The best restaurants in Cronulla

What is it? ‘Yalla sawa’ means ‘come together’ in Arabic, and this mantra sets the tone for this warm, family-style Lebanese restaurant. Jad Nakhle and his family opened this restaurant more than a decade ago and it remains of the best places to wine and dine in Cronulla. With a big focus on marrying local Aussie produce with Jads mum’s generation old recipes, this is a communal feasting location. 

What we love: We love that Jad and his sister, Zena, who works front-of-house, have infused their Lebanese heritage into the vibrant dining room, creating a space that is both colourful and comforting. Like a warm hug from your teta (grandmother), the pride the brother-and-sister team takes in their hospitality is palpable. We also love how the menu freshly celebrates Levantine classics like hummus and saj bread, octopus baba ghanoush and turmeric potatoes, and lamb shank tagine with a cumin-spiced potato pie. 

Time Out tip: The food here hums along beautifully thanks to the care and precision taken by chef Edoardo Scepi. But Jad also knows his wines and his extensive list roams the globe. Go for his suggestion of the Mercel Leb Nat Ruby, a funky pet nat from Lebanon, and expect a playlist that will be an alternative to your usual Spotify algorithm, as the restaurateur is also the co-owner of the Brass Monkey, one of the oldest small independent live music venues in Sydney.

Address: 2/59-65 Gerrale St, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: The menu at Yalla Sawa is really well priced. You could enjoy an absolute banquet with wine for $200.

What is it: Homer Rogue Taverna is the buzzy Greek taverna and wine bar that Cronulla didn’t know it needed, led by brother duo Harry and Mario Kapoulas who also helm the hugely popular HAM café around the block. Bright, breezy and full of Athenian attitude, this gritty and grungy Grecian taverna is deliberately unpretentious and packed with the vibey edginess of Greece’s capital. Think zesty share plates, epic wines and absolutely no cheesy Mykonos clichés.

Why we love it: There are no starters or mains. Just a rotating selection of small plates designed by chef James Watson (ex-Peacock Trattoria) and head chef Kirri Mouat (ex-Icebergs, HAM). Start with kalouri, a traditional stone-baked round of bread crusted in sesames and tasting of the salty air we can see misting over nearby Shark Island. Use the bread to dredge through tirokafteri (spicy cheese dip) and taramas (fish roe dip). Build your own Greek feast of charcoal-roasted souvla, saganaki, spanakopita and loukaniko (Greek sausage).

Time Out tip: Go for a paddle with the kids at nearby Darook Park (a secret Sydney swimming spot), work up an appetite and then order a plethora of pikilia (a mix of Athenian plates). Then, serve yourself from the 3m-tall custom-built help-yourself wine fridge that's Homer's true centrepiece. 

Address: 3/3 Surf Road, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: $180 for multiple small plates, plus a carafe of wine. 

What is it? This elegant wine bar and bistro feels more Paris than Cronulla Plaza. By day, it exists as artisian deli Fred’s Providore, but at night, it transforms into a cosy wine bistro peddling fine drops and finer foods. Owner Nathan Creary is a builder turned butcher (who also runs premium Buraneer butcher, Farmgate to Plate), making the meaty mains a must-try. Sample the grass-fed steak tartare, chicken cotoletta, dry-aged Bistecca or the butcher’s cut, and thank us later.

Why we love: The low-lit venue is all leather banquettes, artfully scuffed bricks and marble-topped tables, and it’s as sophisticated as any wine bar you’ll find in Sydney’s CBD. We love lingering over a glass of wine and their lobster rolls and caviar crumpets. We also appreciate the acoustics which, thanks to that ceiling stuffed with sound-proofing batts, are elite. 

Time Out tip: Come back to Fred’s Providore the next day to stuff your eco bag with artisan treats.

Address: 109 Cronulla St, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: $200 for five or six plates to share, with drinks.

What is it? This family-run pizzeria has been going strong for more than a decade, and it remains one of the best places for pizza in Sydney. Their woodfired pizzas are made to the exacting standards of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (which earned them accreditation in 2015), but the kitchen is equally adept at crafting perfect pastas (the lasagna al forno is fire)  and cracking starters, like: polpette, nduja arancini and calamari fritti. The ceiling is festooned with fairy lights, which casts an alluring lustre over the space, and the walls are lined with vintage posters of Naples, lending it an old-school vibe. 

Why we love it: On any given evening, you’re likely to see pizzaiolo Lee Carroll toiling over the wood-fired pizza oven alongside daughter Jorja, with wife Wilson working the floor. If the Carrolls great their guests like old friends, it’s because a lot of them are. The pizzas are always memorable, whether they’re topped with the minimum amount of ingredients (think margherita) or dotted with spicy salami. The warmly lit dining room also has a sharp list of wines and genuinely good cocktails. 

Time Out tip: The pizza here has a lot of pulling power: QMOS was ranked #24 in 50 Top Pizza list for the Asia Pacific Region in 2025. But do yourself a favour and order the rocket and parmesan salad as a side; it gets our vote for being one of the best-dressed salads in Sydney.

Address: 9/2-8 Surf Road, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: There is a $45 minimum spend per person (including children) after 6pm when dining. About $120 for a smattering of starters, pizzas and a few  vinos. 

What is it? Sweeping ocean views and excellent seafood are the MO at Summer Salt. This elegant Mediterranean-inspired seaside restaurant has floor to ceiling windows that gaze out at Cronulla’s Elouera Beach and a chic, recently revamped dining room that’s coloured fifty shades of blue, seemingly with the assistance of an ink dropper from the watery world outside. 

Why we love it: Summer Salt offers one of the best waterfront views in Sydney, looking down the barrel of Sydney’s longest continuous stretch of beach. You can low-key check the surf from your table, which looks out over Elouera and beyond to Voodoos. Order share plates of calamari fritti, split Yamba prawns with garlic and Calabrian chilli butter. Or plump for the signature seafood platter for two.

Time Out tip: Wait for your lunch to digest and the ocean to get a toffee-like sheen before you paddle out for an early evening sesh.

Address: 66 Mitchell Road, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: Mains range from $30 to $62; And a chilled seafood platter for two is a wallet-friendly $95.

What is it? This fresh Italian restaurant is no cliched red-sauce joint. Chef Cristiano Patacca has been by owner Matteo Margiotta's side for a decade, and together they've devised a menu that serves inventive Oz-Italian creations and northern Italian staples. Come for the dreamy dining room, tucked away in an ivy-clad building from 1908.

Why we love it: Matteo lives in the Sutherland Shire with his wife Nerina and two daughters, and he’s designed the restaurant to celebrate both a holiday the family shared in Puglia, and his affection for the Cronulla community, and the vibes show. Order burrata with sweet-sour radicchio, fazzoletti with hand-picked spanner crab and tomato butter, and the beasty boy that is the 400g Berkshire pork tomahawk. They've also got more than 300 wine labels on offer, with bottles priced from $50 to $2000.

Time Out tip: The restaurant and bar are also open until 1am for cocktails and small bites, and there’s a bottomless brunch on weekends.

Address: 15 Surf Road, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: $250 for three courses with wine.

What is it? Bobby’s is a playful and sprawling beachside Mediterranean-inspired diner that's more Santorini than South Cronulla. Think juicy orange beach umbrellas, line drawings of fish, and a windy soundscape of seabirds and children squealing on the beach that Bobby's overlooks. The name is a nod to restaurateur Adam Micola’s father Bobby, who makes regular cameos in the restaurant alongside his  glamorous wife, Amanda. 

Why we love it: Stumbling across this seaside joint is like feeling around in your pocket and finding a polished stone. It’s a real gem. Go for lunch and a few Bloody Bobbys and then stay watching the ocean fling waves ashore until late afternoon. The menu, designed by Spanish-born chef Pablo Tordesillas (ex-Merivale) is all about ocean-to-plate greatness. Start with stracciatella flecked with fried rosemary and hazelnuts, drizzled with honey and served with a wodge of focaccia. And finish with a whole snapper served with burnt butter, citrus and caperberries.

Time Out tip: Be sure to book ahead as this is one of the busiest restaurants in Cronulla and reservations are hard to snag.

Address: 6R The Esplanade, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: Start with a few signature cocktails, two starters and two mains and you’re looking at a $200 spend.     

What is it? This relaxed Mediterranean-inspired restaurant is perched right over the water at Calico Marina. Serving up vibrant share plates for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this venue is divided into different zones depending on your vibe and tribe. There are cosy tables for two, comfy outdoor seating under beach umbrellas, and large tables designed to accommodate big groups. The brainchild of Cronulla local Adam Choker, the hospitality guy behind BarLume and Flower Child cafés, this is a quality space made by a local for his community.

Why we love it: There’s a cordoned-off play area for kids. It’s BYO. It’s breezy. The staff are fun and friendly and the portions are generous.  The kitchen is led by head chef Giovani Martinez Kazmierczuk, whose menus feature dishes that are full of flavour. Start with charcuterie plates before moving onto pizza, seafood pasta, and large rustling bowls of salad.

Time Out tip: Pippis is just steps from Cronulla Train Station. It’s also near to the place where the ferry departs bound for Royal National Park. Make a weekend of it and catch the MV Curranulla back to Bundeena, from where you can head to the heritage-listed Hilltop Cottage in the Royal National Park.

Address: 2 Tonkin St, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: The set menu is a very budget-friendly $70, with all dishes designed to share. With corkage at $20 per person, expect to pay about $120 for an absolute feast.

What is it? There's a lot to love in Cronulla's neighbouring suburbs too — and Fior, a casual Italian-Aussie joint in Gymea is top of our list. Laced with charm, nostalgia and good times, this warm, butter-yellow space is dedicated to affordable prices and locally sourced ingredients, from rustic antipasti, to handmade pastas, to oysters shucked fresh to order. It's also helmed by Tristan Rosier and Rebecca Fanning, the couple duo behind town favourites Jane and Arthur, with Gymea the place where Rosier grew up.

Why we love it: There are so many stellar options on the menu that it’s hard to choose the ones that shine brightest. But of course, if we absolutely have to, it must be the pasta dishes: specifically, the paccheri alla vodka with a creamy tomato, chilli and ricotta salata or spaghetti with prawns, chilli, cherry tomato and confit garlic.

Time Out tip: This laidback Italian restaurant is just a few train stops away from Cronulla on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line. Instead of drawing the short straw as designated driver, jump on the train on Saturday or Sunday when its BYO Wine & Bubbles at lunchtime.

Address: Shop 2, 752-756 Kingsway, Gymea.

Expect to pay: $49 for a three-course meal plus a glass of wine for lunch. There’s also a $75 per person set menu, which includes three courses and a side. A la carte options for a pasta as a main start at $29.  Also, keep an eye out for the Shire’s best aperitivo hour: think $2 oysters, $8 G&Ts and $12 spritzes.

What is it? Benny’s is a relaxed restaurant overlooking pretty Gunnamatta Bay that offers fresh and honest modern Aussie and Mediterranean flavours that sing of the sea. Designed by chef RJ Lines (formerly at award-winning restaurant One Penny Red), this is a menu anchored to the ocean. The waterfront restaurant is all sandstone and brass, with big bay windows offering one of Cronulla’s best waterfront views.

Why we love it: Benny’s is all about seasonality, simplicity and waterfront vibes. Dig into the signature barra in a bag with clams and cherry tomatoes, and get into its excellent drinks list too. Curated by Nelson Braid (an Australian gin champion of the Year), the cocktail list is light and refreshing and big on botanicals, and the wine list is concise and considered.

Expect to pay:  $180 will get you a very decent dinner and a few drinks.

Address: 27 Tonkin St, Cronulla.

Time Out tip: If you're in your swimmers, don't stress. Benny’s offers takeaway beer-battered fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce, plus gelato and ice cream cones – perfect for enjoying on the grassy knoll outside in the sunshine.

What is it? This Mediterranean-inspired grill and restaurant is the flagship restaurant for the brand that began in Bondi Beach thirty years ago. Fans of the original steakhouse co-founded by Pauline and Tony Teixeira will be pleasantly surprised to discover that the Cronulla version of the classic is an elevated space with a focus on local seafood. With a fit-out that’s all organic curves, you’ll feel like like you’re in a whimsical version of Fred and Wilma’s cave home in The Flintstones.

What we love: Yes, you can still get sensational protein options. But in addition to being a contemporary temple to Texas treasures such as smoky ribs and tender brisket, Hurricane’s has an outrageously good raw bar. Expect to be spoilt for choice when it comes to top-notch sushi and sashimi. There are also a lot of sensational sides and salads and a banging wine list devised by sommelier Stephane Pommier (ex-Muse, the Hunter Valley).

Time Out tip: Come for a casual post-beach lunch, a special date or sunset drinks with mates, with this 300-seater full of refined corners and dining rooms that are tailormade for a whole rainbow of occasions. Forget what you think you know about the big bawdy brand of days gone by,  Hurricane’s Cronulla has successfully carved its own path.

Address: 49 Gerrale St, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: $27 for Hiramasa kingfish and a yellowfin tuna tostada; $42 for a plate of pasta; $32 for a burger; and $79 for a steak and rib combo. You might drop a couple of hunge. But the fact you can mix and match and keep everyone in the family happy means it’s worth every cent.

What is it? Locals know all about The Pines, but they kind of want it kept a secret. This dining room is kind of Cape Cod meets Cronulla, and the Hamptons-inspired menu follows suit. Founder and co-owner, Michelin-trained chef James Metcalfe has little regard for what’s trending and is more concerned with delivering great flavours that blow you away. Expect refined seafood like pan-fried barramundi with braised savoy cabbage, Cloudy Bay clams, fennel, bonito velouté, and one of Sydney’s most generous seafood platters.

What we love: You will have a front-row seat to the action at The Pines, be it pods of dolphins or locals passing by for a surf or a stroll. On top of all the bold flavours, we love how you can choose between sumptuous caramel upholstery in its main dining room, or a more low-key vibe in their adjoining al fresco area. 

Time Out tip: The breakfast at The Pines is one of the best on offer in Cronulla. But the restaurant has also introduced  seafood platters, carnivore platters and mixed platters that we reckon are some of Sydney’s best, based off how unafraid they are of large portions.

Address: Unit 1, 8-18 Kingsway, Cronulla.

Expect to pay: A little or a lot. It’s a choose-your-own kind of culinary adventure. You can BYO wine (corkage is only $10 per person). Or book a mid-week tasting platter for a very affordable $45pp (which includes a glass of wine or beer).