With new experiences around every corner, Sydney is a favourite holiday destination for many of us.
From the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House and everything in between, Aussies are in love with this water city where you can hop on a ferry at Circular Quay to appreciate the beauty of one of the world’s great harbours.
It is also a foodies’ heaven with a plethora of fine dining restaurants just waiting to be discovered – here are six Chef Hat-awarded venues worth a trip to NSW:
A place to connect, relish and relax, ABODE (13) on Day Street brings innovative dining to Darling Harbour. This stylish venue includes a lounge, alfresco deck and restaurant; alongside a menu revolving around sophisticated but accessible Australian cuisine using locally grown and sourced produce.
Banquette seating, wooden filigree panels and hanging cane chairs set the mood for memorable dining, perhaps starting with cured ora King salmon, fennel and Champagne foam; before mains such as aged sirloin, shimeji mushrooms, black onion purée and onion rings, or barramundi with salmon roe butter sauce, kipfler potatoes and karkalla.
By road, water or air, Cottage Point Inn (13) on Anderson Place offers a magical Sydney dining experience not quickly forgotten. Set on the water in the Kur-in-gai Chase National Park, by day or night, this stylish restaurant is framed by a stunning bushland waterfront making it the ideal location for a uniquely romantic destination.
Sharp service and a quality menu complement the spectacular surroundings, whether sipping a wine alfresco, or dining indoors at intimate table settings – think five and eight-course tasting menus dishing up starters like seared scallops, smoked cauliflower, pickled grapes, orange and pepperberry, followed by lamb, black barley, Spring peas and saltbush.
When only the best will do, head to Cucinetta (13) perched at the top of Woolwich Road, overlooking Lane Cove River, where guests embark on a culinary adventure like no other. Offering an abundance of natural light, retreat into rustic decor of warm, earthy tones, a sandstone kitchen and bursts of greenery, best suited to intimate dining at any time of the day.
Cucinetta is committed to reviving old cooking methods and sourcing the finest, sustainable produce for a seasonal menu; with a dynamic, open kitchen as the showpiece of the restaurant. Delve into starters of hiramasa kingfish crudo, finger lime, grapefruit, pomegranate, salmon pearls, capers, mustard seeds, shiso and EVO dressing, followed by mains such as char-grilled lobster.
Great food should be shared – that's the philosophy at Henrys (13) on Grosvenor Street in Neutral Bay. This stylish restaurant is the North Shore's go-to spot for cool, contemporary dining, set on the leafy back streets of the suburb; with a laid-back atmosphere of natural, modern interiors accented with elegant tones of black, white and gold.
Each visit to Henrys will see you eating, drinking, laughing and sharing plates of spicy tuna cones with furikake, caviar and avocado mousse, while lamb rump cap entices for the main, served with cauliflower purée, furikake, chimichurri and Japanese jus. Finish with smashed pavlova, passionfruit, coconut and baby coriander.
Offering stunning views from every table, Jonah’s (13) on Bynya Road in Whale Beach is one of Australia’s most spectacular ocean retreats. Located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, this Chef-hatted venue has uninterrupted sea views from floor-to-ceiling glass windows, while the terrace balcony perches on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean – ideal for whiling away an afternoon with your special someone and a bottle of bubbles.
Expect contemporary Modern Australian cuisine with a focus on seafood, as seen in entrées of squid ink linguine, crab, roasted cherry tomato and pistachio; duck breast, rhubarb, beetroot, blackberries and shiso tempt for the main affair, or perhaps delve into wholemeal casarecce pasta with zucchini, King prawns and gremolata.
