Time Out Sydney Food & Drink Awards 2025: Special Occasion Nominees

Grenier means ‘attic’ in French, and that’s exactly where you’ll find Bistro Grenier – you enter Newtown bar Odd Culture (created by the same team) and take the stairs up into a low-lit area above, where hefty old trusses support a cathedral ceiling. There are lithographic prints of sad clowns on the dark, sloped walls – a motif that’s continued in the cute coasters on each table. As well as wall lamps and sky lights, the room is lit by a tall, skinny candle on each table dressed with a snow-white tablecloth. C'est très romantique.

King Clarence's food is inspired by the flavours of Korea, China and Japan. To nail this, co-owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt persuaded top chef Khanh Nguyen to take charge. King Clarence’s fit-out is refreshingly different to what we’ve seen in recent Sydney openings. There’s a lot of grey and sandy tones – polished concrete floors, blonde wooden chairs, random bits of linen draping over the lights – but it doesn’t feel bland or stark, thanks to the neon pops of colour, a shiny disco ball and red ladders. Found on the corner of King and Clarence Streets (yep, that explains the name), King Clarence holds court amongst Sydney’s top diners. You know what they say: All hail the king.

Morena means ‘brunette’ in Spanish and, according to Peruvian-born chef Alejandro Saravia, the term represents the style of warm, self-assured hospitality he likes to deliver. “Morena means brunette. But it also means self-confident, sexy and sassy in my culture,” Saravia said when the restaurant opened to much fanfare in Sydney in April 2024. And just like that, with one confident ponytail toss, Morena has sauntered into Martin Place like she owns it.

Josh Niland is a genius, but you probably already know that. For years, he has been practising nose-to-tail magic, showing the world the limitless possibilities with creatures of the sea, whether that’s transforming fish eyes into velvety ice-cream, or giving beef and pork a run for their money with his legendary yellowfin tuna and swordfish bacon cheeseburger. He proves it yet again at the second iteration of Saint Peter – the restaurant has moved down the road from its original Oxford Street location (where it stood for eight years) to Paddington’s Grand National Hotel. It's a project that was five-and-a-half-years in the making by Niland and his wife, Julie.

Dining at Sean’s, the sea-salt-sprayed restaurant located across from Bondi’s golden sand, is like catching the perfect wave. Sure, there’s a little less water and a bit more wine, but the feeling of being in harmony with your environment, and of the joy it sparks, reminds us of our years spent in the sea. And, of course, there’s the dining room. Glowing, scallop-shell lights dangle from the ceiling, which also features a blue humpback whale made entirely of mussel shells. The tables are cloaked in blue-, sand- and white-striped linen tablecloths and surrounded with mismatched vintage chairs. The walls are dressed in an eclectic mix of colourful art and there are purple orchids in the centre of the room. If Diane Keaton married an eclectic surfing art director in Bondi, we reckon their home would look like this.

Sydney is a big fan of a bistro, and the CBD boasts a stacked deck of quality places to get oysters, red wine and a rising hierarchy of steak cuts. However, all the close quarters and soft furnishings that make a bistro so snug and inviting in winter are at odds with a city that thrives in summer. This is where The Point group (also behind Shell House, The Dolphin) has put some careful thought into the appeal of The Grill. Happily, they make the most of their elevated position by leaving one wall completely open so you get a sense of balmy outdoor dining that is immune from weather fluctuations. They’ve also updated a lot of the traditional bistro fixings to create a mid-century-does-futurism vibe, with shiny metal curves and warm tones loudly punctuated by splashes of red. We like the way they’re taking the traditional bistro playbook, adding fine-dining flair and a few cheeky flourishes to make something entirely its own and very Sydney.