10 Sydney Restaurants to Try for Your Next Lunch or Dinner

Need a new place for dinner? From birria tacos in Chippendale to Turkish plates by the water and Japanese rooftop dining, these ten Sydney restaurants give you plenty of reasons to make a plan.

This guide follows the restaurants featured in the @nathantito shortlist supplied by our reader. We researched the venues' official websites for the practical details below. Choose by cuisine, neighbourhood and the kind of evening you want.

Find your next table

• Radio Taco, Chippendale: birria tacos and a casual bite.
• Anason, Barangaroo: Turkish sharing plates by the water.
• Santa Catarina, Sydney CBD: Oaxacan food and mezcal.
• Jōji Sydney, Sydney CBD: Japanese rooftop dining.
• Grandfather's Restaurant, Sydney CBD: Chinese dining in Angel Place.
• Maydanoz, Sydney CBD: produce-led Aegean Turkish food.
• Bartiga, Double Bay: modern Australian food with Southeast Asian influences.
• Bar Lucia, Potts Point: Spanish tapas and wine.
• Franca Potts Point, Potts Point: French technique and coastal European flavours.
• Carbón Mexican, Bondi: Mexican woodfire cooking.

Radio Taco: birria tacos and a casual bite

Keep this one for the nights when you want tacos without turning dinner into a big event. Radio Taco focuses on Mexican birria in a compact Chippendale taqueria, with dine-in and takeaway available. Its online ordering link makes it easy to plan a pickup.

Where: 67 Abercrombie St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia

Plan your visit: Check the current fillings and sides on the official menu before ordering.

Explore Radio Taco in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Anason: Turkish sharing plates by the water

Anason brings Istanbul's meyhane culture to Barangaroo: meze, drinks and a table made for sharing. Seasonal vegetables and seafood feature prominently, with Turkish wines, raki and cocktails alongside the food. The waterfront location adds another reason to make time for a longer meal.

Where: Unit 5/23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000, Australia

Plan your visit: For seven or more guests, check the compulsory Feast menu and group booking conditions.

Explore Anason in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Santa Catarina: Oaxacan food and mezcal

For Mexican cooking with a regional focus, look at Santa Catarina on Clarence Street. Handmade tortillas, corn-based dishes and moles sit at the centre of its Oaxacan menu. Candlelight and an extensive artisanal mezcal selection make it a contender for a city date night.

Where: Shop 1/152-156 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Plan your visit: Compare the a la carte, set and pre-theatre menus on the official website.

Explore Santa Catarina in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Jōji Sydney: Japanese rooftop dining

Head up to level five of 388 George Street for Japanese food with a rooftop setting. Jōji combines sushi and a grill with a drinks and DJ program, so it suits an evening that starts with dinner and continues with another round. The sushi offering is led by Head Chef Kihoon Kim.

Where: level 5/388 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Plan your visit: Check the current menu and event calendar when choosing a quieter dinner or a livelier session.

Explore Jōji Sydney in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Grandfather's Restaurant: Chinese dining in Angel Place

Grandfather's gives this shortlist a Chinese dining option in the heart of the city. Its Angel Place location makes it worth considering around a CBD catch-up or cultural outing. The official website links directly to its food menu and reservation system, so you can plan the meal before heading down the laneway.

Where: 10 Angel Pl, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Plan your visit: Lunch and dinner service are listed daily. Confirm service times and dietary needs directly.

Explore Grandfather's Restaurant in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Maydanoz: produce-led Aegean Turkish food

Maydanoz is a good starting point when you want vegetables to play a bigger role in dinner. Its Aegean Turkish approach draws on olive-oil-led meze, seasonal produce and woodfire cooking. Dairy and seafood also feature, so this is plant-focused dining rather than an entirely vegan restaurant.

Where: 1/50 Carrington St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Plan your visit: Ask about the semi-private Chef's Table if you want kitchen views and a more intimate experience.

Explore Maydanoz in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Bartiga: modern Australian food with Southeast Asian influences

Bartiga occupies the former Cafe Perons corner on Short and Bay Streets. Charlie Kelly and chef Faheem Noor have given the neighbourhood site a new direction through modern Australian cooking with Southeast Asian influences. Food, lunch, dessert and banquet menus give you several ways to organise the table.

Where: Short & bay st, 43 Bay St, Double Bay NSW 2028, Australia

Plan your visit: Look at the current banquet options if you are booking for a group, and use the official reservations page.

Explore Bartiga in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Bar Lucia: Spanish tapas and wine

A restored house on Kellett Street sets the scene for Bar Lucia's Spanish tapas, pintxos and wine. The atmosphere makes it a natural date-night suggestion, while the wine list puts a spotlight on female producers. It is the sort of place to choose when you want to share a few dishes and take your time.

Where: 5 Kellett St, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia

Plan your visit: Walk-ins are welcome according to the website; reserve ahead for a planned evening or contact the team for larger groups.

Explore Bar Lucia in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Video by @chocolatesuze. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Franca Potts Point: French technique and coastal European flavours

Franca's current direction combines French technique with influences from Spain, Italy, North Africa and the Levant. Executive Chef José Saulog shapes a seasonal menu around sharing, accompanied by wine and classic cocktails. Its Macleay Street address puts it in the centre of Potts Point's dining neighbourhood.

Where: Shop 2/81 Macleay St, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia

Plan your visit: Confirm trading directly before travelling: the official site advertises reservations, while some external coverage mentions a temporary closure for works.

Explore Franca Potts Point in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Carbón Mexican: Mexican woodfire cooking

If smoky Mexican food sounds like your kind of dinner, put Carbón on the list. The Bondi Road restaurant builds its identity around woodfire dishes, tacos and a drinks selection that includes margaritas, tequila and mezcal. It works as a starting point for a group dinner or a meal for two.

Where: 288 Bondi Rd, Bondi NSW 2026, Australia

Plan your visit: Check the current food and set menus, and confirm any brunch or weekday promotion before booking.

Explore Carbón Mexican in our directory | Official website, menus and bookings

Post from the restaurant's Instagram account. Social content may show an earlier menu or promotion; confirm current details with the venue.

Make a night of it

Keep the CBD venues in mind for a city catch-up, choose Anason for a waterfront meal, or head east for Double Bay, Potts Point and Bondi. Start with the menu, then check reservations, transport and the time you want to eat.

Before you book

Menus, hours, prices and special experiences can change. Use each restaurant's official website for the latest details and tell the venue about allergies or dietary needs when booking. Posts are included as a visual introduction and may describe past offers.

Research checked 19 October 2026. Restaurant sources are linked in each section. Shortlist inspiration: @nathantito on Instagram.