Seven Date Spots Perfect for Celebrating a Landmark Anniversary

At this Potts Point bistro, the perfectly understated food is complemented by the impressive space. Located in the former Commonwealth Bank building, there are large pillars between tables, marble accents and wood-framed mirrors high on the walls. It’s all rather luxurious, without being over-the-top. Perfect, in other words, for your all-important anniversary dinner.

The focus is on timeless French food served on simple white plates. Order the chicken liver parfait, a light, creamy concoction served with sweet and sour jelly currants. The Moreton Bay bug omelette with thermidor butter is equally luscious. Whatever you pick, match your dish with a glass from the predominantly French wine list. And make sure to save room for dessert, particularly the crème brûlée, which arrives teamed with passionfruit and a coconut macaroon.

If you’re the type who likes to celebrate in impeccably understated spaces, you’ll love Cho Cho San. In the coolly minimal dining room of this Potts Point eatery, all smooth slate and pale beechwood, the focus is on contemporary small plates prepared with traditional hibachi grilling and steaming techniques.

The scallops with ponzu and ikura (salmon roe) and Petuna ocean trout with wasabi and black pepper are standouts on the sashimi side of things. If you’re in the mood for meat, though, look no further than the brown butter duck yakitori, or the restaurant’s take on charcoal chicken, done with yuzu kosho and mizuna. Toast to your love with one of the fancy Japanese-inspired cocktails and, for dessert, grab one of those delicate cones of green tea soft serve.

In this simple space — all white-tiled walls, a few bright murals and warm timber furniture — the focus is on excellent Italian food in all of its delightful variety. Take the stress out of deciding what to order by opting for the incredibly reasonable Menu Fisso ($64 per person), which lets you try all the Casoni signatures, including the green garlic burrata, torched bonito with apple yuzu, the famous sage and brown butter gnocchi and a miso-infused pannacotta. Add in a bottle from the predominantly Italian wine list, and spend the rest of the night making eyes at each other between courses.

Okay, so in an ideal world, you’d be able to jet off to a Greek island to celebrate a milestone of an anniversary. Luckily, The Apollo offers the next best thing. This Macleay Street taverna serves up some of the city’s best Greek food in a room stripped almost bare with vaulted ceilings, peeling cream plaster and romantically warm lighting.

Because you’re here to spend quality time with your significant other, you’ll want to spend as little time as possible dithering over what to order. Opt, then, for the very affordable Full Greek feast ($65 per person) which features all of the restaurant’s signatures including saganaki cheese with honey and oregano and an oven-baked lamb shoulder served with an addictive lemon greek yoghurt. For drinks, you can’t go wrong with something off the compact cocktail list, which heroes plenty of gin, Greek liqueur and Mediterranean flavours.

Nothing screams romance quite like Italian cuisine. And Pino’s Vino e Cucina does Italian impeccably. Tucked away in the residential backstreets of Alexandria, the menu here features traditional Italian fare with a twist: angus beef tartare with smoked tomato chilli sauce and straciatella is joined on the antipasti menu by an octopus carpaccio with potato and smoked paprika.

Handmade pasta dominates the main menu, so best hope that your significant other doesn’t mind sharing because picking just one is nearly impossible. The fit-out here is casual — with copper pots hanging from the ceiling, plentiful timber accents and lots of candles — while still being beautiful enough for a special occasion.

For a meal that will make you feel like you’ve escaped Sydney and tumbled straight into the (very romantic) English countryside, there’s no better place than Chiswick. Here, the grass truly is always greener on the other side. Inside this glasshouse-inspired space, you’ve got artfully manicured gardens on one side and a picturesque little kitchen garden on the other.

Whatever side of the grass you’re looking at, though, the true stars of the show are the gustatory delights happening on your plate. Don’t miss the massive slow-roasted lamb shoulder served with eggplant, rocket and mint, and perhaps a side of seasonal greens straight from the garden outside. With its large windows, light timber tables and white bentwood chairs, this elegant spot is the perfect place for a romantic date of the very leisurely variety.

At panoramic sky bar Henry Deane, the views are so giddiness-inducing you’re likely to feel something akin to that beginning-of-a-relationship buzz while gazing down at the city below. While the 1920s Hollywood fit-out — pink leather couches and opulent copper furnishings aplenty — is gorgeous, there’s no competing with the million-dollar view over the city’s magnificent water frontage. From the glass-walled salon, you’ll spot boats cruising down below, twinkling city lights and tear-inducing sunsets. This is the place for you and your partner to pull out all the stops. So, pop those champagne bottles like there’s no tomorrow, order another round of abalone potatoes and stuff yourself silly on the Bangalow pork belly.