The restaurants listed below offer excellent dining experience but bring your credit card along with you, they are not cheap. The chef's-hat ratings are from the Good Food Guide SMH 2009.
The three Hat Award Winners for 2009 are Est, Marque, Pier and Tetsuyas.
The Two Hat Award Winners for 2009 are Buon Ricordo, Guillaume at Bennelong, Lucio's, Icebergs Dining Room , Rockpool , Darley's, and Forty one.
Tetsuyas: Most expensive-Sydney’s 1 restaurant but one has to book in advance to get a table. - 9267 2900 -Japanese/French #3hats#
www.tetsuyas.com
Quay - Overseas Passenger Terminal Circular Quay - 9251 5600 - Contemporary . Winner of 2009 Restaurant of the year. # 3hats# Fantastic position with stunning views overlooking Sydney harbour and the Opera House , the food is truly remarkable and delicious. www.quay.com.au
Rock pool - The Rocks - 9252 1888- Contemporary - Located at 107 George Street, The Rocks. # 2 hats# Excellent seafood restaurant offering the best of Sydney rock oysters. www.rockpool.com
The Restaurant - Located in the Art Gallery of New South Wales and only open for Lunch 7 days a week from 12-3, with brunch on weekends from 10-11:30 AM. This is a great restaurant with terrific dishes, a nice wine list, and a beautiful water view. Don't let its location in a museum fool you; entrance to the museum is free and it's a charming place for a good lunch. Tel. 9223 1819. E-mail for reservations (recommended) to restaurant@ag.nsw.gov.au .
Kable's Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel (199 George Street) is not only centrally located with a large parking garage, but also offers a good value business lunch and lovely dinners. Seating is spacious (privacy is guaranteed) and the service excellent. Nicely located looking down over the atrium lobby. Tel 9250 3226. French/Contemporary
www.fourseasons.com
Billson’s – Radisson Plaza Hotel - 8214 0496 - French/Contemporary # 3 hats# . There is a real reason why Bilson's have 3 HATS year after year. The French cuisine is delectable , mouth-watering and delightful. The staff are attentive and polite, wine list excellent and overall wonderful fine dining experience. www.bilsons.com.au
Guillaume at Bennelong - Opera House - 9241 1999 - French/Contemporary . # 2hats# is located in the Opera House and has absolutely stunning views of Sydney harbour. The room is tastefully decorated with comfortable seating and the food scrumptious and delightful. A must do if visiting Sydney and looking for a memorable and unforgettable evening. www.guillaumeatbennelong.com.au
Buon Ricordo– 108 Boundary Street, Paddington - 9360 6729 - Italian #2.5hats# Chefs Armando Percuoco and Darren Taylor dish up some tasty Italian dishes, like the Linguini with braised calamari, cherry tomatoes, garlic and chili or the scampi, mussels, clams, calamari, octopus, cuttlefish and rock cod cooked with tomato. Yum ! www.buonricordo.com.au A 6 course degustation is also available.
Aqua Dining at North Sydney Olympic Pool - 9964 9998 - Contemporary. Aqua is located above North Sydney Olympic Pool , corner of Paul & Northcliff Streets, Milson Point. The views are absolutely gorgeous with direct water-views of Sydney Harbour, the Bridge , Opera House and Luna Park. A contemporary menu and an excellent wine list. Bookings are essential especially if you want a water-view table or a table overlooking the pool. This is an excellent restaurant to take overseas guest to, they will be totally blown away with the spectacular views. www.aquadining.com.au
Billy Kwong - 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills. - Modern Chinese - To enjoy this BYO and licensed restaurant one needs to get here early, as no reservations are taken. It's usual to see people lining up before it even opens. The reason its so popular is because the food is so yummy and the Chinese menu exciting. The daily specials like snapper with ginger and shallots or crispy duck are favourites among the patrons. Everything regarding the food is organic and Billy Kwong philosophy reflects through its food. Chefs : Matthew Lindsay and Kylie Kwong. You can purchase Kylie Kwong signed cookbook at the restaurant . www.kyliekwong.org
Claude’s– 10 Oxford Street, Woollahra - 9331 2325 (best BYO) French
Otto - Woolloomooloo Wharf - 93687488 Italian
Marque355 Crown Street, Surry Hills- 93322225 - French - # 3 Hats#
www.marquerestaurant.com.au
is located on busy hip Crown Street . The food is wonderful a degustation menu is also available. At lunchtime there are "specials" and this is a great way to experience this restaurant without paying the hefty dinner prices. The wine list is limited to mostly European wines, however they do have a few Sth Australian and New Zealand varieties. The chef Mark Best offers diners a unique and wonderful dining experience .
The Establishment- city - 92403010 (Restaurant of the year 2005) Contemporary # 3 Hats# is located in Level 1, 252 George Street in the Establishment Hotel. The food is gorgeous and the setting absolutely 5 stars , Peter Doyle is one of Sydney's talented chef's which makes this restaurant a remarkable dining experience. A degustation menu is available and also a chef's menu. www.merivale.com
Uccello - 330 George Street City, Level 4 - Ivy Building. This is an upmarket Italian Restaurant which has just opened and will be catering for the Who's Who in Sydney crowd. The main attraction is the large open outdoor swimming pool with private cabana's and sun-deck chairs. The restaurant looks over the pool. Uccello Restaurant is located on level 4 and is owned and managed by www.merivale.com If you do dine at the restaurant make sure you have a few after diner drinks at one of the Ivy bars, they are truly spectacular.
Mad Cow - 330 George Street City, Level 1 - Ivy Building. The Mad Cow restaurant is located in the Ivy Building 330 George Street, Sydney. The restaurant is seriously cute with large gorgeous lampshades overhanging the tables and booth style tables.
www.merivale.com
The menu is mostly steaks however they do have some vegetarian and seafood on the list too. Wine list good.
Icebergs Dining Room- Bondi Beach - 93659000 - Mediterranean
Coast - Darling Harbour - 92676700 - Contemporary
Manta Ray- Woolloomooloo Wharf- 93323822 Italian seafood
Aria – Circular Quay- 9252 2555- Contemporary -## 2 Hats ## If looking for a restaurant with stunning views of the Opera House, then Aria will suit you perfectly.The restaurant is fine dining at its best, with excellent knowledgeable staff members and a award winning menu. It's expensive and classy and has recently won the SMH "Wine list of the Year " 2009. www.ariarestaurant.com
Claude’s– Woollahra - 9331 2325 - French
Forty One - City - 9221 2500 - French
The Observatory Hotel – Rocks - Japanese/French
Bathers Pavilion– Balmoral Beach - 9969 5050 - Mediterranean # 1Hat # www.batherspavillion.com.au. This restaurant is housed in one of Sydney's icon buildings the Pavilion overlooking stunning Balmoral Beach. The restaurant has a contemporary menu with an excellent wine list. Chef and owner Serge Dansereau offers patrons a refreshing and seasonal choice of food. If looking for a romantic restaurant one cannot pass Bathers Pavilion. Next door the Café serves Mediterranean food in a relaxed beach atmosphere.
Bistro Moncur- Woollahra Hotel - 9363 2519 - French
Longrain - Surrey Hills - 9280 2888 - Asian
Lucios Paddington - 9380 5996 - Italian
Omega - City - 9223 0242 - Greek
Pello - East Sydney - 9360 4640 - European
Pier - Rose Bay - 9327 6561 - Seafood (best seafood)
Sean's Panaroma - 9365 4924 - Contemporary
Sushi E - 9240 3041 - Level 4, Establishment Hotel - modern Japanese
Yoshii - The Rocks - 9247 2566 - Japanese
