The Where To > Sydney Guide
WHERE TO DRINK >Stay up-to-date
DRINK > Conte, Sydney (17/20)
Conte in Sydney’s CBD is grand, an unapologetically Italian, ode to the Negroni. Part bar, part ristorante, and all about drama, detail and la dolce vita energy. With more than 30 (and climbing toward 40) Negroni riffs, serious Italian wines and a full dining menu, it feels less like a…
The Sydney Guide >
Sydney is without any doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the world. From the stunning harbour that glistens to the Opera House, Sydney’s beautiful beaches and vibrant restaurants.
There is plenty of creativity and design here after all it is home to the worlds largest gay mardi gras festival (held annually in March).
Sydney people love being outside be that running on a beach, paddling a kayak on the harbour, surfing, cycling or hanging out at a hotel beer garden or a cafe in a park, being outside is key. And that is probably connected to the wonderful mild climate that the city benefits from most of the year round.
WHERE TO HAVE COFFEEIts more than just a caffinated beverage you know
CAFE > Barbetta, Paddington (16/20)
In the 1980s and 1990s Oxford Street Paddington was alive with the smartest cafe’s, it was where the hip people went to congregate. Then the rents went up and suddenly it seemed like the whole strip closed up overnight. But today while it has recovered some of…
CAFE > Paramount Coffee Project
When it comes to coffee royalty Mark Dundon of Seven Seeds is pretty close to the top. He started with St Ali in South Melbourne (a coffee roaster, cafe that has grown significantly) and then Seven Seeds a coffee roaster and cafe, Brother Bada Budan, Traveller and the…
CAFE > Room Ten, Potts Point
Llankelly Place runs parallel to Macklay Street and only a few years ago it would have been way too seedy for a fancy coffee or breakfast bar, but after all of the change in Kings Cross you are more likely to be run over by a real estate agent in…
CAFE > Bills, Sydney
Bills is the cafe that made breakfast something more serious for Sydneysiders, originally it was in Liverpool Street Darlinghurst (it opened in 1993). There was a large communal table and for many people it was the first place that they experienced avocado on toast. It was also…
WHERE TO EAT >
Sydney's CBD has never been short of a steakhouse. Rockpool Bar & Grill, The Gidley, Bistecca, Kingsleys, Chophouse and now Grill Americano all compete for the same expense accounts, so a New York-style grill needs more than a good rib eye to stand out. Clam Bar has it. Dan Pepperell,…
Sydney is not short of a serious steak. There seems to be a grill on almost every corner of the CBD, so it takes a certain confidence to bring another one up the Hume.
Grill Americano has been the Melbourne banker's favourite since it opened on Flinders Lane in…
Catalina’s has become a venue for our special events, it is that kind of place. Stunning views, exceptional service, delicious food and a world class wine list.
There are few restaurants around the world that have such an abundance of world class assets and as such Catalina remains…
Saint Peter in Sydney is one of Australia’s (possibly the world’s) most compelling places to eat seafood right now, a restaurant that turns whole fish into high drama without ever losing sight of comfort, generosity, and genuine hospitality. Relocated to The Grand National Hotel in Paddington, it feels like both…
OTTO is Sydney’s original la dolce vita wharf restaurant: a polished, sun-struck slice of Italo-Sydney glamour where seafood, pasta and people-watching all arrive at roughly the same high gloss.
AMBIENCE >
Along Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf, OTTO is the restaurant that still looks like the postcard: linen-draped tables marching along the…
The Tilbury is that rare inner-city pub-restaurant that feels equally right for a midweek Martini, a long Sunday lunch or a dressed-up dinner on home turf in Woolloomooloo. Set back from the wharf on Nicholson Street, it trades harbour theatre for something more quietly assured: a heritage shell smoothed into…
Eleven Barrack feels like a grand city dining room that Sydney has been waiting for: a lavish steak and seafood grill in a heritage bank building, tuned with just enough irreverence to keep things fun. It is also the sharpest new expression of the Bentley Group’s polished food, wine and service…
Saint Peter in Sydney is one of Australia’s (possibly the world’s) most compelling places to eat seafood right now, a restaurant that turns whole fish into high drama without ever losing sight of comfort, generosity, and genuine hospitality. Relocated to The Grand National Hotel in Paddington, it feels like both…
Sydney Restaurants >
Sydney knows how to do posh, restaurants like the wonderful Tetsuya made the early in roads as Australia developed its cuisine and fine dining restaurants in the 1980s. Then it was restaurants like Rockpool, Bennelong, Aria and Bondi Icebergs with celebrity chef’s incredible views and cutting edge cuisine that took the Sydney dining experience to a different level.
The next generation of restaurants all maximise the culinary heritage of a multicultural city but they also pay homage to the supermodel city that Sydney is – they maximise the views and glamourise the dining experience.
WHERE TO STAY >
STAY > QT, Sydney (18/20)
QT Sydney brings theatrical glamour, bold design, and a playful, inner-city energy to one of Sydney’s most characterful heritage corners. Blending the restored State Theatre and former Gowings department store, it delivers an urban escape that feels equal parts boutique hideaway and backstage pass to the CBD’s creative pulse.
AMBIENCE >
Arriving at QT Sydney, the mood is set before you even reach reception: a dramatic façade on Market Street, a tucked-away entrance, and a lobby layered with rich textures, curated art, and a touch of mischief. Inside, lighting is low and cinematic, with jewel-toned furnishings, polished wood, and contemporary…
STAY > The Clarence Hotel, Sydney (9/20)
The images on Accor site do make The Clarence Hotel look really smart with a modern designs and rooms that have plenty of space. After a massive renovation completed in December 2024, the hotel reopened and it looked ideal for our quick weekend in Sydney.
We took advantage of an Accor Plus offer (you pay an annual fee $399 which provides you some discounts at Accor properties and also one night of accomodation a year, subject to availability feels like a good deal or maybe not).
Arriving at the hotel the first thing you notice is it is just a doorway…
STAY > Ace Hotel, Sydney
The Ace Hotel in Sydney knows how to party. It is definitely that kind of place. If you are looking for a low key discreet place to chill, then this is probably not the place for you. If you are looking for a hotel that is party central then good chance you have arrived at the right place.
Part of the Ace Hotel group, this is their first hotel in the Southern Hemisphere with others in Brooklyn, New York, Toronto, Kyoto, Seattle, Portland, Palm Springs, New Orleans and soon in Athens and Fukuoka.
Rooms feature floor…
