The best new restaurants in Sydney

Two of Sydney’s most celebrated restaurants – Marrickville’s Baba’s Place and Stanmore’s Sixpenny – have teamed up to reopen Corner 75, a Hungarian restaurant that’s been serving home-style fare for more than 40 years in Randwick. Come for an excellent schnitty as big as the plate, matzo ball soup and a nostalgic, grandma-coded dining room that’s stood the test of time.

Mister Grotto brings excellent seafood with a side of nautical charm to Newtown.The spirited, 30-seat diner is from Paisano & Daughters – the rocking team behind some of Sydney’s coolest (and most delicious) venues: Continental Deli, Humble, Bastardo, Bar Louise and Porteño. There’s no meat here; instead, you’ll find a celebration of the creatures of the sea, with the team sourcing their produce from local suppliers, such as New South Wales’ South Seas Tuna and Red Claw Seafoods – and premium, small-scale fishermen.

Osteria Mucca, a 50-seat Italian restaurant by the Continental Deli team, has opened on Newtown’s lively Australia Street, joining also-new siblings: sunshine-warm veg diner Flora and seafood party Mister Grotto. Meaning "cow" in Italian, the charming trattoria is housed in a former butcher shop and is serving up regional Italian classics and home-style recipes, including handmade pasta, beautiful charcuterie and quality cuts from its in-house butchery.

Complimentary house-made focaccia and oil on arrival, a whole lotta snacks for $9.60 – including tuna tartare with Calabrian chilli, seaweed cracker and whipped avocado; and a charred lamb rib with baba ganoush, guindillas and pomegranate – plus seasonal mains for $39. There’s lots to like at new Sydney bar and restaurant Ette, found down a laneway in the CBD. Come for fast-paced but tasty work lunches, after-work hangouts and snack-and-vino sessions.

Last year, we brought you the news that the beloved rooftop café atop Sydney’s MCA transformed into a bold fine-diner called Canvas. Spearheaded by hospitality professionals The Big Group, Canvas’ concept is new to Sydney: instead of a fixed kitchen team and head chef, there will be seasonal residencies featuring fresh talent. Josh Raine, the former executive chef of Sydney’s now-closed icon Tetsuya’s, was the opening gun. (Raine has since gone on to open the excellent Surry Hills wine bar, 40Res.) Now, Scottish-born James Scott has taken over the reins from Raine, bringing a wealth of experience: he trained under British chef Michael Caines at the two-Michelin-star Gidleigh Park before moving to Sydney in 2013. He then worked with Martin Benn at the award-winning Sepia, before rising to head chef at waterfront LuMi Dining. Phew – talk about a strong CV.

Akti, a gorgeous new Greek restaurant by the family-owned-and-operated Sydney Restaurant Group – who are behind waterfront spots Aqua Dining, Ormeggio at The Spit, Sails, Ripples Chowder Bay and more – is now open on Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf. The harbourside diner, which has taken over the space previously occupied by seafood restaurant Manta, celebrates the Drakopoulos family’s heritage, serving up the flavours of Greece with a modern spin.

Warm up at Shabuway, Sydney’s first self-serve, all-you-can-eat Japanese hot pot buffet, now open on Dixon Street in Haymarket, in Arisun’s former home. From the team behind Butchers Buffet and Gyuniku, the 120-seat venue celebrates shabu-shabu – a Japanese-style hot pot where thin slices of meat and veggies are cooked in a delicious broth at the table. Here at Shabuway, diners get a yin-yang pot in the centre of the table, featuring two house-made broths – think chicken and ginseng, Japanese sukiyaki or spicy mala – so you can customise your experience. Build your hot pot with buttery Wagyu, chicken tenderloin, pork belly or brisket, finish with fresh, seasonal veggies and you’ve got yourself a cracking lunch or dinner.

Marrickville's new Greek grill house Olympic Meats 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. Nothing on the menu costs more than $21. (Sorry, that’s three reasons.) The dishes at Olympic Meats are inspired by those eaten in the Peloponnese in southern Greece, where chef-owner Timothy Cassimatis' family comes from. Everything’s made in-house, including the pillowy, hand-rolled sourdough pita. And if you’re only going to order one thing, make it the ridiculously good chicken gyros.

Oxford Street has a funky new tapas bar called Caness, joining nearby heavy-hitters Fred’s, 10 William St and Saint Peter in Paddington. The 60-seater restaurant is spearheaded by Erez Nahum and Juan Colmenares, the team behind Surry Hills’ much-loved Shaffa. Caness is serving up the flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean – think punchy spices, vibrant colours and beautiful ingredients.

Stepping into Conte Sydney, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d skipped the 21-hour flight and landed straight in a glamorous bar and restaurant in Italy. The new multi-level dining destination, located on Clarence Street in the CBD, is the sibling to Surry Hills’ stunner Bar Conte – the world’s first dedicated Negroni bar – by Italian-born Raffaelle Lombardi and his talented interior designer wife, Victoria Hampshire. If you’re a fan of Bar Conte, you need to check it out. And if you haven’t been to either, well, we suggest you change that – quickly.

Slow-cooked onion dolmas stuffed with rice and minced beef, flavoured with cinnamon, currants and pine nuts and served with garlic-spiked yoghurt. Succulent charred chicken sitting on a bed of fruity harissa with pickled peppers and parsley oil. Fresh and vibrant fattoush with crisp lavosh, crunchy radish and a zesty, lemony dressing. These are just some of the dishes on the menu at Mezepotamia, a chic new Turkish and Middle Eastern mezze restaurant, now open in Redfern.

Say hello to The Collective, Sydney’s newest dining precinct by the team behind Rockpool Bar & Grill, now open in The Rocks. The ambitious multi-venue hub – which encompasses five distinct and stunning venues and covers a massive 1,800 square metres – has taken over from late-night haunt The Argyle, breathing new life into this historic part of Sydney. Expect to find a beautiful, 225-seat restaurant called The Dining Room; The Garden, an alfresco all-day spot located in a sun-soaked courtyard surrounded by heritage-listed buildings; and hidden and playful cocktail bar, Tailor Room – plus more.

Ahana Dutt is on a mission to widen Sydneysiders' perception of what Indian food is, namely, that it’s more than butter chicken and naan. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, the chef is leading the charge of the mostly female team at new Sydney restaurant Kolkata Social – the latest opening from social enterprise Plate it Forward, now open in Newtown. Dutt – who spent six years working at the award-winning fine diner Firedoor, as well as Time Out’s Best Relaxed Restaurant 2023, Raja – is drawing on family recipes that she grew up with at the Bengali-focused restaurant. Opening menu highlights include: paturi featuring spiced ricotta wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked on a tawa (flat pan) until slightly caramelised; crisp-skinned barramundi fried in mustard oil and served with a smoked yoghurt sauce flavoured with cardamom and green chillies; a zucchini dorma stuffed with split Bengal gram with a fiery tomato sauce; slow-cooked goat on the bone with a spicy and fragrant sauce; and vanilla pound cake served with saffron yoghurt cream and seasonal fruit.

Pig-lovin’ French bistro Porcine and charming wine bar and bottle-O P&V have teamed up to open L'Avant Cave in the courtyard of the much-loved Paddington haunt. Expect French-leaning snacks and rich delights paired with excellent booze curated by P&V. How good does that sound?

Neptune’s Grotto, an underground Italian restaurant from the three musketeers behind icons Bistrot 916 (RIP), Clam Bar and Taylor Swift’s fave Sydney restaurant, Pellegrino 2000, is here. Found underneath Clam Bar on the corner of the CBD’s Young and Bridge Streets, the diner is said to be “a love letter to the quiet luxury of northern Italian cooking and hospitality.” Come for handmade pastas, eclectic takes on classic Italian cocktails, and, if it’s anything like the other three hits, a whole lotta fun. With low lights, New York-style booths and a long marble bar, Neptune’s Grotto is moody and sexy – perfect for late-night Negronis and bowls of luscious pasta. To the Grotto we go.

Great news for Manly and Northern Beaches locals: Cibaria, a new all-day Italian diner from the team behind Ormeggio, A’Mare and Postino Osteria, is now open on the beachfront inside the newly renovated Manly Pacific. Our waiter said, “It’s just like the Mediterranean, but in Manly.” – and they are right. We dig the bright and breezy, colourful dining room, the hard-to-stop-eating Italian share-style dishes (Gorgonzola trolley, you are a hit) and the feel-good vibes. One to add to your list.

Eleven Barrack, a luxe seafood and steak bar and grill by The Bentley boys – the duo responsible for Sydney hits Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Yellow, King Clarence, Monopole, Cirrus and Brasserie 1930 – is now open at, you guessed it, 11 Barrack Street in Sydney’s CBD. Housed in New South Wales’ first savings bank, a heritage-listed building built in 1949, Eleven Barrack combines old-world charm with The Bentley Group’s flawless execution. Crisp white tablecloths, a first-class wine list and tableside service complete the go-hard-or-go-home offering. It's an elegant, indulgent offering, but it's clear they are having fun with it – and we're big fans of the eclectic dining room.

Bet you’ve noticed that finding pasta mains for under $30 in Sydney is a rarity these days. Enter Rosa, a new pasta bar in Pyrmont that’s serving up Italian classics without blowing your budget – yep, not a single dish costs more than 30 dollarydoos. How good is that? Brought to you by the sibling team of Ben and Emily Calabro (the same legends behind Pyrmont fave, Quick Brown Fox), Rosa is all about fuss-free pasta dishes that would get your nonna’s tick of approval. With seasoned chef duo Daniel Grey (formerly at Aalia, The Apollo and Devon Cafe), and Kira Sherry (formerly at Alberto’s Lounge) at the helm, the menu celebrates the simplicity of fresh handmade pasta at an affordable price point. 

One of Sydney’s hottest restaurant openings of 2024 is here. Olympus, a 220-seat Greek restaurant brought to life by the team behind The Apollo and Cho Cho San, is now open, bringing the fresh, coastal flavours and lively spirit of Greece to Redfern’s new dining and lifestyle precinct, Wunderlich Lane. Named after Mount Olympus – Greece’s highest mountain and known as the home of the gods in Greek mythology – the circular, sunlit restaurant is anchored by the pièce de résistance: a 50-year-old bougainvillaea with vibrant magenta flowers, channeling the laid-back charm of the Greek Islands. Come for Greek hits, smashable Ouzo Coladas and get ready to feast.

A polished dining room with custom mid-century-inspired furniture and an alfresco space perfect for balmy-weather drinking and dining. A considered food menu that showcases quality produce, some of it enhanced by fire. Plus, an all-star team – the crew behind Shell House – with a CV spanning Sepia, Aria, Oncore, Icebergs, Pilu and more. This is The Grill, the fine diner in The Point Group’s new multi-level venue, The International, now open in Martin Place. And yeah, it’s hot as hell.

Bessie’s, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant from the team behind Time Out’s fave vino haunt, Bar Copains, is here – and we're stoked. Morgan McGlone (culinary director of Potts Point’s Sunday and founder of Belles Hot Chicken), Nathan Sasi (the founding chef of Nomad), and Sasi’s partner Sali (co-founder of shopping platform Wrapd) say that fire is at the heart of their new diner, which is named after McGlone’s grandmother. And the venue is pretty special. It’s the old Chef’s Warehouse on Albion Street—just 70 metres from Bar Copains, which won Time Out’s Best Wine Bar Award 2023. The team has brought in serious talent to head up the kitchen at Bessie’s. Celebrated Sydney-born chef Remy Davis, from the Michelin-starred Elkano restaurant, relocated from San Sebastián for the head chef gig. 

Say hola to Lottie, a sun-drenched rooftop Mexican restaurant, now open atop the new Redfern hotel, The Eve. The 107-seat open-air diner is the latest from the Liquid & Larder crew – the team behind The Gidley, Bistecca, The Rover and Alfie’s – and is the second venue to open at the boutique hotel within Wunderlich Lane, joining the Euro-style Bar Julius, also now open. Come for house-made tortillas piled with fresh, zingy and charred toppings, shaved-ice Margaritas and flaming-orange sunsets.

Meaning grandmother in Latin, Avia is the name of a 60-seat European diner, now open in Darlinghurst. It’s the first venture for hospo mates Stefano Marano and Jack Reid, who met when they worked at Sydney’s Greek diner The Apollo a decade ago. More recently, Marano was on the pans as the executive chef of Le Foote, Time Out’s Restaurant of the Year 2023, while Reid was managing the floors of Melbourne's Supernormal, and Brisbane’s Greca and Yoko. Avia is inspired by Marano’s memories of cooking with his nonna back in Naples, with the duo hoping to evoke the warmth, flavours and generosity found in homes all over Europe.

You will find dancing croissants, delightful food and fedora-donning locals sipping on Spritzes if you happen to head to 118 Queen St, Woollahra. That’s because Cafe Cressida – a casual café and restaurant by chef Phil Wood and wife Lis Davies, the team behind the award-winning Ursula’s Paddington – is now open inside the Musk Stick-pink Queens Court building. Named after the couple’s three-year-old daughter (and found in her favourite building), Cafe Cressida is open for brekkie and lunch seven days a week, as well as dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No bookings, walk on in. Dancing croissants are also welcome.

Chopsticks at the ready: Sydney dining institution Golden Century – famous for its XO pippies, delicious yum cha and late-night dining – is now open at Crown Sydney, after closing its OG location in 2020. You’ll find the all-new Golden Century on level three of the swish waterfront hotel. And while there are a few differences from its original Sussex Street digs (RIP trolleys and lazy Susans), loyal dumpling lovers will be pleased to hear the Cantonese hits remain. The menu, which includes more than 80 traditional dishes, features all the classics like steamed dim sum, fresh seafood (hello, live pippies with XO sauce on fried vermicelli), glistening roast duck, warming hot pots and more.

If it’s been a while between visits, we reckon you should take a walk down Newtown’s Australia Street, ’cos there’s a bit going on. Sydney’s favourite charcuterie, cheese and booze haven, Continental Deli, has welcomed sibling venues: Flora, an all-day vegetarian restaurant, and Mister Grotto, a seafood diner, with Italian spot Osteria Mucca, and boutique accommodation Australia Street Suites, in the pipeline. (Also found on Australia Street is Westwood, one of our fave pizza joints). The venues are spearheaded by Paisano & Daughters, a family-owned hospo business which also shares DNA with Porteño, Humble Bakery and Bastardo. But back to Flora. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, Flora’s focus is to bring seasonal, sustainable, nourishing and – importantly – tasty vegetarian eats to the already strong plant-leaning community.

Lamb shawarma tacos and Wagyu kofta dumplings are some of the fun, flavour-packed dishes on the menu at Iftar, a contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant now open in Merrylands. Iftar, which means “break-fast” in Arabic, is by chef/owner Jeremy Agha, who has drawn on his heritage and family recipes passed down through generations – including a wood-fired sourdough bread – to create the menu. Designed by interior architect Matt Woods, the elegant, dreamy space features terracotta accents, an earthy colour palette, marble tables, travertine floors, and textured clay walls.

If you're into spicy curries, cool cocktails and late-night vibes, Sydney's newest hotspot Kasippu is calling your name. House of Pocket, the group behind Stitch Bar and YCK Laneways, has opened its doors to a Sri Lankan-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar that blends spice with spirit in a beautiful heritage building in the CBD. At the helm is chef Amila Hemachandra, who recently spearheaded a team trip to Sri Lanka. From street eats to high-end plates, the team ate their way through everything to get to the heart of the island nation’s food and culture, before nutting out the concept of their new venture, Kasippu. 

Gymea’s got a new kid on an old block. We’re talking about the recently opened Hazel Kitchen & Bar found within the Hazelhurst Arts Centre. Its backstory? The property originally belonged to Ben and Hazel Broadhurst, who gifted it to the community in the ’90s to create a vibrant arts hub. Today, Hazel Kitchen & Bar, named after its benefactors, celebrates their legacy with great food and creative vibes. Chef Nils Herold serves up fresh, seasonal dishes inspired by the beautiful Hazelhurst gardens – think vibrant, local produce transformed into seriously delicious plates. With Insta-worthy mid-century interiors (that stunning Breccia Rose marble bar is calling out to us), and gorgeous gardens, all you need to decide is whether to sit at the bar, grab a table, or chill on the deck with views of lush surroundings. 

Josh Niland’s revolutionary seafood restaurant has found a beautiful new home in Paddington’s Grand National Hotel, but the game-changing dishes remain. Dinner is set-menu only, while à la carte options are available at lunch. Plus, we love the Saint Peter Bar, a walk-in-only classy spot for Frosty Martinis and Niland’s legendary tuna cheeseburger.

Growing up, sisters Rowena and Kate Chansiri used to eat a beef noodle soup made by their mum using their grandmother’s recipe. It’s a traditional street-food dish that’s slurped in Chinatowns all over Thailand, and now, they are serving it at their new unassuming eatery on 47 Cooper Street in Surry Hills. They are honouring their grandmother in another way, too. The name of their diner, “Ama” (pronounced ah–maa), means grandmother in Thai. Also order: the house-made pork and prawn dumplings topped with a ginger and soybean dressing and a chilli sauce.

Part relaxed noodle bar, part funky eating house, and 100 per cent a good time, Island Radio – a high-energy Southeast Asian eatery with flavour-packed plates – is now open in Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane. Fun and a little bit fruity, Island Radio is by Sydney’s House Made Hospitality. There’s a lot to like in the two-pronged diner, beginning with the noodle bar’s affordable offerings, inspired by Southeast Asia’s street markets. Like the $15 bowl of egg noodles with ginger shallot and sambal, and the $19 bowl of char kway teow with lap cheong, shallot and crisp garlic. Slurp it down with a side of duck spring rolls and crunchy fried chicken with a chilled Tiger for a yum mid-week feed.

The heritage-listed former post office, previously home to One Penny Red in Summer Hill, has transformed into a charming Italian diner with chef Alessandro Pavoni of Ormeggio, A’Mare, and Chiosco leading the kitchen. He’s joined by his business-and-life-partner, Anna Pavoni, and co-owner Bill Drakopoulos. Called Postino Osteria (it's a play on words: "Postino" means both ‘postman’ and ‘small but cosy place’ in Italian), the restaurant is inspired by the simple and traditional trattorias found all over Italy. The team wants it to be a spot where locals can drop in for a bowl of pasta, a glass of wine after work, and where the staff know your favourite aperitivo by heart.

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, the city’s first five-star hotel, has recently reopened following a $70-million renovation, adding 436 brand-new rooms and more than 15 refreshed event spaces, including a 750-person ballroom. But TBH, we’re more interested in the four new venues. First up is Tilda, a smart-casual restaurant channelling Australian nostalgia (the name is a nod to Waltzing Matilda) with stylish interiors and a menu that champions the best of the land and sea. In a group of four? Be sure to order the totally OTT bread course.

Table Manners is Bronte’s fun, playful and classy new kid on the block. The interiors are dreamy, the vibe at night feels like a roaring dinner party, and there’s a luxe bug club sambo on the menu.

An ambitious three-storey, multi-venue Japanese precinct by the Azabu Group (also Charlotte Bar & Bistro, Kame House, Hanasuki) has opened in a heritage-listed building in Sydney’s CBD. So if you’re thinking of booking flights to Tokyo, we say: save your pocket money and come here instead. Drawing inspiration from Japan’s 47 prefectures (or regions), Prefecture 48 – or P48 for short – is game-changing six-in-one hospitality hub on Sussex Street housing four slick Japanese restaurants, a handsome whisky bar, and a patisserie – with the drinks list across all venues curated by the award-winning Maybe Sammy team. Go check it out stat.

What do you get when you combine four mates who have worked at some of Sydney’s hottest restaurants, a cracking home in Redfern (the former palace of The Sunshine Inn), and feel-good Euro vibes? You get Attenzione Food & Wine, that’s what. The fun and breezy diner promises to bring yum plates and top-notch vino to Redfern Street. Safe to say it’s got our attention.

The Cut Bar & Grill, a subterranean steakhouse and wood-fired grill in The Rocks, has reopened with a fresh look and menu by the team behind Sydney's award-winning Rockpool Bar & Grill. Expect New York steakhouse classics on the menu, along with quality produce cooked over wood fire and, of course, top-notch steak. The Cut’s signature slow-cooked prime rib – sliced and served tableside – remains on the menu. Located on Argyle Street, the heritage-listed underground space features a smart dining room with wooden and forest-green booth seating and large marble tables. There’s also a bar, perfect for an after-work snack and a The Cut’s Gibson (made with house-made Gibson mignonette and Oyster Shell Gin, served with a Sydney rock oyster) or an end-of-night Negroni.

The team behind the boundary-pushing Pleasure Club (plus other Sydney favourites including The Old Fitz, the Duke of Enmore, and the eponymous Odd Culture Newtown) has opened their latest venture: a French-inspired bistro now open in Newtown. Bistro Grenier has taken over the mezzanine level above the Odd Culture bar, bringing a Euro-style dining experience to King Street.

Pino's Vino e Cucina al Mare – the second coastal iteration of Alexandria’s beloved trattoria Pino's Vino e Cucina – is now open. Al Mare means "by the sea" in Italian, a nod to its location on Surf Road, just a few minutes from Cronulla Beach. The Italian restaurant is housed inside a 1908-built former church and community library that’s cloaked in trailing ivy. Standouts of the opening menu include things like a mixed seafood platter, lobster pasta, pici cacio e pepe and build-your-own charcuterie platters with Italian cheese, salumi and antipasti. Post-swim oysters and Spritz, anyone?