Sydney

Sydney — harbour city, eastern beaches, the coastal walks. Built around the world’s largest natural harbour. The eastern suburbs (Bondi/Bronte/Paddington/Potts Point) are the food and cafe heart; the Northern Beaches are quieter and local.

These recommendations come directly from a Sydney friend — the definitive list. The original Google Doc is the source.

Don’t miss: the Bondi → Bronte/Coogee coastal walk, ferry to Manly from Circular Quay, sourdough at Iggy’s (Bronte), dumplings at Fei Jai (Potts Point), a rooftop pub night at The Light Brigade in Paddington, sashimi at the Sydney Fish Market.

Walks & runs

• Bondi → Bronte/Coogee — the classic
• Maroubra → Malabar — quieter, further south
• Manly ↔ Spit Bridge — ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, walk back
• Balmoral — small + pretty; eat at The Boathouse Balmoral first
• Palm Beach lighthouse walk — far north, Barrenjoey
• Rushcutters Bay — water + park, local
• Mrs Macquarie’s Chair → Opera House
• Hermitage Foreshore Walk, Vaucluse — ferry to Rose Bay or ~15 min from Potts Point
• Blackwattle Bay / Glebe Foreshore — inner west

Beaches

Eastern — busier, better food

• Bondi — flatter water, the icon
• Bronte — the favourite. Smaller, ocean pool
• Clovelly — rocky inlet, jump off the concrete
• Tamarama — “Glamarama”
• Nielsen Park, Vaucluse — calm harbour beach

Northern — drive/bus only, more local

• Whale Beach — the favourite. Coffee at The Boathouse
• Palm Beach — the tip
• Avalon — surf club views, cute town

North Shore — Balmoral (flat, family). Pair with Mosman

Eat

Brunch / cafes

• Shuk — Bondi or Elizabeth Bay, Middle Eastern
• Porch and Parlour — Bondi
• The Depot — Bondi
• Harry’s — Bondi
• Room Ten — Potts Point (+ cafe opposite, same owners)
• Alimentari — Paddington, Italian-style
• Iggy’s Sourdough — Bronte. Best sourdough (incl. SF). Bakery Mon–Thu; pastry shop down the road open weekends
• Reuben Hills — Surry Hills
• Single O — Surry Hills, food + coffee
• Speedos — North Bondi, salads (coffee elsewhere)

Coffee

Order a flat white, long black, piccolo, or magic. No drip.

• Primary — Potts Point, the favourite
• Alimentari — Paddington
• BrU — Bondi, BYO mug
• Porch and Parlour — Bondi
• Single O — Surry Hills
• Artificer — Surry Hills
• Pablo & Rusty’s — CBD

Casual

• The Fish Shop — Bondi
• Fishbowl — chain. Eat on the grass at Coogee/Bondi
• Rocker — Bondi
• Raw Bar — Japanese, Bondi
• Coogee Pavilion — pizzas + lots
• The Apollo — Greek, Potts Point
• The Newport — Northern Beaches pub
• The Shop & Wine Bar — Bondi
• Bennett St Dairy — Bondi
• The Butler — modern Aus, Potts Point
• Cho Cho San — Japanese fusion, Potts Point
• Fei Jai — Potts Point, best dumplings in Sydney
• Ezra — Potts Point, Middle Eastern. Highly recommended
• A Tavola — Italian, Bondi/Darlinghurst
• Chin Chin — Surry Hills, Asian
• Madame Nhu — Surry Hills, Vietnamese
• 10 William St — tiny Italian, Paddington
• Il Baretto — Italian in a pub, Paddington
• Ms G’s — Asian fusion, Potts Point
• Phamish — Vietnamese, Darlinghurst (BYO)
• Lotus Dumplings
• Lankan Filling Station — Sri Lankan, Darlinghurst
• Sandoitchi — Japanese cafe, Darlinghurst
• Rivareno Gelato — Surry Hills, best in city

Pubs

Most favourites in Paddington. Many have a weekly trivia night.

• The Paddington
• The Paddo Inn
• The London
• The Bellevue
• The Light Brigade — reserve a rooftop table
• The Royal
• The Dolphin — Surry Hills
• A day in The Rocks — historic pubs
• The Glenmore rooftop — Opera House views

Fancier

• Sean’s — Bondi, farm-to-table
• The Centennial — fancy pub, Paddington
• Cafe Sydney — Harbour views
• Fred’s — French, Paddington
• Nomad — Middle Eastern, Surry Hills
• Long Chim — Thai
• Spice Temple — fancy Chinese
• Mr Wong — Asian
• Bennelong & ARIA — supposed to be amazing (Bennelong is inside the Opera House)
• Mimi’s — Coogee Pavilion
• NOUR — Mediterranean, Surry Hills

Bars

• Saint Eloise — Potts Point wine bar
• Charlie Parker’s — speakeasy, Paddington
• P&V Natural Wine — Paddington (bar out the back)
• Neighbourhood — Bondi

Australian to try

• Meat pie & sausage rolls
• Fish & chips on the beach
• Bacon and egg roll — hangover cure
• Vegemite — thin layer on buttered toast. Not Marmite
• Seafood — see Sydney Fish Market below

Activities

• Kayak / paddleboard at Manly, Rose Bay, or Balmoral
• Taronga Zoo — ferry from the city
• Learn to surf in Bondi (check the forecast)
• Open Air Cinema — summer, book early
• Ferry to Manly or Watsons Bay (Doyles for fish & chips)
• Walk the Harbour Bridge to Kirribilli/Lavender Bay
• Picnic at Rushcutters Bay or Mrs Macquarie’s Chair
• Sydney Opera House — tour or show
• Saturday markets — Bondi, Paddington, Glebe, Eveleigh
• Art Gallery of NSW, MCA
• Sydney Fish Market — sashimi + cooked seafood. Walk to Wentworth Park

Shopping

• William St & Oxford St, Paddington — boutiques
• Bondi, CBD (Westfield), Mosman / Military Road, Queen Victoria Building

Day & weekend trips

• Hunter Valley & Orange — wine
• Blue Mountains — ~2hr
• Berry — pretty town, gateway to South Coast
• Avoca Beach — Central Coast
• Port Stephens — dunes, dolphins

Tips

• All Merivale venues (Mr Wong, Fred’s, Newport, Coogee Pavilion, etc.) deliver
• Broadsheet + Urban List for current reviews
• Tap a debit card for transport (or get an Opal card)

Where next

• Melbourne → Great Ocean Road
• Brisbane — east coast surf/beach
• Uluṟu — fly to the Red Centre
• Cairns — reef & rainforest
• Itineraries