Sydney is brimming with delicious restaurants. Us Sydney-siders are spoilt for choice in every cuisine; there is truly a restaurant for everyone.
When winter arrives in the city, I swap my bikini with my cocktail dress and head to one of the swankiest restaurants in town. Here are my top picks:
Best restaurant in Sydney
1. Bodhi
2 College Street, Sydney 2000 | www.bodhirestaurant.com.au | (02) 9360 2523
I first visited Bodhi with some friends a couple of years ago. To this day, whenever someone news comes to town to visit, I take them straight to Bodhi – it’s that good.
Bodhi is an all-vegan Yum Cha and Pan-Asian restaurant, and I am not exaggerating when I say it is some of the best Asian food I have ever eaten. Even the “meat” – just wow.
We always ask the waiter for recommendations on the menu – they are always faultless. When we’re not being adventurous and trying something new, my friends and I love the fried salt & pepper ‘chicken’ w. a spicy malay peanut sauce, cucumber & asian herbs in a gua bao bun. We also love the Bodhi vegetarian peking ‘duck’, hoisin sauce, cucumber, pancakes.
Wash that all down with a Tambourine Man cocktail (Hendricks gin, peach liqueur and apple liqueur shaken, with cucumber, fresh lemon juice, elderflower syrup and rose syrup), and you’ve got yourself a 10/10 meal.
Better yet, Bodhi is the perfect date spot. Located under St. Mary’s Cathedral on the corner of Cook + Phillip park, it is a alfresco tranquil oasis, that comes alive at night with the sprinkling of pink, purple and blue-hued fairy lights that adorn it.
For the ultimate dinner in Sydney, I recommend Bodhi, over and over again.
2. Casoni
371-373 Bourke St, Darlinghurst 2010 | www.casoni.com.au | 0449 516 798
Casoni is a small independent Italian restaurant in Darlinghurst, and it’s one of my favourite dinner spots in Sydney. Candle-lit and intimate, the restaurant embraces the magic of Italy, and the menu is up there with one of the best in the city.
The menu changes throughout the year, with different pasta specials every time I visit. The Pumpkin Ravioli with pistachios, burnt butter and sage melts in your mouth. Also, the Brussel Sprouts dish, Nashi pear and chilli dish is like nothing I’ve ever eaten before.
Casoni has a great selection of wines and cocktails, too. Personally, I love an Aperol Spritz or a glass of Pinot Noir – occasion dependent!
3. North Bondi Fish
120 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi 2026 | www.northbondifish.com.au | 02 9130 2155
For the best seafood the city, take a visit to North Bondi Fish. It encapsulates casual but glamorous dining perfectly – it is one of my favourite restaurants to go to with my girl friends for a long boozy lunch.
Situated right on Bondi Beach, a table at North Bondi Fish has the best views. Even in the cold weather, the restaurant gets the best winter sun.
From the menu, I love the Roasted Pumpkin Salad with freekeh, pomegranate, mint, dukkah, goat’s curd. The XO mussels with charred bread is perfect for sharing with a group.
One of my favourite things about North Bondi Fish is the cocktail menu. It includes a seasonal Frosé, seasonal Bellini, the Rum New Fashioned (Bacardi Ocho 8yo, Bacardi Fuego spiced, salted caramel and chocolate bitters) and the New York Sour (Maker’s Mark, Dewar’s 12yo, lemon, brown sugar and port float), to name a few.
Whatever your tipple, you can be sure North Bondi Fish has it.
