Sydney Restaurants Where You Can Dine at the Bar
Take a seat up front, whether you're dining solo or finally having that long-delayed catch-up.

Sydney Restaurants Where You Can Dine at the Bar
Perching at the bar with a robust negroni, not sharing a parmesan-laden bowl of fresh cacio e pepe is a largely unpretentious dining experience that cuts to the core of hospitality. Perfect for solo dining or a delayed catch-up with your long-lost friend, this type of dining had been lacking in Sydney until recent years. Nowadays, Sydneysiders aren't so intimidated with dining solo, sitting right in front of the chef, and foregoing a strong-backed seat for a humble stool. These restaurants and bars will let you pull up a pew in front of the action, and won't judge you on a table for one.
Image: Bar Topa, Kopper Finch
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Food & Drink
Nour
The contemporary Middle Eastern restaurant has recently been hatted, and is ideal for your next meal in Surry Hills.
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The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar
This all-day French bistro, bar and cafe within an art deco building is open from 7am until 10pm, six days a week.
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Bar Louise
This Spanish tapas bar has brought house-made chorizo and plenty of sherry to Enmore Road's Marie-Louise salon building.
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RAFI North Sydney
This multi-space venue has something for everyone, in the heart of North Sydney.
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Fontana
The Don Peppino's team has opened this Italian diner in the former digs of Ron's Upstairs, retaining all the charm from the space's previous occupant.
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Cafe Freda's
The Chippendale nightclub has moved to Darlinghurst and swapped late nights and neon lights for natural wines and pastel hues.
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L'uva Pasta & Wine Bar
A Roman-inspired spot featuring an extensive selection of wines by the glass.
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White + Wong's Sydney
The hatted New Zealand favourite, which boasts a menu of contemporary pan-Asian fare, has opened in one of Sydney's most iconic locations.
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ELE by Federico & Karl
The Star's extravagant dining experience ELE takes you on a tour of three venues during your multi-course feast.
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Bones Ramen
Choose from four bowls of ramen at this tiny 20-seat ramen bar tucked away down Bayswater Road.
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Bay Nine Omakase
Leave the decisions to the chef at this waterfront omakase restaurant offering six, eight and 11-course menus.
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Shell House
Discover a cocktail bar in a clocktower, a ground-floor bistro and a sky-high drinking hole in this historic former hotel.
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Baba's Place
A kaleidoscope of south-west Sydney food and culture inside a Marrickville warehouse.
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La Salut
The Love, Tilly Devine and Ragazzi crew's latest venue is bringing brilliant bar food and Spanish vermouth to Redfern.
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Mille Vini
An exciting overhaul of the Italian bar brings a fresh face to Surry Hills' eat street.
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Bar Suze
Surry Hills' new late-night bar is serving Swedish snacks and house-made apple wine.
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Diana
This Korean eatery is offering late-night karaoke, sashimi salad and house made kimchi in Potts Point.
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Bibimbar
This corner eatery brings "Korean soul food" and soju cocktails to Chippendale.
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Ria Pizza + Wine - CLOSED
You can 'pimp your pizza' with caviar and truffle at this new Potts Point eatery from the Monopole crew.
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Pepito's
You'll find pisco cocktails and Peruvian street food at this Illawarra Road restaurant.
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Esteban
The Tequila Mockingbird team's two-storey Mexican restaurant is home to Australia's biggest collection of premium tequila and mezcal.
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The Sunshine Inn
The Golden Gully team's vegetarian pub is located in the former Redfern Continental digs.
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Ciccia Bella Parramatta Square
An Italian diner in Parramatta Square by Icebergs' Maurice Terzini.
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Sekka Dining
An izakaya on the lower north shore from one of Sydney's best ramen chefs.
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Jimmy's Falafel
This bright orange CBD spot is slinging mezze-style share plates, $16 cocktails, za'atar calamari and pitas aplenty.
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Pilgrims Bronte — CLOSED
The south coast institution is now serving up its famed vego burgers and Mexican feasts in Sydney's east.
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Leura Garage
This pizzeria in an old mechanic's workshop is a must-visit when in Leura.
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Aria
Matt Moran's harbourside restaurant has been serving up top-notch tasting menus by the water for 20 years.
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DOC Sydney
You'll find crisp pizzas made with top-notch Italian ingredients and lots of cheese on Campbell Street.
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Calle Rey
An all-vegan Mexican and Peruvian restaurant with a dedicated pisco bar in Newtown.
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Una Mas
A wine and tapas bar inside Coogee Pavilion that welcomes you straight off the beach.
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Nikkei Bar & Restaurant
The Tokyo Bird team is serving up a Japanese-Peruvian menu at its newest Surry Hills restaurant.
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Beerhaus Barangaroo
A huge German beer hall with salty pretzels, schnitzels and schnapps.
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Isabel - CLOSED
Head to this Bondi izakaya for skewers of baby octopus and wagyu and cocktails made with finger lime, pickled cabbage and burnt miso.
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XOPP
The Golden Century team's new Darling Square restaurant is a homage to its famed pipis in XO dish.
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Dopa Don and Milk Bar
A Japanese take on the classic Aussie milk bar by the Devon team.
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Prince of York
At this multi-level CBD venue you can start with bone marrow toasties and naturally fermented prosecco for dinner, then head downstairs to dance on tables under a disco ball.
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Hello Auntie Darling Square
The inner west Vietnamese favourite has opened a CBD outpost.
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Mary's Underground
As well as a full French-style bistro menu, this CBD restaurant from the Mary's crew has a seafood bar and jazz running six night a week.
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The Glebe Hotel
This historic pub has been given a new name and dog-friendly courtyard.
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Arcadia Liquors
A fairy light-lit small bar with a sweet little courtyard out the back.
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Forty Licks - CLOSED
An underground restaurant serving Vietnamese noodle soups and fancy cocktails.
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The Sausage Factory
Australia's first sausage cellar door also brews its own native ingredient-spiked beer.
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Luho Restaurant
Southeast Asian street food and creative cocktails by PS40 combine at this lower north shore spot.
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Corretto Dee Why
An all-day diner located a stone's throw from the beach in northern Sydney.
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10 William St
This lively Paddington stalwart is a portal into some of the best wine, pasta and snacks this city has to offer.
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General Chao - CLOSED
You'll find six different house-made XO sauces and giant pork buns at this lower north shore eatery.
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Pocket Pizza Manly
Manly's Italo-American pizza parlour has found a new home along Pittwater Road.
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The Burwood Hotel
This longtime Burwood stalwart is now slinging alcoholic bubble teas.
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Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium
Darling Harbour's new venue dedicated to Japanese dumplings and Yoyogi beer.
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The Charleston
This millennial pink-hued Glebe eatery is inspired by the coastal towns of South Carolina.
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Ron's Upstairs - CLOSED
The Arcadia Liquors team's restaurant is an upstairs Euro bistro full of kitsch and neighbourhood charm.
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Sake Restaurant and Bar Manly
A breezy indoor-outdoor Japanese diner with views out over Manly Cove.
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The Bishop - CLOSED
Surry Hills stalwart Bishop Sessa has swapped fine dining for a casual bar set-up.
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Don't Tell Aunty
Rule-breaking curries, retro Bollywood films flickering on the walls and a self-serve beer fridge in the old 4Fourteen site.
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Matteo Downtown
Sister to Matteo Double Bay, this Bond Street restaurant boasts a dedicated mozzarella bar, a weekday aperitivo hour and a terrace primed for people-watching.
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Edition Haymarket
Pair quality cuppas with innovative, Japanese-inspired brekkies at this inner city cafe.
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Bonnie's Wine & Food - CLOSED
Maurice Terzini's Bondi bar (within a bar) serving fried pizza and natural wine.
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Salt Meats Cheese Cronulla
The Italian chain has opened its first outpost in The Shire.
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Katsumi Japanese Restaurant - CLOSED
A stunning Japanese fine-diner in an lesser-known inner west suburb.
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Ona Marrickville
The award-winning Canberra coffee roaster has opened its first Sydney cafe in the inner west.
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Bar Topa
A pint-sized tapas bar serving up innovative snacks and $8 half-size cocktails.
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Boronia Kitchen
Hunters Hill's new all-day eatery from an ex-ARIA chef is serving up standout in-house meals and healthy lunches to-go.
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Carbon Mexican
This hacienda-inspired restaurant has taken over the old Rum Diaries space.
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Solera Bar
Barangaroo's new small bar serving up rare Champagne and charcuterie boards.
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Bar Patron - CLOSED
Neil Perry's harbourside eatery serving late-night Mexican fare and $100 margaritas.
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Maybe Frank Randwick
Serving pizza and award-winning cocktails up the hill from the beach.
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Barangaroo House
The jewel in Barangaroo's ever-growing crown, Barangaroo House is made up of three levels — we reviewed them all.
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Chula
Offering regional Mexican dishes in wicker chairs and a packed menu of tequila and mezcal cocktails.
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Chin Chin
Sydney's first outpost of Melbourne's famed loud, punchy and queue-inviting Thai eatery.
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China Diner Double Bay
Fans of the Bondi favourite now have a second venue to get their share-style Chinese cuisine fix.
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District Brasserie
Chifley Square's 200-seat bistro serving up generous portions of French fare.
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Bistro Rex
A lavish but casual French bistro in Potts Point where you can have truffle shaved over everything.
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Sasaki - CLOSED
Some of Sydney's best Japanese fare is being served out of this hole-in-the-wall behind a police station.
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Dear Sainte Éloise
Snack on mussels on toast and choose from over 350 wines at this Potts Point bar.
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NOLA Smokehouse and Bar
New Orleans-style Sazeracs and smoked meats with a view over the Sydney skyline.
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Calabur Cafe & Diner - CLOSED
An all-day Asian diner that truly transforms from day to night.
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Eastside Kitchen
A New York-style steakhouse with acclaimed chef Stanley Wong behind the wheel.
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Johnny Fishbone - CLOSED
A Darlinghurst wine parlour from the Buffalo Dining Club team.
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Redfern Continental - CLOSED
Arcadia Liquors' European bistro is the perfect neighbourhood bistro
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Bistro Moncur Mosman
Guillaume Brahimi's Woollahra French bistro has explanded to the lower north shore.
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Friend in Hand Hotel
You'll find this lively, old-school pub in the backstreets of Glebe.
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Jangling Jack's
Find blues, soul and cocktails inspired by the notorious historic locals of Potts Point at this neighbourhood speakeasy.
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East Village Hotel
The three-tiered Darlinghurst pub gets a new life with an upstairs sports bar and rooftop terrace.
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Tequila Mockingbird
A Paddington terrace filled with tequila and tasty South American morsels.
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Milano Torino - CLOSED
An Italian restaurant that blends the flavours of Piedmont with food photography.
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Kittyhawk
Combining a French military aesthetic with an end of war party vibe, and stocked with over 900 spirits — expect banging cocktails.
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Brooklyn Depot Burgers & Brew - CLOSED
A gleeful burger-laden homage to the city that never sleeps.
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Deus Bar & Kitchen
Deus Cafe has moved into more mature territory — with an ex-Bistro Moncur chef no less.
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Restaurant Hubert
High-class French food in a subterranean space on Bligh Street, where the steak is the stuff of legend.
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Bibo Wine Bar
Double Bay gains another quality vino spot, helmed by an ex-Guillaume head chef.
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Continental Deli Bar Bistro
Where drinking cocktails gets that much better because they're served in cans.
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Casoni
Fresh pasta plus Aperol spritzes and negronis on tap equal Casoni's formula for a good night.
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Ester
With a woodfired oven as the restaurant's core, Ester's hearth produces food with heart.
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The Winery
Drinking classy means having a 'champagne bell' alert the waitstaff when your glass gets empty.
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One Penny Red
The location is great, the atmosphere is just what you want and the food? More than worth the journey.
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Cho Cho San
In a minimalist, well-designed setting, you’ll enjoy Japanese cuisine in a reimagined izakaya style.
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Momofuku Seiobo - CLOSED
Put your Blackjack money back in your wallet and save it for a fantastic night of unconventional eating.
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Bentley Restaurant + Bar
The loved CBD fine diner has a dedicated vegetarian tasting menu.
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Chester White Cured Diner
Dig into moreish cured meats, cheese-wheel cacio e pepe and braised beef cheeks at this charming converted cottage.
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Riley St Garage
Raw, edgy and impossibly chic, Riley St Garage brings a slice of the New York Meatpacking District to Woolloomooloo.
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Spring Street Social
Spring Street Social is Bondi's next big thing, a hole in the wall hiding an underground club.
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Neighbourhood
Next time your throat is dry and sunstroke has you seeking shelter, grab a Neighbourhood Bloody Mary.
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Nomad
'Nomad' appears to be a misnomer: this is one place we'd be very content to set down some roots.
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Batch Burgers and Espresso
Devour an American burger and shake, just down the road from the Prime Minister's lodge.
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Yebisu Yakitori
Regent Place continues to flourish with this party room where the sake flows.
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Bondi Hardware
Bondi is not just for summer, with a Notorious P.I.G and mulled Batlow cider there to lift winter spirits.
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Mary's
A rock 'n' roll Newtown stalwart, with standout Maccas-style burgers and natural wines.
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Glebe Point Diner
It's perfect for a casual graze, an intimate first date or a well-overdue catch up with mates.
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The Roosevelt
A refined, NYC-inspired bar sending you back to the 1950s with champagne, plenty of cocktails and oysters.
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Jah Bar
Take a typical tapas bar in Barcelona then polish slightly, adding cut crystal glasses and a pinch of Almodóvar references.
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Porteño
Doors have shut on Cleveland Street as a new chapter for the meatmasters begins.