A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Sydney

  Seafood in Sydney

In recent years, Sydney has undergone a full culinary revolution: there are now well over 3,000 restaurants in the city offering an array of international cuisines, while at the same time incorporating local delicacies such as kangaroo, barramundi, snapper, emu and crocodile.

Due to the country’s proximity to Southeast Asia, Asian cooking has had a major influence on the cuisine, and many dishes are heavily spiced. The city is also the perfect place to sample Modern Australian or ‘Mod Oz’ cuisine, with its emphasis on a creative blend of European styles with Asian influences.

The majority of the most expensive place to eat in Sydney are situated in or around Circular Quay, the Rocks, the Central Business District and Darling Harbour. Take a good look at the menu before settling for one, though, as really good food in Sydney, as with everywhere else, can really take a bite out of your week’s budget.

Having said that, eating out on a budget is not difficult in Sydney, and the city is more than capable of attending to its backpacking clientele. Food is generally both of an excellent quality, as well as being pretty good value for money. With this in mind, the city’s buzzing Chinatown is a good place to head for if you’re looking to make your dollars go that much further.

The city also has hundreds of fast-food restaurants and stalls, as well as other cheap eateries, cafés and bars. There are also, rather conveniently, a number of 24-hour diners to satisfy any nocturnal cravings brought on by exposure to the wild Sydney nightlife scene.

But what really makes eating and drinking in Sydney (and the country) so attractive for those traveling on a budget, is the Bring Your Own (alcohol) or ‘BYO’ phenomenon. Some restaurants in the city charge a corkage fee, but many don’t even do that, which understandably shaves a fair bit off the bill.

There's a thriving café culture in Sydney - a style of relaxed alfresco dining that mirrors the laidback Aussie lifestyle. This scene is largely centered around the suburbs of Glebe, Darlinghurst, Newtown and the eastern beaches of Bondi and Bronte.

Manly, meanwhile (which is a bracing 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay), has a number of excellent places to eat. It's also home to a number of cheaper Turkish eateries offering mouth-watering kebabs, and Japanese diners serving every sort of sushi and noodle dish imaginable.

Some of the best seafood in Australia (fresh from the massive Sydney Market) can also be found there. Ultimately, though, pretty much regardless of where you go, Sydney is a city of endless variety, in cuisine as in all other things.

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