Food · Sydney · Australia
What to eat in Sydney
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Sydney, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Sydney rock oysters, Meat pie and Flat white. The city's working seafood market at Blackwattle Bay in Pyrmont sells oysters, prawns, sashimi and cooked seafood from dozens of counters. Neighbourhood restaurants often stop taking dinner orders earlier than in Europe; Haymarket and the CBD serve later.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Sydney rock oysters
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected because hospitality wages are relatively high.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Sydney rock oysters
Native to the estuaries of New South Wales, Sydney rock oysters are smaller and creamier than Pacific oysters, with a distinctly mineral finish. They are usually served freshly shucked with lemon.
Where: Sydney Fish Market at Blackwattle Bay, oyster bars around Circular Quay and seafood restaurants in Watsons Bay.
Snack
2.Meat pie
A hand-sized pastry filled with minced beef and gravy, eaten with tomato sauce at football games and late at night. Harry's Café de Wheels, a long-running pie cart at Woolloomooloo, tops its 'Tiger' pie with mushy peas, mashed potato and gravy.
Where: Bakeries across the city, Harry's Café de Wheels in Woolloomooloo, and at any rugby league or AFL match.
Drink · Vegetarian
3.Flat white
Espresso with steamed milk and a thin, velvety layer of microfoam, smaller and stronger-tasting than a latte. Australians and New Zealanders both claim it, and it is the default order in Sydney's independent cafés.
Where: Independent cafés in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Newtown and the CBD laneways; chains are the exception here.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
4.Smashed avocado and ricotta hotcakes
Crushed avocado on sourdough with feta, lemon and chilli, often with a poached egg, is the emblem of Sydney's brunch culture. Ricotta hotcakes and corn fritters, popularised by Bill Granger's Darlinghurst café in the 1990s, are the other staples.
Where: Cafés in Bondi, Bronte, Surry Hills and Paddington; expect queues on weekend mornings.
Dish
5.Fish and chips
Battered or grilled fish with chips, eaten outdoors by the water. Flathead, with its sweet white flesh, is the local favourite; snapper and barramundi are also common.
Where: Beachfront takeaways in Watsons Bay, Manly and Bondi, and the fryers at Sydney Fish Market.
Dish
6.Yum cha
Dim sum served from trolleys or ordered by the plate — har gow prawn dumplings, siu mai, barbecue pork buns and egg tarts — is a weekend ritual in Sydney's Cantonese restaurants. Large banquet halls fill with families from mid-morning.
Where: Chinatown and Haymarket around Dixon Street and Sussex Street, and Chatswood on the North Shore.
Dish
7.Thai food in Thai Town
The blocks around Campbell Street in Haymarket, officially recognised as Thai Town, serve regional Thai dishes such as boat noodles, Isaan larb and green papaya salad alongside the familiar curries.
Where: Campbell Street and Pitt Street in Haymarket, and King Street in Newtown.
Bakery · Vegetarian
8.Manoush (Man'oushe)
Lebanese flatbread baked in a hot oven and topped with za'atar and olive oil, cheese or minced lamb. Sydney's south-west has a large Lebanese community, and its bakeries also sell sweets such as knafeh.
Where: Bakeries in Lakemba, Punchbowl and Bankstown, about 30 minutes by train from the CBD.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Pavlova
A meringue cake with a crisp shell and soft marshmallow centre, topped with whipped cream and fruit such as passionfruit, kiwi and berries. Australia and New Zealand both claim it, and it is a fixture of Christmas lunch.
Where: Cafés and patisseries year-round, and many modern Australian restaurants serve their own version.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Lamington
Squares of sponge cake dipped in chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut, sometimes split and filled with jam and cream. It is a classic of Australian bakeries and school fundraising stalls.
Where: Bakeries and cafés across Sydney; specialist patisseries make richer versions.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
11.Vegemite on toast
A thin scrape of the salty yeast-extract spread on hot buttered toast is a national breakfast habit. First-timers should use far less than they think.
Where: Café breakfast menus and every supermarket.
Food experiences
Sydney Fish Market
The city's working seafood market at Blackwattle Bay in Pyrmont sells oysters, prawns, sashimi and cooked seafood from dozens of counters. Go before lunch, eat at the waterside tables and keep an eye on the seagulls.
Weekend brunch
Brunch is a Sydney institution. Queue or book at cafés in Bondi, Bronte, Surry Hills or Paddington on Saturday or Sunday morning and plan to linger over a second coffee.
Pub beer garden afternoon
A long Sunday afternoon in a pub beer garden or a historic pub in The Rocks, with schooners of local beer and a steak or a parma, is a very Sydney way to spend a weekend.
Haymarket after dark
Chinatown, Thai Town and the Darling Square food lanes stay busy late, with dumpling houses, noodle bars and dessert cafés serving well into the evening.
Quick bites and street food
- Meat pie — Bakeries across the city, Harry's Café de Wheels in Woolloomooloo, and at any rugby league or AFL match.
- Smashed avocado and ricotta hotcakes — Cafés in Bondi, Bronte, Surry Hills and Paddington; expect queues on weekend mornings.
- Manoush — Bakeries in Lakemba, Punchbowl and Bankstown, about 30 minutes by train from the CBD.
- Vegemite on toast — Café breakfast menus and every supermarket.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Flat white, Smashed avocado and ricotta hotcakes, Manoush, Pavlova, Lamington and Vegemite on toast. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Neighbourhood restaurants often stop taking dinner orders earlier than in Europe; Haymarket and the CBD serve later.
- BYO (bring your own wine) is common in smaller restaurants, sometimes with a corkage charge per bottle or per person.
- Tap water is free and is usually brought to the table without asking.
- Many cafés are breakfast-and-lunch operations that close by mid-afternoon, so plan brunch rather than a late lunch.
- Book ahead for well-known restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights; many casual places take no bookings and work on a queue.
- Many restaurants add a weekend or public-holiday surcharge, which should be printed on the menu.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected because hospitality wages are relatively high. Leaving about 10% at a sit-down restaurant for good service is appreciated but optional, and tipping at cafés and bars is uncommon.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| G'day | Hello |
| Arvo | Afternoon |
| Brekkie | Breakfast |
| Schooner | A mid-size glass of beer in New South Wales |
| Thongs | Flip-flops |
| Bottle-o | Bottle shop (off-licence) |
| No worries | You're welcome / it's fine |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Sydney famous for?
Sydney rock oysters, Meat pie, Flat white and Smashed avocado and ricotta hotcakes. Native to the estuaries of New South Wales, Sydney rock oysters are smaller and creamier than Pacific oysters, with a distinctly mineral finish.
+Is Sydney good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Flat white, Smashed avocado and ricotta hotcakes and Manoush.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Sydney?
Tipping is not expected because hospitality wages are relatively high. Leaving about 10% at a sit-down restaurant for good service is appreciated but optional, and tipping at cafés and bars is uncommon.