Whether it’s caviar over the beach, cocktails and canapes against a Western Sydney skyline, or an exquisite dinner under the sails of an icon, Sydney diners are spoilt when seeking a meal with a view.
- 4 min read
Bennelong
Why go: Tucked under the famous sails of the Sydney Opera House, and looking out at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bennelong gives diners the rare experience of being inside one icon while viewing another. On the plate, chef Peter Gilmore flexes the artistry of a decades-long career, creating exquisite dishes inspired by Australia’s unique natural environment.
- Location: Circular Quay
Bennelong - Credit: Brett Stevens | Fink Group
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel
Why go: Dominating the tiny cove of Watsons Bay, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, a sprawling pub, restaurant and hotel, is a summer playground. With its distinctive blue-and-white striped umbrellas shading outdoor seating looking over crystal-clear water and the wharf, you might forget you’re in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Order antipasti and pasta alongside seafood platters and buckets of fresh prawns.
- Location: Watsons Bay
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Watsons Bay - Credit: Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel
Sean’s
Why go: Sean’s has been a part of Bondi’s suburban fabric since 1993. In the eclectic dining room, mismatched seats gather around compact tables and there’s plenty of art on the walls. This lauded restaurant is a celebration of Australia’s best ethically grown, in-season, local produce. Rather than a la carte, the daily menu consists of three courses with options handwritten on a chalkboard on the wall. Outside, the pink plaster and red tile facade is backdrop for al fresco tables with a view of the beach across the road.
- Location: Bondi
Sean's Panaroma, Bondi - Credit: Sean's Panaroma
Cafe Sydney
Why go: A 180-degree panorama of Sydney Harbour unfurls in front of diners at Cafe Sydney, located on the rooftop of the historic Customs House building in Circular Quay. Don’t let the name fool you – this is no cafe. Expect an effortlessly stylish dining room, attentive service and a menu that features Australian produce like Moreton Bay bugs, Queensland prawns, Humpty Doo barramundi and Sydney Rock oysters.
- Location: Circular Quay
Cafe Sydney, Circular Quay,
Oncore by Clare Smyth
Why go: Set high above the city on the 26th floor of the Crown Towers Sydney, Oncore by Clare Smyth. Once named the best female chef in the UK, Smyth now pays tribute to her childhood in Northern Ireland while incorporating unique Sydney flavours. Make sure to order her signature potato and roe made with herring and trout roe, finished with seaweed beurre blanc sauce. Finish the evening with a nightcap at CIRQ, Crown’s rooftop cocktail bar.
- Location: Barangaroo
Oncore by Clare Smyth at Crown Towers, Barangaroo
Catalina
Why go: Set along the pretty, curved shoreline of Rose Bay, Catalina offers a striking waterfront fine dining experience. The innovative menu features exquisite seafood like hand-picked-and-dressed Queensland mud crab in fermented chilli dressing and chargrilled swordfish. Order a bottle from the award-winning wine list and watch ferries, seaplanes and (if you’re lucky) a seal or dolphin glide past.
- Location: Rose Bay
Catalina Rose Bay, Rose Bay
Ormeggio at The Spit
Why go: Nowhere in Sydney feels as much like the Italian Riviera as Ormeggio at The Spit, a waterside institution by chef-restaurateur Alessandro Pavoni. Save for the dry-aged wagyu offering, the menu is wholly pescatarian: you might find Murray cod served with parsnips and kohlrabi; meaty swordfish crumbed cotoletta-style and served with Sicilian caponata; or sweet spanner crab studding a bowl of tightly spiralled radiatori pasta. Order a glass of Italian wine and take in Middle Harbour’s knockout views.
- Location: Mosman
Ormeggio at The Spit - Credit: Alessandro Pavoni | Ormeggio at The Spit
Pilu at Freshwater
Why go: Nestled above gorgeous Freshwater Beach, two-hatted fine diner Pilu at Freshwater captures the essence of Sydney's Northern Beaches. Acclaimed celebrity chef Giovanni Pilu dishes up a Sardinian menu that celebrates NSW produce, best enjoyed in the surroundings of this beautiful weatherboard-clad beach house during a long lunch or refined dinner. Pick a sunny day to make the most of your visit.
- Location: Freshwater
Pilu at Freshwater, Northern Beaches
The Fenwick
Why go: Located inside an immaculately restored 1880s stone building on the East Balmain waterfront, The Fenwick offers a unique view of the ‘back side’ of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Open for lunch and dinner every day, with breakfast on the weekends, The Fenwick offers a rustic Italian menu that includes housemade pasta and plenty of seafood. It’s hard to go past the whole lamb shoulder, a house specialty, with a red wine reduction and garlic and rosemary potatoes.
- Location: Balmain
The Fenwick, Balmain
Cottage Point Inn
Why go: A true destination dining experience, Cottage Point Inn is hidden away on a quiet bend of the Hawkesbury in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. It’s around an hour’s drive from the city, but it’s more fun to arrive by water taxi, private boat or on a seaplane. The open-air dining room looks out at lush bushland surrounding calm waters with boats bobbing at anchor. On the plate, it’s a five- or eight-course degustation that changes seasonally but always has a strong seafood focus.
- Location: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Cottage Point Inn, Cottage Point
Jonah’s
Why go: Perched on a clifftop above the spectacular coastline of Whale Beach, Jonah’s serves modern Australian cuisine with an Italian twist. Take a seat in the dining room by the floor-to-ceiling windows, or on the terrace to feel the ocean breeze. Complementing the menu is an award-winning wine list of around 1,600 bottles and, if you’re keen to stay the night, the venue has 11 hotel rooms plus an infinity pool with pinch-me good views.
- Location: Whale Beach
Jonah's Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, Whale Beach - Credit: Mandy Zieren | Jonah's
Canvas at MCA
Why go: Thanks to a seasonal chef-in-residence program, there’s always something unexpected on the menu at Canvas Restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Challenge your thinking with a striking contemporary art exhibit at the museum before heading to level four for a two- or three-course lunch that might include unctuous, saffron-spiked toothfish; or tightly wrapped cappelletti parcels stuffed with crab. It’s an event space by night, but its daytime-only restaurant hours take full advantage of a view that spans Sydney Harbour: the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the left, the Sydney Opera House to the right across an expanse of water dotted with ferries.
- Location: Circular Quay
Canvas Restaurant, MCA - Credit: Marcel Aucar | Museum of Contemporary Art
Nick and Nora’s
Why go: Step inside a world of glamour at Nick and Nora’s. Set on the 26th floor of the V by Crown, this cocktail and champagne bar has stunning views of Parramatta’s skyline. The bar is inspired by the 1930s detective novel, The Thin Man, emulating its exclusive parties, Champagne towers and lush cocktails. Enjoy the view with a selection of smalls plates, caviar and cheeses.
- Location: Parramatta
Nick and Nora's, Parramatta
Whalebridge
Why go: At Whalebridge, diners aren’t just looking at the view – they’re part of it. Located in the former home of the much-loved Sydney Cove Oyster Bar, Whalebridge is entirely al fresco with tables lining the edge of the water at Circular Quay. It’s a classic French bistro menu with the likes of bouillabaisse, lobster thermidor, moules marinière and steak frites and oysters are still on the menu. With a chilled glass of champagne on a sunny day, the vibes are high.
- Location: Circular Quay
Ammos
Why go: From the floor-to-ceiling windows at Ammos in Brighton-le-Sands, all you can see are the tops of the Norfolk Pines and the sea beyond. Set on top of the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach, Ammos is another venue from pioneering Greek chef Peter Conistis, this time focusing on show-stopping dishes like fall-off-the-bone-tender, 11-hour-roasted lamb shoulder based on Conistis’ mum’s recipe. Book a table by the window, order a few mezes to share and summon the ouzo trolley.
- Location: Brighton
Ammos, Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach - Credit: Ammos
Akti
Why go: The view from restaurateur Bill Drakopoulos’ casual Greek diner Akti in Woolloomooloo holds a special place in his heart: it’s the same view his parents saw when their respective ships arrived from Greece in the 1950s. Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharves have changed a lot since their days as an international port. From under the scalloped white umbrellas shading Akti’s outdoor seating, diners now look out to yachts docked on the sparkling water and the towering glass buildings of the CBD beyond. Settle in for a long summer lunch of dishes like grilled split king prawns with gremolata, deconstructed moussaka croquettes, all paired with a refreshing watermelon-mint Karpouzi Klub vodka cocktail.
- Location: Woolloomooloo
Akti, Woolloomooloo - Credit: Akti
Bathers’ Pavilion
Why go: Take in the view of Balmoral Beach Bathers’ Pavilion’s dining room. Serving seasonal, modern European cuisine, the iconic eatery can host anything from coastal fine dining in the restaurant to chilled all-day meals in the bistro. Soak in the water views and peruse the 350-strong wine list, or head upstairs to Betel Leaf for bright nautical style, Thai flavours and beach views.
- Location: Balmoral Beach
Bathers' Pavilion, Mosman - Credit: Nikki To
Sealevel Restaurant and Bar
Why go: Beyond the curved, sliding glass doors of Sealevel Restaurant & Bar’s pared-back dining room, there’s just rocks and the sea. Aside from the breathtaking view, this Cronulla restaurant is known for its contemporary seafood menu that includes dishes like barbecued snapper fillets, miso-glazed ocean trout or garlicky green lobster tail.
- Location: Cronulla
Sealevel in Cronulla, Sydney South
Quay
Why go: The dining room at Quay has a postcard-perfect view of the Sydney Opera House, directly across the water. Chef Peter Gilmore is in the kitchen here, the mastermind behind the Insta-worthy pretty white coral dessert. Be warned though, if there’s a cruise ship docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, you’ll be looking into the cabins rather than at the sails.
- Location: Circular Quay
Quay, Circular Quay - Credit: Nikki To
Barrenjoey House
Why go: This heritage-listed 100-year-old guesthouse and restaurant in Palm Beach is all about location, location, location. Northern Beaches locals have been meeting and dining here for decades, thanks to the peaceful water views over Pittwater. Stop in for a seafood-heavy long lunch, and be sure to check out the flatbread list. Yes, you read that right: there is a whole list devoted to it, with items ranging from classics like tomato, mozzarella and basil to lobster with béchamel or broccoli with mustard.
- Location: Palm Beach
Barrenjoey House Palm Beach - Credit: Photos by Jessie Ann | The Boathouse Group
