The best restaurants in NSW right now

This iconic seafood spot is making waves in a stunning new location. 

Mezze, meat and more in the heart of the city.

Sake, vinyl and playfully precise plates converge at Newtown’s coolest wine bar. 

The A.P empire makes its first night moves at this round-the-clock diner.

This warehouse of fun cartwheels between cultures and cuisines.

A waterfront classic that delivers reliable delights.

The most “Sydney” restaurant in Sydney right now.

Quintessentially Australian dining that’s relaxed, refined and utterly its own. 

Eclectic and energising: Paci is one of Sydney’s great menus.

Heartfelt Hungarian, preserved and protected by a gun restaurant team.

A glamorous dining room in a heritage bank is another hit for Bentley Group.

The service at this Hunter Valley icon is almost as pleasing as the low-waste, high-taste cooking.

This Enmore firestarter is top of the pops.

This modern Malay powerhouse is hotter than ever after five years.

Khanh Nguyen’s pan-Asian diner is the city’s hottest power lunch spot.

The jewel of the Neil Perry empire puts great produce in the spotlight.

Nature dictates the plates at this seductively simple Blue Mountains hideaway.

Glamorous Greek eats in one of Sydney’s liveliest dining rooms.

A beloved waterfront favourite still radiates Sardinian sunshine. 

Sharp technique, a sustainable ethos and a sense of place come together at this quietly assured coastal diner. 

Paddington’s salon de swine now has a broader remit.

A rowdy room serving fiery Thai that never holds back on flavour.

A new Italian restaurant that seems like it’s been there forever.

Sydney’s bedrock fine-diner stays the same while embracing change.

An intimate omakase experience that puts flavour at the heart of the action.

The tiny inner-west terrace peddling funk-driven fine dining. 

How the guide works

To earn a place in this guide, each venue must excel from welcome to farewell, with service, design, originality, consistency and atmosphere each carefully considered. But the most crucial area of excellence is always the food. Every restaurant featured in this guide should be considered gold standard. It’s an exciting snapshot of how we like to eat out in 2025 and beyond.

All of the restaurants reviewed were visited anonymously between March and July 2025 with reviewers paying their own way.

The price guide has been updated this year to convey the average cost for two people. While we’re big fans of solo dining, restaurant visits are more often a shared experience, and this adjustment reflects that.

PRICE GUIDE

Average cost for two diners, not including drinks.

$ = under $100
$$ = $100 to $175
$$$ = 175 to $250
$$$$ = $250 to $325
$$$$$ = $325+