Liquid & Larder, the team behind Bistecca, The Rover and The Gidley, has brought another beefy brasserie to Sydney’s CBD. Alfie’s is a one-of-a-kind restaurant, aiming to provide an approachable, more affordable take on the steakhouse.

Since it opened in 2016, Restaurant Hubert has built a reputation as a true gem of the Sydney restaurant landscape. It even has the Jack Harlow tick of approval. 

From the moment it opened, the cool factor and unmistakable style of the Ace Hotel brand was delivered in spades. And Kiln, its fantastic sky-high restaurant, is no exception.

What was once a CBD dining institution for late-night revellers as the final stop on a night out, has reopened as a flash multi-storey and multi-concept pub. 

In the heart of Sydney’s CBD is a haven of enthralling cuisine: Nel, the passion project of owner and Chef Patron Nelly Robinson. Described as a “culinary odyssey”, Nel’s 11-course degustation menu is crafted to elevate modern Australian fine dining.

Popular multi-level venue Esteban is split into three distinct offerings: an upstairs restaurant, a downstairs mezcal bar and a laneway dining space. Head Chef Will Quartel is plating up Mexican share plates created using traditional cooking techniques.

This simple yet delicious Chinese diner in the depths of Sydney’s CBD has long been a reliable lunch spot. The city location means it’s easy to get to, and the sprawling menu of dumpling and hand-pulled noodle dishes means there is something for everyone.

Sydney has experienced a recent influx of sleek bistros and flash steakhouses, but none are leaning into the opulence quite like Clam Bar. This Bridge Street brasserie is from the team behind Bistrot 916 and Pellegrino 2000.

An era of omakase has well and truly arrived in the Sydney CBD. From the picturesque Bay Nine in The Rocks to the tiny 12-seat Besuto at Quay Quarter, the luxuriously indulgent and precisely prepared multi-course experiences have entered the mainstream. 

Take the lift in Westfield Sydney up to level seven, and you’ll find this massive 1200-square-metre Middle Eastern restaurant and bar where an impressive calibre of hospitality vets are waiting to wine and dine you.

Award-winning Italian steakhouse Bistecca specialises in Tuscany’s top chop, the bistecca alla Fiorentine. Just like football and espresso, Italians take their bistecca very seriously, and, as such, there are strict rules that govern its cooking and eating. 

Botswana Butchery is a mega-venue in Martin Place housing up to 940 guests, and the menu is all about presenting Australian and New Zealand meat, seafood and wine in the best possible way.

Back in 2022, a new venue from Sydney hospitality giant Merivale arrived in its Ivy precinct. MuMu was the latest venture from beloved local chef Dan Hong (Ms G’s, Mr Wong), serving up southeast Asian street food-inspired dishes to the masses. 

Underground CBD favourite Burrow Bar moved from its original home in De Mestre Place to 96 Clarence Street with big plans to expand into two levels and open a restaurant above the bar.

In late 2018, an Italian restaurant with olive trees, woodfired bread and next-level pasta opened inside Bondi pub The Royal. Called Totti’s, it was an instant hit in the eastern suburbs and has become a Sydney legend within half a decade. 

When it comes to upmarket Japanese restaurants in Sydney’s CBD, Merivale’s Sushi e is a leader among the pack. Diners have the option of sitting around the sleek marble bar, getting a front-row view of the blowtorch-wielding chefs.

Set among the colonial, bamboo-focused furnishings of the 1930s Shanghai-inspired eatery, Mr Wong’s is one of the CBD’s best restaurants. There are over 80 Cantonese dishes on the vast menu.

With more than 50 dishes on Spice Temple’s menu, this long-standing Sydney CBD restaurant pushes Chinese cuisine in new directions without losing traditional flavours. 

The Love Tilly Group has been championing small bars for years now via the tiny Love, Tilly Devine, in a Darlinghurst back street; the CBD’s Ragazzi, one of the best restaurants in all of Sydney; and the Potts Point favourite Dear Sainte Eloise. 

Maydanoz on Carrington Street comes from award-winning Turkish chef Somer Sivrioğlu (Efendy). He’s pushing towards vegetarian and vegan cuisine in the sleek 100-seat venue, but you will still find some meat options.

Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Machiavelli Ristorante, opened in 1988, is focused on bringing the finest and freshest ingredients to its menu – organic whenever possible. 

Rockpool Bar & Grill is a grand institution and one that maintains a consistently high bar. A marbled open kitchen exposes spunky chefs sweating under heat lamps, the atmosphere is aplenty, and the wine selection is more like an encyclopedia than a list.

City workers, theatre-goers and general pasta lovers should all have this romantic Italian restaurant in Sydney CBD at the very top of their hit list. Ragazzi comes from the duo behind Love, Tilly Devine and Dear Sainte Éloise.

Ichi-ban Boshi is a much-loved Sydney ramen institution for a reason. It’s cheap, it’s delicious, and you have it in front of you just minutes after ordering — which is handy given the queue you can expect at peak times. 

Jessi Singh, the mind behind some of the country’s best Indian restaurants, now has a home on York Street. Pinky-Ji is Singh’s second Sydney outpost, launched with the help of former Chin Chin chef Johann Jay. 

Sky Phoenix is a Sydney yum cha institution that has been serving up the tastiest carb parcels since 2002. The eatery has been crowned with the title of Sydney’s best yum cha for a number of years, and once you’ve dined there you’ll understand why.

A unique dining experience arrived at Martin Place in 2022 from the team behind some of Sydney’s most renowned restaurants (Nour, Lilymu, Henrietta and Cuckoo Callay).

Shell House comes from The Point Group, the hospitality collective behind the likes of The Dolphin, Bondi Beach Public Bar and Harry’s. The much-hyped multi-level venue plays home to four different bars and restaurants.

Set within QT Sydney, one of the best hotels in Sydney, Gowings Bar & Grill is one of the finest hotel restaurants you’ll visit in the city. The luxe but still fairly laidback New York-style steakhouse is full of buzz even though it is a bit hard to find.

Many years ago, a diverse group of Arabic peoples migrated widely through northern Africa and western Europe, bringing traditionally Middle Eastern influences (saffron, almonds, spices) with them to the continent. 

If you work in Sydney’s CBD, you’ll no doubt be aware of Palace Chinese Restaurant and its trusty menu of Cantonese favourites. Unless you’re feeling particularly peckish, it’s probably best to bring some hungry mates with stretchy pants to this one.

Sure, for the price of a meal at Tetsuya’s, you might’ve been able to fly to Melbourne and back, but dining here is a journey unlike any other in Australia. This is high-flying dining, with very few institutions left like it in Sydney. 

Adjacent to the Ivy’s rooftop pool, Uccello is an Italian-inspired diner for the city worker looking to capture those European long lunch vibes. The menu is fresh and flavoursome, bringing together some of Italy’s best dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

From the owners who brought us Menya Mappen just a few doors down and Menya Noodle Bar, Tenkomori resembles a cafeteria-style eatery but instead of serving burgers and chips, it dishes out ramen noodles, karaage chicken and other fried fare.

Brasserie 1930, a lavish European-influenced brasserie swung open its doors in Sydney’s CBD in early 2023, calling the luxury hotel Capella Sydney home.