From waterfront Italian and Southeast Asian grill cooking to Japanese dining, all-day osterias and a new generation of neighbourhood favourites, Sydney’s latest restaurant openings are giving us plenty of reasons to book a table.
Sydney’s dining scene never stands still, and 2026 has already delivered a fresh wave of restaurants bringing new chefs, ideas, flavours and neighbourhood dining experiences to the city. From Rose Bay to Bronte, Rushcutters Bay to the CBD, some of Sydney’s most exciting new tables are appearing well beyond the usual dining hotspots.
We’ve rounded up the new Sydney restaurants worth knowing about right now, from long-awaited openings and major hospitality names to smaller neighbourhood spots that deserve to be on your radar.
So whether you’re chasing a harbour view, a great plate of pasta, Japanese-inspired cooking or somewhere new for dinner, consider this your guide to Sydney’s latest dining arrivals.
These are the best new restaurants in Sydney right now
Spezia
Located in one of Sydney’s most landmark buildings, Spezia is a new Italian restaurant led by the talented Michelin-star chef, Jae Bang. Spezia, which means spice in Italian, will allow guests to dine in an open-air piazza, nestled between the heritage-listed sandstone walls of the former Department of Lands building at Circular Quay.
“First and foremost we’re an Italian restaurant, and we want our guests to leave feeling like they’ve just had that type of experience,” says Jae.
“We’ve also added hints of spice to every single dish, which adds a layer of complexity and difference that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Menu highlights include spaghetti chitarra tossed through a blue swimmer crab bisque with anise and fresh chilli, topped with prawn tartare. There’s also pecorino-filled pasta served in an egg yolk and dukkah oil emulsion, enriched with beef jus and finished with asparagus. Time to book that table.
Where: 5 Gresham St, Sydney NSW 2000.
Stanley Restaurant
Waterfront views, a live seafood tank and a specially-built duck oven? Stanley has it all. This new Cantonese restaurant by award-winning chef Louis Tikaram marks another major milestone in the revitalisation of Manly Wharf by the Artemus Group.
Stanley takes its name from Hong Kong’s seaside resort town of Stanley Bay. But we’re equally fond of the playful coincidence of having a Stanley in Manly. Serving up a variety of dishes, from Dim Sum to BBQ Peking duck and salt and pepper squid, the menu celebrates Australian seafood, premium meat and seasonal produce through the traditions and techniques of Cantonese cooking.
My advice? Order the Moreton Bay bug spring rolls, the white-cut kingfish and the duck pancakes (you won’t be disappointed).
Where: Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly NSW 2095.
Riva
Perched above Rose Bay Marina, Riva brings a slice of the Italian Riviera to Sydney’s east. The new restaurant from SRG Hospitality is all about waterfront dining, with warm timber, vintage-inspired details and sweeping harbour views setting the scene for handmade pasta, fresh seafood and seasonal produce designed for sharing.
Expect a Mediterranean-leaning wine list, Italian varietals and cocktails built around aperitifs and coastal flavours… the kind of place made for long lunches that stretch into sunset.
Where: Riva, 594 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay.
Arthur
Surry Hills favourite Arthur has returned with a new look and a more relaxed approach after a six-week renovation. Still led by chef Tristan Rosier, the neighbourhood restaurant continues its commitment to an entirely Australian menu, but the new incarnation is designed to be more accessible, with a snackier menu, a new layout, outdoor dining and a happy hour.
Expect Rosier’s produce-driven cooking to remain at the heart of the experience, alongside an all-Australian wine list.
Where: Arthur, 544 Bourke St, Surry Hills.
Trattoria Da Orazio
Orazio D’Elia has returned to the neighbourhood where his Sydney restaurant career began with Trattoria Da Orazio in Rushcutters Bay. The Italian chef’s latest restaurant brings the relaxed spirit of his much-loved trattorias to a new space, with handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes and classic Italian flavours at the centre of the menu.
It’s the kind of restaurant designed for generous plates, good wine and a long, leisurely meal… with reviewers already singling out the bombetta pugliese and playful dessert platter.
Where: Trattoria Da Orazio, 30 McLachlan Ave, Rushcutters Bay.
Ashe
The Bentley Restaurant Group has turned its attention to Southeast Asia with Ashe, a contemporary grill in the heart of the CBD led by chef Khanh Nguyen. Drawing inspiration from Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, the restaurant puts wood-fired cooking at the centre of the experience, with seafood, meat and vegetables cooked over flame and paired with punchy Southeast Asian flavours.
Expect a menu that moves between familiar regional flavours and more modern interpretations, with the open kitchen adding plenty of theatre.
Where: Ashe, 4 Ash St, Sydney.
Fishnets
Bronte’s Fishnets is the new Japanese-leaning restaurant from the team behind Table Manners, with former Sokyo head sushi chef Sanghyeop Kim at the helm. The focus is on precise, high-quality sushi and nigiri, alongside a more playful menu of Japanese-inspired dishes that makes the restaurant equally suited to a quick bite or a longer dinner.
Expect beautifully handled Australian seafood, omakase-level sushi, tuna katsu and dishes with a distinctly local twist… including Wagyu and a memorable Mapo gelato to finish.
Where: Fishnets, Shop 1, 118 Macpherson St, Bronte
Bar Bruno
Bar Bruno brings an all-day Italian osteria to Sydney’s CBD, opening on York Street above the late-night Razz Room. From morning espresso and pastries through to lunch, dinner and late-night drinks, the neighbourhood-style venue is designed to be an easy stop at almost any hour.
The menu ranges from small plates to hearty Italian-inspired dishes, including cotoletta with black garlic aioli, mussels with gigante beans and Murray cod with parmesan-rind brodo, while the atmosphere shifts naturally from daytime café to evening osteria.
Where: Bar Bruno, 18–20 York St, Sydney.
Aenza
From the team behind Darlinghurst saké bar Amuro, Aenza is a Japanese wine bar with a distinctly Australian edge. Chef-owner Joy Liu has created a more spacious, casual venue where an open kitchen puts the chefs centre stage, while the drinks list takes a deep dive into wine, with more than 100 bottles and dozens available by the glass.
The food follows the same philosophy, combining Japanese flavours with local ingredients in dishes such as umeshu tomato with miso cream cheese, paradise prawns with shiso and karaage with spiced salt and takana mayo.
Where: Aenza, Shop 7, 90 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
Lua
Although the Sydney Fish Market officially opened its doors on January 19, Luke Nguyen’s highly anticipated seafood restaurant, Lua, didn’t make its debut until March 5, adding another standout dining experience to the waterfront precinct.
Lua, meaning “fire” in Vietnamese, speaks to the warmth, passion and flame-led cooking at the heart of the restaurant. From charcoal-kissed ocean trout to scallops with brown butter fish sauce, Moreton Bay bug fried rice and sizzling claypots, every dish delivers bold flavours and impeccably fresh seafood.
Where: Lua at the Sydney Fish Market, 1 Bridge Rd, Glebe
Jimmy’s Falafel Paddington
The Jimmy’s restaurant family has officially expanded, with Merivale unveiling a new multi-storey venue in Paddington, spread across three vibrant levels. The venue, which opened at the end of April, offers meats, mezze and share plates on the ground floor, a private dining roof terrace upstairs, and an underground bar, perfect for post-falafel partying downstairs. As Merivale states, it’s the “same Jimmy’s — just more of it.”
Where: 374 Oxford Street, Paddington
Ananas
Opening its doors on May 7, French brasserie Ananas returns to The Rocks, settling in just next door to its original Argyle Street address. Its previous iteration earned a coveted hat in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, and that same calibre of dining is set to return, this time in a refined, upgraded space. Très bien!
Executive Chef Mike Flood, a long-time figure in Sydney’s French dining landscape, stated, “The menu draws from across France and shifts with the seasons. For launch, the menu leans more towards a classic Paris Brasserie mood — deeper sauces, butter, a bit more richness on the plate. As we move towards spring, it lightens and leans south, with olive oil stepping in and dishes becoming brighter. The idea is familiarity and comfort, with moments of decadence when you want to dial it up.”
Where: Argyle Stores, 18a Argyle St, The Rocks
Arre
Set on bustling Australia Street in Newtown, Arre marks the next chapter for the team behind Sonora, the acclaimed Potts Point restaurant that earned a Chef Hat and was recognised as the Best Mexican restaurant in Oceania. While the name may be new, Arre builds on that celebrated foundation under chef Roy McVeigh, bringing a bolder and more ambitious vision for modern Mexican dining.
Centred around fire-led cooking, bold regional flavours and a more immersive dining experience, Arre is quickly becoming one of Sydney’s most talked-about new Mexican restaurants. Expect al pastor carved fresh from the vertical spit, seasonal share plates, refined cocktails and an energetic atmosphere that comes alive later in the week.
Where: 182-184 Australia St, Newtown
Caravin Deux
Potts Point’s chic wine bar Caravin has welcomed a stylish new sibling, Caravin Deux. Pouring natural wines, cocktails and seafood, the venue’s bold red furniture spills onto the street, creating an effortlessly lively neighbourhood vibe. Throw back oysters, tuck into buttery scallops and sip on funky wines as you soak up the buzz of Llankelly Place.
Where: 46 Llankelly Place, Potts Point,
Las Palmas
We were all obsessed when Manly Wharf hosted La Mexicana Festival and served up tacos, cerveza and margs for two weekends this March. Well, there’s actually a more permanent fix to this craving with Las Palmas (operated by the Boathouse Group), now open on Manly’s West Esplanade.
Highlight dishes include fresh snapper ceviche, tuna tostada with lime mayo, beer-battered fish tacos, beef brisket barbacoa tostadas with dark beer salsa and crunchy, sugar-dusted churros to finish. We’re so there.
Where: Manly Pavilion, West Esplanade, Manly
Grappa The Rocks
After 26 years on Leichhardt’s Norton Street, iconic Italian restaurant Grappa has expanded, opening a location in The Rocks. Founder Charlie Colosi and his wife Virginie have brought their signature blend of house-made Italian cooking, generous wine culture and deeply personal hospitality to the Sydney CBD, with a menu that stays loyal to Leichhardt.
The venue occupies a heritage sandstone building, spanning approximately 300 seats across its dining room, upper-level bar, private event spaces and an outdoor terrace on George Street. Expect all the carbs: pasta, pizza, bread and desserts made in-house, with a focus on Italian tradition grounded in quality Aussie produce.
Where: 107-109 George St, The Rocks
Pasta Shop
Taking over the former Sonora site on Bayswater Road, Pasta Shop is a low-key 35-seat eatery, with every plate costing under $30. Featuring 11 different dishes, including spicy rigatoni alla vodka and homemade polpette con sugo, Pasta Shop is all about premium serves for accessible prices. It’s also BYO, but if you forget your vino, there are pre-made Maybe Sammy cocktails and Sardinian beer.
Where: 37 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point
Full Proof
Okay, so it’s not technically a restaurant, but any place describing itself as serving “doughnuts for grown-ups and coffee” already has our attention. This tiny new hole-in-the-wall, run by a mother-daughter duo, is turning out made-to-order sourdough doughnuts that lean both sweet and savoury, including a wildly good (and very Aussie) chicken salt doughnut. There’s also house-made ice cream, plus a mint affogato that’s worth saving room for. Dangerous, really.
Where: Llankelly Place, Potts Point
