Dinner with a view: Five of Sydney's best waterfront restaurants

All that glitters is not always gold when it comes to restaurants with multi-million-dollar waterfrontages, but Sydney caters sublimely to those in the market for splashing out.

All that glitters is not always gold when it comes to restaurants with multi-million-dollar waterfrontages, but harbourside Sydney, cradled within the crown of New South Wales's breathtaking coastline, caters sublimely to those in the market for splashing out.

Sydney's shorefront dining scene is nothing short of spectacular – a blend of world-class cuisine and jaw-dropping views that showcase the Australian city at its best. Here, dining isn't just about the food; it's an experience where sparkling waters meet the creativity of some of Australia's top chefs.

Despite an often-glamorous clientele, you'll find an approach of relaxed sophistication in even the most upmarket of spots. Service is never stiff or overformal, with conviviality and conversation always central to the dining experience. Chefs use indigenous, borrowed and blended flavours, with enormous respect for homegrown ingredients, resulting in a refined cuisine that has a lightness of touch appropriate to the sun-drenched climate.

From tranquil breakfasts through to romantic suppers, locals grab any opportunity to be in proximity to their beloved beaches and bays. And for travellers, these five restaurants offer not just a meal, but an opportunity to savour Sydney at its finest.

Referring to Quay as "world class" barely describes the sum of its glorious parts. With unobstructed views over Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge, this stunningly located restaurant is the perfect home for exquisite dishes that honour organic ingredients. 

Executive chef Peter Gilmore's obsession with the life cycle of plants, from seed to stamen, is the first clue the diner is in for an exceptional experience. His artful, ethereal cuisine presents like tiny gardens of native vegetables, flowers and fronds, while luxurious rockpools of aquatic fascinations are exquisite in technique and execution. Quay's four-, six- or eight-course menus are served on hand-crafted vessels, and textures dance both on the plate and palate.

Incredibly, there's no hint of the pomp or pretentiousness usually associated with such temples of culinary art; nary a white cloth on a sleek timber tabletop lest it masks the natural grain. An extensive and considered wine list is a melodious match for this culinary ode to the country's vast, bountiful land and ocean, where every dish is a standout.

Website: https://www.quay.com.au/

Phone number: 02 9251 5600

Address: Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney 2000

Instagram:@quayrestaurant

While Sydney's glorious Northern Beaches are home to a slew of casual waterfront restaurants,  upmarket gems are rare. However, Ormeggio, located among the glistening yachts of D'Albora Marina, is absolutely one of them.

If you've ever been invited to a long lunch in Italy, you'll know that proceedings involve, at the very least, sincere and impeccable generosity alongside a sumptuous feast prepared with love and passion. Chef Alessandro Pavoni's contemporary Italian restaurant Ormeggio follows the playbook to a T – although the food and vista outshine even nonna's best efforts.

You'll swoon over a meat-free menu focussed on inventive share plates of sustainable seafood with fresh, bright flavours – think swordfish cotoletta (fried, crumbed cutlet) with fermented chilli mayonnaise and salsa verde, or yellowfin tuna crudo with textures of tomato, almonds and extra virgin olive oil. Seasonal house-churned gelato, such as Amalfi lemon with candied lemon and Italian meringue, is theatrically dispensed tableside and should not be missed. Linger over sunset Negronis and you're destined for a moonlit stroll. 

Website: https://www.ormeggio.com.au/

Phone number: 02 9969 4088

Address: D'Albora Marina The Spit, Spit Road Mosman 2088

Instagram: @ormeggio

Perched at the bow of Coogee Pavilion's beachfront collective of eateries and bars, Mimi's effortlessly delivers on style and substance. Despite its reputation for glamorous clientele, the dining space is incredibly relaxing. Grand Art Deco arched windows flood the elegant room with natural light, allowing in occasional lock-tussling breeze and salt-spray kisses along with a view spanning sun-baskers, rolling seafoam and Maroubra's ruggedly handsome coastline.

Being here is a mental mini-break that can easily distract from the menu, but focus is soon restored with good-humoured servers setting down cocktails alongside warm, house-made rye sourdough with kefir butter whilst reciting which share-specials are available as half serves.

It's evident, even midweek, that people swarm here to feel good about themselves while Mimi's does the heavy lifting. Whole lobster, salt-baked mud crab, truffles, caviar bumped with iced vodka and salted fior di latte soft serve – the food is spectacular yet nothing is overworked. The secret is in extraordinary ingredients beautifully prepared by confident chefs who know their beurre blanc from yuzu kosho, along with friendly service and sumptuous décor. Sure, your wallet's leaving lighter, but you'll be miles from care, leaving footprints in the sand.

Website: https://merivale.com/venues/mimis/

Phone number: 02 9114 7324

Address: Coogee Pavilion, Middle Level, 130A Beach St, Coogee 2034

Instagram: @merivale

Historically, Sydney's French bistro reservations only peak during winter, when it's finally cool enough to wear fine Merino-wool capes and over-imbibe vin rouge, but L'Héritage's fresh edge has joyfully unlatched such restrictive windows.

Launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, this lofty, elegantly laidback venue, situated within a heritage-listed, early 1900s Navy drill hall, has been smartly whitewashed and dressed in Paris-market curios, antiques and fresh flowers, exuding country-manor charm during daylight hours and an exceedingly romantic ambiance by evening. 

The blissful turquoise surrounds of Chowder Bay are utterly mesmerising, yet the kitchen is where true alchemy resides. Chef Julien Audibert-Lebon's tasting menu demonstrates an intuitive grasp of the local palate, his approach to traditional French cuisine exercising restraint and butterfly-balance. Even on the balmiest Sydney day, his lobster and blue swimmer crab bisque with pastis and fennel sips like a tonic. A boeuf bourguignon presents as gelatinous beef-cheek discs layered with translucent potato pasta and veiled in jus brightly accented with mirepoix and herbs. Barramundi sauced a la Grenobloise (lemon, butter, capers, parsley) is as expressive as the 80% French wine list and a young sommelier's insightful pairings. Dessert follows suit with cloud-light mousse and sunny patisserie.

Website: https://lheritage.com.au/

Phone number: (02) 9968 1658

Address: 7b Chowder Bay Road, Mosman 2088

Instagram: @bistro.lheritage

It's safe to assume that when you operate a restaurant furled within the headsail of the city's most iconic building, the pressure to perform is significantly elevated. Fortunately, the Fink Group, who also own nearby Quay Restaurant, know a thing or nine about hospitality.

In keeping with its cultural surrounds, Bennelong invites patrons to an act in several parts, with architect Jorn Utzon's jaw-dropping 1970's design providing the amuse bouche. The dramatically tiered interior is swathed in ochre, brushed brass and stone with alternating sky-blue and indigo backdrops. Pitch-perfect cocktails, immaculate Australian wines and luxe bites, including pristine rock oysters with lemon-pepper granita, are garnished with awe-inspiring harbour views.

Private dining zones in the wings overlook dress circle tables below, both offering elegant menus by executive chef Peter Gilmore and his trusted head chef Robert Cockerill. Utilising the same incredible produce as Quay, a less complex menu spotlights hero ingredients: premium Australian Wagyu paired with confit tomato and bearnaise or XO pippies with crisp aubergine and striped peanuts are both excellent illustrations. Finales include dreamy renditions of pavlova (passionfruit curd, meringue) and lamington (coconut ice cream, cherry jam, chocolate glaze). Cue applause. 

Website: https://www.bennelong.com.au/

Phone number: 02 9240 8000

Address: Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney 2000

Instagram: @bennelong_sydney

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.

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