The Best Places to Eat and Drink in Sydney

Sydney is one of the world’s liveliest cities. This sprawling metropolis has more than five million residents and nearly 20,000 restaurants to explore. Next time you visit the Emerald City, make sure you check out the following establishments. They’re true gems that you can’t afford to miss.

Automata

Automata is one of Sydney’s most renowned restaurants. Located in Chippendale, on the south side of the city’s business district, the food joint has been making waves for years. If you’re looking for a place to get to know Australian cooking in a modern, contemporary context, this is where you need to go.

Despite its stellar reputation, Automata is rather unassuming and approachable. Chef Clayton Wells serves a gorgeous, carefully-plated tasting menu featuring a rotating selection of five spectacular courses. They’re far less imposing than the usual 10+ course tasting menus at other establishments.



Momofuku Seiobo

Momofuku Seiōbo is the Sydney arm of David Chang’s world-famous Momofuku restaurants. It’s located inside The Star Sydney, a luxurious casino in Pyrmont, a formerly-industrial inner-city suburb. Paul Carmichael curates a unique tasting menu, combining Cuban, Puerto Rican, Jamaican and Bajan flavors in stunning, creative ways. Singular dishes like Trinidadian “Buss Up Shut,” Bajan black pudding, or their signature “Cou Cou” feel both innovative and familiar.

Eating at Momofuku Seiōbo is an intimate experience, as no two tasting menus are alike. The restaurant favors organic, heartfelt cuisine over standardization, serving meals that nourish both body and soul.

Ester

Another gem located in Sydney’s Chippendale suburb, Ester is a fabulous spot to grab hearty bites and try superb wines. Chef Mat Lindsay serves modern, innovative Australian dishes with high-quality ingredients. The set menu begins with a fermented potato bread (served with dashi jelly and kefir cream), followed by roasted rock oyster (with sake and pepperberry). Then there’s the spanner crab in egg butter, followed by the scallop in miso emulsion with roe. Fermented chili langoustines pave the way for a stuffed chicken wing with hot mustard, parmesan custard brassicas, pot-roasted cauliflower, and daikon and carrot pickles.

Spice I Am

his multi-award winning Thai restaurant is located in Sydney’s stylish Surry Hills, known for a strong local cultural scene. It’s the perfect backdrop for Spice I Am. Helmed by Head Chef Sujet Saenkham, it offers some of the best Thai cooking you’ll find outside of Thailand.

It also operates a cooking school, aimed at improving the skills of anyone who enjoys fine Thai dining. In addition, they sell all their ingredients – locally sourced from Spice I Am’s own organic farm. Make sure you try the delicious Yellow Curry Chicken and the memorable Pad Prik Pao Crispy Pork Belly.