David Matthews

We might be a little biased, but in our humble opinion, Sydney's got it all. Can you think of many other cities in the world that rival its natural beauty, rich heritage and history that dates back thousands of years, and its creative, culinary and cultural offerings by world-class pros. In fact, there's so much to see, do, sip and ponder here, you could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. Worry not, dear reader – we're making it simple for you. Our team (including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure and our Sydney Editor Alice Ellis) sifted through every good time the Big Smoke has to offer and put together a Sydney bucket list for the ages. The activities we've chosen will give you a super varied experience of the city – everything from the tourist attractions that are actually worth your time to secret swimming spots that locals know and love.Whether you're a new arrival or a born-and-bred local, this 2025 Time Out Sydney round-up of the city's must-do activities will help you experience Sydney from every angle. After all those great activities you're bound to be thirsty. We suggest you head to one of the best pubs in Sydney right now.  Need somewhere to stay? Check in to one of Sydney's best hotels or Airbnbs. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.

Summer 2025 update: Summer and cold beers at the pub with your best mates go hand-in-hand. Whether you’re after a mid-week feed, a trivia night, live music or air con, Sydney’s best pubs are sure to set the stage for good times.  There's a lot that goes into making a great pub. They need to furnish you with an excellent meal and friendly service, and a game of pool or darts doesn't go astray. On a sunny day, it's all about having a welcoming beer garden, and on a Sunday, it's all about a cracking roast. There are a lot of rock-solid pubs in this city, and these are our picks of the bunch, pulled together by Time Out Sydney's local writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure. Cheers! Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. For something a bit less pubby, a bit higher end, see our picks of the best bars in Sydney. Hungry? Check out our ultimate guide to Sydney's best restaurants. 

Summer 2025 update: We’re not saying summer is made for cold beers, thirst-quenching Aperol Spritzes, zesty Margs and natty drops, but we’re also not not saying it. Looking for a sexy bar for a first date? Been a while since your last night out? Or just thirsty? You’ve come to the right place. This list represents our picks of the best bars in Sydney right now, from fresh faces to tried-and-tested temples of great drinks, curated by our local editors, drink writers and fellow booze hounds, including Time Out Sydney's Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure. We’re looking for quality above all, with fun, flavour, atmosphere, creativity and options at every price point. Cheers to you, Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. After a watering hole that's a bit more casual? See our list of the best pubs in Sydney, here. After a meal? Check out our best restaurants here.

Summer 2025 update: It’s a glorious time of year in Sydney. Make the most of the warm, joyous days and nights with catch-ups with your favourite people. Below, you’ll find the best of the best – here’s to more delicious and fun times in Sydney. Here's our list of Time Out's best restaurants in Sydney right now, from hot newcomers to time-honoured institutions, curated by our expert, on-the-ground editors and food writers who eat and drink their way around Sydney, including Time Out's Food & Drink Editor, Avril Treasure. How did we narrow it down to the very best? When deciding, we considered fun, flavour, creativity, value for money – and 'wow' factor. So yes, of course, you’ll find a fine diner inside the Sydney Opera House here, but you’ll also find neighbourhood pasta, hole-in-the-wall Thai and venues right by the sea. Happy dining, Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READ: Still hungry? Check out our guide to the best cheap eats in Sydney.

Our unbeatable summers and mild winters make Sydney the perfect place for a schooner in the great outdoors, and lord knows we’ve got enough beer gardens to prove it. Whether surrounded by lush greenery, designer dogs, ocean views, or all of the above, this list covers the best beer gardens our city has to offer. Because drinking outside sure beats drinking in.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.  Looking for a brew with a view? Enjoy a cold one at one of Sydney's best rooftop bars.

There’s always time for a tipple when you’re travelling around Australia. Our thirsty country is swimming in stellar watering holes that are loved by locals and tourists alike. We’ve even got a handful of contenders on the World’s 50 Best Bars list to back us up. Whether you’re looking for a fancy spot for cleverly crafted cocktails or a natural wine bar with superb snacks, our local Australian editors and drink writers have curated this list of all the best bars in Australia right now. Start drinking your way through it! 🍽️ The best restaurants in Australia🍷 Australia's best wineries☕️ Where to find the best coffee in Australia

There’s no doubt about it, Sydneysiders can’t get enough of Italian food. And who can blame us? There’s something about a bowl of perfectly al dente pasta paired with a luscious, rich ragu that just hits the spot. And while Italian cuisine differs throughout the 20 incredible regions – broadly speaking, the northern regions eat more rice and polenta, while down south they feast more on seafood – Italians share a love of beautiful, seasonal produce; they choose simplicity rather than overcomplicating dishes and cook with soul. No wonder we love it so much. Luckily, there are plenty of excellent options for Italian dining in Sydney. Time Out’s food writers and editors – including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, who has eaten her way through Sicily, Sorrento, Rome and Florence – have picked our favourite eateries, covering all bases. The only catch? They just need to provide a feel-good environment and dishes you’ll want to come back for. From casual red-sauce joints and classic pizzerias to fine-dining restaurants, you’ll find them all here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Not in the mood for pasta? Here are our picks of the best spots for Greek and French food in Sydney.

From the powdery slopes to the fairy floss-pink cherry blossoms and 7-Eleven’s egg sandos on soft white bread, we Aussies can’t get enough of Japan. Thanks to all of the incredible chefs gracing our shores, the good news is you can experience an excellent Japanese feast without hopping on a plane. From the lunchtime bento box to a full-blown omakase dining experience, Time Out Sydney's local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have found the best of the best – here’s where to do Japanese in the city. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Keep the culinary experience going with this list of Sydney's best ramen. Feel like heat? Check out our guide to the finest Thai spots around town.

The enclave of Potts Point is home to some serious dining gems, be it mainstays like Fratelli Paradiso or the Apollo; game-changing plant-based restaurant Yellow; or mod-Asian joints like Ms G’s and Cho Cho San. Plus, drop-dead gorgeous spots Parlar and Franca. Time Out Sydney editors and local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have eaten their way through Macleay Street and beyond, curating this list with the top places to eat and drink in the 2011 postcode. So, have a read and get exploring. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. After a drink? Check out our guide to the best bars in Sydney Want more great eats? Here's our guide to the best restaurants in Sydney

Whether it’s a simple spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli, ravioli stuffed to the high heavens, or lovingly layered lasagne, few foods give us the feels quite like pasta. Let’s be real – Sydney’s Italian restaurant game is seriously strong on all fronts, but when the hour calls for carbs, these are the spots that turn flour, eggs and water into small miracles. Time out Sydney's food writers and pasta lovers – including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure – have smashed their fair share of pasta in town, and here are our favourites. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Need an aperitivo before you chow down? Knock back a cocktail at one of the best bars in Sydney. After a slice of two? Here are the best pizza joints in Sydney.

Sydney's CBD possesses one of the best bar scenes in the country, from underground hideaways to cool-as-hell speakeasies to lofty cocktail lounges with mixology maestros at the helm. You can drink life-changing wines, the freshest ales, and fruity elixirs made from seasonal harvests – and sometimes you can do it all in the same place. When you're out and about in the CBD and feeling thirsty, these are the very best places to take an elbow and indulge in a few drinks in the heart of Sydney, curated by Time Out Sydney's critics, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure. So, who's getting the first round? Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.  RECOMMENDED READS: Want more? Check out the best rooftop bars here. Plus, these are Sydney's best beer gardens.

There's a lot of good reasons to head down rather than up to a rooftop bar when you're feeling parched. Underground, it's always party o'clock because, even if it's 2pm, it feels like after dark. Plus, you have no external cues as to the lateness of the hour, so a quick drink can turn into a big night very easily if you're wanting to let your hair down. Drinking below street level is also deliciously climate controlled so on a blazing hot summer's day, or in a torrential downpour, your best bet is posting up in one of Sydney's best booze bunkers, curated by Time Out Sydney's critics and fellow underground sleuths. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: Need something to line that stomach? Choose from this list of late-night eats in Sydney. Want more booze? Get around our guide to the coolest bars in Sydney.

Black is a theme at Kuro. It’s there in the gleaming marble tabletops, in the food and in the cocktails. Take a seat at the bar, order a Never Say Never, and the focus is not on how the tropical fruit flavours meld subtly with yellow Chartreuse, Pocari Sweat and bitters, but on how the drink is coloured jet-black save for a sprig of mint protruding from the ice. Order the fried chicken and the coating is as pitch dark as the chiffon cake on the snacks menu. Kuro means ‘black’ in Japanese, so the colour play is fun, but it’s far from the most interesting detail. Better to focus less on the colour of the cocktails, for example, than on the skills of bartending duo Yasuhiro Kawakubo and Fumiamku Michishita whose sharp movements and striking uniforms (white coat for one; vest and button-down with sleeve cuffs for the other) do plenty for the cause of craft Japanese cocktail-making in Sydney. Or, better still, on the moves of the kitchen, which aims to evolve Japanese tradition into something more current. That second task falls to executive chef Taka Teramoto and his head chef Nobu Maruyama. Both have worked at restaurants that marry Japanese and Western ideas, and they continue the thread here. In practice this means turning something like super-fluffy Japanese chiffon cake into blini-like bases for nori crème fraîche and marinated salmon roe; or taking chicken karaage in more of a chicken-tenders direction by using breast in place of thigh then topping it with sour umeboshi an

Don’t think of Una Más as a restaurant. Think of it more like sitting in the beachside dining room of a rich friend while the help pour drinks and prep dinner. A sea breeze drifts through the arched windows, ceramics fill the shelves, 20th-century portraits and still lifes – is that a Picasso? – hang carelessly on the wall. A Spritz lands, but it’s a new thing your host is trying, with sherry vermouth instead of Aperol, and pét-nat to top up. Nice. You secretly prefer the original, but of course you’d never say it. Glance at the kitchen and a Josper oven is running hot. On the marble counter, bread boards and artfully chipped bowls heave with plus-sized lemons, tomatoes and oysters on ice. Jamón legs swing lazily overhead. The only thing missing is the Smeg x Dolce & Gabbana fridge. Except you’re not at a house, you’re at Coogee Pavilion, Merivale’s multi-floor beachside behemoth. Downstairs kids jump and scream; upstairs 18-plusses do the same. But here in the middle it’s soft touches, ocean views and a new kind of fantasy, one where the line between restaurant and home is blurred magnificently, and luxury is sourcing outstanding ingredients then leaving them well enough alone. Step into Mimi’s, the flagship fine-dining restaurant across the hall, and this looks like caviar, mud crabs and Grand Cru Chablis. At Una Más, it looks like an homage to Iberian tapas bars. Not the stand-up, two-bite kind chef Jordan Toft apes at Bar Topa, but the sit-down, plate after plate, three-o

Pick any day from the last 20 years and Serge Dansereau will have been doing the same thing. He’d be on the floor of Bathers’ Pavilion, shaking hands, ushering diners, checking the pass. The chef is as much a part of the setting here as the catamarans scooting past the heads or the children digging in the Balmoral sand. Today, though, it’s different. Not because Dansereau isn’t around (he is, look), but because we’re in a new cycle, one prompted by a tussle for the Bathers’ lease that inspired a full refresh. On the building side, winning the tender meant gutting the insides – adding a chef’s table and lounge, converting the café to an all-day bistro and opening the rooftop terrace to the public –while retaining all the louvres, parapets, arches and pilasters that give this 1920s icon its Mediterranean charm. It’s conceivable, now more than ever, that whole days could be whiled away in a beachside fantasy made real by so many blue-and-white stripes and so much walnut detailing. Hit the bistro for breakfast and the hum of the coffee machine plays backdrop to fluffy omelettes generously stuffed with ricotta and to crisp, golden French toast. For locals recovering from one too many Espresso Martinis, a greasy fried rice prefaced with a Bloody Mary – tall, not soupy – is the right kind of tonic. Next Generation energy flows through the site, peaking at the terrace that trades in Champagne and Spritzes. The Bathers’ Spritz, for one, improves the classic, swapping Aperol for sweet

If you’re not into offal there’s still plenty to occupy you at Chaco Bar. Skewers of chicken thigh, each piece interspersed with a slice of onion, slow-grilled over charcoal. Exceptionally tender Wagyu tri-tip given extra impact with anchovy butter. Or chicken wings cleverly stuffed with minced chicken and pork, fried crisp to mimic gyoza. All are varying degrees of excellent, but if you’re not eating the parts at Chaco you’re missing out. Order the gizzard (known as zuri or sunagimo; the muscle chickens use to grind their food) and be rewarded with a glazed skewer of appealing bounce and crunch. Pick the liver and marvel at the way the carefully charred exterior gives way to a blushing centre in a stick that delivers both iron-rich flavour and delicate texture. Go the crackling and enjoy ruffles of chicken skin rendered sweet and crisp.  None of this is new, mind. Owner and director Keita Abe has been serving this food since 2014, and his style of Fukuoka-influenced yakitori is revered throughout Sydney. What’s changed is the venue. Where once skewers were passed out of a poky Darlinghurst kitchen to a cramped room with space for 25, they’re now ferried from a central grill in one built for 75. The U-shaped room (once Jimmy Liks) channels the original – bunting strung high, diners knocking elbows – but there’s more polish, and a sense of being purpose-built. (Back in Darlinghurst the original has gone single-focus, too, specialising in Chaco’s deservedly popular ramen.) Sit

Take some of the biggest trends of the past five years or so: natural wines; a nascent obsession with amaro; an interest in lesser-seen pasta shapes; the resurgence of fat; strong, graphic branding; a preference for snacking; Spritzes; Negronis; cacio e pepe; anchovies; butter. Ragazzi, the third venture from the people behind Love, Tilly Devine and Dear Sainte Éloise, ties them all together. For the cynical, it might look like trend-servicing. For the rest, it just looks like a good time.  Step into the squeezy space on Angel Place and the bar’s full, the banquettes are jammed, and there’s a buzz amplified by the close quarters. At one table, a couple preface a show at City Recital Hall next door with vermouth on ice and pasta fritta. At another, twentysomethings snap flat-lays of pasta complemented by coasters shouting CIAO and RAGAZZI in bold red typeface. Lights are low, a mirror is backlit, the room dressed, like so many models in this year’s fall catalogues, in shades of caramel, coffee and camel.  When chef and co-owner Scott Williams cooked around the corner at Bacco Osteria, his snacks and pasta were always highlights. At Ragazzi, they’re almost the whole menu. It’s a concept as easy to get behind as a plate of al dente spaghetti tossed in a sauce of pecorino and pepper bound with pasta water and butter. It’s a cacio e pepe with good levels of warmth and sharpness, plus some sweet heat from Espelette pepper. A glorious goat rotolo, meanwhile, sees the braised meat ro

At the end of a service alley, a step back from the CBD bustle, gold light spills out onto the asphalt. There’s a scent of lime in the air, the sound of Boston shakers, and somewhere behind it, just a hint of danger. This is Cantina OK, the standing-room-only bar that since February of 2019 has plied Sydney with good, clean, sort-of illicit fun fuelled by mezcal and backed up by one of the sharpest bar teams in the city. Pick a day – any day – and the Cantina will be rocking it, two or three tenders ably servicing the 20 or so drinkers who cram in at any one time from when the roller door opens till close at 2am. In times where so many venues can stock their backbars with rare and obscure spirits, Cantina makes a niche out mezcal, a spirit for which the phrase ‘rare and obscure’ could have been invented. Cantina OK is owners Alex Dowd and Jeremy Blackmore and group operations manager Alex “Happy” Gilmour’s follow-up to Tio’s Cerveceria. Here, the focus – and dimensions – are tighter, and Gilmour has licence to sate his insatiable thirst for agave-based liquor with frequent buying trips to the far reaches of Mexico. This is a bar that takes you straight to the grindstones and the pit ovens, in everything from the striking travel-book-style menu to staff who’ve been schooled by Gilmour then consolidated the knowledge by going straight to the source. There’s no preaching, but if you ask, the team will run you through the multifarious species of agave, like papalome or vicuishe,

There are pubs, and those are fine – the locals built for cheap beer, sport on the flatscreens, decent schnitzels, stained carpet and colour-dyed tip jars. The ones where you drop in on a Tuesday night for a $10 steak with your mates and buy into the meat raffle not because it’s anywhere special, but because it’s not bad, and you can walk home. Public House Petersham? It’s a public house. It says so in the name, then backs it up with the kind of spirit that draws in not only locals but people who’ll cross town to get here.  The most appealing part is that this place is not doing anything your local isn’t, it’s just doing it better. Want craft beer? It’s on tap. But wait, is that Marrickville's Batch Brewing Company setting up with a nano-brewery in the carpark? Want to bring [insert dog name here]? Go for it, and let him jump onto the seats while you’re at it – PHP takes being dog friendly (and cat friendly, for that matter) seriously. Want to soak up the sun in the summer? Do it in the sprawling courtyard to a soundtrack of Dire Straits and Blondie, then cool down when the mist machines fire. Want to shoot pool? Go ahead, then have a round on the pinball machines for good measure.  There’s no agenda here. No one trying to push their vision. Which is another way of saying PHP is a place for everyone. The ham and pineapple pizza on the kids’ menu comes out of the same woodfire oven as the Margherita (the “Famous Original”) for the adults. And no one’s going to judge anybody fo

If everything was as it seemed, the Cove Deli would be one of the tiniest, most exceptionally finished, most obscurely located smallgoods businesses around. But at this pocket-sized space in a nondescript alley set back from the Corso, the real trick is what lies beneath. Pull at the 1920s fridge door in the corner, slide down the spiral staircase and step into the Cumberland: Manly’s very own underground speakeasy, complete with flickering candlesticks, fluted glass, scalloped banquettes and brass, copper and bentwood for days.   The mood might be set to European Golden Age, but the city and its history are front of mind on the list from GM Pete Ehemann (ex-Merivale) and creative consultant Petr Dvoracek (ex-Merivale and the Barber Shop). The bar takes its name from the County of Cumberland, the zone encompassing much of central Sydney, and the six cocktails in the section labelled ‘19th Century County Tipples’ are each named for a surrounding county, with the core ingredient relating to that county’s major export.  Obscure? Sure. But with the Camden (export: wool), it gives the team licence to combine Hartshorn sheep’s whey vodka with an olive-leaf tincture and white vermouth and serve it in a glass with a clip of wool pegged to the stem, Heston Blumenthal style. It doesn’t need the potent drop of truffle oil floated on top, but in this place, with this sort of flair and panache, it seems to make sense. See also the Cumberland (export: wood), which brings together Glenlivet