Sydney isn't Australia's capital city, but it is generally seen as its most glamorous, sparkling, attractive metropolis. And it has the eating and drinking options to match that image. Here are some of the best...
Australian cities offer a wealth of great eating and drinking options, with everything from sophisticated five-star restaurants to casual modern cafes and intimate, funky bars.
Sydney, nicknamed 'Emerald City', is fast-paced, deal-driven and traffic-laden by day and a sparkling, balmy playground at night. Both The Economist and Monocle acknowledged its warm, mostly relaxed and cosmopolitan ambience by ranking it among their Top 10 'liveable cities'.
If you’re new to Sydney, one of the things that will hit you straight off is that this is an aquatic city. There are spectacular, sparkling vistas at every turn on the harbour, the ocean and the rivers.
Make exploring its waterways one of your priorities, even if you’re not 'a water person'. It’s a great way to see the city and to understand the lifestyle.
The most interesting neighbourhoods are scattered around the city, not grouped together in tidy formation, so be adventurous.
Once you’ve taken in the spectacular harbour and the ocean beaches, head further inland to enjoy the places where daily living gets done. If you get the balance right, it should feel like one big weekend, all week long.
The range of eating and drinking options is endlessly rewarding here. From fast food to fine dining, you'll find something to love for every mood. Here are some of the best restaurant, cafe and bar finds in some of Sydney's most interesting and lively neighbourhoods:
Bondi is the beach and the beach is Bondi. Beautiful, busy and rather brash, it's a swirling mix of backpackers, beauty queens, business heirs and a lively boho community. It's also home to one of Sydney's unmissable dining experiences.
For a splurge, a major occasion dinner or to wow visitors, you can’t go past Icebergs Dining Room & Bar at Bondi Beach. As globe-trotting NeoNeighbourhood Chief Experience Officer Verity Byth puts it, "There is simply nowhere else with this view, atmosphere, food, wine and service all at once, all the time." In a word: Extraordinary.
For a casual but excellent dinner out with friends, make a beeline for another Bondi institution, with a very different feel. At Sean’s Panaroma (no, that's not a typo), at the other end of the iconic crescent-shaped beach, the decor is informal and both staff and customers are relaxed. Even so, there’s nothing but the best ingredients, beautifully prepared, on the plate. No wonder you need to book.
For a cool night out with friends, the first stop should be Madame Fling Flong in Newtown. Crowded and bustling, Newtown has all the energy and diversity you’d expect of a university neighbourhood. Look beyond the clutter on King Street to find high quality gems, including those devoted to organics and sustainable living. Lots of good bookshops within strolling distance, too.
A glamorous little upstairs nook, Madame Fling Flong is a bit tongue-in-cheek '80s, with sexy red everywhere except for the funky mix of vintage chairs. Staff are attentive and the atmosphere encourages lounging, with cocktail in hand.
To find out why Sydney chefs and their fusion dishes are such a force on the world stage, head for Universal in the nightlife precinct of Darlinghurst. Culinary wiz Christine Manfield puts flavours together in a way that will surprise you. "Get your palate ready for a ride through all the sensations that characterises Asian cuisine, done in a way you've never known them before," says Byth.
To get a feel for Sydney’s laidback cafe lifestyle, visit Fifi Foveaux’s, in the lively and diverse neighbourhood Surry Hills. The leafy narrow streets are full of intriguing glimpses and surprising finds. It's hard to find a car park in this area and harder still to get a booking for dinner on a Friday night, but the effort is rewarded with diverse choices for quality eating and shopping and a lovely local vibe.
Fifi's, as the locals call is, has become a local institution by getting right what so many others seem to get wrong. It has great coffee, service that's sassy in a good way, and quality eating, whatever time of the day.
To find more great experiences in Sydney and other Australian and international cities, without the dross, visit the NeoNeighbourhood website. There’s the best of food, shopping (fashion, home, pantry, books and music), hotels, galleries and concert venues and much more.
Sydney, nicknamed 'Emerald City', is fast-paced, deal-driven and traffic-laden by day and a sparkling, balmy playground at night. Both The Economist and Monocle acknowledged its warm, mostly relaxed and cosmopolitan ambience by ranking it among their Top 10 'liveable cities'.
If you’re new to Sydney, one of the things that will hit you straight off is that this is an aquatic city. There are spectacular, sparkling vistas at every turn on the harbour, the ocean and the rivers.
Make exploring its waterways one of your priorities, even if you’re not 'a water person'. It’s a great way to see the city and to understand the lifestyle.
The most interesting neighbourhoods are scattered around the city, not grouped together in tidy formation, so be adventurous.
Once you’ve taken in the spectacular harbour and the ocean beaches, head further inland to enjoy the places where daily living gets done. If you get the balance right, it should feel like one big weekend, all week long.
The range of eating and drinking options is endlessly rewarding here. From fast food to fine dining, you'll find something to love for every mood. Here are some of the best restaurant, cafe and bar finds in some of Sydney's most interesting and lively neighbourhoods:
Bondi is the beach and the beach is Bondi. Beautiful, busy and rather brash, it's a swirling mix of backpackers, beauty queens, business heirs and a lively boho community. It's also home to one of Sydney's unmissable dining experiences.
For a splurge, a major occasion dinner or to wow visitors, you can’t go past Icebergs Dining Room & Bar at Bondi Beach. As globe-trotting NeoNeighbourhood Chief Experience Officer Verity Byth puts it, "There is simply nowhere else with this view, atmosphere, food, wine and service all at once, all the time." In a word: Extraordinary.
For a casual but excellent dinner out with friends, make a beeline for another Bondi institution, with a very different feel. At Sean’s Panaroma (no, that's not a typo), at the other end of the iconic crescent-shaped beach, the decor is informal and both staff and customers are relaxed. Even so, there’s nothing but the best ingredients, beautifully prepared, on the plate. No wonder you need to book.
For a cool night out with friends, the first stop should be Madame Fling Flong in Newtown. Crowded and bustling, Newtown has all the energy and diversity you’d expect of a university neighbourhood. Look beyond the clutter on King Street to find high quality gems, including those devoted to organics and sustainable living. Lots of good bookshops within strolling distance, too.
A glamorous little upstairs nook, Madame Fling Flong is a bit tongue-in-cheek '80s, with sexy red everywhere except for the funky mix of vintage chairs. Staff are attentive and the atmosphere encourages lounging, with cocktail in hand.
To find out why Sydney chefs and their fusion dishes are such a force on the world stage, head for Universal in the nightlife precinct of Darlinghurst. Culinary wiz Christine Manfield puts flavours together in a way that will surprise you. "Get your palate ready for a ride through all the sensations that characterises Asian cuisine, done in a way you've never known them before," says Byth.
To get a feel for Sydney’s laidback cafe lifestyle, visit Fifi Foveaux’s, in the lively and diverse neighbourhood Surry Hills. The leafy narrow streets are full of intriguing glimpses and surprising finds. It's hard to find a car park in this area and harder still to get a booking for dinner on a Friday night, but the effort is rewarded with diverse choices for quality eating and shopping and a lovely local vibe.
Fifi's, as the locals call is, has become a local institution by getting right what so many others seem to get wrong. It has great coffee, service that's sassy in a good way, and quality eating, whatever time of the day.
To find more great experiences in Sydney and other Australian and international cities, without the dross, visit the NeoNeighbourhood website. There’s the best of food, shopping (fashion, home, pantry, books and music), hotels, galleries and concert venues and much more.
 | By Hazel Flynn Published: 5/7/2008 |