Our hacks for fine-dining on a budget in Sydney

Hack: Grab yourself a bento box

If we pocketed a dollar for every person who says Sydney is expensive, we’d be drinking on our very own, private, harbourfront deck. But if you want to dine out without selling your left kidney, we suggest going for one of the three bento boxes on offer, ranging from $45 to $75, that are generous enough to stretch between two diners. The ‘Sydney’ box includes a teriyaki salmon or chicken option. But if you want the full Nobu experience in one go, order the ‘classic’. It comes with the black cod miso and the seared tuna sashimi on salad leaves and shavings of radish and beetroot. There are little nigiri and cut sushi rolls of the chef's selection, and a vegetable stirfry on rice. They've even got a vegetarian option.

Hack: Small plates from Little Felix

If you're a bit of a restaurant nerd, you might already know that Felix takes some of its cues from New York brasserie to the stars, Balthazar itself a homage to the classic Parisian bistro. What you might not know, however, is that Felix's little brother, aptly named Little Felix, has fabulous small plates available from the bar from just 10 dollars.

Hack: order the set lunch menu 

With a star studded lineup like an ex-Nobu and Cho Cho San chef, and managed by the team behind Allia and Nour, Ito's got the recipe for fine dining success. Their menu mixes Italian and Japanese cuisines and with so many experimental flavour combinations to try, that the lunch set menu from Wednesday to Friday for $45 per person is the way to go. It comprises of two courses and five dishes of umami goodness. 

Hack: The pre-theatre menu or express lunch 

Aalia's thifty set menu is available not just at lunchtime, but for an early pre-theatre dinner too so you have more options to treat yourself to executive chef Paul Faraag's gorgeous array of Arabic flavours for less. The three course menu will set you back $60. You'll have a hard time trying to pick from the dry aged Murray cod, lamb neck shawarma or the dry aged duck to share with your date for the evening. 

Hack: Fish and chips from the Fish Butchery

Chef Josh Niland once let us in on a little secret: fish and chips is not actually a cheap dish to make. At least, not the way he does it, with beautiful pink ling fillets from the NSW coast, proper potato chips with the skin still on and a yoghurt tartare. With the elegant seafood counter of Saint Peter closing its doors and moving to the Grand National Hotel, Fish Butchery is your next best bet to sample Niland's expertise (and for much cheaper too). They've even got frozen ready-to-cook meals so you can bring a slice of luxury to your own kitchen.

Hack: The bar

This famous Sydney beauty is an expensive date, especially when you get a little cavalier with the impressive wine list after a few spritzes. But if you want a bite of the fancy cherry without going all in, try and nab a seat at the bar (overall capacity is 85 people right now so competition for seats is fierce). Here you can order a primer of the very same yellowfin tuna crostini that they serve in the dining room, pair it with a drink and then be on your merry way, possibly for under $50 if you play your cards right. 

Hack: bar menu

If you want to shave a few dollar signs off one of the most consistently creative fine diners in town, head to Bentley for lunch. Check out their bar menu, where you can order bites and plates for as little as $12. Glazed pork buns spiced with ancho chilli and garnished with chives, anyone? Yum. Then you can spend what you save on excellent wine to match.

The Charles Brasserie is an exquisite dining room that's perfect for a special occasion, but if you sit in the front bar of this marble-clad spot, you can order a delicious bowl of pasta for $25 (all day, every day). Come between 5-7pm for discounts on some drinks. And if you swing by at lunchtime (any time between 12 and 6pm, actually), you can nab their aged wagyu cheeseburger and your choice of house wine or beer for just $25. Walk-ins welcome.

Hack: Go the express lunch 

Snag not one, not two, but three courses and a drink for only $49. Dine at any of The Meat & Wine Co venues stretching from Parramatta to Circular Quay during the week from 12-4pm. Saunter between a sticky chilli glazed pork belly and Portuguese chicken skewer before polishing it all off with a lovely creme brulee – just to name a few of your many options. 

Hack: Go the banquet menu

At $65 per person, of course this isn't the cheapest meal you could splash out on, but if we're talking bang for buck - you can't go past the Izakaya set menu. Seven courses include expertly sliced ocean trout decorated with pepper and wasabi, miso eggplant (on a stick, why not?), the Japanese specialty of tonkatsu, sides and dessert.

Hack: Sit at the bar, order the burger

There are a whopping 2,682 Riedel Riesling glasses in the Rockpool Bar and Grill chandelier. But we can almost promise that your eyes won’t be on it. Nor will they be on the Deco grandeur of the dining room (and its many designer suits) or the dance of intuitive barstaff stirring Martinis. Why? Because they’ll be on your plate, gazing lovingly at the city's fanciest cheeseburger with bacon and dill pickles. If this isn't high class enough for you, the bar is also serving up fine dining classics like woodfire steak and lamb ragu for a fraction of the dining room price.

Hack: Grab lunch 

Black is a theme at Kuro, providing nothing but a luxe, elegant atmosphere. It’s there in the gleaming marble tabletops, in the food and in the cocktails. Get a taste of this artful fusion of Japanese and Western cuisine with a two course menu that dabbles in Kuro's signature fried chicken, seared kingfish sashimi and salmon confit. There are three different express menus to choose from; the first starting at $45 for two courses and ranging all the way up to $100 for five courses. 

Hack: Humble Bakery

Their restaurants are at the top of most people's date night wish lists, but the Porteño crew has opened a bakery on Holt Street called Humble. Expect sourdough, ciabatta, focaccia, baguettes, sandwiches, and salads, plus gelato that they’re making in-house for all their venues. The bakery and café is open daily from 7am.

Hack: Snacks at Charlie Parker's

It's well known that lunch at Paddington's Fred's can be a bit on the spenno side. Happily though, the snacks at Charlie Parker's downstairs come from the same kitchen and start at just eight dollarydoos. Chicken liver parfait and steak tartare go down real easy with one of Charlie's signature cocktails.