Insider Guide to Sydney Restaurants

One of Australia’s most famous chefs, Peter Gilmore is a Sydney native who invigorated the harbor-front restaurant Quay with his devotion to local produce and Asian- and European-influenced cooking. Here, he shares his favorite restaurants in the city, ranging from incredible dim sum to cutting-edge French.

“Owned by the celebrity chef Neil Perry, Spice Temple is in the basement of his steak restaurant Rockpool. You enter through a door that’s actually a big illuminated digital screen and descend a flight of stairs to a very dimly lit restaurant with lots of reds and dark timber. They specialize in regional Chinese cuisine, especially Sichuan food. You can have a crispy cumin-lamb pancake, or a spicy quail dish with peanuts and lots of chiles.” rockpool.com

“This is where to go for a cutting-edge, high-end experience (besides Quay). There are lots of great chefs in Sydney, but I find Mark Best to be the most interesting. Though his roots are French, his food is modern European with Asian influences. It’s a very personal cuisine, and therefore not tied to a specific nationality or movement—it’s more about the quality of the ingredients and using different techniques, as in his pickled Diamond clams with cured sea urchin and hazelnuts. It’s quite an intimate setting—very dark and moody with only 30 or 40 seats.” marquerestaurant.com.au

Photo courtesy of Sailors Club.

“This is a really fun place to go for lunch and sit outside overlooking Rose Bay. The restaurant used to be called Pier but was renovated. They changed the name, the look, the menu—everything. They’re serving really casual seafood like fish and chips and grilled yellowfin tuna.” thesailorsclub.com.au

“There’s a cozy little wine bar in Darlinghurst that does really interesting wines and nice bar snacks. The guy who owns it, Matt Swieboda, is the ex-sommelier at Quay. He’s really into small, boutique, natural wines.” lovetillydevine.com

“There is a really top little restaurant in Stanmore, a suburb of Sydney, run by two talented young chefs, James Parry and Daniel Puskas. They’ve been around Sydney for a while, but have lots of fresh ideas and just recently opened their tasting menu only restaurant. Their food is really modern and very focused on seasonal, local produce.” sixpenny.com.au

“Next door to the Establishment Hotel, this place recently opened and it’s really quite amazing. It seats 240 people and they serve really good dim sum and Cantonese specialties like roast duck and stir-fried rice with pork and prawns. It looks like old Shanghai and the atmosphere is quite fun.” merivale.com.au/mrwong

“On my day off, my family and I go out for yum cha—tea and dim sum—it’s definitely my comfort food. There are heaps of yum cha places in Chinatown, but I grew up on the north side of Sydney and this is my favorite spot up there. They have good food and a great atmosphere.” 46 Willoughby Rd., Crows Nest (02) 9906 6388

“That’s a hard one. I don’t really go for breakfast—I’m too busy! But Bill’s is very good, and quite famous. They have several locations, and serve a full Aussie breakfast with scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, roast tomato, sausage and mushrooms, and incredible ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter.” bills.com.au

“This is a really good pâtisserie in The Rocks [the old part of the city] that serves modern French pastries, beautiful cakes and Sydney’s best macarons. You can pick up food to go or sit outside at their little sidewalk café.” larenaissance.com.au

“Down at Bondi Beach, this is a pizza restaurant that serves really good gelato. I had a fantastic peach gelato there the other day. They also serve a great salted-caramel gelato.” pompeis.com.au

“Sydney has what is probably the most beautiful butcher store in the world. It’s in an Eastern suburb called Wollahra, and the store’s been family-run since 1876. It’s the place to go for amazing meat and charcuterie. You can also take butchering or cooking classes if you like.” victorchurchill.com

“Down in The Rocks, overlooking Sydney’s harbor, this museum just had a major renovation and nearly doubled its size with a new addition. It has an impressive collection from modern Australian artists, including video installations from Shaun Gladwell and works by photographer Tracey Moffatt.” mca.com.au

“If you want a five-star experience, I definitely recommend the Hyatt. It’s right on the harbor down on The Rocks, which is the old part of Sydney. It’s handy to everything. They just had a major refurbishment.” sydney.park.hyatt.com

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Manual for insiders to Sydney restaurants

One of Australia's most famous chefs, Peter Gilmore is a native of Sydney, the harbour front restaurant Kai with his devotion to local produce and Asian and European influenced cooking strengthened. Here he shares his favorite restaurants in the city, amazing Dim sum up to modern French.

"Owned by celebrity chef Neil Perry, spice Temple in the basement restaurant is rock pool of his steak. You go through a door, which actually is a lighted digital canvas and descend a flight of stairs to a very dimly lit restaurant with many red and dark wood. They specialize in Chinese cuisine, especially the Sichuan food. You can have Bowl with peanuts and many of Chile's a crispy cumin lamb pancakes, or a spicy quail." Rockpool.com

"This is where you for an innovative, high-end experience (in addition to Quay)." There are many great chefs in Sydney, but I think mark best be most interesting. Although its roots of French, his food is modern European and Asian influences. It is a very personal cuisine and therefore not a nationality or movement of certain tied - it goes more to the quality of ingredients and using different techniques, as in his a diamond clams with cured sea urchins and hazelnuts. It is an intimate setting - very very dark and atmospheric with only 30 or 40 seats. " marquerestaurant.com.au

Photo courtesy of sailing club.

"This is a really great place for lunch go and sit overlooking Rose Bay." The restaurant called Pier, but was renovated. They changed the name, the look of the menu - about. "You are really casual seafood such as fish and chips and grilled yellow fin tuna operate." thesailorsclub.com.au

"There is a cozy little wine bar in Darlinghurst, does really interesting wines and beautiful bar snacks. The guy who owns it, Matt Swieboda, is the former sommelier at the wharf. He is boutique, natural wines really too small." lovetillydevine.com

"It's a really top small restaurant in Stanmore, a suburb of Sydney, led by two talented young chefs, James Parry and Daniel Puskas. You have already Sydney, for a while, but have many fresh ideas and only recently opened their wine tasting only menu restaurant. Their food is really modern and very focused on local and seasonal ingredients." sixpenny.com.au

"Right next to the hotel facility opened this place recently and it's really quite amazing." It can accommodate 240 people, and they serve really good Dim sum and Cantonese specialties like roast duck and fried rice with pork and shrimp. It looks like old Shanghai and the atmosphere is really fun." Merivale.com.au/MrWong

"My day, my family and I go for yum cha - tea and dim sum - it's definitely my comfort food. There are bunch of yum cha places in Chinatown, but I grew up on the north side of Sydney and this is my favorite place up there. They have good food and a great atmosphere." 46 Willoughby Rd., Crows Nest (02) 9906 6388

"This is a tough one. I don't really go for breakfast - I'm too busy! But Bill is very good and quite famous. You have multiple sites and a full serve Aussie breakfast with scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, fried tomatoes, sausage and mushrooms and incredible ricotta Hotcakes with honeycomb butter. " Bills.com.au

"This is a really good Pâtisserie in the rocks [of the old part of the city], the modern French pastries, beautiful cake and Sydney's best Macarons. "You can pick up food to go or sit outside in their small sidewalk café." larenaissance.com.au

"The bottom is a pizza restaurant, which serves really good ice cream at Bondi Beach. I had a fantastic peach ice cream the other day. They are also a large salted caramel ice cream." pompeis.com.au

"Sydney has what is probably the most beautiful butcher store in the world." It is called in an eastern suburb Wollahra and store of the family business has been since 1876. It is the place for amazing meat and sausage products. Take also battles or cooking classes, if you want." victorchurchill.com

"Down in the rocks, Sydney's Harbour, this Museum had a major renovation and almost doubled its size with an addition. It has an impressive collection of modern Australian artists, including video installations of works by photographer Tracey Moffatt and Shaun Gladwell." MCA.com.au

"You want a five-star experience, I recommend the Hyatt definitely. It is directly at the harbour in the rocks, the old part of Sydney. It is convenient to everything. She had just a great renovation." Sydney.Park.Hyatt.com

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