City Nomads’ Good Food Guide to Sydney
PUBLISHED April 28th, 2015 04:00 am | UPDATED June 4th, 2020 06:13 pm
As much as Singapore is a foodie’s haven, we often hear comments about our little red dot not making that same mark as other big cities like London, New York, or even Sydney. And after making a long anticipated trip to the Land of Oz, we can’t say we agree completely, since the food culture in Sydney is exciting in a variety of different ways.
In this guide on what to eat in Sydney, you’ll find mostly cafes, mid range restaurants, a few cool bars, and a couple of fine dining establishments segmented – for your easy reference – by the neighbourhoods in Sydney, so go forth and conquer!
Sydney Inner City and CBD
Sydney Fish Market
Still one of the best places in the city to get cheap(er) seafood, Sydney Fish Market (7am-4pm daily) is a Sydney icon that should be on your ‘must-visit-at-least-once’ list. Featuring six seafood retailers, they also conduct a ‘behind the scenes’ tour, which includes a sneak peek at the wholesale fish auction – booking is essential and be prepared to wake up early.
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Meet Fresh
There are Chinatowns all over the world, but not all of them are created equal. Instead of having Chinese food in Sydney’s Chinatown, go to Arisun Restaurant for sinful, finger-lickin’ good Korean fried chicken instead. Have dessert at the nearby Meet Fresh – a Taiwanese import where key ingredients are taro balls, sweet potato balls, grass jelly and the like – or N2 for gelato produced with liquid nitrogen. The latter tastes like regular ice cream, but the Aussies still dig the novelty of people in lab coats making their dessert. If you’re looking for munchies for the road, do queue for the little bites of heaven called Emperor’s Puffs (actually creamy custard encased in egg waffle balls).
N2 and Emperor’s Puff
The soft serve ice cream trend is also on point in Sydney, with Aqua S leading the pack with whimsical flavours that changes every two weeks except for its signature, the pretty blue hued sea salt. If you’re looking for dinner in the vicinity, try Izakaya Yebisu, a cosy izakaya-style restaurant with a convivial atmosphere and good food (try their udon if you love slurping buckwheat noodles!). Damura Japanese Restaurant (Prince Centre, 8 Quay Street) is another place we enjoyed sake and authentic Japanese food. Be sure to order their tasty chicken teriyaki and udon with seasoned cod roe.
Chat Thai
Singaporeans, you’ll probably be looking for some heat in your nosh after a few days of coffee and café food. Our two favourite joints for really authentic Thai food in the city are Chat Thai (they do excellent desserts) and Home Thai – phad kee mao was my go to when I needed something spicy and savoury. If you’d like a decent cocktail with your dinner, Thai-Laos restaurant Green Peppercorn at Civic Hotel will more than satisfy.
Bennelong
As for fine-dining, what could be better than eating in Sydney’s most iconic landmark? Peter Gilmore’s Bennelong is located inside the Sydney Opera House, serving his brand of Australian cuisine prepared with the freshest produce. At $130++ for three courses (and two sides served with the main course), we’d say you’re paying for both the hospitality and the experience, too.
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Bulletin Place
A contender for best bar in Sydney is Bulletin Place in Circular Quay. Staffed with hipster-looking bartenders and servers, this small bar on the 2nd floor has a cocktail menu that changes daily. I do, however, prefer the unpretentiousness of The Baxter Inn – which is also amongst the world’s 50 best bars – a paradise for whisky lovers. Aside from being able to try a variety of whiskies not available in Singapore, I also discovered how well Ballantine’s went with fresh green apple juice…for just A$9. Its neighbor, The Barber Shop, is a cool enough gin-focused cocktail bar, but if you only have time for one, definitely visit the former.
Alexandria
The Grounds of Alexandria
This largely industrial and residential suburb is home to a couple of great brunch spots. Expect to queue for at least an hour to get a table at The Grounds of Alexandria – but you probably won’t mind since there’s loads to see, do, and eat on the, well, grounds. Say hi to their resident pig, Kevin Bacon (we kid you not) or have a coffee and sweets (the trifle and pavlova are pretty good) from the different stands while you wait. The food, to be honest, is not great, but it’s really the whole experience that counts.
After which, head next door to Salts Meats Cheese, an Italian providore with a wonderful selection of charcuterie meats, cheeses and other artisan food products. Pssst, someone make truffle fries with their black truffle salt (which smelt heavenly) instead of truffle oil and let us know how it went!
Fans of sourdough, head to Sonoma Artisan Sourdough Bakers, where every dish includes a type of sourdough from their bakery. I enjoyed my scrambled chili eggs with feta cheese on sourdough tremendously.
Surry Hills
Bourke Street Bakery
Probably the most hipster neighbourhood in Sydney, Surry Hills is a treasure trove for foodies with loads of cafes and bars. For Spanish tapas, MoVida is practically an institution in the neighbourhood. Make sure you stop by Bill’s for some of the best ricotta hotcakes you’ll ever have, and Devon Café, where I had the best grilled salmon in my life, true story. The hipsters will enjoy Reuben Hills, which serves up strong coffee and Latin America inspired brunch items.
Surry Hills is also home to the original Bourke Street Bakery, which has been dishing out sweet and savoury treats like tarts, quiches, pies, sourdough, and sandwiches for more than a decade.
Kurtosh
For something unique, Kurtosh‘s speciality is kürtőskalács, a pastry from the Hungarian speaking regions of Europe. Sweet, raised dough is wrapped around a truncated baking spit and baked. The cake can then be topped with nuts, cinnamon sugar, and even Nutella.
If ice cream makes you scream with joy, you can’t do better than Messina Gelato – we love their salted coconut and mango salsa, milk chocolate with chocolate peanut fudge, and gianduia (chocolate and hazelnut). The creative department at Messina comes up with special flavours you can relate to. When I was there, I was digging into ‘Jon Snow’, ‘Khaleesi’, and ‘Hodor’, ’cause everyone was waiting for the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 5.
Button Bar
As for bars, the subtly pirate-themed Button Bar has a good array of spirits including home-infused spiced rum, which is delicious with freshly pressed pear juice. My cocktail, Pleasure Vessel (Appleton dark rum, Grand Marnier, marmalade, fresh grapefruit, lemon juice, and orange blossom water), was the yummy tart sweetness it claimed to be.
Cross into Darlinghurst for Shady Pines Saloon, another great American-styled bar – moose head taxidermy and country music included – for creative cocktails, craft ale, and specialty whiskies.
Enmore/Newtown
Oscillate WIldly
Newtown is host to Oscillate Wildly, an unapologetically tiny, progressive, fine dining restaurant. Expect things like edible paper, gin & tonic infused sugarcane, stinky cheese espuma, and more from Chef-Owner Karl Firla.
Try Cow and the Moon Gelato, whose Mandorla Affogato flavour, a mix of caramelized almonds and single-origin roasted coffee shots on a Madagascan vanilla base, which clinched the the title of world’s best gelato last year for them!
The Rocks
If you’re a sucker for freshly baked scones, you’ll fall in love with The Tea Cosy like I did. Tucking into hot scones with clotted cream and homemade jam is one of the best feelings in the world! They also serve three-tiered afternoon teas if you want something more substantial.
Hands down one of my favourite areas in Sydney, The Rocks also boasts of La Renaissance, which produces some of the best macarons in town – definitely better than La Duree. Try the passionfruit with milk chocolate, salted caramel, as well as the mango, lime, and coconut.
Bonus: Non-Food Nomading in Sydney
Susannah Place Museum
Okay so you could do all the fun touristy things in Sydney like climbing the Harbour Bridge and going to raves, but my interests ran towards the arts and history of the city. Admittedly Australia doesn’t have a history as long as Europe or the States, but still, check out Susannah Place Museum and The Rocks Discovery Museum for a glimpse of Sydney in the 1800s. The Museum of Contemporary Art and Art Gallery of New South Wales are great places to spend your afternoons, especially if it’s raining.
Top Image: Reuben Hills & Aqua S
