Eight New CBD Spots to Visit When You Want to Treat Yourself to a Nice (but Quick) Lunch

At the CBD’s recently opened Barrack Place precinct, Chinese street food newbie Mo’st is slinging (what’s said to be) the world’s oldest sandwich. Called rou jia mo (“meat sandwich”), this Chinese burger originated in the Shaanxi Province some 2300 years ago, during the Zhou Dynasty. Traditionally, the sandwich comes with stewed pork belly seasoned with over 20 spices, then shredded, mixed with coriander and capsicum and stuffed into mo — a flatbread that’s typically baked in a clay oven. At Mo’st though, you can pick from seven varieties. Fillings vary from the classic pork listed above ($10.8) to oven-grilled lamb patties with pickles and Greek yoghurt, one with slow-cooked miso salmon with purple slaw and kimchi mayo and even a vegetarian one with tofu and king mushmrooms. Plus, there’s a Hainan-style chicken salad ($13.8) and handmade cold sesame noodles ($9.8), too. Need a pick-me-up? The coffee here is from Five Senses.

Bringing fresh life and all-day Italian cuisine to the entrance of Sydney’s QT is Parlour Cucina, serving hearty and traditional Italian fare from breakfast through till dinner. The one-page lunch menu features light options like four cheese and spinach arancini and pepper and snapper carpaccio with blood orange, chilli and lemon balm. For something more substantial, there are pizzas and a lemon-crumbed parmigiana with fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil as well as a range of salads. If you’re really treating yourself, the extensive wine list means there’s a drop for any preference, with glasses starting at $9 and bottles capping out at $160. Paired with food made from simple and fresh produce, you’ll be feasting on flavoursome, old-school Italian fare.

The self-proclaimed (and widely agreed upon) Sydney’s “real-deal NYC bagels”, Brooklyn Boy Bagels has finally laid down some roots. Housed in Circular Quay’s huge Gateway Sydney dining precinct, the new outpost obviously focuses on the bakers’ signature round pieces of dough. But — with the extra space — Brooklyn Boys has expanded its menu to include pastries and other snacks you’d typically find in a New York deli. Think pastrami on rye, Frankie’s Fine Brine pickles, and turkey sandwiches with streaky bacon on house-made soft and crusty pain de mie. Just after a bagel? The shop will sell all of Brooklyn Boys’ varieties, from plain to onion to blueberry to pumpkin. Try the whiskey-cured trout pumpernickel bagel with dill and capers, labneh and pickled onions. Or go for the ricotta, poached pear, cinnamon honey if you’re after something sweet.

Tucked down the end of Temperance Lane, the CBD’s new hole-in-the-wall eatery takes inspiration from India in multiple ways. Sydney’s first vegan fritterie and chai bar, its culinary spread will be familiar to fans of the subcontinent’s cuisine, obviously. Traditional pakora fritters are the main attraction, not only made with a crunch — and available gluten-free — but served with homemade tamarind chutney and served in a small or large cone. If you’d like your fritters in other dishes, you can tuck into an Indian khichri stew, which also features mung beans and quinoa, or opt for a pao burger decked out with pickled beetroot on a soft bun. There’s also a salad, which comes jam-packed with puffed rice, peanuts, spinach, avocado, tomato, bengal gram, roasted chickpeas, savouries, mint and tamarind chutney. And, to wash it all down, there’s Indian-style all-vegan chai that’s made in small batches and served both hot and cold.

Fratelli Fresh has launched its emporium at Darling Harbour. The epic space offers, well, everything — from Mecca coffee and Sonoma baked treats to Neapolitan pizza and tiramisu to masterclasses and giant Aperol spritzes. If you’ve time to hang around, claim a table in the waterfront beer garden that’s dotted with citrus and olive trees. If not, grab some pasta and run.

Choose from the likes of tagliatelly with burrata and eggplant, lamb ragu rigatoni, crab and chilli spagettini and ravioli. If you don’t want to consume too many carbs at lunch (we won’t judge) you can also substitute any pasta for zucchini noodles for an extra $3. If you like your lunch extra carby, head in on Thursdays when three different types of gnocchi are available for $20 a pop.

If you want to treat yourself — even further — the restaurant is also serving up a super-sized 1.5-litre Aperol spritz for $39, which is available for just $20 on Wednesdays.

Sydney hospitality legends Kenny Graham and Jake Smyth (of Mary’s, The Lansdowne, The Unicorn, P&V Wine and Liquor, Mary’s Pizzeria) have taken over the historic jazz venue The Basement with a new harbourside Mary’s, live gig space and a wine bar. Plus, for the first time ever, Mary’s has a vegan menu at its Circular Quay outpost. Plant-based peeps, rejoice — you can now get your fill of the famed burgers and fried ‘chicken’. The ‘chicken’ is fried cauliflower and the burgers are made with vegan patty, cheese, bun and a vegan take on Mary’s sauce. The carnivorous among us who do prefer their burgers and fried chicken the traditional Mary’s way fear not, you’ll find all the meat-filled classics here, too. As well as Mary’s typical loud tunes, natural wines, local beers and raucous service. Come summer, you can also eat your burgers outdoors (in the sun) at the 30-seat Mary’s Alfresco.

Since arriving in Potts Point in 2013, Harajuku Gyoza has always kept things simple: gyoza and beer. At the Darling Harbour outpost, the sentiment remains the same. The harbourside behemoth of an eatery, Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium features ‘stadium’-style stepped seating as well as booths, a mezzanine level and outdoor spots. Beer is the feature here but the food is just as promising. There are nine types of gyoza plus fried chicken, chicken ramen and salmon sashimi poke. The venue’s signature desserts feature, too, including its raindrop cake and salted caramel and Nutella gyoza. If you’re also after a beer, you’ll notice four massive beer tanks behind the bar. Each 1200-litre vessel holds one of six Japanese drops brewed on-site as well as another six brews on tap.

Kitchen by Mike’s casual approach to fine dining was game changing when the restaurant first opened in Rosebery all those years ago (way back in 2012). It combined casual eating, American high school lunchrooms, locally sourced ingredients and an acclaimed chef — Mike McEnearney — to create a flexible, no frills restaurant that sold itself through the main event: food. Now it has reopened in the CBD, which means city workers’ lunch and breakfast options have just improved tenfold. For lunch, you can browse an array of salads, woodfired and slow-cooked meats, tartines, pizza and puddings. Many vegetarian options are on offer, too, including cauliflower, sheep’s curd, green apple and radicchio on sprouted buckwheat toast, and the famed cucumber, mirin, ginger and sesame salad. Salads are made using all-Aussie produce — sourced at the markets that morning — and rotate daily. To check what’s on that day’s menu, check Kitchen By Mike’s Instagram Story after 10am.