The best restaurants in the CBD

Grandfathers is the CBD’s new Chinese restaurant from the team behind Sydney faves Clam Bar and Pellegrino 2000. Their latest venture is inspired by Clift’s Chinese grandfather, who sparked the chef's great love of food. The food at Grandfathers draws on flavours mostly found in the Guangdong and Sichuan regions. Like most Chinese restaurants, the menu is extensive, broken up into sections: raw, cold cuts, pickles and salads; hot entrees; barbecue and dumplings; seafood; meat; vegetables and tofu; noodles and rice; dessert.

Located in a 1860s-built building that was once home to the heritage-listed Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe on Clarence Street, Palazzo Salato is the biggest venture to date from the Love, Tilly Group, whose impressive portfolio include Sydney stalwarts like Ragazzi, La Salut, Love, Tilly Devine and Dear Sainte Éloise. With silky pastas and killer vino, the sprawling restaurant and bar is reminiscent of Roman trattorie, and if you've got a friend's birthday bash, we say come here.

Clam Bar is a handsome New York-style steakhouse by the team behind the good-times-only Italian diner Pellegrino 2000 and Potts Point's French restaurant Bistrot 916. Chefs and owners Dan Pepperell and Mikey Clift, alongside sommelier Andy Tyson, know how to create a rocking venue with on-point flavours and a feel-good vibe (the fact that it’s impossible to get a booking unless it's a Tuesday at 5pm is testament to that). Hot tip: Order the cheeseburger – it's one of our faves in Sydney.

King Clarence is inspired by the flavours found in Korea, China and Japan. To tackle this, co-owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt persuaded top chef Khanh Nguyen to take charge. The result? A knockout. 

Award-winning Neptune’s Grotto is a subterranean Italian restaurant from chefs Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and sommelier Andy Tyson. It's located in the basement of Clam Bar, and you enter via Loftus Lane. Perhaps the most challenging thing won’t be getting in on a Saturday, but next time not eating so much that you don’t roll out like a stuffed tortellino. Trust us when we say, here it's worth it.

Being at Eleven Barrack feels like Christmas. Every dish or drink that lands on our table is like a gift – a perfectly presented package that, when unwrapped, contains a delightful treasure that’s a little unexpected. A very good surprise. Hot tip: the slice of key lime pie is a must-order for dessert (even if you think you don’t have room). The lime curd filling is bright and citrusy; it’s glazed with ginger, then topped with a generous piping of light coconut curd and little pops of finger lime jewels. It’s truly (sub)lime.

If you’re only going to hit up one house while on a day or night out in Sydney, better make it Shell House. Found in Sydney’s CBD, the historic clocktower building is home to not one, but four gorgeous venues held across three sprawling levels and all under the one roof. If you think that sounds like a good time, you’d be right. The jewel in the house is no doubt the Dining Room & Terrace, found on the ninth floor. The sun-lit room features a large open kitchen, cream lamps and beige curved seating and would fit right in on the pages of Architectural Digest. Outside, a wrap-around terrace dotted with fruit trees and cityscape views has long, boozy lunches written all over it.

It’s human nature to be attracted to the shiny hot new thing, but there’s something to be said about the Sydney restaurants that stay open throughout the years. One of these restaurants is Spice Temple, the fiery subterranean Chinese spot that swung open its heavy black doors in the CBD in 2009 and never looked back. Spice Temple is renowned for putting a spotlight on China’s regional cuisines, from Sichuan to Yunnan, Hunan and Guangxi (fans of Chinese cuisine will notice there are no dishes from the Canton region). Super hot dishes are red on the menu – so spice wusses, tread lightly.

Located amongst the hustle and bustle of Bligh Street, Alfie’s is the latest restaurant opened by Liquid & Larder, the team behind formidable Sydney steakhouses don’t-sneak-your-phone-in Bistecca and handsome subterranean spot The Gidley. But don’t come expecting the same kind of opulent experience here. At Alfie’s, it’s clear the team have shifted gears and are now moving at speed in fifth. When you’re in want of a swift yet quality feed with top-notch steak, bone-chilling Martinis and sides with main-character energy, Alfie’s is your guy.

There may not be a sunny courtyard on the ground floor of the Ivy complex, but most of what’s made the OG Totti's such a hit has made the commute to the George Street digs: the rustic and retro Mediterranean look and feel, an accessible list of easy-drinking wines and unfussy classic cocktails, and – of course – that incredibly delicious and gloriously puffy wood-fired bread. Antipasti is the focus at this more compact, snack-centric younger sibling, with more than 20 options to choose from.

Exiting the elevator onto the first floor of Sydney’s historic Gowings Building, the ornate Art Deco gilding of the State Theatre feels worlds away, even though it's just beneath your feet. Drawing inspiration from Little Italy and the American steakhouse scene, Gowings 2.0 heralds a new era with a fresh reimagining. Here, you can expect really great food, old-school service, and a cracking wine list.

They’ll tell you to go for the Peking duck. They’ll tell you it’s a juicy bird with crisp skin and sweet meat. And they’d be right. It is. This is just one of the many roast delights at Mr Wong – a two-level Canto-extravaganza offering everything from fancy dim sum to green beans stir-fried with pork mince and house-made XO sauce. 

MuMu is the sister restaurant of Dan Hong's famous Potts Point innovator Ms G's, and the dishes are inspired by the journeys of Hong through Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. The restaurant is colourful, and as the food arrives on your table, you're pratically eating the rainbow. The flavours are fun and punchy, and that vibe extends to the atmosphere of the place. As well as the brightly coloured décor and big flavours, we also love the banging tunes and playful cocktail list – and the fact the place is open until 2am from Thursday to Saturday night.

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to truly sit in the lap of luxury? You’ll know after a three-hour lunch at Brasserie 1930, the elegant hotel restaurant on the ground floor of the new Capella Hotel on Bridge Street.

The Sanderson (named after one of the co-owners, Greg Sanderson) is housed in the heritage-listed Beneficial House. Inside reflects the grandeur of the building, with navy-blue walls, dark wooden furniture, cosy booths and brass finishings. It’s a handsome and grown-up space. Head chef James Green’s menu is broken up into ‘Starters’, ‘Gueridon service’, ‘Earth’, ‘Sea’ and ‘Land’, including show-stopping dishes like Eastern rock lobster mafaldine, and a whopping 700g of grass-fed sirloin on the bone.

Seasonality is key at Lana, and head chef Alex Wong’s menu is constantly shifting, leaning on the best available local produce. Lana's set menus are a standout, are if you're with a group of people, you're sure to go home full and happy. You can also add on dishes so expect palate cleansers, yummy little snacks, and aperitifs in the gorgeously renovated surrounds of Hinchcliff House.

Inspired by the famous Parisian bistro Le Relais de l'Entrecote, known for its brilliant steak dish, Bouillon l'Entrecote serves quality NSW Rangers Valley sirloin with crisp, golden fries, a secret sauce (we suspect anchovies make an appearance), and a simple green salad. Having tried it ourselves, we can confirm it’s très délicieux. Located a short stroll from the harbor, this good-looking restaurant also showcases traditional French cuisine at a reasonable price point. Options may include duck liver parfait with baguette, French onion soup, snails with parsley and butter, Wagyu tartare, and crème brulée to finish it all off, of course.

There’s a certain stereotype associated with any fancy (in this case, ‘grand’) brasserie, especially one where the wine list soars up to $38,000 bottles, the cocktail ice is embossed with the institution’s logo, and the menu throws out phrases like ‘signature caviar service’. For some, that stereotype is ‘pomposity’. The Charles, though, manages to evade the clichés and make fine dining, believe it or not, fun. In fact, they tackle the problem head-on. As their culinary director, Sebastien Lutaud, explains, the team has set out to “celebrate the charm of old-school hospitality without the stuffiness”. 

Given Bopp and Tone's smack-bang CBD centrality, a stone’s throw from Wynyard Station and metres away from George Street, you’d expect to find the corporate crowd carving up 300-gram rib-eyes in between bottles of Henschke shiraz at Bopp and Tone – and they are. A Josper oven and woodfired grill occupy most of the open kitchen’s breathing room, and aside from a few starters and the line-up of sides, most of the work is dedicated to land and sea beasts. And if for some reason the boss left the plastic at the office, footing the bill wouldn’t be a problem – Bopp and Tone is worth it.

Stumbling across Felix, tucked away in Ash Street in Sydney’s CBD, makes you feel like you're in Paris any day of the week. It's the perfect place for a long, boozy lunch. We love the little touches: there's Tabasco on every table. The wine list, curated by sommelier Franck Moreau, offers a mix of classic and new-world drops. Plus, there's a fresh oyster bar in the main dining room featuring outstanding fresh-shucked oysters and all the fixings for that seafood platter everyone's talking about.

Some Sydney restaurants are “inspired by” eateries from other lands. Others, like Deux Freres, can transport you directly to somewhere on the other side of the world. This laneway pintxos bar and eatery plucks you right out of your Circular Quay surrounds and plonks you, magically, into one of the tiny bars that Spain’s Basque country is famous for.

Dining at Aria will make you fall back in love with Sydney; the longstanding harbourside fine-dining landmark not only offers world-class views but is also overseen by world-class chef Matt Moran. Thanks to the kitchen’s less-is-more approach and a brighter spotlight on native ingredients, the menu has been firmly brought into the here and now. And the panoramic outlook from the floor-to-ceiling windows remains one of the city’s best.

Elegant, ambitious, and perfect for a special occasion, Aalia is as exciting as it is tasty. Located at 25 Martin Place, this fine dining restaurant is a sibling to the beloved and celebrated Nour. While its Surry Hills sister focuses on Lebanese cuisine (diverse and eclectic as it is), what sets the stunningly plush Aalia apart is its expansive journey across the Middle East, including a delightful excursion along the North African coast.

When The Gidley opened in a King Street basement in 2019, it was one of the first American-style steak restaurants in Sydney. Today, the handsome subterranean spot, owned by the Liquid & Larder team (also Bistecca, Alfie’s, The Rover), is still one of the best steakhouses in the city – and the world.

Ragazzi is a petite laneway pasta parlour that follows in the footsteps of sibling wine bars Dear Sainte Éloise and Love, Tilly Devine. The Harbour City’s obsession with pasta is at an all-time high, but thanks to a focus on lesser-known shapes and a willingness to stray from the tried and true, Ragazzi stands out. And because these are the brains behind two pioneering wine bars, there’s good drinking aplenty to be had. 

This swish Japanese diner may have moved location (you'll now find it in Circular Quay’s Salesforce Tower) but its excellence remains. The venue now has eight seats, offering an intimate and traditional omakase experience, helmed by new head chef Michiaki Miyazaki. Besuto is also open for lunch on the weekend, and at night, you can pop in for a nightcap or two.

Just like the Harbour Bridge and Sydney’s most famous House, there are some places that are so integral to the very fabric of this sparkling city that they’ve reached icon status. And after close to 15 years, Rockpool Bar and Grill is still at the top of its game. There’s only one word for it. Legendary.

You might not expect a seriously schmick wine bar and restaurant housed in the original Fairfax building in the heart of the CBD to be all about inclusivity, but the Bentley Restaurant and Bar by sommelier Nick Hildebrandt and chef Brent Savage wants everyone to have a good time. If you’re not here for the full sit-down dining experience that’s A-OK. But to get the most out of this venue it's worth ordering a full meal. You won't regret a bite.

Chef Peter Gilmore, alongside the Fink Group, took over the reins of the restaurant inside the heart of the Sydney Opera House in July 2015 (Guillaume Brahimi was steering the ship for 12 years before that). It's named after Woollarawarre Bennelong, a significant Aboriginal man who is renowned for his historic interactions with British colonists. 

A decade on from Gilmore taking the helm, Bennelong remains a Sydney must-visit. Here’s why we still have a big fat crush on this Opera House icon

With its Italian plates, white tablecloths and focus on attuned service, Restaurant Leo occupies a space between hyper-charged fine dining and casual eatery: it prides itself on the full experience, as well as fresh, beautifully plated dishes. Leo tends towards hearty classics you'd enjoy by the Mediterranean coast: there are rock oysters, lobster maccheroncini, and a risotto with cuttlefish and peas made with koshihikari rice, a type of Japanese grain.