- The best new restaurants in Sydney have been rounded up by the Sydney Travel Guide.
- Everything from Italian and Cantonese is on the menu for visitors to the Harbour City.
Sydney’s dynamic dining scene is constantly changing and never has this been more obvious than in the past few years. After a swift recovery from the pandemic, the city started demanding more luxurious, world-class restaurants and was given a big influx grand dining rooms as a result.
Recent months have restored a gentle balance to the scene, with a great diversity of new concepts: underground Italian restaurants with candlelit ambience (Neptune’s Grotto), beautiful evolutions of established legends like Saint Peter and Golden Century, unique cross-cultural clashes (Delta Rue), dramatic Greek restaurants with unforgettable spaces (Olympus) and more Sydney restaurant openings.
To help guide locals and visitors around Sydney’s new dining scene, we’ve listed 10 of our favourite new Sydney restaurants for you to get across. And yes, consider this a challenge.
These are the best new restaurants in Sydney
Last Updated: March 2025
Editor’s Pick: Neptune’s Grotto, Surry Hills
Best new restaurant in Sydney CBD: Eleven Barrack
Best new restaurant in Western Sydney: IFTAR
1. Neptune’s Grotto, Surry Hills
Signature dishes: Egg yolk tagliatelle with pork and veal ragu; Cotoeletta alla Milanese; poached veal girello with smoked eel mayonnaise.
Although their beloved modern-French brasserie, Bistrot 916, is no more, hospo gurus Andy Tyson, Dan Pepperell and Mikey Clift have added another atmospheric notch to their increasingly impressive profile. Unlike the crew’s other Italian restaurant, the Taylor Swift-approved Pellegrino 2000, Neptune’s Grotto is a clandestine love affair with the regional specialties of Northern Italy.
Here you’ll find handmade pasta that you won’t see on any other menu in Sydney, like a Drurum wheat pasta ($40) with pork sausage and black pepper or the simply delicious egg yolk tagliolini ($39) with tomato and basil. Gentle twists on classic Italian cocktails take precedence over wine, although you’ll find a long list of Italian varietals as well—perfect for sipping the night away in those supremely comfortable leather booths.
Buoyed by a transportive ambiance, Neptune’s Grotto has already managed to set itself apart from all the other best Italian restaurants in Sydney.
Address: Young Street &, Bridge St, Sydney NSW
Contact: (02) 9167 6667
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (12pm – 11pm); Friday – Saturday (12pm – 12am)
2. Saint Peter, Paddington
Signature dishes: 12 day aged Yellowfin tuna; fish charcuterie; line caught John Dory.
Welcome to the new Saint Peter.
I would say “improved” but it’s mighty difficult to best what Josh Niland has done with his ode to sustainable seafood since it first opened in September 2016. Now ranked as one of world’s best restaurants, Saint Peter 2.0 has moved around the corner into The Grand National Hotel where Josh and Julie Niland have shaped an unforgettable, elegant boutique hotel with just 14 rooms.
Now Saint Peter thrives as a two-parter, split into a charming, understated bar (that doubles as the breakfast room for guests) where walk-ins sip on perfected martinis and bite into double yellowfin tuna cheeseburgers, and the main attraction: a tasteful dining room where every aspect has been carefully curated to complement the menu.
From plates made from old fish bones and oyster shells to expertly picked, seafood-loving wine, everything outside of the food helps build up the perfect ambiance for star dishes like fish charcuterie with John Dory liver pâté tarts, Southern Calamari with Yellowfin tuna ‘nduja, and a beautiful 12 day aged Yellowfin tuna served with a side of fresh summer vegetables.
Top tip: Stay as a guest at The Grand National Hotel and you’ll get to experience Saint Peter’s three-course breakfast, which elevates the typical hotel morning-starter with fresh fruit and Manjimup marron scrambled eggs with hollandaise made from the head.
Address: 161 Underwood St, Paddington NSW 2021
Contact: (02) 9167 3703
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (5pm – 11pm); Thursday – Sunday (12pm – 11pm)
3. Delta Rue, CBD
Signature Dishes: Stir fried lobster with chilli sambal; Hanoi style roasted John Dory; roasted duck legs with spiced plum.
It’s rare to see Vietnamese in a luxury hotel, and yet a reinvigorated Sofitel Sydney Wentworth has designs on doing things differently in the world of upscale accommodation. Not only have they bought on one single hospitality group (House Made Hospitality) to curate the hotel’s dining scene, but the five-star has shown incredible forethought when it comes to grounding Australia’s oldest luxury hotel in complete and utter opulence.
Delta Rue is a French-Vietnamese restaurant showcasing another side of the famous hotel brand. The large-format, 210-seated restaurant is split into a dining room and terrace—a lively scene where vintage carts have been turned into bonafide Banh Mi trolleys and oversized pots of bamboo fill the spaces with life.
Crossing French decadence with produce-forward Vietnamese dishes does wonders for the menu, and distinguishes Delta Rue from just about all other Sydney restaurants. Think dishes like duck and foie gras spring rolls, chilli salt calamari, pork belly fried rice with five spice gravy, wok fried egg noodles with king prawns, and stir fried lobster and chilli sambal. Don’t forget the Hanoi style roasted John Dory to add a bit of Australian-ness to the mix, and regulars can’t seem to get enough of the roasted duck legs with spiced plum and pancakes.
Address: 101 Phillip St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 8530 0138
Opening Hours: Monday – Tuesday (7pm – 11pm); Wednesday (7am – 10pm); Thursday – Saturday (7am – 11pm); Sunday (7am – 10pm)
4. Bessie’s, Surry Hills
Signature dishes: Bone-in striploin with vine leaf chimmichurri; Moreton Bay bug sandwich; fried hot ocean jacket cheeks with green goodess.
The faultless team of Sal and Nathan Sasi with Morgan McGlone can do no wrong. At least it seems that way. When the reliable crew opened up Bar Copains on leafy Albion Street a few years ago, no one would have expected the tiny neighbourhood wine bar would go on to become one of the most highly prized venues in Sydney.
Now the team has taken over the former Chef’s Warehouse space just up the road and turned the space into a modern duo: a separate restaurant and bar under the same roof, with Bessie’s being the top pick for foodies. Fire-cooking takes pride of place for the menu, resulting in dishes like ocean jacket cheek nuggets ($22) with Green Goddess dip and bone-in striploin ($62) with vine leaf chimichurri.
This two-in-one looks to be unstoppable as the hype continues to pick up amongst Sydney’s most discerning foodies. Or you can just pop in for a quick Moreton bay bug sandwich ($24), slapped between two fluffy slices of white bread.
Top tip: Saunter on over to Alma’s for a lively, atmospheric cocktail lounge that’s perfect for drinks before and after dinner.
Address: 111-115 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (5pm – 12am); Thursday – Sunday (12pm – 12am)
5. Cibaria, Manly
Signature dishes: King prawns with sun-dried tomato ‘nudja and chilli; spaghetti aragosta with rock lobster ragu; lumache with king prawns.
Alessandro and Anna Pavoni are clearly at their best when there’s a waterside location and Italian cuisine involved. The pair have given Sydney some of its most endearing coastal Italian institutions like the romantic Ormeggio at the Spit and Crown Sydney’s a’Mare. Now they’ve taken another pop at Northern Beaches glamour with the opening of Cibaria at the newly renovated (and recently award-winning) Manly Pacific Hotel.
There’s no mistaking the Mediterranean influences at this breezy beachfront diner, where the relaxed Northern Beaches lifestyle plays perfectly with fresh seafood like king prawns ($48) with sun-dried tomato ‘nduja and the crowd-pleasing spaghetti aragosta ($79) with rock lobster ragu. Team Pavoni has found such success with a’Mare’s gorgeous sense of theatre so expect a lot of tableside preparation and immaculate, efficient service—the greatest side dish of them all.
Top tip: flirt with the in-house gelato counter for some takeaway treats and take a little stroll alongside the beach (it’s just across the road).
Address: 55 N Steyne, Manly NSW 2095
Contact: (02) 8350 0895
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (7am – 11am, 11:30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm); Friday – Saturday (7am – 11am, 11:30am – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm); Sunday (7am – 11am, 11:30am – 3pm, 5pm – 10:30pm)
6. Eleven Barrack, CBD
Signature dishes: F1 wagyu T-bone with Café de Paris and jus.
The Bentley Group has a strong track record of reliably pushing Sydney’s dining scene towards the world’s stage. Eleven Barrack is their latest attempt to dial in some sophistication for the Harbour City, giving an old heritage building the restaurant it deserves. Given the deathless love Sydneysiders have for fine dining icon Bentley Restaurant & Bar, it looks like we’ve just welcomed another future classic.
A highly textured, multicoloured dining room expertly makes such an intimidatingly grand dining room look casual. Such a balancing act isn’t easy to achieve, transforming an 1850s bank into a scene that’s both playful and glamourous. Think heritage marble columns left untouched but complemented by Tasmanian oak panelling, a high carved plaster ceiling and a grand piano, offset with exciting light fittings, horse paintings and a sightly purple column that cuts through the middle of the dining room.
The menu is conservative but focuses on simply dishes cooked exceptionally well with top-shelf local produce. You’ll taste the noble approach in dishes like coal-roasted Murray cod with green garlic sauce and an essential F1 wagyu T-Bone with Café de Paris and jus. Stick to the classics and you’ll have a fantastic time.
Address: 11 Barrack St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: (02) 9220 0111
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (12pm – 10pm); Saturday – Sunday (5:30pm – 10pm)
7. Olympus Dining, Redfern
Signature dishes: Grilled milk fed lamb; lobster orzo pasta; king prawns saganaki.
I’d be shocked if Olympus Dining doesn’t have several design awards to its name as the months roll out. The Apollo Group present an unforgettable circular dining space with this traditional Greek restaurant, centered around a stately 50-year-old bougainvillea tree that shines under a glass dome that floods the space in natural light. Just walking into the space is an experience, and we’re not even at the milk-fed lamb yet.
The team pitch this as a reimagined taverna but it may be a new genre unto itself. The restaurant is made to feel like the top of Mt Olympus, waving the flag high for Sydney’s long-held love of Greek cuisine.
Head chef Ozge Kalvo skips over from stints at Baba’s Place and Ester, leaning towards familiar classics like wild weed spanakopita ($34) and Grilled milk fed lamb leg ($55) and more punch-up flavours like lobster orzo pasta (market price) and king prawns saganaki ($42). It pays to be adventurous here, and unexpected highlights like an egg and lemon soup ($18) served with yoghurt, and fried lamb brains ($18) are essential to the experience.
Top tip: Olympus Dining is located on the ground floor of The Eve Hotel for any visitors planning to stay at Sydney’s newest hotel.
Address: Wunderlich Lane, 2 Baptist St, Redfern NSW 2016
Contact: (02) 8354 0649
Opening Hours: Monday – Tuesday (5pm – 12am); Wednesday – Friday (12pm 12am); Saturday – Sunday (11:30am – 12am)
8. IFTAR, Merrylands
Signature dishes: Lamb shawarma tacos; minced lamb pasta with garlic yoghurt and burnt butter.
Western Sydney’s rapidly modernising dining scene has a new hero. Historically, Merrylands has been a grey area for design-conscious, atmospheric restaurants but IFTAR—named for the fast-breaking feast during Ramada—and chef-owner Jeremy Agha is steady luring diners outside of the CBD with a gorgeous earth space with textured clay walls and marble floors.
But of course it’s not just aesthetic that’s got everyone talking about IFTAR. The food is uncompromising, sticking true to tradition with playful twists like lamb shawarma tacos and Wagyu kofta dumplings. Get some of that wood-fired sourdough bread and mop up all types of rich delights like manoush, batata harra and eggplant fetteh.
Breakfast is a must. Gorgeous platters of fresh produce track everything from fried eggs, foul and labneh to mixed pickles, dried fruit, seasonal vegetables and village cheeses. Do note that the restaurant is still brand new so is only open during Ramadan hours for breakfast and lunch right now. There are plans to introduce a dinner service soon.
Address: Main Ln, Merrylands NSW 2160
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday (10am – 3pm)
9. Flora, Newtown
Signature dishes: Ricotta and cocao husk short stack pancakes; chickpea walnut burger.
As part of the newly opened Australia Street row, Flora is Newtown’s latest upscale vegetarian restaurant from the same team behind Sydney’s beloved Continental Deli. It’s all day, but most of the love so far has been focused on the earlier hours of the day with the kitchen’s ricotta and cocao husk short stack pancakes ($24) with espresso butter consistently pulling in rave reviews.
Expect the unexpected when walking up to the historic butter-yellow house. We’re talking roasted tomato and bullhorn pepper gazpacho ($22) with sheep’s milk yoghurt, cheese and rosemary bikini; purple congo potato gnocchi ($32) with cultured butter and herbs; and a fascinating signature burger ($24) with a chickpea walnut pattie, cheese, lettuce and tomato on a house milk bun.
The best vegetarian restaurants in Sydney typically stick to the expected. With The Bentley Group’s Yellow being an easy exception. Flora is a much-needed breathe of fresh air in that regard, perfectly slotting into Newtown’s progressive dining culture.
Address: 206 Australia St, Newtown NSW 2042
Contact: (02) 9123 5501
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm); Saturday – Sunday (9am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm)
10. Golden Century, Barangaroo
Signature dishes: XO pippies; peking duck; salt and pepper squid.
One of Sydney’s most emblematic Cantonese restaurants is back, and this time it’s almost at the tippy-top of Crown Sydney in Barangaroo. The new, upscale reimagining of Golden Century has moved into the former Silks space, replacing it with the Wong family’s legendary world-class Cantonese food.
But this isn’t the relaxed late-night Dixon Street icon you remember. A large area with party-sized private booths and beautiful bright red accents precedes the main event: a sprawling dining room where 80-dish yum cha sessions on weekends (sans trolleys) s is essential and large-format seafood dishes are sourced straight from live fish tanks.
Golden Century’s reputation has been built over decades off the back of exacting recipes and hard-won consistency. We can gladly report that the new Golden Century and its dominance when it comes to Cantonese cuisine is still very much in-tact here, and despite the sheen, what you’ll get is delicious, flavour-rich Cantonese food that’s worth the punchy price tags. And yes, the XO pippies are still on the menu and as good as ever for one of Sydney’s favourite restaurants.
Where else should I eat in Sydney?
While Neptune’s Grotto (beneath Clam Bar) and Olympus Dining are currently the top picks in Sydney, there’s still plenty of other places that are helping push the city’s dining scene further onto the world stage to rival the likes of London, Chicago, Tokyo and New York City.
Neil Perry is doing great things over in Double Bay with both Song Bird and Margaret (and the drinks menu at jazz and cocktail bar Bobbie’s is delicious). Executive Chef Jacob Lee has perfected the art of Korean BBQ at Soot in Barangaroo. Sydneysiders can’t get enough of the chip butty with butter chicken gravy at Derrel’s. Head chef Jamie Robertson put the historic Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park onto a winner with Sydney Common.
There’s more. Executive chef Mike Eggert has given Merivale another stunner with Good Luck Restaurant Lounge. Head chef Charles Woodward and Joel Bickford are going great things with The Grill at The International in Martin Place.
You’ll also want to head on over the North Sydney, where Etymon Projects is doing weighty work with talent like Executive Chef Rhys Connell, who heads up the Walker Street precinct with bakery and wine bar Sol, bar and lounge Soluna, Japanese eatery and sake bar Genzo and providore Una. It’s a great place to mix-and-match: grab some Japanese dishes, maybe sit at the chef’s table as well, and then back that with some wine at Sol. This choose-your-own-dining-adventure approach is completely transforming how people eat out in Sydney.
These kind of one-group precincts are getting more common around Sydney, and it’ll only get better as Hunter St Hospitality open The Collective in The Rocks come April 2025.
What’s next for Sydney’s dining scene?
New Sydney restaurant openings won’t stop rolling out over the coming months. As above, we’ve got a big newbie from Hunter St Hospitality set to completely transform The Rocks. Then we also have the new Sydney Fish Market opening, and we’re hoping at least one of those restaurants will have a good, creamy butter poached bug roll on the menu.
For a deeper insight into all the new Sydney restaurant, bar and hotel openings coming this year take a read of our what’s new in Sydney guide.
Why trust this list?
Sydney Travel Guide’s staff have spent weeks dining out at the best new Sydney restaurants to help put together this round-up for our readers. We realised that bloated dining listicles can end up giving people choice anxiety so we wanted to keep it tightly curated and keep it just ten of our favourite new Sydney restaurants. This is by no means an exhaustive list, which is why we’ve included a section calling out a few other places you should eat around town.
Personally, I’ve been writing about food in Sydney for over ten years and feel like I’ve developed a great sense of what is good Sydney and what isn’t. As such, you can trust this list whether you’re a born-and-bred local or a visitor looking for places to eat in Sydney.
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