Foodies are spoilt for choice in Sydney. With so many thriving suburbs, you can eat out every night of the week and still not get bored. Here’s our inside track to the lesser-known spots around the harbour and beyond that offer some of the city's best cheap eats, cuisine concepts, and restaurant rising stars.
The CBD
If you’re in the CBD then one of the go-to places has to be Mary’s on Castlereagh Street; their burgers are voted one of the best in Sydney. A takeaway only joint, Mary’s originally started out as a restaurant in Newtown that had people lining up for hours to get their fix. The CBD spot sells Mary’s favourites, including the ‘Mary’s’ burger featuring Mary’s sauce, lettuce, cheese, tomato and onion – we’d recommend adding their trash can bacon to step it up a gear! If you feel like experimenting, then try the fried chicken burger, or even the breakfast burger that’s loaded with eggs and bacon – the best way to start your day. PRICE: $$
Darlinghurst
Well-heeled suburb Darlinghurst offers up dining options for a variety of tastes and budgets. Some of our favourites include the renowned Italian A Tavola, the Indian Malabar, and our new hangout, the awesome Buffalo Dining Club. The Buffalo Dining Club labels itself as a mozzarella bar and imports unbelievable cheese three times a week from Campania, Italy. The restaurant also features some of the finest pasta dishes, as well as prosciutto, salads and desserts that are to die for. It’s not to be missed! PRICE: $$
Chippendale
Located on the architecturally beautiful Kensington Street in Chippendale, you’ll find the hidden Spice Alley. Spice Alley is one of Sydney’s most exciting culinary destinations, designed to feel like a hawker-esque street that wouldn’t look out of place in Penang. Full of open kitchens, wok smoke, and delicious food smells, it’s the ultimate Asian street food market in Sydney. From Thai, to Singaporean, to Chinese, you’ll be transported to Asia and taste some of the best food in the city. PRICE: $
Pyrmont and Darling Harbour
The appeal of relaxed waterside dining is enough to draw people into Pyrmont 's LuMI Bar, but it's the daring Italian-Japanese fusion menu that keeps foodies coming back for more. Japanese egg custard is served with parmesan sauce, risotto topped with seaweed, and inventiveness can be found on every plate. Whilst on the pricier side of the scale, the lunch menu does offer a three course degustation menu for $55 including pasta, main and a desert.
If it’s a feast you’re after, look no further than Hunter and Barrel in Darling Harbour. With a wide selection of grilled meats, it’s guaranteed to get you salivating. However, it’s the ‘Hunter’s Feast’ two person menu that’ll fill you up - it features Beef Rump Cap, Chicken Thigh, Pork Belly and Wagyu Sausage, as well as four choices of salads and sides. You’ll need rolling home after that one. At $38 per person, this option is a steal! PRICE: $$$
Marrickville
Marrickville has long been a hot spot for authentic Vietnamese food, and Old Thanh Huong is one of its old school best. It’s cheap, cheerful, and has some reliable staples like their flavoursome pho and signature lemongrass & chilli squid. PRICE: $
Haymarket
If you’re looking for quick, cheap eats around the George Street / Haymarket area of the city then make sure you head towards World Square. Whilst World Square is home to some of Sydney’s coolest retail stores, it also houses a huge range of awesome eateries with everything from burgers to Mexican available to tantalise the taste buds. Haymarket is also home to China Town, Korea Town and Thai Town, as well as Japanese food so you can pick up some of the best Asian food for dirt-cheap prices. One of our favourites has to be Lantern by Wagaya on George Street. Here you can get some of the tastiest Japanese meals for amazing prices, where you order everything from a touch screen computer at your table. It even has karaoke rooms at the back of the restaurant if you feel like belting out some Bohemian Rhapsody after your meal! PRICE: $$
Coogee
Down near the water's edge, The Little Kitchen is a tucked-away local Coogee favourite that serves up contemporary comfort food like roast chicken with corn puree and kohlrabi, and seared beef fillet with truffle dressing and pickled mushrooms. PRICE: $$
Olympic Park
Whether you’re visiting Olympic Park to see some sport, a gig at the Qudos Bank Arena, a mega event at the ANZ Stadium, or just soaking up some of the history from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, there are plenty of places to eat. Our favourite has to be the meat-tastic Ribs and Rumps though. With a mouth-watering menu that features every kind of rib and steak you could imagine, it’s perfect for pre-game or pre-gig meals. It’ll cost you a little more, but the value for money is well worth it! PRICE: $$$
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach is iconic, but the chain of fast food outlets along it aren't. For a meal that matches the view and vice versa, North Bondi Fish at the beach's northernmost point offers an essential type of seaside dining experience. With a menu that features king crab sliders, charcoal roasted king prawns, and of course the classic beer battered fish and chips, you’re in for a treat. PRICE: $$$
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