It’s the sort of place you can go as hard or easy as you like. 

After ten years of silver service at Ormeggio, chef Alessandro Pavoni decided to change the game. Ormeggio at the Spit is now a much-loved Italian seafood restaurant. The new direction is inspired by Pavoni’s affection for the culinary style of the Southern Italian region of Puglia (the heel of the boot). While its outdoor areas are relatively small, the glass-box walls of the dining room fully retract so you can marvel at those jaw-dropping harbour views while you feast. 

If you haven’t been down to Barangaroo lately, you’re missing out. During the day, the harbourside spot is buzzing with office workers, strolling tourists and restaurants packed to the rafters. We love to see it. One of those spots is Turkish restaurant Anason, by the Efendy Group (also Maydanoz and Baharat). Located right on the water and featuring alfresco dining, Anason serves up elevated Turkish cuisine with a seafood focus.

Stunning Parasian brasserie and Time Out’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant 2023 now offers outdoor dining – so you can enjoy your fine French fare with a side of people watching on Crown Street. While Armorica’s opulent dining room is one of our favourites in town, we also love that you can now lap up fresh air and sunshine with lunch.

Occupying a nebulous space between bar and restaurant, this sleek Surry Hills spot doesn't need to define itself. Sit outside on the polished timber tables and watch streetgoers walk by with the other locals. With a stiff drink in hand courtesy of the resident mixologists and a plethora of matching snacks, Dead Ringer has got you covered. 

You’d think going out for a little fancy fish with water views would be a simple request in a harbour-front city, but it typically yields only fish and chips by the beach – good, but low key – or a dire tourist trap that’s overpriced and over-boiled. But then Barangaroo came along and hot-housed a dining strip along Wululgul Walk and suddenly we had options for dinner in Darling Harbour. The entire precinct has undergone a game-changing redevelopment in recent years becoming one of Sydney's most up-and-coming dining destinations, and Cirrus, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt's seafood fine diner, is at the heart of it.

At this Palm Springs-inspired getaway on the lower North Shore, you can revel in summer vibes while getting your serve of a true Australian classic – the humble chicken schnitty. But don't worry, Longueville Hotel welcomes veggie lovers too, with heaps of vegeterian options. Time Out's top pick on the menu is the signature villa flatbread filled with your choice of zucchini and preserved lemon, tiger prawns and calamri, buffalo mozzarella, or spicy chorizo. Sign us up. 

For views out over the glistening waters of the stunning Rose Bay (without the yikes price-tag of its wharf front neighbour Catalina), this glass-walled eatery jutting out over the water affords you fresh seafood and expansive views. Seafood of all kinds is naturally strongly represented on the menu – and it just makes sense to slurp Appellation Oysters when you’re sitting so close to lapping water.

At this Crown Street laneway eatery, alfresco is more provincial French countryside than Mediterranean beachside. Think cute, fairy-lit benches, overhanging trees and cast-iron tables dotted around the garden. It's a Surry Hills establishment, but somehow manages to be romantic without being saccharine, and cosy without being claustrophic. Looking for teh perfect date night in the sun? Here's your spot. 

Back in the day, a visit to Sydney wasn't complete without a visit to the family-friendly nooks and picture-perfect crannies of the Grounds. You'd know it was a long wait to get in, but it was an honour you'd queue for. While the brand of prettily plated café fare popularised by places like the Grounds has filtered out to eateries around the city, it's still a beautiful spot to wander around, pet the pigs and grab a fresh brewed takeaway coffee to sit in the sun with. 

Woolloomooloo Wharf is a historic example of the timber finer wharfs that used to be found all over Sydney Habour. It's been converted into Sydney's most stylish residential flats, but you'll also find some of Sydney's finest restaurants such as China Doll, Manta and Kingsleys, which all benefit from beautiful views of the water that are perfect for a long alfresco lunch during the warmer months.