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  • Sydney
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  • Sydney’s Best Waterside Restaurants for a Beautiful Bite to Eat

Sydney’s Best Waterside Restaurants for a Beautiful Bite to Eat

For a delicious meal with a side of water views, these are the best Sydney waterside restaurants to dine at.

St Siandra

Sydney’s vibrant dining scene boasts an unassailable advantage in the form of our harbour, and thankfully for us, the city’s savvy restaurateurs know exactly how to capitalise on it. From fine dining haunts to relaxed Sunday brunch spots, you can dine waterside whatever you're eating. 

We’ve found the establishments that have best exploited their proximity to our beloved waters, and we recommend you pay each of them a visit. Read on for Sydney's best waterside restaurants for a beautiful bite to eat. 

St Siandra

How does Seven spice Moreton Bay Bugs, “en brochette” skewers of Clarence River baby octopus and Skull Island tiger prawns washed down with spritzes on tap sound? Oh, and did we mention your own private beach to enjoy them? St Siandra is located right on The Spit on Sydney's North Shore and serves up some of the best seafood and Mediterranean-inspired bites in town. 

75 Lower Parriwi Road, The Spit, Mosman 

Palms by Pasadena 

There's a reason so many couples choose to tie the knot at Pasadena. The views are nothing short of incredible. The recently opened Palms by Pasadena lets you enjoy this iconic view Wednesday through to Sunday. Right on the edge of Church Point, you can soak up sweeping views of the Pittwater whilst sipping on a coconut margy. It doesn't get better. As for food, you can look forward to a range of seasonal mains, fresh oysters and pizza. 

1858 Pittwater Road, Church Point

China Doll

Inventive dishes with a modern take on the culinary traditions of Hong Kong, Japan and South-East Asia, China Doll is a firm waterside favourite. China Doll covers all the classics including steamed prawn dumplings, duck pancakes and Penang slow braised wagyu beef shin curry. Banquet menus offer mouth-watering share plates, including steamed scallops, crispy pork belly and corn and zucchini cakes.

4/6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo

Bobby's 

Just steps away from Cronulla Beach lies this Mediterranean-led seafood restaurant brimming with both style and substance. There's a little something for everyone at Bobby's with an all-day coffee cart offering coffee by morning and Spritz's at sunset, a restaurant for long lunching and a beach club perfect for a cocktail and snacks. 

 What can you expect on the food front? Think brioche prawn rolls, Cantabrian anchovies on toast, ocean trout crudo and a very special lemon tiramisu, all cooked up by Executive chef Pablo Tordesillas (ex-executive chef Otto & Tottis) and head chef Shaun Baker (Pier, Yan Restaurant, Bills Restaurants). As for drinks, the focus is on Mediterranean wines and light and fresh cocktails. 

6R The Esplanade, Cronulla  

Empire Lounge

Enjoy one of the most scenic views of Sydney Harbour from the comfort of dining destination Empire Lounge. With its Hamptons style fit-out, beautiful views and delicious cuisine set near the iconic Rose Bay Wharf, the Empire Lounge provides the perfect space for a ladies long lunch. Encompassing floor to ceiling glass windows showcasing the breathtaking view of Sydney’s glistening harbour, sink into the relaxing ambience as you enjoy a cocktail or three on a balmy afternoon. 

Lyne Park, Rose Bay 

The Gantry Restaurant & Bar

Sitting pretty on Sydney’s picturesque Hickson Road, The Gantry is a sophisticated establishment. The sleek bar is a tempting spot to pull up a stool for a cocktail before heading over to the dining room. A blend of contemporary chic and classically heritage design, the refined ambience is impossible to ignore, you’ll likely decide that settling in for one of their tasting menus is the right choice.

11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Sealevel

Sealevel

Seaside dining at its finest, Sealevel Restaurant is the flagship venue for the Allouche Family. Focusing on seafood, the modern Australian menu with French and Italian influence, changes every two weeks, providing guests with something new every visit. Food aside, Sealevel has large windows that frame the stunning views of Cronulla Beach and the coastline.

2 Kingsway, Cronulla

Icebergs

Another Bondi classic, there are few oceanfront views more iconic than this. Perfectly placed to take advantage of Bondi’s delicious sea air, the Dining Room offers an evolving menu based on regional Italian cuisine. Seasonal cured meats are available alongside antipasti, and the kangaroo agnolotti. The Icebergs tasting menu is a safe option if missing out just isn’t going to work for you.

1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach

LuMi Bar and Dining

LuMi Bar and Dining

Italian with an elevating Japanese twist, LuMi overlooks the water of Pyrmont Bay. With only ten or fourteen course tasting menus available, commitment to the meal is mandatory – and honestly, this is a relationship anyone would be desperate to merry into.

56 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont

Chiosco

Elegantly positioned beside Middle Harbour, Chiosco invites customers to spritz their way through a long lunch, which is focused on the diverse cuisine across the Italian coastline. The Chef’s sharing feast takes patrons through a series of flavoursome dishes from calamari to pork belly. An a la carte menu also offers pasta dishes and if you’re feeling hungry the slow-roasted whole lamb shoulder for two is the perfect leisurely eat.

The Jetty, D’Albora Marina The Spit, Spit Road, Mosman

Promenade (Image Credit: Jiwoon Kim)

Promenade Bondi Beach  

Creating a venue that feels luxe enough for a date night whilst also being appropriate for a beachside snack is no easy feat. But Promenade Bondi Beach is just that – a flexible space incorporating intimate dining spaces, a beachside terrace bar and a kiosk for those with sandy feet. Intrinsically nostalgic, Bondi Pavilion is home to the brand-new Promenade Bondi Beach.

The décor, inspired by the sandstone cliffs tucked around Australia’s most famous beach, is both neutral and soft. The menu has been carefully crafted by House Made Hospitality Culinary Director Stephen Seckold and Executive Chef Chris Benedet, with influences ranging from Indonesia to Sri Lanka. But one overarching theme ties it all together – food that’s best-enjoyed beachside. Expect reimagined classics from snapper curry to coral trout crudo. 

Shop 4 Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach  

Foys Kirribilli

With waterfront views and open-air seating on its deck, Foy’s contemporary Australian cuisine make for an enjoyable evening by the water. While basking in the views tuck into the fried baby squid and vego tacos. The barramundi schnitzel is a favourite while you have to make sure to try the blue swimmer crab linguine.

76 McDougall Street, Kirribilli

Catalina Rose Bay

Perched on the waters of glimmering Rose Bay, Catalina has been serving impeccable cuisine to the well-to-do since 1994. An extensive (and awarded) wine list is teamed expertly alongside a healthy smattering of cocktails while freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters keep the seafood obsessed happy. 

Lyne Park, Rose Bay

North Bondi Fish

There’s nothing that screams ‘Sydney’ more than sparkling sea views paired with incredible seafood, and North Bondi Fish delivers on all fronts. The interior is bright and airy, and the clientele is hip yet relaxed – so you and your crew will fit right in.

Everything on the menu is incredible but you can't go past their trademark fish and chips (obviously!). If you're after something more hearty, the seared ocean trout with kipfler potatoes, watercress, and lemon is *chef's kiss*.  Round it all off with the pineapple fritter and coconut sorbet. 

120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi

Loved our pick of the best waterside restaurants in Sydney and looking for more dining inspo? Head straight to our Eat & Drink section for the latest and greatest restaurants, bars and cafés you need to check out and here for the most Instagrammable venues in Sydney

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