The 12 Best Restaurants in Sydney (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 12 picks

The best restaurants in Sydney in 2026 are Saint Peter in Paddington and Sixpenny in Stanmore — the only two with three hats in the latest Good Food Guide — followed by Bennelong at the Opera House, Firedoor and Ester. For a view, book Aria or Icebergs; for a long Cantonese lunch, Mr Wong.

Sydney's top restaurants book out weeks ahead, especially for Friday and Saturday nights: most release tables 30 to 90 days in advance, and many have waitlists worth joining. Tipping is not expected in Australia, but 10% for great service is appreciated; some restaurants add a weekend or public holiday surcharge.

1. Saint Peter — Paddington

Josh Niland's whole-fish cooking — three hats and one of the most original restaurants in the world.

$$$$ Splurge

Josh Niland's restaurant, now in the Grand National Hotel in Paddington, treats fish the way a nose-to-tail butcher treats meat: dry-aged, charcuterie-cured and cooked from scales to bones. It holds three hats in the latest Good Food Guide and won drinks list of the year.

Dinner is a tasting menu ($395) served seven nights; lunch, Thursday to Sunday, is a choice menu ($195). The bar is the easier way in for a few dishes and a drink.

Good to know: Can't get a table? The bar doesn't need a dining-room booking, and the hotel offers dine-and-stay packages with rooms upstairs.

Grand National Hotel, 161 Underwood St, Paddington NSW 2021

Google Maps Website

2. Sixpenny — Stanmore

Three hats and the Good Food Guide's restaurant of the year, in a 1907 shopfront in the inner west.

$$$$ Splurge

Sixpenny is a small, quietly brilliant dining room in a heritage building in Stanmore, cooking refined, produce-led food from its own garden and small farms. It was named restaurant of the year in the Good Food Guide released in October 2026, with three hats.

Dinner runs Wednesday to Saturday and lunch on weekends. It's the least showy of Sydney's top restaurants — and for many locals, the best.

Good to know: Book a weekend lunch — the light is lovely and tables are slightly easier to get than dinner.

83 Percival Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048

Google Maps Website

3. Bennelong — Sydney Opera House

Fine dining inside the Opera House sails — the most Sydney dining room there is.

$$$$ Splurge

Bennelong sits under the smallest of the Opera House shells, with ribbed concrete vaults overhead and the harbour through the glass. The two-hatted menu celebrates Australian produce, and the Bennelong Bar upstairs serves a shorter menu.

With Quay now closed, it's the flagship of the Fink group and the obvious choice for a special occasion before or after a show.

Good to know: Pre-theatre sittings in the Bar or Cured & Cultured counter are the cheaper way to eat here.

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

4. Firedoor — Surry Hills

Lennox Hastie cooks everything over wood fire — no gas, no electricity.

$$$$ Splurge

Firedoor's kitchen runs entirely on wood, with different timbers for different dishes, and the results — aged steaks, seafood, vegetables kissed with smoke — have made it one of Sydney's most famous restaurants. It holds two hats.

Order the dry-aged steak if it's on, or put yourself in the chef's hands with the tasting menu.

Good to know: Ask for a seat at the counter facing the fires — it's the best show in town.

23–33 Mary St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

5. Ester — Chippendale

Wood-fired share plates in a buzzing warehouse — the restaurant Sydney chefs eat at.

$$$ Upmarket

Ester's wood-fired oven drives a menu of smoky, punchy share plates, and its relaxed warehouse room in Chippendale is always full. It holds two hats and has been one of Sydney's most influential restaurants for over a decade.

Order whatever comes out of the oven, the bread, and the vegetable dishes, which are often the stars.

Good to know: Go early in the evening for a better chance of a walk-in table at the bar.

46–52 Meagher St, Chippendale NSW 2008

Google Maps Website

6. Margaret — Double Bay

Neil Perry's polished seafood and steak house, named for his late mother.

$$$$ Splurge

Margaret opened in 2021 in a light-filled corner room in Double Bay and quickly became the eastern suburbs' special-occasion restaurant. Expect excellent seafood, Asian-influenced dishes and steaks that have been ranked among the best in the world. It holds two hats.

Service is old-school professional, and the wine list is deep.

Good to know: Book the dry-aged steak for the table and the raw seafood to start; the bar next door is good for a drink first.

30–36 Bay St, Double Bay NSW 2028

Google Maps Website

7. Aria — Circular Quay

Fine dining with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the window.

$$$$ Splurge

Aria's floor-to-ceiling windows look straight across Circular Quay to the Opera House and the bridge, and the two-hatted kitchen is good enough to compete with the view.

It's the classic Sydney anniversary restaurant, with a serious wine list and polished service.

Good to know: Ask for a window table when you book, and come for an early dinner in summer to see the harbour in daylight and after dark.

1 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

8. Icebergs Dining Room and Bar — Bondi Beach

Italian food above the Icebergs pool with the whole of Bondi Beach below.

$$$$ Splurge

Perched above the famous Bondi Icebergs ocean pool, this two-hatted Italian restaurant has one of the great dining-room views in the world. The menu runs from crudo and pasta to whole fish and steak.

The bar is a glamorous spot for a sunset Negroni even if you don't eat.

Good to know: Book lunch rather than dinner — the view of the beach and the pool in daylight is the point.

1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach NSW 2026

Google Maps Website

9. Porteño — Surry Hills

Argentine asado — whole beasts cooked slowly over open fire.

$$$ Upmarket

Porteño's kitchen centres on the parrilla and the asado pit, where lamb and pig cook for hours over coals. It holds two hats and has a big, rock'n'roll energy that makes it a great group restaurant.

Order the slow-cooked lamb, the morcilla and the Argentine wines.

Good to know: Come with a group and order the shared asado — it's built for the table.

50 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

10. South End — Newtown / Erskineville

The inner west bistro whose chefs were named chefs of the year in the latest Good Food Guide.

$$$ Upmarket

South End opened in 2025 in a corner room on King Street and quickly became one of Sydney's most talked-about restaurants. Its European-leaning, produce-led menu earned two hats, and chefs Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong were named chefs of the year in the Good Food Guide released in October 2026.

It's relaxed, neighbourhood-scaled and far more affordable than the big-name fine diners.

Good to know: Book now — the awards will make tables harder to get through the summer.

644 King St (corner Bray St), Newtown NSW 2042

Google Maps Website

11. Restaurant Hubert — CBD

A French dining room in a CBD basement — candlelight, a long bar and old-school dishes.

$$$ Upmarket

Hubert feels like a Parisian brasserie transported underground, with a long bar, booths, candlelit tables and a menu of French classics. It's run by the Swillhouse group, which also runs some of the city's best bars.

It's the most atmospheric dinner in the city centre, and a reliable answer for date nights.

Good to know: Book a booth; walk-ins can often get a seat at the bar.

15 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

12. Mr Wong — CBD

A big, buzzing Cantonese restaurant in a CBD laneway — yum cha at lunch, Peking duck at night.

$$$ Upmarket

Merivale's Mr Wong fills a two-level warehouse off Bridge Street with crowds most nights of the week. The menu is classic and modern Cantonese: dumplings and yum cha at lunch, roast duck, seafood from the tanks and wok dishes at dinner.

It's the best fun-and-food combination in the CBD and handles groups well.

Good to know: Go for weekday yum cha lunch — easier to book and better value than dinner.

3 Bridge Ln, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best restaurant in Sydney?

Saint Peter in Paddington and Sixpenny in Stanmore are the only two Sydney restaurants with three hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide released in October 2026, and Sixpenny was named restaurant of the year. Bennelong, Firedoor, Ester and Margaret round out the top tier.

Is Quay still open?

No. Quay, Peter Gilmore's restaurant overlooking Circular Quay, closed on 15 February 2026. Its sister restaurant Bennelong, inside the Sydney Opera House, remains open and is the best-located fine dining in the city.

How far ahead do you need to book Sydney's best restaurants?

For Saint Peter, Sixpenny and Firedoor, book as soon as tables are released — usually one to three months ahead — and join the waitlist if you miss out. Ester, Mr Wong and Porteño hold some tables for walk-ins, especially early in the evening.

How much does fine dining cost in Sydney?

Saint Peter's dinner tasting menu is $395 per person and its lunch menu $195, before drinks. Most two-hat restaurants cost from around $150–$250 per person with wine; casual favourites like Ester and Mr Wong are closer to $100.

Where can I eat with a view in Sydney?

Bennelong (inside the Opera House), Aria (facing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge) and Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (over Bondi Beach) are the best restaurants with views. See our best things to do in Sydney.

1. Saint Peter — Paddington

2. Sixpenny — Stanmore

3. Bennelong — Sydney Opera House

4. Firedoor — Surry Hills

5. Ester — Chippendale

6. Margaret — Double Bay

7. Aria — Circular Quay

8. Icebergs Dining Room and Bar — Bondi Beach

9. Porteño — Surry Hills

10. South End — Newtown / Erskineville

11. Restaurant Hubert — CBD

12. Mr Wong — CBD

Frequently asked questions

Related lists

The 10 Best Rooftop Bars in Sydney (2026)

The 8 Best Real Estate Agencies in Sydney (2026)

The 7 Best Mortgage Brokers in Sydney (2026)

The 9 Best Law Firms in Sydney (2026)

The 12 Best Hotels in Sydney (2026)