Ashe

Location: Sydney CBD 

Why go: Executive chef Khanh Nguyen made 4,000 serves of the Impossible Cake with coffee-wattleseed sponge and toasted milk at Ashe before he felt he really nailed it. His dedication shows in other ways: on a Vietnam trip, he ate at 150 places to appreciate the culinary diversity between the country’s south and north. At Ashe, he reimagines prawn crackers by slow-cooking beef tendons for 12 hours with aromatic spices typically found in pho. Then he dehydrates and deep-fries the tendons until they turn into airy puffs. His bread is no ordinary loaf, either: it’s glazed with coconut sugar and sweet soy, and the flaky, roti-style layers are laminated with Thai red rice fermented for five days. All up, it takes eight days to make this lavish sourdough – which gets served with rich Vegemite curry butter. Head next door for Chartreuse slushies and live music offered at its award-winning sister bar, Vespertine.

Ashe, Sydney CBD - Credit: Leigh Griffiths

Spezia

Location: Sydney CBD 

Why go: Spezia is named after the Italian word for 'spice' and turns to the "forgotten flavours of the Silk Road" as inspiration. The menu is by chef Jae Bang, from Michelin-starred restaurants such as Spain's Arzak, Norway's Re-naa and Daniel in New York. A playful take on ravioli is charged with Spezia's version of dukkah: the traditional Egyptian seasoning is flavoured with toasted spices that are blitzed and warmed in a fragrant oil with caramelised garlic and shallots. For eggplant antipasti, familiar Italian ingredients (stracciatella cheese and basil) are plated with an Asian-inspired crumble of deep-fried soybeans. Located in a heritage building with sandstone charm, the restaurant is part of The Lands by Cappella hotel complex. The best seats are in the European-style piazza, with its vibrant red awnings and a breezy courtyard setting that instantly conjures that "I'm on holiday" feeling.

Spezia, Sydney CBD - Credit: Griffin Simm

Aenza

Location: Darlinghurst

Why go: With just 50 seats, this restaurant channels the mega-sized charm of Tokyo in an intimate space – just like sister bar Amuro, which is even tinier and 100 metres away. At Aenza, staff pour whisky, beer and sake from Japan and bottles from the country’s grape-growing regions: why not try a chilled red from Yamagata? Like at Amuro, chef Joy Liu’s menu is a big highlight. Tomato flavoured with boozy umeshu is layered with miso cream cheese and white anchovy, while Hokkaido scallop sashimi is pooled with crème fraîche and deeply green herb juice. Cheesecake could be flavoured with burgundy poached pear on your next visit, or truffle egg rice might transform into spring vegetable egg rice with smoked salmon roe as seasons shift. 

Aenza, Darlinghurst - Credit: Ethan Smart

Baptiste

Location: Redfern

Why go: The team behind the ever-popular Olympus Dining has launched another restaurant in Redfern’s Wunderlich Lane precinct: a bistro named Baptiste. Located at The Eve Hotel’s entrance, the diner channels France with steak frites, Lyonnaise salad and profiteroles – as well as silverware, platters and vintage goods originating from markets in Paris and the country’s south. Baptiste also plays around with French classics: instead of typical beef, Diane sauce is served with pepper-crusted tuna steak. NSW shorelines splash across the menu, with native shellfish from Clyde River’s Moonlight Oysters and hand-harvested pipis from Yamba in Northern NSW. Vegetarian options include spinach in butter, salad Nicoise, onion tarts and pommes allumette – potatoes transformed into golden, matchstick-thin wonders.

Baptiste, Redfern - Credit: Ethan Smart

Lo Presti’s

Location: Redfern

Why go: At Lo Presti’s, the remarkable CVs of the owners will compel you through the door. Restaurant manager Rachael Trewin and chef Michael Lo Presti previously worked together at Baba's Place, but their careers were also shaped by acclaimed restaurants like Sixpenny, Automata and Momofuku Seiobo. At Lo Presti's, beetroot is cooked, dehydrated and plated with fried crisps of rosemary sprigs, herb oil and a yoghurt that’s thick, lush and creamy after being hung and strained for two days. Tuna toast cleverly makes use of leftover bread trim and charred eggplant is especially good with a green sauce lively with lime, shallots, jalapeño and coriander. Lo Presti’s also has a laidback charm that’s as welcoming and breezy as the restaurant’s verandah overlooking Redfern Park. This neighbourhood-friendly atmosphere channels a Darlinghurst espresso bar from several decades ago (also called Lo Presti’s, it was run by the chef’s dad Greg – who is sometimes appears at his son's current restaurant, working the floor, chatting with old friends or making new ones).

Lo Presti's, Redfern - Credit: Michael Naumoff

Tera Bar

Location: Surry Hills

Why go: Curious about Japanese wine? At Tera Bar, you might enjoy gris de koshu from Yamanashi or umeshu (plum wine) from Nara. Sommelier Wanaka Teramoto runs this small-scale bar with husband, chef Taka Teramoto. Together, they’ve worked at Michelin-starred restaurants overseas and gained a local following from their time at Kuro in Sydney’s CBD. Tera Bar on the ground floor offers casual dishes, like crisp potato appetisers studded with arare (crunchy rice pellets). Head upstairs for Teramoto restaurant, where the chef presents a more refined omakase (tasting menu) experience. Look out for guest collaborations: a pop-up with Fukuoka dessert-maker Yukiko Yoshida featured Japanese shaved-ice wonders sculpted with inventive flavour combinations, like mango, rice pudding and jasmine milk.

Tera Bar, Surry Hills - Credit: Yusuke Oba

Kim’s Bop

Location: Glebe

Why go: Kim’s Bop began its life at various Sydney markets – so owners Byungjae Kim and Emily Tarran were skilled in doing a lot in a small space. Their Korean diner, off Glebe’s main drag, isn’t that much bigger than their original stall (the kitchen barely fits Kim, the restaurant’s only chef)! Yet there’s charm aplenty throughout this 16-seat venue, from the quirky placement of a dried chilli on the wall to the traditional bojagi patchwork signalling Kim’s Korean heritage. While his menu showcases childhood staples (such as japchae noodles and tteokbokki rice cakes), he's also experimented with kimchi made from grilled Brussels sprouts and finger lime. For summer, he’s presenting his take on jjajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce) with sliced pork belly or king oyster mushrooms. Clam seaweed soup (miyeok clam somyeon), flavoured with water chestnuts, roasted seaweed and plum vinegared cucumber, is available as a vegan option, too.

Kims Bop, Glebe - Credit: Kims Bop

Stanley

Location: Manly 

Why go: Stanley does an excellent job of showcasing what makes NSW great. Its scenic Manly Wharf location will win over tourists and locals alike – and the menu tastes like the best of our coastlines and waterways, from Sydney rock oysters to lobster from Kiama. This Northern Beaches outpost opened in 2026, seven years after the original Stanley launched in Brisbane. Despite its interstate origins, this restaurant is very much at home here: pipis from Yamba are served with crispy egg noodles, while the Fujian fried rice, flavoured with blue swimmer crab, scallop, garlic and chilli, highlights local seafood – and is now a signature hit at Manly Wharf. This feels very much like a NSW restaurant, perhaps because executive chef Louis Tikaram grew up on the north coast, on a Mullumbimby farm, and made his name at top Sydney restaurants (including Longrain, where he was recognised as Young Chef of the Year by the Good Food Guide). The Chinese menu goes beyond seafood, offering everything from duck and vermicelli spring rolls to a vegetarian take on mapo tofu, made with zucchini, silken tofu and fermented chilli. The restaurant is named after Hong Kong’s Stanley Bay and its ceiling lanterns – crafted from silk and inspired by traditional Chinese designs – also add to the evocative atmosphere.

Stanley, Manly - Credit: Stanley

Sugo

Location: Bexley North

Why go: Sugo describes itself as “for the neighbourhood – by the neighbours”, but the appeal of this Italian-American restaurant is obvious even if you’re not a Bexley North local. This carb-friendly diner – and its spin on red-sauce classics – generated lines from its opening, which makes sense as the team’s other venues (like nearby pizzeria My Mother’s Cousin, MMC Slice Shoppe in Marrickville and its various Self Raised cafes across Sydney) are known for their popularity. At this pasta bar, bestselling rigatoni alla “nodka” is made with a vodka-free creamy sauce (reflecting the family-friendly restaurant’s booze-free approach) and mushroom ragu pasta is one of many vegetarian options. To finish? Consider the blueberry cheesecake, banana split and refreshing spoonfuls of the seasonal sorbet.

Sugo, Bexley North - Credit: Sugo

Dubudang

Location: Epping

Why go: Dubudang means “house of tofu” in Korean and here, co-owner Hyunjoon “Leo” Joo presses bean curd and prepares soy milk daily. He’s continuing tofu-making traditions his parents upheld for three decades at their shop in Busan, South Korea. His wife, chef Jiwon “Ellie” Kim, turns his handcrafted blocks of soybean curd into bestselling dishes – adding them to a Korean stew (sundubu jjigae), boiled pork jowl platter (hangjeong suyuk) or simply pan-frying the creamy slabs in perilla oil. Dubudang was a social-media hit from its opening day in May 2026 – and has attracted queues accordingly. The restaurant’s owners proudly showcase their heritage through meticulously crafted menus (which resemble lattice doors known as munsal) and the traditional vessels on display. Kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles) is presented with house-made young radish kimchi and a refreshing soy-milk slush. Joo says it’s especially popular in his hometown of Busan and this summer-friendly dish is something many Koreans look forward to all year.

Dubudang, Epping - Credit: Dubudang

Mary’s Hot Pizza

Location: Moore Park

Why go: For 13 years, the Mary’s team has gained a following for its burgers – which have been frequently cited as among the city’s best. You might recall owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham ventured into pizza-making while running The Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale from 2017 to 2022. Since leaving that pub, they’ve launched a slice shop next to Mary’s at the Entertainment Quarter. Here, you can get floppy NY-style pie as well as bronzed slabs of Detroit-style squares. As they did with burgers, the team riffs on carbs and crusts in their unique and memorable way. Their “hot and cold pie” tops a cool serve of stracciatella from Marrickville cheesemakers Vannella with spicy 𝄒nduja and a scattering of chives. An inspired vegetarian option reimagines Mary’s mushroom burger as a pizza: there’s a good hit of cheese, porcini powder is mixed with Swiss and field mushrooms and there’s a garlicky blast of mayu (a burnt oil that flavours ramen noodles). If you opt for a whole pizza, it comes in a massive, family-friendly portion (this generous serve also works for groups who need a bite before heading to a movie, gig or sporting event nearby). 

Mary's Hot Pizza, Moore Park - Credit: Trent can der Jagt

Meadow

Location: Cronulla

Why go: After introducing Bobbys restaurant to this beachside suburb, Adam and Kylie Micola opened Meadow – just a short walk away. Described as a ‘music room’, this bar is home to 2000 vinyl records. The owners gathered them over six months by rummaging through vintage-shop crates and sourcing from various collectors. Meadow also offers live jazz performances and a French-inspired list of predominantly Australian wines. Sommelier Nick Rosa’s extensive menu celebrates local producers – as a winemaker himself, he knows our landscape generates remarkable vintages. To go with your glass, try baked rigatoni with vodka sauce, a cheeseburger rich with Café de Paris butter or the banana tarte tatin dessert.

Meadow, Cronulla - Credit: Jason Loucas

Cà Phê Mai

Location: Double Bay

Why go: The signature pho at Cà Phê Mai has been simmering for over four decades. The chicken noodle soup recipe originates from co-owner Cindy Mai's grandmother. The family's restaurants have fed Sydney for many years and Mai calculates this pho has been ladled well over 10,000 times. At Cà Phê Mai – the Vietnamese cafe and wine bar she opened with partner Ed Loveday in June 2026 – you'll find many menu highlights besides pho. Dragonfruit adds a tropical twist to strawberry matcha lattes for brunch (and margaritas for dinner) and Cà Phê Mai's version of the Mont Blanc drink gets a citrus lift from airy kumquat-infused cream and misted yuzu. Some dishes (like lemongrass pork sausage and egg muffins) are only available during daylight hours, while others – like the Vietnamese coffee crème brûlée – can only be savoured at night.

Cà Phê Mai, Double Bay - Credit: Parker Blain

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Copyright: Cà Phê Mai

Sushi Oe

Location: Glebe

Why go: There are only eight seats at this Sydney Fish Market omakase – and a front row seat to Toshihiko Oe's mastery is a can't-miss experience. Over 30 courses, and under carefully placed spotlights, the chef slices beautiful cuts of tuna and flame-scorches pieces of mackerel in a performance that rivals the theatre. Couldn't score a much-coveted reservation to this sushi temple? You needn't head far for a more accessible way to experience the chef's craft: just footsteps away is spin-off eatery Gyokuu. It specialises in kaisendon (Japanese rice bowls topped with seafood) and, given its location at the biggest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere, easily showcases the best of daily catches from the sea.

Sushi Oe, Glebe - Credit: Sushi Oe

Tam Jiak

Location: Glebe

Why go: The name, Tam Jiak, means ‘greedy for eating’ in Hokkien. Also located at Sydney Fish Market, this restaurant has turned a kitsch concept – surf ‘n’ turf – into a haven for luxury feasts. Imagine tom yum converted into silky dumplings, tong mo (a Southeast Asian sausage) transformed with a lamb and barramundi filling, and chef Junda Khoo’s signature char kway teow with crab and cubes of pork lard. Make the most of the fish-market setting by adding lobster or pipis (in your chosen cooking style) and a full Malaysian-style chilli mud crab. If you're a fan of Khoo's Ho Jiak restaurants, also check out Ho Liao: it's the Malaysian beer hall he opened near Wynyard, following Tam Jiak's launch.

Tam Jiak, Glebe - Credit: Edward Lais

Joie

Location: Chatswood

Why go: You might not expect Michelin-style cooking at the mall, but that's what chef Jung-su Chang delivers with Joie Brasserie – his elegant restaurant at Chatswood Chase. Following on from Allta (his acclaimed Korean omakase in the CBD), he turns his attention to French dishes that reflect his classic European training and perhaps his time at Michelin-starred restaurant Jungsik Seoul, too. That means tender Clarence River octopus in smoky butter, an imaginative take on Niçoise salad, a gently burnt pavlova, plus a celebration-worthy wine list of European and Australian options.

Joie Brasserie, Chatswood - Credit: Take Studios

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Copyright: Joie Brasserie

Also noteworthy: 

In December, Taronga Zoo’s Me-Gal will relaunch with revamped interiors and a new sustainability-focused menu by acclaimed chef Matt Stone (his interest in native ingredients is showcased by dishes like pepperberry lamb scotch fillet with spring vegetables or Jersey milk cheese curds with a zesty hit of sunrise lime). West African food truck Jollof Junction has found a permanent location in Merrylands, while Powerhouse Parramatta will take care of your hunger and thirst at its dining outlets (seek out its Green Bar for the refreshing soda flavoured with honey-chai syrup and lemon from its rooftop garden). Winnie’s, next to the Opera Bar’s location in Sydney Harbour, riffs on Aussie classics (an Anzac biscuit dessert is dolloped with vanilla ice-cream and sweet drizzles of golden syrup butterscotch) and cocktails flavoured with native Australian ingredients, like wattleseed, finger lime, Geraldton wax and river mint.

Me-Gal, Mosman - Credit: Steven Woodburn