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The Best Restaurants in Circular Quay for a Meal to Remember
With plenty of top-quality restaurants in Sydney's harbourside hub, we whittle down which ones are worth your time with our list of Circular Quay's best restaurants.
With so many exceptional restaurants in Sydney’s harbourside hub, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Some of the best restaurants in Circular Quay include Bennelong, inside the sails of the Sydney Opera House, Matt Moran’s hatted ARIA on Macquarie Street, and Whalebridge, right on the water between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
hether you’re a local or a traveller, these top Sydney restaurants offer a memorable dining experience with stunning views of the iconic Sydney Harbour. These are the harbourside tables our editors keep coming back to.
In This Guide:
Editor’s Pick
Flaminia
If you want proof that simple done brilliantly beats complicated every time, look no further than Flaminia. The Macquarie Street Italian is one of the best, both in aesthetics and menu. Chef Giovanni Pilu’s menu reads like a love letter to the Italian coast, and the paccheri allo scoglio alone is worth the trip. A glossy, generous bowl of calamari, mussels, vongole and white fish clinging to wide tubes of pasta, you’ll be thinking about it long after the first bite.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Best For: Date night, Long lunch, Locals
Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Circular Quay for a Special Occasion
Oborozuki
This Japanese and French fusion fine-dining restaurant and bar is located within Sydney Harbour’s uber-luxe Opera Residences. Oborozuki and Oborozuki Bar sit side-by-side over two soaring levels with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that perfectly showcase the spectacular backdrop of Sydney’s Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The food is equally as spectacular as the views, led by head chef Daeun Kang. Oborozuki offers 3 and 4-course a la carte dining menus as well as an incredible 9-course teppanyaki experience.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Asian fusion
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Waterfront, Cocktail lovers
Need To Know: Choose from three or four-course a la carte menus, or a nine-course teppanyaki experience.
Bennelong
Housed inside the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House, Bennelong remains one of the great Sydney dining experiences. Now under the direction of Head Chef Rob Cockerill, the menu continues to champion the best of Australian produce — think three courses of carefully crafted, season-driven dishes in one of the most breathtaking rooms in the country. Whether you’re here for a pre-theatre dinner or a proper occasion, don’t leave without the pavlova.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Waterfront
Besuto
This intimate omakase restaurant serves one of Sydney’s finest 15-course omakase menus featuring the freshest produce sourced from the early morning fish market run. You won’t know what’s on the Besuto menu until you arrive, but trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Solo dining
Need To Know: Set 15-course omakase menu, revealed on arrival.
ARIA Restaurant
Matt Moran’s hatted ARIA Restaurant is a true Sydney gem. The restaurant delivers haute cuisine with gastronomic artistry and showcases the best of Australian produce in every dish. The menu changes seasonally, allowing guests to savour the freshest seasonal ingredients. With impeccable presentation, expect an indulgent dining experience that will leave your taste buds satisfied.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Business lunch
Best Circular Quay Restaurants With Harbour Views
Cafe Sydney
Whilst new restaurants are popping up in Sydney regularly, that’s no excuse not to frequent the tried and tested favourites of the city. Despite celebrating its 30th birthday recently, Cafe Sydney is as fresh as ever. The combo of world-class views, exceptional produce and beloved recipes endures.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Long lunch, Group dining
Pearl
Pearl offers up a relaxed atmosphere alongside views of the Harbour Bridge, and the approach is simple — dim sum, barbecue and seafood designed to be shared. Keen to highlight unique Australian flavours and seasonal produce, the menu at Pearl is set to shift regularly but you can look forward to the likes of wok-fried Lobster with Pearl’s signature XO sauce, caramelized BBQ pork belly and dry-aged, twice-cooked Peking duck pancakes. A killer wine list and grand banquet menus rounds out the offering.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Chinese
Best For: Group dining, Date night, Wine lovers
Need To Know: Banquet menus available.
Whalebridge
This dreamy Circular Quay restaurant has one of the best addresses on the planet. Whalebridge sits on the edge of the glittering harbour between the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The menu celebrates the French brilliance of good produce treated simply. In an iconic environment but with a playful, relaxed feel, you can sit by the sea knocking back briny oysters, Marseilles bouillabaisse and lobster thermidor. What could possibly be better than that!?
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: French, Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Date night, Long lunch
Harbourfront Seafood Sydney The Rocks
Located in the historic Campbell’s Stores at The Rocks, Sydney, Harbourfront Seafood Sydney The Rocks offers diners a picturesque waterfront dining experience with stunning views of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Enjoy everything from reinvented classics like the 150 Lashes battered fish and chips with crushed peas and ‘chip shop’ curry sauce is phenomenal. Looking for something fancy? Opt for the freshest and best seafood platter you’ll ever taste.
Suburb: The Rocks
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Group dining, Long lunch
Best European Restaurants in Circular Quay and The Rocks
Jimmy’s Kitchen
Tucked within The Rocks’ heritage-listed Campbell’s Stores, Jimmy’s Kitchen is an intimate 22-seat Greek taverna is one of the most quietly special dining rooms near the harbour. The kitchen is led by 82-year-old chef Marko Taxidis, who has been cooking Greek food in Sydney since the 1950s. Order the taramasalata, pull up a chair and let the food (and classic Greek hospitality) do the talking.
Suburb: The Rocks
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Greek
Best For: Date night, Locals, Group dining
Need To Know: Intimate 22-seat dining room.
Bouillon L’Entrecote
From the moment you step through the doors at Bouillon L’Entrecote you’ll be transported to a cosy Parisian bistro, complete with vintage French posters and an open kitchen. The attentive and friendly staff will make you feel right at home as you peruse the menu, which features classic French dishes made with the freshest ingredients.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Date night, Locals, Long lunch
Best Restaurants Near Circular Quay for Groups and After-Work Dinners
The Meat & Wine Co.
This one’s an experience as much as a dinner. Designed by award-winning architects COOOP, the 200-seat Afro-centric chophouse on Bligh Street is built around a bespoke fire pit, custom acacia trees with integrated safari sounds, and Boma-inspired communal seating . As the name Meat & Wine Co implies, the menu leans into South African flavours alongside premium steak and carefully considered drops to match.
Suburb: Sydney CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Best For: Group dining, Wine lovers, Business lunch
Hinchcliff House
Boasting four levels of drinking and dining experiences, Hinchcliff House is a beautiful, heritage-listed building, bursting with character. Restaurant standouts include Lana, a fusion of modern Italian and Asian flavours, utilising the finest Australian produce. Head Chef Alex Wong is known for producing innovative dishes, including the use of Cultured Japanese quail – an ethical, factory-made alternative to foie gras. The menu leans more towards fine-dining but the crowd is bustling and energetic, drawing in a large after-work crowd, too.
Underneath Lana is Grana, a more relaxed setting which is an all-day dining hub. The space also features an in-house bakery and pastry kitchen, where it mills its own flour from locally sourced grains, producing delicious breads and pastas onsite that will really hit the spot when you’re hungry.
Suburb: Circular Quay
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Asian fusion
Best For: Group dining, Business lunch, Date night
Need To Know: Four levels of dining and drinking, including Lana and the all-day Grana downstairs.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Restaurants in Circular Quay
For a special occasion in Circular Quay, Bennelong is the benchmark. The restaurant sits inside the sails of the Sydney Opera House, and Head Chef Rob Cockerill’s menu champions Australian produce across three courses of season-driven dishes, best finished with the pavlova. Matt Moran’s hatted ARIA Restaurant on Macquarie Street is the other standout, with a seasonal menu built on Australian produce and precise presentation. For something more theatrical, Besuto on Underwood Street serves a 15-course omakase using fish from the early morning market run, with a menu you won’t see until you arrive.
- Whalebridge has arguably the best position in Circular Quay. It sits on the water’s edge between the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, with a French-leaning menu of oysters, bouillabaisse and lobster thermidor.
- Cafe Sydney, on Level 5 of Customs House, has paired harbour views with produce-driven cooking for around 30 years.
- Oborozuki, in the Opera Residences on Macquarie Street, looks over the Quay and the bridge through floor-to-ceiling glass.
- Harbourfront Seafood in The Rocks and Pearl on Bridge Street both face the Harbour Bridge.
Bennelong is the most convenient option for dinner before a performance, as it is located inside the Sydney Opera House itself and works equally well for a pre-theatre meal or a longer celebration. Whalebridge sits between the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge on Circular Quay East, making it an easy option for oysters and a glass of wine before the curtain goes up. Across the water in The Rocks, Harbourfront Seafood at Campbell’s Stores looks back towards the Opera House, which makes it a good choice for a post-show dinner.
- Harbourfront Seafood in The Rocks is the pick for classic seafood. Order the seafood platter or the 150 Lashes battered fish and chips with crushed peas and chip shop curry sauce.
- Whalebridge on Circular Quay East takes a French approach, with briny oysters, Marseilles bouillabaisse and lobster thermidor by the water.
- Flaminia on Macquarie Street serves paccheri allo scoglio loaded with calamari, mussels, vongole and white fish.
- Pearl on Bridge Street serves wok-fried lobster with its signature XO sauce.
- Jimmy’s Kitchen in The Rocks is a 22-seat Greek taverna known for its taramasalata and warm, old-school hospitality.
- Bouillon L’Entrecote on Loftus Street channels a Parisian bistro, with vintage French posters, an open kitchen and classic French dishes.
- Grana, the all-day space beneath Lana at Hinchcliff House on Young Street, has an in-house bakery that mills its own flour for fresh breads and pasta.
- Pearl on Bridge Street serves dim sum, barbecue and seafood designed for sharing.
Did this Sitchu dining guide help you book a memorable dining experience in Circular Quay? Whether you’re looking for fine dining or waterfront favourites, we’ve got all the restaurant inspo you could ever need.
