It’s always a challenge finding terrific places to eat/drink for visitors to Sydney. You can rely on your local favourites (of course), but then you realise they lack a bit of the “wow” factor. There again, you can fall back on Sydney cliches with harbour views. When Robert and Sandra told me they would be in Sydney (visiting from Stockholm), and were hoping to catch up for a meal, I made a few suggestions. This is what I suggested in an email.
Mr Wong is pretty hot at the moment, though getting a booking might be near impossible. Although the venue is excellent, the food is not a pinch at what you would find elsewhere in Chinatown.
http://jamesobrien.id.au/2015/04/01/mr-wong/
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/mr-wong-sydneyFratelli fresh is terrific Italian food not far from where you’re staying. I’m a big fan of this venue in Potts Point, and have been to Bridge Street once and enjoyed it very much. Not expensive at all.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1631773/restaurant/CBD/Cafe-Sopra-at-Fratelli-Fresh-SydneyPendolino – really good italian food, a little more expensive, but really fantastic
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/751727/restaurant/CBD/Pendolino-SydneyOn a lovely night, we could do worse than Opera Bar. What’s not to love?
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/opera-bar-sydneyNot as exciting as Reykjavik, but have wanted to try, and this looks like fun for a drink? Have been wanting to try it.
http://www.mojorecordbar.com/
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/mojo-music-sydneyBut… if you were up for a bit of an adventure a bit further away (bottom of Surry Hills)
I’d recommend a beer at
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/hotel-hollywood-surry-hills
Also in the day I heard about Uncle Mings, so we added that into the schedule.
In the end, I chose the first couple of starters, and they were in charge of the remainder.
We started at 5.30 at Uncle Mings.
Cocktails excellent. Dumplings very good. Atmosphere – had the wow factor. Very friendly staff. The place was pretty full by 6.30.
At 6.30, we went to Mojo Record Bar (a few doors up from Uncle Mings).
Beer. Terrific atmosphere. Record store angle is great. Very friendly staff. A good place for an after Uncle Mings beer.
http://www.mojorecordbar.com/
At 7.30 Longrain – as always fantastic. Photo taken on my very excellent cam phone. !!
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/longrain-surry-hills
We had three shared meals – more than enough.
At 9.00 And finally, a cleansing ale to end the night at
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz/hotel-hollywood-surry-hills
Home in bed by 10.30
A wonderful night with two really fantastically interesting people… and as I said as we parted company… “I get to see you twice this year”, as I’ll be in Stockholm in July. 98 days until I start my mid-year holiday.
I was somewhat surprised at the excellence and price of Sydney food. Is it as simple as competition in inner eastern Sydney?
The inner east is good, Andrew, and that’s because there’s a lot of competition, but there’s heaps of other places, especially those where there are some “ethnic enclaves” :)