Sydney’s best restaurants 2015

Rockpool

After 24 years at its home in The Rocks, the quintessential Sydney fine-diner has moved, finding a new room that is both chic and a place of substance…

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Momofuku Seiobo

The location might seem, at best, inspired by a Ginza viaduct, and the kitchen team has a focus that seems almost Japanese, but with a rockin’ soundtrack, there’s no hushed air of kaiseki reverence, and the menu lobs from American inspiration to Australian product and back again.

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Quay

By day or by night, the sparkling sweep of Sydney Harbour viewed through Quay’s floor-to-ceiling windows has the potential to overshadow anything but the best cuisine…

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Sepia

Let us examine the keys to Martin Benn’s cooking. There’s the classical training that took him from Marco Pierre White’s kitchens to running Tetsuya’s to here…

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Marque

Last things first: that nightingale persimmon with liquorice paper and peppers? Pretty much the perfect illustration of how contemporary technique and prime produce can bring out the best in each other.

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Est

In our new user-pays world, rife with deals and discounts, hidden charges and extras, Est draws a line in the sand…

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Rockpool Bar & Grill

Word has it that much of the finance news in Australia is gathered simply by observing who’s having lunch with whom at Bar & Grill on a given day, such is its hold on the nation’s brokers of influence.

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Tetsuya’s

Tetsuya’s is the perfect tonic for anyone weary of the shared plate/no bookings paradigm. From the personable, suave greeting on arrival to the meticulously maintained, Japanese-themed rooms, impeccable floor staff and creative, continent-hopping wine list, the restaurant is a masterclass in fine dining.

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Bentley

The new space in the Radisson Blu Hotel is drop-dead cool – two levels of oak parquetry, black scaffolding-style installations and low-hanging coloured-glass lanterns. It’s a menu of brave combinations and arresting visuals…

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The Bridge Room

Ross Lusted has lived it. When he reaches for yum pla duk fu to add texture to a plate of sake-cured dory dotted with finger lime, the oddly fluffy-crisp texture of the Thai fish-fry lies easily within his grasp because the cooking of Thailand is second nature to him.

Read our full review of The Bridge Room