Looking For the Best Degustation in Sydney? Start Here

When it comes to fine dining, Sydney offers a smorgasbord of mouth-watering culinary delights. The city is awash with talented chefs well-versed in serving up the fanciest of hatted cuisine. But when you're presented with a menu that's as captivating a read as the latest Miles Franklin winner, whittling down your final food choice (or getting the waiter to transcribe it) can be a difficult task, to say the least. 

So, if like us, you find it impossible to choose between the seared scallops or the chargrilled Wagyu sirloin, then a degustation menu is the only way to go. That way, you get to try a little taster of the restaurant’s signature dishes, to be enjoyed over time (and with plenty of wine). To help with your decision-making, we've compiled our pick of the best degustation menus in Sydney for your next special occasion. Bon appétit!

Khanaa

Prepare yourself for a truly transformative fine dining experience. A visit to Khanaa is pure delight from the get-go. The latest opening from chef, restaurateur and talented visionary Opel Khan, the restaurant space is spacious and airy with a mix of bar seating, round tables and tables for two. Start with a tipple, guided by the incredible sommelier, before diving into an avant-garde Bengali menu packed with delicate flavours, playful dishes and unsuspecting textures. Think duck leg confit samosa, delicate lobster parcels in lobster bisque and textures of mango for dessert. The only thing holding you back from licking your plate is your dignity and even then, that's not enough with these incredible bites. Every detail has been considered at Khanna with the diner's pleasure in mind, right down to the cutlery. The nine-course tasting menu will take you on the ultimate flavour journey, with each dish perfectly proportioned so that you crave one more bite each time but end the meal comfortably full. Perfection. 

From $185 per person 

Shop 3, 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills 

Firedoor

Firedoor serves up Australia’s first fully fire-powered menu. Every dish is cooked to order and harnesses the power of wood, choosing varieties that will bring out the best flavours, like native barks, chestnut, and cherry. The five-course chef’s menu changes every day and showcases the best of the best. Think woodfired bread, Murray cod and margra lamb. 

$185 per person

23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills

Yellow

Focussing on vegan cuisine, every plate at Yellow features produce grown by local suppliers. Set inside a converted 1950s art gallery, this achingly cool eatery is as hip as it is healthy. The two-hatted restaurant offers a six-course vegan tasting menu with optional beverage pairings. Save room for dessert as their vegan ice cream will convert even the most fervent dairy lover.

From $105 per person

57 Macleay Street, Potts Point

Poly

Pared back dining is having a moment and no one does it better than Poly. Giving off a laid-back wine bar vibe, you can feast on perfectly plated modern Australian bites whilst sipping on an enviable wine list. Their degustation comes in at $95 and usually sits at 8 courses. Fermented potato bread, tuna tartare and almond and egg yolk tart make regular appearances. 

$95 per person

74-76 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills  

The Blue Door 

You're not going to forget this degustation anytime soon. This 18-seat restaurant takes farm-to-table dining to new heights with all animal proteins purchased directly from NSW farms that Chef Dylan Cashman and his team have personally visited. As for veggies, it's regenerative crops only. 

The dining room of The Blue Door is relaxed, modern and elegant and the 7+ course menu is curated to perfection (and rotated weekly depending on what's been sent by the farmers).

$159 per person 

Sitchu Tip: Opt to pair your meal with the 98% NSW-sourced wine list. 

38 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills 

Aria

This two-hatted stalwart delivers ‘haute cuisine’ with a gastronomic artistry rarely matched in Australia. Just steps away from the Opera House, Aria champions local produce, and in every dish, expect full flavour and impeccable presentation. While a four-course option is available the tasting menu is the sensible option for those looking for the full experience – think yellowfin tuna with spiced eggplant and white river veal with celeriac, pine nuts and salted grapes. 

Four-course menu $225 per person, tasting menu $290 per person

1 Macquarie Street, Sydney

The Gantry

The Gantry, provides endless drinking and dining options for those vying for an elegant degustation experience with a side of views of Sydney harbour. Serving up a la carte delights as well as several degustation menus, including the two and three-course tasting and the Chef's Selection menu. For meat and seafood lovers look forward to the likes of yellowfin tuna, blacklip abalone and wild river duck and the ginger lime sundae. There's also a dedicated vegan and vegetarian degustation, too. 

Chef's Selection, $190 per person

11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Quay Restaurant

This fine dining mainstay is situated in one of the city’s most impressive locations. Quay teams incredible vistas with exceptional cuisine, for an entirely indulgent experience. Helmed by local legend Peter Gilmore, the menu is inventive and nature-focused, and the dishes that sail out of his kitchen are truly works of art. 

To sample a taste of everything, the six or eight-course tasting menus offer an exclusive insight into Gilmore's culinary world. Start off with hand-harvested seafood and finish with his signature dessert White Coral. Each course will work its magic to excite your taste buds and imagination. If you're up for a super special splurge, the eight-course menu has got your name on it. 

Four-course menu $205 per person, Six-course menu $295, Eight-course menu $355 

Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks

Monopole

The two-hatted Monopole has gained a reputation for having one of the best well-priced degustation menus in the city – a  set menu offering of elaborate flavours and plenty of meats. It would be a shame to miss out on the wine pairings, particularly when Monopole has 500 to choose from – a lengthy list that's won the venue more than a few awards (as has the food). They also have an a la carte lunch menu but the food here is so delicious that you’ll wish you had tried the set Monopole Menu. 

$100 per person for groups of 8 or more

20 Curtin Place, Sydney 

LuMi Dining

Italian with an elevated Japanese twist, LuMi overlooks the rippling waters of Pyrmont Bay. With only degustation menus available, commitment to the meal is mandatory – and honestly, this is a relationship anyone would be desperate to marry into. Each dish is nothing less than a work of art), and do we even need to remind you to add the wine pairings?

$255 per person

56 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont

Tetsuya’s

Like Beyoncé, Madonna and Prince, Tetsuya and his eponymous restaurant is so legendary that it only needs one name. Tetsuya arrived in Australia in 1982 with limited English and a limitless love for food and, over the last several decades, he has made a name for himself as one of the nation’s best-loved chefs. Tetsuya’s serves an eight-course degustation menu that is truly unforgettable. One of the finest Japanese restaurants in Sydney, expect sashimi, poached foie gras, wagyu sirloin and matched wines. You won’t want to miss out on this culinary masterpiece. 

$320 per person

529 Kent Street, Sydney

Sixpenny

Housed in a corner terrace near Stanmore station, Sixpenny oozes elegant dining with its a cosy venue and array of innovative dishes. The ever-changing menu plays on seasonal produce, with diners making their way through the degustation menu, delivering thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing dishes. Make the most of the experience and include the matching wines.

$250 per person

83 Percival Road, Stanmore

Hubert

One of Sydney’s best French eateries, Restaurant Hubert is a firm favourite with Sydney foodies. The bistro is a Parisian wonderland, and in the typical French style, the wine list is illustrious and the food, exceptional. If you’re looking for a heavenly feed without the hefty price tag check out the pétit banquet at $125 per person. If you’re looking to treat yourself, and why wouldn’t you, then check out the grand banquet at $165 per person. 

Petit Banquet $125 per person, Grand Banquet $165 per person

15 Bligh Street, Sydney

Devoured this edit of the best degustation menus in Sydney and already thinking about your next special outing? Check out our edit of the best fine dining menus for under $150. Then, why not have a read of our round-up of the best Italian restaurants in Sydney?