Melon and sorbet dessert at Hubert
Photograph: Anna Kucera
Photograph: Anna Kucera

Sydney restaurant and café reviews

Looking for somewhere great to eat in Sydney? Check out the latest reviews from our food critics

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  • Seafood
  • Wollongong
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  The vibe Located on Lawrence Hargrave Drive in the idyllic seaside village of Coledale, about a 20-minute drive from Wollongong, is Rosie’s Fish & Chips – home to the best fish and chips in the state, in my books (and judging by the line snaking out the door, half the South Coast might agree). The family-owned shop is run by British-born chef Ben Sinfield and his partner Tania Ho, and is named after their daughter. There are a handful of blue tables out the front, but your best bet is to waddle down the hill and enjoy your lunch on the grassy patch in front of Sharky Beach with front-row ocean views. And that lunch? It’s reely, reely good. The food Rosie’s Fish & Chips serves sustainable, wild-caught Aussie fish, depending on what’s fresh and available – such as gurnard, flathead, sea bream, blue mackerel and pink ling – all sourced directly from local fishermen. Opt to get it grilled or beer-battered in an ale from Wollongong’s Principal Brewing. The fish itself is pristinely fresh, succulent and delicious with a squeeze of lemon and dunked into a zingy, chunky tartare. The chippies take home my Best Chip Award. Spuds are cut by hand and cooked in Aussie beef dripping – adding an extra layer of depth and flavour. They’re triple-cooked until deeply...
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  • Mediterranean
  • Paddington
  • price 3 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  When I see “Mediterranean” used to describe a restaurant, my mind usually drifts to Italy and Greece. But The Palomar, they say, takes inspiration from Southern Spain, Northern Africa, and the Levant (all the lands along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, including Syria, Lebanon and Jordan). How that translates on a menu: basically, flame-grilled meats, seafoods and veggies, served with colourful, punchy sauces, and made to share. But there’s nothing basic about Mitch Orr’s food. When a chef this exciting gives culinary direction, you know it’s going to be thrilling. At this Oxford Street restaurant – unveiled with the launch of the new 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia – Mediterranean food gets a jolt of Orr’s signature intensity and playfulness. It's a genuinely fresh addition to inner Sydney’s restaurant scene. The Palomar Sydney is the sister venue to a popular London restaurant of the same name, founded by hospo siblings Layo and Zoë Paskin. Orr once worked alongside the pair and, here in Sydney, he’s joined by head chef Luke Davenport, who started his career at The Palomar London a decade ago before working in kitchens including at Noma (Copenhagen) and Franca Brasserie (Sydney). Now, Sydney is lucky to have this formidable duo land together...
  • Thai
  • Haymarket
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Its doors open onto the humdrum footpath of a CBD street, but there is a distinctive feel of north-eastern Thailand at Yok Yor. Its Isan heritage is palpable, unmistakably flavoured with smoke, fish sauce, chilli and lime. Set between faceless Sydney office buildings at the eastern end of Thai Town, Yok Yor serves some of the most authentic versions of classic Isan dishes available south of Khon Kaen, and some of the best Thai food in all of Sydney. The vibe We visit for a weekday lunch and sit at a steel table on the footpath, close to the hush of passing taxis and zipping bike couriers. Yok Yor’s outdoor tables sit behind concrete barricades on Campbell Street, and they are scuffed by years of cutlery and conversation. Across the road, the windows of Thai grocery shops are stacked with brightly-coloured packets and tins. Although it describes itself as a ‘Thai Food Factory’, the interior is far from industrial. It’s homey and unmistakably Thai, with neon signs, food murals, long wooden tables and fishbone ferns hanging from ceiling baskets. The food At an Isan restaurant, I’d normally (maybe always) order som tum. But, to try something a little different, I go for the tum tang ($19.50), which substitutes green papaya with thinly sliced cucumber. The...
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  • Italian
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  “I’m in love. I’m having a relationship with my pizza.” Those are the words said by Julia Roberts’ character Elizabeth Gilbert in the 2010 romcom Eat Pray Love as she bites into a thin, floppy slice of Margherita pizza topped with summer-ripe tomatoes and melted mozzarella. She’s dining at L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Naples, a family-run restaurant founded in 1870. That fleeting scene was enough to catapult Da Michele into global fame, with 80 pizzerias now found worldwide from London to Tokyo and Milan. Last December, L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele opened its first-ever Australian venture on Sydney’s Pitt Street near Circular Quay. So, how does it stack up against the city’s already excellent scene? The pizzas are pretty great. And considering a classic – and ginormous – Margherita will set you back $18, it’s fantastic value. But it’s not all sunshine and tomatoes. We had to request serving cutlery for our starters. Our Montepulciano came in mismatched glasses, including one branded ‘Select Spritz’ (though, at $12 a pop, who really cares?). Instead of crisp cos, the ‘Original Caesar’ was made with what looked and tasted like a pre-mixed bag from Woolies. Still, if you’re after affordable Napoli-style pizza in the CBD – minus the jetlag – smashable...
  • French
  • Chippendale
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
March 2025 update: Chez Beckett's relocated from its original Glebe site on Glebe Point Road to 3 Kensington Street in Spice Alley, Chippendale, late in 2025. While the address may have changed, its elegant vibe and seasonal French classics remain. Read on for our write-up from July 2022. ***** Here at Time Out, we have a long held soft spot for eccentricity. Eccentricity leads to incredible art, out-side-the-box creativity, opulent gastronomy and, as it turns out, 30 year old heritage listed architecture. Allow us to explain.  Established in 1870, Glebe's Saint John's Bishopthorpe was erected as stunning gothic-style sandstone church, with all the stained glass, arched windows and convict-chipped sandstone bricks you'd expect of the era. What you might not expect, however, is that after the church was gutted by fire and left in ruin in the 80s, an eccentric dentist and Glebe local would take 11 years digging out the garden of his home and moving those blocks, brick by brick, to create a purpose-built subterranean restaurant in his own yard. The result? A heritage listed building that's stood for less than half a century.  For years, the space at 134 Glebe Point road was occupied by Darling Mills, an early pioneer in Sydney's farm-to-plate movement, and nowadays, it's home to Beckett's.  Chef Jeff Schroeter (Bayswater Brasserie, Bistro Moncur) has teamed up with playwright and director Wendy Beckett to create an all-class French brasserie with all the design and flair of a...
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  • Seafood
  • Coogee
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  The sloth-speed expansion of Rick Stein’s Aussie empire has been painful for Sydneysiders. His first outpost, back in 2009, missed Sydney’s CBD by about 240km, appearing in the comparatively undeserving beach town of Mollymook. We then had to wait nine years for the sequel, which, in a cruel twist, skirted the city by a similar margin in the opposite direction, popping up in the equally unassuming Soldiers Point. But now, a whole 17 years after Britain’s most famous seafood chef took his business Down Under, Sydney finally has its reward. And it comes with something the other two restaurants no longer offer: Rick’s world-renowned fish and chips. Deep-fried in dripping. More on that later. The vibe The restaurant fairly relentlessly ticks the boxes of what you’d expect for a high-end fish diner in the eastern suburbs. The walls and tables and waiters’ uniforms are white. The staff are tirelessly attentive. The decor includes a spotless ice bar, banks of fake plant life and a collection of massive ocean-related artworks. Located on the ground floor of the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, the 224-seat venue encompasses a sprawling indoor dining room and a smaller outdoor zone which offers flashes of the nearby water. It’s familiar territory for the TV...
  • Chinese
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here.  On the first floor of the heritage-listed Porter House building on Castlereagh Street is Lee Ho Fook, the Sydney iteration of chef Victor Liong’s (ex-Mr Wong, Marque) acclaimed Melbourne fine diner, which opened its doors in September 2025. Just like her older southern sister, this is a dress-up-for-dinner, special-occasion kind of place. For Liong, who grew up in Sydney, it’s a full-circle moment – one that tells the story of modern Chinese cooking with confidence. With executive chef Brad Guest (ex-Sepia, Sixpenny, Oncore by Clare Smyth, Shell House) and chef de cuisine Laxman Argeja (ex-King Clarence, Monopole, Yellow) at the helm, I'm excited to see what’s on offer.  The vibe Handsome and quietly luxe. Think exposed brick, dark-stained timber, red accents and arched windows that let in the afternoon sun when I visit for a Friday lunch. The crowd is a mix of people indulging in business lunches, first dates and celebratory meals. As we’re guided past the bar, we spot a cabinet full of hanging ducks (no sitting ducks here), which prompts us to order the Peking duck as soon as we’re seated – it needs over half an hour to prep, after all. There’s a warm hum to the space, helped along by Victor’s sister Nance Liong (ex-Momofuku Seiobo, Fred’s) whose...
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  • Italian
  • Circular Quay
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Change is afoot in Circular Quay with a spate of new openings pulling the precinct up by its Ken Done-patterned souvenir socks. These days, there are restaurants and bars coaxing visitors and locals to slow down and immerse themselves in the scene. Flaminia is up there with the best of them. The vibe The rain falls in silent sheets outside the glass-fronted Flaminia in Circular Quay. It’s scattering the tourists scuttling past in their Birkenstocks and plastic ponchos. We watch them racing for the Bungaree ferry bound for Milsons Point, queuing for gelato, and hustling along the promenade to the Opera Bar. There’s plenty to catch the eye on the harbour, as the heritage Manly ferry tears a rough seam through the water in its wake. It’s a front-row seat here at Flaminia, which presents like a ship that has chosen to dock permanently on Level 2 of the Pullman Quay Sydney Harbour. Fitting, really, given the new Italian restaurant by Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini is named after the ship that brought Marilyn’s mother and grandmother to Australia in 1959. Studio Gram’s design leans into those maritime cues: warm timber tones, curves that call to mind water slapping against a hull and shipping rope coiled around soaring columns. Above our table hang...
  • Sydney
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Let’s start with the obvious: the views from Infinity by Mark Best are outrageous. This newish restaurant is on the 81st floor of Sydney’s tallest tower, so the panorama from about 300 metres up is not just spectacular but constantly shifting – literally revolving. There’s no such thing as a bad seat. Over the course of our meal, the city unfurls beneath us: the points and coves of the harbour, Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral, the Victorian elegance of the QVB – and, on a clear day, you can see all the way to the eastern beaches and the distant Blue Mountains. The views alone justify the visit, but pairing them with food from Michelin-trained Australian chef Mark Best (with head chef Jen Kwok Lee, named Good Food Guide's 2026 Young Chef of the Year) is the cherry on top. Together, they deliver a quintessential Sydney experience you should have at least once in your life. The vibe The décor of this Sydney Tower restaurant is pared-back and modernist (it’s giving Mad Men), a neat match for the building’s architectural bones. Stylish wooden chairs with black leather padding line black tables. They’re set directly against the glass walls, which are framed by gleaming gold-toned beams, so diners sit right at the window. If you’re scared of heights, don’t...
  • Seafood
  • Wollongong
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  The vibe Located on Lawrence Hargrave Drive in the idyllic seaside village of Coledale, about a 20-minute drive from Wollongong, is Rosie’s Fish & Chips – home to the best fish and chips in the state, in my books (and judging by the line snaking out the door, half the South Coast might agree). The family-owned shop is run by British-born chef Ben Sinfield and his partner Tania Ho, and is named after their daughter. There are a handful of blue tables out the front, but your best bet is to waddle down the hill and enjoy your lunch on the grassy patch in front of Sharky Beach with front-row ocean views. And that lunch? It’s reely, reely good. The food Rosie’s Fish & Chips serves sustainable, wild-caught Aussie fish, depending on what’s fresh and available – such as gurnard, flathead, sea bream, blue mackerel and pink ling – all sourced directly from local fishermen. Opt to get it grilled or beer-battered in an ale from Wollongong’s Principal Brewing. The fish itself is pristinely fresh, succulent and delicious with a squeeze of lemon and dunked into a zingy, chunky tartare. The chippies take home my Best Chip Award. Spuds are cut by hand and cooked in Aussie beef dripping – adding an extra layer of depth and flavour. They’re triple-cooked until deeply...
  • Mediterranean
  • Paddington
  • price 3 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  When I see “Mediterranean” used to describe a restaurant, my mind usually drifts to Italy and Greece. But The Palomar, they say, takes inspiration from Southern Spain, Northern Africa, and the Levant (all the lands along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, including Syria, Lebanon and Jordan). How that translates on a menu: basically, flame-grilled meats, seafoods and veggies, served with colourful, punchy sauces, and made to share. But there’s nothing basic about Mitch Orr’s food. When a chef this exciting gives culinary direction, you know it’s going to be thrilling. At this Oxford Street restaurant – unveiled with the launch of the new 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia – Mediterranean food gets a jolt of Orr’s signature intensity and playfulness. It's a genuinely fresh addition to inner Sydney’s restaurant scene. The Palomar Sydney is the sister venue to a popular London restaurant of the same name, founded by hospo siblings Layo and Zoë Paskin. Orr once worked alongside the pair and, here in Sydney, he’s joined by head chef Luke Davenport, who started his career at The Palomar London a decade ago before working in kitchens including at Noma (Copenhagen) and Franca Brasserie (Sydney). Now, Sydney is lucky to have this formidable duo land together...
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  • Chinese
  • Sydney
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Jellyfish has scored a new fan. Arriving piled high in a small white porcelain bowl, the marine creature comes tangled with soft, just-cooked king prawns, fragrant coriander, sliced green chilli and Sichuan peppercorns. It’s incredible: lively, tingling, textural. It's like an electric disco under the sea – and it's my favourite dish at Grandfathers, the CBD’s new Chinese restaurant from the team behind Sydney favourites Clam Bar and Pellegrino 2000. The vibe The 140-seat L-shaped restaurant, found in the former Long Chim home on Angel Place, is the fifth restaurant opening in five years from the trio Dan Pepperell, Andy Tyson and Michael Clift. Their latest venture is inspired by Clift’s Chinese grandfather, who sparked the chef's great love of food. Inside, red-and-black zig-zag carpet adds pizzazz, and moon-like orbs dangle from the ceiling. Pet-style fish swim in neon-blue fish tanks, while red-jacketed waitstaff whip around the room, refilling waters and running guests through the menu. The girls next to me are taking photos with a dish of glistening, bronzed pigeon. These Three Musketeers excel at many things – seasoning, soundtrack and drinks list, for starters. And they know how to create a fully realised venue, one that’s big on vibe. The kind of...
  • Italian
  • Sydney
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. Unless you’re part of a run club, 5.30pm on a Tuesday isn’t the sexiest time for a dinner reservation. But it’s the only one that was available at Neptune’s Grotto, the new subterranean Italian restaurant from chefs Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and sommelier Andy Tyson. When I first dined at sibling venues – red-hued, Taylor Swift-approved Pellegrino 2000, and New York-style steak house and clam dunk, Clam Bar – I sat down around 5pm on a Tuesday, too. Italians are probably getting up from their riposo at that time. But the trio’s diners – including Potts Points’ pink-tableclothed Bistrot 916 (miss you) – are so damn good that Sydneysiders will take what they can get. And feel #grateful. Neptune’s Grotto is located in the basement of Clam Bar, and you enter via Loftus Lane. We descend the stairs and are met by zebra carpet, a host in a smart-looking suit and a long room packed with other 5pmers. Couples are seated along the marble bar, while the other side is filled with barolo-coloured leather booths, crisp white tablecloths and flickering candles. A mural of a rambunctious dinner party runs along the wall, and in the centre, a statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, towers over us. I'm a Believer plays overhead, but instead of The Monkees or Smash...
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  • Italian
  • Surry Hills
  • price 3 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. We know it’s a big call, but we think Pellegrino 2000’s truffle butter should be one of your desert island belongings (along with a cooler bag, a good book and a baguette, of course). Soft and creamy with a whack of umami truffle and a hefty dose of salt, the butter is heavenly when slathered over thick and fluffy housemade focaccia. Though beware: it’s very moreish, so dive in for seconds at your own risk (a discreet but necessary unzipping of one’s pants may be the repercussion). It’s true that us Sydneysiders love our bread and butter as much as the folks who dined at the Last Supper, so naturally there’s a lot of excellent bread around town. But Pellegrino’s takes our coveted Top Spot. Yet it’s not just the bread and butter that’s delicious. Every single dish that comes out of the kitchen at this Surry Hills’ trattoria is on point, cooked beautifully and seasoned well. Which is why it’s about as difficult to get a booking on a Saturday evening as it is to get rid of mozzies in summer. Take the prawn ravioli, for example. Plump and juicy crustaceans are cased in silky, slippery wrappers and finished with brown butter and sage, resulting in a dish that tastes equal parts elegant and comforting. Whole artichokes come on a plate looking pretty and dressed...
  • French
  • Prospect
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
The Cricketer’s in Surry Hills has long been a pub for the youths and the young at heart. Uni students, skaters, hospo workers – as well as those sniffing out a drink on the way home from the Sydney Cricket Ground. So a French(ish) bistro is quite a departure for the pub’s upstairs restaurant. A welcome departure, we learn, when we dine at the newly opened Chez Crix one Friday night.  Boozers, never fear: the downstairs pub crowd is still your standard Cricketer’s crew, and that space is still the same. Upstairs, though, it’s a different story, with a mix of Boomer couples on dates and hip Millennials in small groups. As we head into the small upstairs bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, we see a painting of a chubby-faced man wearing an olive wreath crown and red lipstick, smoking a cigar and cheers’ing a cocktail. It’s a motif represented throughout the venue, and it gives the impression that although the diner has Frenchified, this is still a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s still a little bit loose.   Chez Crix is not your standard French bistro. In fact, the team gets on the front foot ahead of naysayers with a disclaimer on their reservations page stating: “*we are not French.” Head chef Antoine Vassallo (Suzie Q Coffee and Records), along with Wesley Cooper Jones (from the Old Fitz and P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants) and publican Dominic Juillet just serve up French-style dishes. The menu starts with nibbles like LP’s saucisson (a French-style salami) with...
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  • European
  • Erskineville
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  When was the last time you visited the quieter end of Newtown’s King Street? If it’s been a while, here’s a great reason to stroll past the few remaining vegan spots, colourful vintage stores and dodgy tobacco shops: a glorious, peach-coloured, seasonal bistro called South End that I reckon you’re gonna love. I sure do. The vibe Opened in October 2025, South End comes from three long-term hospo pros and friends. In the kitchen, you'll find Hussein Sarhan, former head chef of Fred’s in Paddington who also worked at the late Skye Gyngell’s Spring Restaurant in London, and Alex Tong, ex-Ester sous chef who’s also cooked at Ho Lee Fook and Belon in Hong Kong. Leading the floor and drinks is Paul Guiney – an award-winning legend whose CV spans Nahm in London, Embla, Town Mouse and Brooks in Melbourne, and A.P Bread & Wine and The Bentley Group in Sydney. If I could give six stars for Guiney’s service, I would. Inside, it's simple and charming, with cream curtains, coffee-bean-coloured wooden furniture, sage-green accents and white tablecloths. The staff, dressed in Powerade-blue jackets for a pop of fun, are warm and switched-on, chatting to guests with ease. At the centre is a bar where you can pull up a chair for a wine and snack. And I think in a few...
  • Italian
  • Circular Quay
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Change is afoot in Circular Quay with a spate of new openings pulling the precinct up by its Ken Done-patterned souvenir socks. These days, there are restaurants and bars coaxing visitors and locals to slow down and immerse themselves in the scene. Flaminia is up there with the best of them. The vibe The rain falls in silent sheets outside the glass-fronted Flaminia in Circular Quay. It’s scattering the tourists scuttling past in their Birkenstocks and plastic ponchos. We watch them racing for the Bungaree ferry bound for Milsons Point, queuing for gelato, and hustling along the promenade to the Opera Bar. There’s plenty to catch the eye on the harbour, as the heritage Manly ferry tears a rough seam through the water in its wake. It’s a front-row seat here at Flaminia, which presents like a ship that has chosen to dock permanently on Level 2 of the Pullman Quay Sydney Harbour. Fitting, really, given the new Italian restaurant by Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini is named after the ship that brought Marilyn’s mother and grandmother to Australia in 1959. Studio Gram’s design leans into those maritime cues: warm timber tones, curves that call to mind water slapping against a hull and shipping rope coiled around soaring columns. Above our table hang...
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  • Italian
  • Darlinghurst
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Sydney’s got its fair share of beloved restaurants – but few reached the cult status of Bar Vincent. The low-lit Italian haunt had chefs and food-lovers wrapped around its olive-oil-slicked finger, so much so that, when co-owners Andy and Sarah announced they were closing the doors for good, you could almost hear the city’s collective gasp. Good news, then, that it was snapped up by a trio who loved the restaurant as much as anyone else: Nathan and Sali Sasi and Morgan McGlone from Sydney favourites Bar Copains, Bessie’s and Alma’s. The guys initially kept things much the same, though they soon realised the business wasn’t sustainable. Plus, they wanted to create an offering that was authentic to them. So they stuck to their guns and, to many people's initial disappointment, transformed Bar Vincent into Vin-Cenzo’s. It’s still an Italian restaurant – just done their way.  There are similarities between the two. For one, they’re both bloody excellent. Some of Bar Vincent’s dishes live on at Vin-Cenzo's, like the vitello tonnato – reimagined into a cracking crudo with ruby-coloured Ulladulla tuna, dolloped with a creamy, anchovy-rich sauce. The curved arches remain, now painted a soft blue. And, importantly, they both have integrity – and that’s well worth...
  • Greek
  • Marrickville
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. It’s just after 7pm on a Thursday and I can see about a hundred people standing up along Dudley Street in Marrickville. Maybe a hundred is a slight exaggeration, but there’s a lot. I’d think they’re waiting for a possible celeb sighting (is Charli still in town?), but I know why they’re here. And frankly, I don’t blame them. Sydney's Olympic Meats has only been open for a few weeks, and already the casual Greek eatery is drawing more crowds than Putricia. This boils down to two simple reasons. For one, you can’t book – it’s walk-ins only, so the earlier you get down, the better. And the second? It’s really bloody good And affordable, too. With most plates under $21. (Sorry, that’s three reasons.) Chef Timothy Cassimatis is the owner of Olympic Meats, which is named after his grandmother, Olympia, as well as being a nod to the Mount Olympus-like journey it’s taken to get here. His CV is impressive – he's worked at Vic’s Meats, Kosta’s Takeaway and Whole Beast Butchery (that’s where the ‘Meats’ come in), and as head chef of Marrickville’s Barzaari. Most recently, he’s been manning his events and catering company, Tim Fresh, from his parents’ house. Greek food has been having a moment in Sydney. See: the similarly named Olympus in Redfern by The Apollo crew,...
  • Thai
  • Haymarket
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Its doors open onto the humdrum footpath of a CBD street, but there is a distinctive feel of north-eastern Thailand at Yok Yor. Its Isan heritage is palpable, unmistakably flavoured with smoke, fish sauce, chilli and lime. Set between faceless Sydney office buildings at the eastern end of Thai Town, Yok Yor serves some of the most authentic versions of classic Isan dishes available south of Khon Kaen, and some of the best Thai food in all of Sydney. The vibe We visit for a weekday lunch and sit at a steel table on the footpath, close to the hush of passing taxis and zipping bike couriers. Yok Yor’s outdoor tables sit behind concrete barricades on Campbell Street, and they are scuffed by years of cutlery and conversation. Across the road, the windows of Thai grocery shops are stacked with brightly-coloured packets and tins. Although it describes itself as a ‘Thai Food Factory’, the interior is far from industrial. It’s homey and unmistakably Thai, with neon signs, food murals, long wooden tables and fishbone ferns hanging from ceiling baskets. The food At an Isan restaurant, I’d normally (maybe always) order som tum. But, to try something a little different, I go for the tum tang ($19.50), which substitutes green papaya with thinly sliced cucumber. The...
  • Cafés
  • Marrickville
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Eat Ozzo is a genuinely exciting new addition to our affordable eats scene. Sydney has more than its fair slice of pizza restaurants and sandwich shops – but what happens when you combine pizza plus sandwich? Wife-and-husband duo Chandni and Ankit have done it, and called their mouth-watering result “the ozzo”. Born out of a love for the traditional pizza bases of Napoli, Ankit spent more than 1,000 hours perfecting his own 72-hour slow-fermented pizza bread cooked in a woodfired oven before deciding it would make the ultimate wallet-style sandwich bread. The dough isn’t Eat Ozzo’s only masterstroke, though – Chandni and Ankit’s fillings are surprising and downright addictive (more on those later). The vibe The first Eat Ozzo opened in Pyrmont in 2025, quickly followed by this one in the Marrickville Traders building – a community of boutique creative spaces near Messina HQ and the Emergency Care Clinic. It’s on Chapel Street, in Marrickville’s old industrial area, wedged between Henson Park and Sydenham, which is now studded with popular dining and drinking spots, including 20 Chapel, The Henson, Two Chaps and loads of craft breweries and distilleries. With much of the Marrickville Traders space yet to be occupied, Eat Ozzo is currently the building’s...
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  • Vietnamese
  • Marrickville
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
What is it? A tiny, sunflower-yellow Vietnamese eatery on a Marrickville corner that specialises in banh cuon, a steamed rice noodle dish originating from northern Vietnam. Why we love it: These silky, slippery rice noodles are typically eaten for breakfast in Vietnam – but you can enjoy them all day at Banh Cuon Ba Oanh. They’re stuffed with ground pork and wood-ear mushrooms, and served with fresh herbs, crisp shallots and a bright, delicious nuoc cham so you can double-dip as you please.  Time Out tip: This place gets busy, so we recommend going at an off-peak time to score a table. Expect to pay: Around $15 Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENED READS: These are the best cheap eats in Sydney. Check out our local's guide to Marrickville here.
  • Indian
  • Harris Park
  • price 1 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. When Google Maps recently revealed their list of Aussie restaurants with the most customer reviews, one name rose above the rest: Dosa Hut in Harris Park. That was all the convincing we needed – off we went, with empty stomachs and high expectations. We’re in Harris Park, AKA ‘Little India’, on a Sunday and Wigram Street is where the action unfolds. Think chaat vendors, sari-clad women drinking cups of chai, men chatting in Hindi or Urdu as they chew paan, kids eating kulfi, families browsing mithai counters, and the unmistakable scent of spice lingering in the air. We arrive at Dosa Hut in time for the lunchtime rush. It’s in a white weatherboard cottage-turned-restaurant like many of its neighbours in the area. We’re met with a “there’s a 25-minute wait”, so we plop down on the plastic chairs in the courtyard and watch an endless stream of Uber Eats drivers pick up their spicy parcels. Just under the restaurant’s name we read the phrase ‘Indian multi-cuisine’ – and that’s exactly what they offer. Unlike Chatkazz just around the corner that serves vegetarian-only street food, Dosa Hut claims to do it all: vegetarian and non-vegetarian, North Indian, South Indian and even Indo-Chinese. Soon enough, we’re shown to our table and handed the menu. Grabbing our...
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  • Italian
  • Leichhardt
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Bar Italia
Bar Italia
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. I'd be surprised if many Sydney restaurants have survived as long as Bar Italia. It's been serving locals and visitors in Leichhardt for more than 70 years – since 1952. I'm not surprised it's still going strong all these decades later, though. It still serves up classic Italian hits in what has gradually become a retro setting – we're sure it looked fairly modern back in the '50s! You can get a delicious, filling feed for under $25, so it's without doubt one of Sydney's best cheap eats.  The vibe Sitting here, you can imagine you're in a trattoria in Rome. It's always busy, the service is relaxed (you line up to order), and there are classic Italian features and finishes – including an old-school crazy-pave tiled marble floor, gelato counter near the front, and red-white-and-green neon signage. Although it's popular, you should always be able to find a table, either in one of the indoor dining areas, in the covered area out on the footpath, or – my fave spot – in the sunny terrace at the back, which is covered in vines, bougainvilleas and fairy lights. It's definitely not the most refined Italian food you'll find in Sydney, but it's good grub, and such excellent value. Another bonus: they serve up food all day, every day, from breakfast at 8am to 10.30 or...
  • Cafés
  • Petersham
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. The vibe Summery and fun, as the name suggests! The team behind some of Sydney’s best cafés, Soulmate in Newtown and Superfreak in Marrickville, are behind this kiosk-like café at the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, which is in the glorious Petersham Park. If you’re going for a swim, you can order from the Fanny Durack side and eat on the grass or at one of the poolside tables (that’s what I do!); otherwise, there’s also indoor café seating on the park side, or they’ll lend you a picnic blanket. I’m an Inner Westie, so in my ’hood there’s nothing else quite like ordering up a fish sambo and eating it under an umbrella to a soundtrack of happy kids splashing around in bright aquamarine water. The food Drawing inspo from Aussie kiosks and milk bars from “the good old days”, Splash’s menu is absolutely jam-packed with picks that will satisfy your hunger for nostalgia (as well as a good feed). Our favourite thing we’ve had is the fish sandwich – it’s a huge fillet of golden-crumbed fish with slices of tomato and beetroot, onion, iceberg lettuce, American cheese and a creamy, dill-forward “Splash sauce” on thick-cut, spongy white bread (the type of bread you loved as a kid). The fish fillet is so big, the bread slices can’t contain it, so panko-crumbed perfection...
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  • Surry Hills
  • price 1 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Yulli's
Yulli's
Update: Surry Hills' you-can-make-friends-with-salad-here stalwart, Yulli's, is now completely vegan – and they even have vegan wines. They also offer a separate gluten-free menu, making it a solid choice if you're dining with a big group of friends. The menu draws inspiration from South East Asia and the Mediterranean – we're fans of the fresh and crunchy san choy bow, and the steamed leek and ginger dumplings with plum sauce. – Avril Teasure  ***** There seems to be two approaches in Sydney’s vegan dining scene. The first tries to replace and replicate the meat, dairy and egg with faithful recreations. The other school of thought seems to go along the lines of ‘vegetables are fucking awesome’ and lets plants take all the lead roles in the dish. Yulli’s approach is the latter. This long-standing vegetarian eatery on Crown Street also has a dedicated, and expansive, vegan menu, including vegan wines. Order the coconut and edamame moneybags: $14.50 for three golf-ball sized crunchy parcels densely packed with shredded coconut and mashed soy beans means they’re not the cheapest snack in town, but they are so damn delicious we do it every time. Follow it up with a clutch of flash-fried asparagus with a black sesame dressing, fresh tomato slices, pine nuts and tempura saltbush; or a big horseshoe of roasted pumpkin with cashew cream, charred cauliflower florets, crisp, fried capers and a mild, funky cabbage kimchi.  – Reviewed in November 2016 Stay in the loop: sign up for...
  • Greek
  • Marrickville
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. It’s just after 7pm on a Thursday and I can see about a hundred people standing up along Dudley Street in Marrickville. Maybe a hundred is a slight exaggeration, but there’s a lot. I’d think they’re waiting for a possible celeb sighting (is Charli still in town?), but I know why they’re here. And frankly, I don’t blame them. Sydney's Olympic Meats has only been open for a few weeks, and already the casual Greek eatery is drawing more crowds than Putricia. This boils down to two simple reasons. For one, you can’t book – it’s walk-ins only, so the earlier you get down, the better. And the second? It’s really bloody good And affordable, too. With most plates under $21. (Sorry, that’s three reasons.) Chef Timothy Cassimatis is the owner of Olympic Meats, which is named after his grandmother, Olympia, as well as being a nod to the Mount Olympus-like journey it’s taken to get here. His CV is impressive – he's worked at Vic’s Meats, Kosta’s Takeaway and Whole Beast Butchery (that’s where the ‘Meats’ come in), and as head chef of Marrickville’s Barzaari. Most recently, he’s been manning his events and catering company, Tim Fresh, from his parents’ house. Greek food has been having a moment in Sydney. See: the similarly named Olympus in Redfern by The Apollo crew,...
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  • Lakemba
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. As I step from the heat and bustle of Lakemba’s Haldon Street into the colourful interior of Island Dreams Cafe, the first thing to catch my eye is a giant, very old-style Italian espresso machine. It has clearly been lovingly cared for over the decades, but it looks so ancient that it might have hissed and puffed out an authentic Italian espresso for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. This vintage glamour is characteristic of the décor and atmosphere of this cool and welcoming café restaurant. The aquatic-green walls are decorated with faded island maps, coconut fronds and photos of perfect island beaches.  The décor is unique and (while I don't like to overuse the word), the food at Island Dreams is extremely unique – it’s the only restaurant in Sydney serving the cuisine of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. This isn’t surprising, given that the islands have a population of just 600 people. They are situated off the northwest coast of Australia and, although the islands have been part of Australia since 1955, they are geographically closer to Sumatra. Despite this proximity, this ‘Aussie’ fare has a distinctly Malay character, but it is mostly served Sumatran-style from the huge bain-marie that dominates the room.  Island Dreams opened in 1996,...
  • Mexican
  • Surry Hills
  • price 1 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Bad Hombres
Bad Hombres
Update: Mexican joint Bad Hombres has moved from its OG Surry Hills location to Darlinghurst, so you can still enjoy the same tasty plant-based eats – now on Oxford Street. (And you can check out our guide to the Mexican restaurants in Sydney here.) - Avril Treasure Read on for our original write-up of Bad Hombres from 2017 by Emily Lloyd-Tait. ***** Anyone who thinks vegan can’t be fun needs to both update their opinions from 1998 and also get to Bad Hombres, stat. What started as a Mexican Chinese mash-up from Toby Wilson (Ghostboy Cantina), Sean McManus (Neighbourhood Surry Hills) and Jon Kennedy (the Sandwich Shop) with a 60 per cent veg-powered menu has now gone the full vegan and we’re into it. Snacks, tunes and booze are the key elements to a good time and these guys are rocking one of the best house-party playlists in town. We clock an ’80s glory run of Culture Club’s ‘I’ll Tumble 4 Ya’, Farnsie’s ‘The Voice’, Fine Young Cannibals’ ‘She Drives Me Crazy’, Dexys Midnight Runners ‘Come on Eileen’ and the Outfield’s classic ‘Your Love’. Seriously, this is an A-grade ’80s playlist and it can be yours – just look up Zangers on Spotify.  On the booze front, they’re rocking a fruity, funky, smash-tastic line-up of local natural wines that changes all the time – small batch production means they can only get it by the case from the vineyards ­– so maybe the tropical-fruits-in-the-sun pet nat from Pyren Vineyard’s Little Ra Ra is all poured out. There’ll be something else...
  • Cafés
  • Marrickville
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  Eat Ozzo is a genuinely exciting new addition to our affordable eats scene. Sydney has more than its fair slice of pizza restaurants and sandwich shops – but what happens when you combine pizza plus sandwich? Wife-and-husband duo Chandni and Ankit have done it, and called their mouth-watering result “the ozzo”. Born out of a love for the traditional pizza bases of Napoli, Ankit spent more than 1,000 hours perfecting his own 72-hour slow-fermented pizza bread cooked in a woodfired oven before deciding it would make the ultimate wallet-style sandwich bread. The dough isn’t Eat Ozzo’s only masterstroke, though – Chandni and Ankit’s fillings are surprising and downright addictive (more on those later). The vibe The first Eat Ozzo opened in Pyrmont in 2025, quickly followed by this one in the Marrickville Traders building – a community of boutique creative spaces near Messina HQ and the Emergency Care Clinic. It’s on Chapel Street, in Marrickville’s old industrial area, wedged between Henson Park and Sydenham, which is now studded with popular dining and drinking spots, including 20 Chapel, The Henson, Two Chaps and loads of craft breweries and distilleries. With much of the Marrickville Traders space yet to be occupied, Eat Ozzo is currently the building’s...
  • Cafés
  • Marrickville
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. The vibe Angus feels very Marrickville: urban and unfussy. This café at the industrial end of Marrickville, on the way to Sydenham, and the only reason you might do a double-take going past might be the big bunch of people out front during the morning or lunchtime rush. Some are waiting for takeaway or a table, others are just having a chat. It’s a place that's loved by locals.  The food Locals love it, but I know people travel to Marrickville just for the Angus fish sandwich, which went a bit viral after a range of food influencers – including Howard (@howac) posted about it. The thick chunk of golden-crumbed fish, oozy spread of dill-packed tartare, American cheese, pickles and onions, all between a serious-looking slab of bubbly, homemade focaccia – it’s made to be in front of the camera. So of course, when I went, I ordered the fish sandwich. Loved it like Howard did. Comfort food in the palm of your hand. I just wasn’t totally convinced about the choice of bread – it was neither crunchy nor pillowy soft, more spongy. That said, I’m still thinking about that sandwich, thanks to the delicious filling.  What else do they serve? They stay in their lane, serving mostly sandwiches: charred miso eggplant with slaw, pickled onion, mint and tahini yoghurt;...
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  • Alexandria
  • price 2 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Café by day and charming bistro by night, Bitton has been offering Sydneysiders a taste of France for 25 years. Loved for its friendly community vibe, warm service and delicious food, must-orders include the tableside beef tartare; the Bitton croque monsieur with ham, Gruyère cheese, Mornay sauce and Bitton’s tarragon mustard; and the cheesy French onion soup – which Time Out’s Winne Stubbs calls “perfection”. Chef-owner David Bitton also creates a bunch of beautiful products to take home – including chutneys, tapanedes, oils, spies and jam – that are perfect for the condiment fiends among us. You'll find the OG Bitton in Alexandria, with a second venue found in the heart of Rose Bay. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: Check out our guide to the best cafés in Sydney right now. Get around our guide to the top wine bars in Sydney
  • Cafés
  • Petersham
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. The vibe Summery and fun, as the name suggests! The team behind some of Sydney’s best cafés, Soulmate in Newtown and Superfreak in Marrickville, are behind this kiosk-like café at the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, which is in the glorious Petersham Park. If you’re going for a swim, you can order from the Fanny Durack side and eat on the grass or at one of the poolside tables (that’s what I do!); otherwise, there’s also indoor café seating on the park side, or they’ll lend you a picnic blanket. I’m an Inner Westie, so in my ’hood there’s nothing else quite like ordering up a fish sambo and eating it under an umbrella to a soundtrack of happy kids splashing around in bright aquamarine water. The food Drawing inspo from Aussie kiosks and milk bars from “the good old days”, Splash’s menu is absolutely jam-packed with picks that will satisfy your hunger for nostalgia (as well as a good feed). Our favourite thing we’ve had is the fish sandwich – it’s a huge fillet of golden-crumbed fish with slices of tomato and beetroot, onion, iceberg lettuce, American cheese and a creamy, dill-forward “Splash sauce” on thick-cut, spongy white bread (the type of bread you loved as a kid). The fish fillet is so big, the bread slices can’t contain it, so panko-crumbed perfection...
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  • Cafés
  • Surry Hills
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  • Sustainable
Single O Surry Hills
Single O Surry Hills
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  The vibe Purveyors of excellent specialty coffee and good times, Single O has been a pioneer of Sydney’s café scene since it opened with a bang in 2003. Found on a cool, industrial-style corner space on Reservoir Street in Surry Hills, this place pumps with both Sydneysiders and tourists from morning until it closes at 3pm. Sustainability has been at the heart of Single O since its inception, with the team committed to sourcing ethically and environmentally responsible beans. They also have a solar-powered roastery in Botany, co-created an innovative milk-on-tap system that swapped plastic milk bottles with 10L bladders – creating an 80 per cent reduction in plastic wares – and their current mission is to halve carbon emissions by 2026 and achieve Net Zero by 2030. How good’s that? The food Single O has an all-day menu, which is great news if you’ve had a big one and still feel like eggs and bacon at noon – just a note that the kitchen closes at 2.15pm. Expect jazzed-up café fare featuring Aussie ingredients and Asian flavours, like their take on eggs Benedict with smoked pork, yuzu hollandaise, cucumber, mint, coriander, pickled apple and chilli oil. Or try the crisp corn fritters, which come topped with romesco sauce, avo, guindilla and a coriander...
  • Cafés
  • Randwick
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  • Sustainable
The vibeYou’ll find this friendly neighbourhood café on a sun-soaked suburban street in Sydney’s east. Huge bifold windows open up onto the pavement, where wooden tables fill with mums and bubs with oat babyccinos, and runners fresh from the park (it’s just minutes from Centennial) fueling up with smoothies and loaded toasties. On the shelf by the door, you’ll find a colourful, mismatched selection of mugs donated to the café by the local community – if you ask for your coffee to take-away, you’ll be given one of these instead of a disposable cup. This zero-waste philosophy guides the ethos here, with reusable Huskee cups available to buy, and take-away food packaged in biodegradable paper and cardboard packaging.The food The planet-loving philosophy is also reflected in the all-day menu, which is fresh, seasonal and plant-forward (with the option to add halloumi, goats cheese, bacon or eggs if you need a hit of animal protein).The drinks As you’d expect from such a sustainability-focused operation, the coffee served here comes from a local roastery (Black Market Roasters) and there’s a good selection of specialty drinks, with turmeric and matcha lattes served in Huskee cups and smoothies and milkshakes served in glass jars (an extra $2 if you want to take away). Fresh juices come from Darlinghurst based juice king Simon Says Juice, and there’s a spicy turmeric shot that will make you feel like a paragon of health.Time Out tipOrder the gluten free bread – they source from...
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  • Alexandria
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  • Sustainable
The phrase ‘your phone eats first’ takes on a whole new meaning at The Grounds of Alexandria. In 2024 and 2023, this viral all-day café in Sydney – famous for its sprawling alfresco area, enchanting installations and, yes, huge weekend crowds – was named the world’s most Instagrammed café.  It’s been more than a decade since I last visited The Grounds. Back then, I had to convince my mum to drive me all the way across the Harbour Bridge for a pastry and, much to my shame, a photo op. Now, ten years later, I decided it was time for me to return and see if the café still lives up to the hype. Judging by its almost 400,000 Instagram followers, 123,000 posts tagged #TheGroundsOfAlexandria, and 5,600 Google Maps reviews averaging four stars, I got the gist that it was still going strong. One clear takeaway from my research was to avoid visiting The Grounds on the weekend, when crowds swarm in from all across Sydney – and the world, for that matter. Hoping for a quieter experience, I visited on a Monday morning, only to find the car park completely full by 10am. Those who enter through Bourke Road will first encounter The Grounds’ charming, rustic alfresco area, complete with a miniature animal farm. While I was disappointed to find that ‘Kevin Bacon’ (the café's infamous resident pig) was no longer there, his old pen is now home to two cheerful goats.  Keep strolling past the animal farm, and you’ll eventually find yourself in the gorgeous Garden Bar and BBQ. Here, chandeliers...
  • Cafés
  • Darlinghurst
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences. We always review anonymously and cover our own restaurant and bar bills, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here. It’s brunch time, and in front of me is a delicious looking bitta-this, bitta-that breakfast plate. I’m obsessed with them – the whole of Sydney is, really – and this one looks particularly good. There’s baked-fresh-that-day sourdough toast with a smear of salted butter, an open soft-boiled egg with a bright and jammy centre, slices of leg ham, a triangle of crumbly cheddar, a tumble of thinly sliced onion, wedges of pickled green tomatoes, and a fig. On a separate plate sits a bronzed croissant with butter and jam, and in front of me is a glass of wine. Look, I know it’s not best practice to drink before noon (sorry, mum), but I’m in carb heaven – also known as A.P Bread & Wine. It's the first-ever all-day offering from A.P Bakery, and it also pours vino. How could I say no? View this post on Instagram A post shared by avriltreasure (@avriltreasure) Located on Burton Street in Darlinghurst, a few streets back from Oxford Street, A.P Bread & Wine joins an already-strong family line-up: the OG A.P Bakery, found on Paramount House Hotel’s sunny rooftop; A.P Supply, both in Surry Hills; Newtown’s A.P Town; the CBD’s A.P Place; and a weekly stall at Carriageworks Farmers Market (get down early for that one). Two...
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  • Lakemba
  • price 1 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. As I step from the heat and bustle of Lakemba’s Haldon Street into the colourful interior of Island Dreams Cafe, the first thing to catch my eye is a giant, very old-style Italian espresso machine. It has clearly been lovingly cared for over the decades, but it looks so ancient that it might have hissed and puffed out an authentic Italian espresso for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. This vintage glamour is characteristic of the décor and atmosphere of this cool and welcoming café restaurant. The aquatic-green walls are decorated with faded island maps, coconut fronds and photos of perfect island beaches.  The décor is unique and (while I don't like to overuse the word), the food at Island Dreams is extremely unique – it’s the only restaurant in Sydney serving the cuisine of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. This isn’t surprising, given that the islands have a population of just 600 people. They are situated off the northwest coast of Australia and, although the islands have been part of Australia since 1955, they are geographically closer to Sumatra. Despite this proximity, this ‘Aussie’ fare has a distinctly Malay character, but it is mostly served Sumatran-style from the huge bain-marie that dominates the room.  Island Dreams opened in 1996,...
  • Cafés
  • Bondi North
  • price 2 of 4
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Look, it’s probably been said 100 times before, but we’ll say it again: Rocker, Bondi’s breezy and cool restaurant and bar, rocks. Found 200 metres from Bondi's golden stretch of sand, the relaxed eatery by Darren Robertson (also Three Blue Ducks) and Cameron Northway (also Melbourne's Loti) has been keeping Bondi locals well fed and hydrated since 2017, and the good times have just kept on coming. The menu by head chefs Stuart Toon and Ethan Smart (who are also part owners) is packed with tasty hits, like white bean hummus with pickled onion, flat bread and za’atar; fried chicken with almond buttermilk, fermented chilli honey and orange vinegar; pappardelle with beef cheek ragu, tomatoes, parmesan and pangrattato; and grilled broccoli with curry butter, yoghurt and pistachios. Can’t decide? There’s a stellar feed-me menu for $75 per person. As well as tasty dishes and fun vibes, Rocker slings some banging deals too. First up is Rocker’s bottomless brunch, which changes with the seasons. The current rendition comes with house-made roast onion and thyme focaccia; local burrata; glazed free-range chicken; harissa-spiced roast pumpkin and almond cream and more. All paired with two hours of free-flowing Mimosas, sparkling, red, white and rosé, for $99 per person. The bottomless brunch is available every Thursday to Sunday, noon and 3pm sittings. Rally your gang. There’s also a House of Friends event on Friday nights with $16 Margaritas – Casamigos tequila-based Tommy’s,...

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