One of Sydney’s best features is easily its countless water views. From Newport and Manly, to Drummoyne, Balmain, and North Bondi, you’ll find stunning glimpses of seas, harbours, and bays all across the city and its surrounds.
So, where are the best places to dine where you’ll be served a side of said water views? Ahead, we round up some of our favourite Sydney waterfront restaurants. From an Italian Riviera-styled restaurant in Mosman, to ritzy eateries in Bondi specialising in seafood, these are the venues that’ll make you feel calmer with the sight of water lapping and will have you constantly getting out your phone to take snaps of the very special scenery.
L’Heritage, Chowder Bay
Dining at French restaurant L’Heritage feels like you’re in a rich friend’s country house, with white-painted panel boards, glass cupboards filled with wine bottles and framed artwork on every spare space of wall. Easily the décor highlight is the view of Chowder Bay and Clifton Gardens from its windows. The menu is inspired by those at bistros in Paris.
Ripples Chowder Bay, Mosman
Overlooking the water in Mosman, Ripples Chowder Bay is housed in a renovated 19th century building. The restaurant serves a modern Australian menu with a focus on seafood. Think rainbow trout in ginger sauce, barramundi with roasted kelp and steamed mussels in white wine sauce. The venue is a favourite for locals celebrating special occasions.
St Siandra, Mosman
Set on a strip of private beach in Mosman, St Siandra only opened in early 2023. It has Mediterranean Coast-themed interiors, with yellow walls, striped chair cushions and olive trees. The menu is seafood and a pasta-heavy.
St Siandra’s first-floor events venue, Bluebird Room and Deck, is a soft blue space with a private bar and deck that caters to functions with up to 70 people. You can also grab takeaway coffee from St Dreux and pastries from Seaforth’s Staple Bakery from the venue any day of the week.
Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi
No waterfront restaurants in Sydney list would be complete without a mention of Icebergs. It’s been around for over 20 years, and so is an institution in Bondi. Hospitality king Maurice Terzini is behind the venue, dreaming up Italian dishes with a fresh Australian twist for the menu.
Mimi’s, Coogee
Mimi’s by hospitality group Merivale is known for its arched windows framing Coogee Beach. The menu here is Mediterranean, featuring lots of seafood. Think potato ravioli with sea urchin sauce, caviar pie with citrus butter, and whole roasted john dory. Don’t visit without ordering the caviar bump and frozen vodka.
The Newport, Newport
The Newport, an hour’s drive outside the CBD, is a sprawling hub of dining, drinking and entertainment, overlooking Pittwater. Order seafood, burgers, or pizzas from eating venues The Shack, Vinnie’s Pizza, or The Kiosk Café. Follow your meal with a game of ping pong in the games area.
Little Pearl, Manly
Located in Manly’s The Sebel Hotel, Little Pearl is a casual restaurant serving hawker-style shared plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dishes include Papaya Slaw, Bay Bugs, and Tom Yum Seafood Noodles. The venue recently launched a new weekend breakfast menu of brekkie classics with an Asian-inspired twist, like Breakfast Bao Buns and Chicken Congee.
Rancho Seltzo, Bondi
You’d expect to find this pastel-hued, tropical oasis with clusters of cacti in Palm Springs, not, in reality, on the ground level of precinct the Pacific building in Bondi. The restaurant serves tropical drinks, including Iced Tropical Whip and Frozen Paloma slushies, and Seltzer Spider, a Bondi Brewing Co seltzer topped with a scoop of house-made coconut ice cream. Food-wise, expect Baja California flavours with a Mediterranean influence.
Sala, Jones Bay Wharf
Located in the historic Flying Fish site at the end of Jones Bay Wharf, Sala, opened in November 2022, offers Australian seafood in unique Italian dishes. Head chef Michael Lewis curated a seafood-focused menu to match the coastal style of the venue, embracing authentic Italian cuisine and techniques while utilising an expanded pantry to add interest to the dishes. Drinks were curated by head sommelier Rocco Pezzullo to pair easily with the cuisine.
Sean’s Panorama, North Bondi
Sean’s, as the locals call it, has become an institution in Bondi since it opened in 1993. Located on Campbell Parade as the street starts to wind up to the North Bondi shops bus depot, its 45-seat dining room offers views of the glittering sea beyond its windows. The three-course menu here changes daily, and includes an appetiser and house-baked bread.
Luke’s Table, Harbour Bridge
Celebrity Chef Luke Mangan opened his restaurant Luke’s Table in November 2022 in the Harbour Bridge’s southeast pylon. The 20-seat restaurant focuses on local produce, including oysters, Champagne, sashimi, and seared beef fillet paired with Penfolds wines. As you can expect, dining here comes with a hefty price tag of around $295 per person.
Oborozuki, Circular Quay
Japanese fine dining fusion kaiseki and teppanyaki restaurant and bar Oborozuki and Oborozuki Bar sit side-by-side over two soaring, glass-encased levels with a spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour Bridge views. They have the largest kaiseki dining room in Australia, alongside private teppanyaki rooms. Oborozuki’s fusion Kaiseki experience, akin to a degustation, is presented as a multi-course menu consisting of a sequence of cold to hot (light to heavier) dishes.
North Bondi Fish, North Bondi
North Bondi Fish sits underneath the North Bondi RSL in the north end of Bondi, providing spectacular sunset views from its terrace. The restaurant is owned by well-known Australian chef Matt Moran and follows his ethos of championing local produce and seafood. DJs often play here on weekends when the venue is packed with a fashionable crowd.
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