Overview
If you're looking for ways to spoil the leading man in your life (whether dad or father figure), we're here to help. Let's face it, your local pizza joint doesn't quite cut it and the decibels at your favourite hole-in-the-wall ramen shop might be a little too high to allow for a meaningful chat. This is your chance to deliver something memorable and earn brownie points on the side.
Take your dad out this year on Father's Day for an exceptional dinner, a long boozy brunch or a morning coffee — all at some of our city's best parent-friendly eateries and drinking establishments. You've got enough selection anxiety on your hands with presents, so we've picked out our favourite dad-worthy spots. These are the best Father's Day restaurants, bars and cafes in Sydney.
Recommended reads:
The Best Pubs in Sydney
The Best Restaurants in Sydney
The Best Wine Bars in Sydney
The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney
Three Blue Ducks, Rosebery
Three Blue Ducks has everything you need to impress dad on Father's Day. Hearty, approachable eats; top-notch coffee from Single O; the endorsement of beloved MasterChef judge and co-owner Andy Allen — they're all covered.
While the full suite of tasty goodies will be on offer on dad's day, Three Blue Ducks' expansive Rosebery eatery is offering a special two-course lunch for $69 per head, Sunday's at Three Blue Ducks are all about the roasts too, so dad can tuck in to beef sirloin or roast pork with beef fat roasties, veggies and gravy (plus a caramelised apple with the pork) to celebrate the big day.
Cho Cho San, Potts Point
If dad's got a taste for the contemporary, Cho Cho San is the place to be, serving up high class izakaya in a setting that's very TikTok/Instagram compatible. Both Cho Cho San and its sibling the Apollo have special offers for the big day.
A la carte dining is an option, but for $80 per person, Cho Cho San will have a beer ready for the man of the hour on arrival and a pre-selected range of house favourites. Think wagyu kushiyaki alongside eggplant miso sticks and wasabi oysters. He'll choose from two claypots for the main event: beef short rib 'Kabayaki,' tan tan sauce or misozuke Murray cod — plus a very on-trend strawberry and matcha trifle to finish.
Misc, Parramatta
Out west, spoil dad with an unforgettable Mediterranean spread within the heart of Parramatta Park at the expansive and sleek venue Misc. The impressive 300-seat cafe and diner is the workings of Executive Chef Sebastian Geray, Menu Collaborator Joel Bennetts and Restaurateur Jad Nehmetallah (the last of whom you may recognise from Gogglebox).
Swing by in the morning for Stitch coffee, plus Misc's takes on cafe favourites like french toast, eggs with the lot, crumpets or a mushroom pita fold with black truffle and garlic butter. Later in the day, the menu is designed to be shared, with plenty of freshly sliced charcuterie, dips and buttery woodfired bread available alongside beef tartare, lamb shoulder and roasted half chicken.
North Bondi Fish, Bondi
Part of the star-studded Matt Moran wheelhouse, North Bondi Fish is the ideal spot for any dad who loves nothing more than ocean views and a stacked plate of seafood — no matter the special occasion.
As a special Father's Day offer, dad can take full advantage of the menu, with additional specials being the seafood tower ($250 — pictured above) or the lobster smash burger for $45. Marking the occasion is a complimentary tequila tasting table, and dad can order any house beer, wine or cocktail to get his first drink on the house.
Dominic Loneragan
The Gidley, CBD
If dad is a steak fiend, he's probably familiar with this legendary CBD steakhouse. From the team behind the similarly excellent Bistecca, it's a subterranean hot spot that takes your phone away for maximum immersion, but makes up for it with a superb ribeye and top-shelf bites big and small.
For dad's day, The Gidley is offering a $160pp Sunday roast, pricey yes, but well worth it for a father with a taste for the finer things. He'll get confit duck cigars, aged swordfish steak and butter beans, a rib roast, English sliced beef and grilled flank steak served with red wine jus and a dessert of apple crumble, marnier custard and the famous Gidley pecan pie. Needless to say, maybe it's worth skipping breakfast for this one.
The Bank, Newtown
King Street icon The Bank is joining a wider offering as a Solotel venue, but still stands as a top choice for any inner west local dads. For starters, dad can make the most of that famous beer garden with a complimentary tap brew at his convenience.
Food-wise, the usual pub menu is a solid pick for any Father's Day feast, but as a part of the festivities, The Bank (and 18 of its Solotel siblings across Sydney) is offering a plate of barbecued meats for a generous $35. That comes with beef brisket, kransky sausage, onion rings, hot dinner rolls, pickles, slaw and Fancy Hanks BBQ Sauce. That's enough to make any dad take off a belt notch or two.
Armorica, Surry Hills
Perhaps your dad is a fan of French fare? If so, this Surry Hills outpost from the Franca team is the perfect spot to treat the father figure in your life. While the full Armorica menu is on offer on Father's Day — including the restaurant's famous chocolate bar for dessert — the kitchen is offering a special steak frites menu to celebrate all the meat-loving dads.
There are four different steak options available, ranging from a special little treat to an all-out dose of extravagance. Take your pick from the 250-gram sirloin ($39), the 250-gram flat iron ($49), the wagyu sirloin ($139) or the one-kilo t bone ($169). All four options are served with a side of fries and your choice of béarnaise, mushroom, mustard or bone marrow butter.
Happyfield, Haberfield
Tucked into a corner of Ramsay Street in Haberfield is one of Sydney's best cafes, Happyfield. This sunny yellow spot knows how to nail breakfast, with stacks of pancakes paired with Pepe Saya butter; next-level brekkie burgers like the McLovin Muffin loaded with a chicken sausage patty, folded eggs, cheddar, chipotle mayo and 'happy' salt; and a 300g steak frite for the family members who like to eat lunch for breakfast.
There's something for every dad here. Plenty of veggie options also grace the menu and the coffee list is extensive. Plus, if a boozy brunch is on the table, there's an adults-only section of the menu featuring espresso martinis, mimosas, boutique Australian wines and craft beers.
Sinclair's, Penrith
Way out west, the views don't get any better than when you're looking out over the Nepean, and that's the scenic backdrop for one of Penrith's top eateries; Sinclair's. The upstairs eatery to the beloved Log Cabin, it's ideal for fine dining that won't leave you wanting more, with a menu built on ingredients secured from local producers in an exclusive 50-km radius of the restaurant.
For Father's Day, Head Chef Scott Mills has crafted a set menu for $95pp. Starters include Montecatini chorizo and king prawn, followed by entrees of Beef carpaccio with potato crumb and smoked lamb ribs with bourbon caramel. On the main front, there's Little joes' prime rib with coal-roasted jus with sides of triple-cooked Wilberforce potato with beef fat, confit garlic and thyme. For dessert? An oh-so-fancy Zokoko chocolate cigar, vanilla bean cheesecake mousse, and cocoa nibs.
Leticia Almeida
The Baxter Inn, CBD
If you want to truly treat the special man in your life, The Baxter Inn in Sydney's CBD is hosting a special Father's Day celebration. This one is for the whisky-loving fathers, with a guided tasting through rare whiskies available at the charming inner-city bar for $260 per person.
Attendees will be treated to tastings of and a guided trip through some of the hardest-to-find and off-the-beaten-path spirits from around the world at the hands of some of the whisky industry's most in-the-know folks.
OUT OF TOWN: Distillery Botanica, Erina
If dad lives outside of Sydney, there are still plenty of top-notch options for Father's Day. On the Central Coast is a whimsical garden distillery that produces some of the finest gin and liquers this side of the Hawkesbury, and it's hosting a special event for the occasion.
Starting at 1.30pm, you and dad will be treated to a gin and tonic on arrival, before a guided oyster shucking and tasting experience from the Broken Bay Pearl Farm team, then a mix-your-own-martini class using Distilley Botanica's range of award-winning gin and botanicals grown on site. For more out-of-town ideas, check out our list of the best regional NSW restaurants.