Sydney Restaurant, Travel & Events Guide
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Experience Sydney's diverse food culture. From brunch to fine dining, discover the best restaurants in Sydney.
Sixpenny
As one of Sydney’s premier fine dining destinations, Sixpenny has earned global acclaim for a tasting menu that prioritises seasonality and Australia's finest produce over flashy techniques. It remains one of the hardest tables to book in the city. The name 'Sixpenny' was inspired by the **'Sixpence Restaurants'** that operated in Australia during the late 1800s. Back then, Sixpence Restaurants were designed to provide quality meals to everyone at an affordable price (sixpence). Sixpenny reinterprets this spirit for the modern era, making exceptional ingredients and warm hospitality its core values. Founder and owner-chef Daniel Puskas draws on his experience in world-class kitchens to craft a style that highlights native Australian ingredients and fermentation techniques. Since opening in 2012, Sixpenny has grown into one of the country's top-tier dining experiences under his leadership. The menu changes frequently with the seasons, with most guests opting for the Chef’s Tasting Course. Key highlights include premium seasonal produce sourced from across Australia, an emphasis on house-made ferments, a provenance-driven menu, and a focus on pure flavours over heavy garnishes, all supported by a dedicated network of farmers and producers. While the menu evolves, recurring elements include: * Aged fish * Seasonal seafood * Australian Wagyu * House-fermented sauces * Native herbs and flowers * Creative desserts Their expert use of fermentation to build complex flavours is widely considered Sixpenny’s greatest strength. SMH Good Food Guide 3 Hats (2024-2026), Critics' Pick.
Ester
Opened in 2013 in a former garage in Chippendale, Ester is a wood-fired modern dining establishment run by Chef Mat Lindsay. For over a decade, it has set the standard for the Sydney dining scene. It's renowned for its innovative sharing plates cooked over wood and charcoal, and its natural wine selection. Its significant influence on Australian dining culture was highlighted in Broadsheet's special feature, 'Ten Years of Ester: An Oral History.' It holds 2 GFG chef hats and was named AFR's Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2014, among numerous other awards.
Berowra Waters Inn
Berowra Waters Inn is a modern Australian fine-dining restaurant perched on the banks of Berowra Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River in Northern Sydney. It is famous for its unique location—accessible only by water or air—and its stunning architecture designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Glenn Murcutt. It is regarded as a place where you can experience the very best of Australian architecture, wine, and food in a serene, nature-filled setting. Starting as a tea house in the 1920s, the site was taken over by Tony and Gay Bilson in 1975. Between 1976 and 1983, Glenn Murcutt redesigned the building in a distinctively Australian vernacular style, using Sydney sandstone, corrugated iron, and glass louvre windows. Owned and operated by Chef Brian Geraghty since 2012, the restaurant continues to receive high acclaim, winning the Gourmet Traveller Readers' Choice Icon Award in 2025 and maintaining 2 Hats in the 2026 Good Food Guide. Chef Brian Geraghty built his career in leading kitchens across Australia and Europe and was named Chef of the Year by Gault & Millau Australia in 2018. Current Head Chef Jack Brown focuses on a culinary direction that blends classic French techniques with sustainable, native Australian ingredients. The restaurant offers an open, airy dining experience in a space Murcutt once described as a 'veranda by the water,' set against the tranquil backdrop of the river.
