The best restaurants in North Sydney

Poetica skews primal – you realise it as soon as you walk into the airy dining room and see all the meat and seafood in the glass-fronted dry-aging cabinet. Pairing the protein with some old-fashioned funk from fermented and pickled vegetables is also one of the North Sydney restaurant’s hallmarks. Both speak to Connor Hartley-Simpson’s experience: as head chef at the two Michelin-starred Gastrologik in Stockholm, three Michelin-starred Quince in San Francisco and The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar, in Sydney. Here, Hartley-Simpson takes the unpretentious idea of pairing wood-fired meat and seafood with pickles and runs with it. Time Out tip: Poetica also has a seperate chic bar area if you're keen for an after-work tipple and yum snacks.

Ryo’s is famous for the queue which often forms to get into this tiny, friendly, inexpensive restaurant, with walls decorated by menu items handwritten in Japanese kanji script. Owner Ryo Horii wanted to share the soul food of his hometown Fukuoka, opening Sydney’s ‘first real pork ramen shop’ in 2003. For some, it’s all about the pork broth garnished with pork slices, but the real secret of success has to be the fresh and flavourful house-made ramen noodles. Ryo’s daughter says even she doesn’t know the recipe. Non-ramen menu items include sides of karaage (fried chicken), which is deservedly popular as well.

When the sun’s shining, there may be few nicer places to dine in North Sydney than Rafi. It's like sitting in a glasshouse with gorgeous, colourful interiors, lush greenery and plenty of sunlight. You’ll find a lot of seafood and vegetables cooked over charcoal on the menu. Time Out tip: The South Coast tuna with tomato, creamy tahini and fiery chilli oil is a must-order. We dig the Aperol-hued umbrellas, too.

Tucked away near the base of the Harbour Bridge in Milsons Point is Loulou, a staunchly French bistro with a few timely twists. Yes, of course, there are the classics of steak frites, mille-feuille, and charcuterie made in-house, Champagne in long-stemmed glasses and the ubiquitous baguette. However, where Loulou stands apart from the cliches is a strong line of freshness. It’s French, yes, but French-Lite.

Bar Lettera, a modern Italian/Australian restaurant and wine bar found in the Citadines Walker North Sydney hotel, is beautiful. Decked out in a Negroni-inspired palette, the space is all warm lighting, ceramic sculptures, striking marble and soft curves. Here you can expect riffs on classic Italian dishes. So, instead of a caprese salad there’s a heirloom salad with kombu oil and Geraldton wax. And fritto misto sees Bay bugs fried until golden and served with a house-made XO sauce. Time Out tip: Bar Lettera is open seven days a week, and for brekky too – so if you’re in the area and don't feel like cereal, or need an excuse to step out for your morning meeting, you know what’s up.

The vibe at Glorietta is neighbourhood trattoria meets inner-city business lunch spot. The space itself is gloriou – a cavernous, almost industrial space that breezily weaves together many different and disparate elements. The space buzzes with noise and energy and a crowd of happy diners. The secret lies in simplicity. Here, everything is approachable and familiar and there is nothing showy about it. If you’re into relaxed service and big on atmosphere, then go and visit Glorietta. Just like Nonna's place, make sure you come with an empty stomach – you certainly won’t be leaving with one.

Located right on the Lavender Bay foreshore, the harbourside Sails on Lavender Bay restaurant has been offering guests grid-worthy views of the Harbour Bridge and glittering harbour for more than 40 years. Now, after a massive French Riviera-inspired glow-up, the Sydney dining institution has reopened, and we’ve got to say, she’s looking schmick.

The thing about reputations is that they can be a double-edged butter knife. On the one hand, French food is widely understood as shorthand for romance, coming in second only to the city of love itself on the ‘high probability of engagement ring’ scale. This also means people tend to save the Champagne and roast duck for special occasions. But down in the genteel, leafy surrounds of McMahons Point there’s an elegant French bistro that’s making a compelling argument for adding a little Franco-flare to your more regular dining rotation.

Green Moustache is from the folks behind the Treehouse (one of North Sydney's first drinking hot spots) and the city's ArtHouse. They've packed the space with sprawling ferns, palms and fiddleleaf figs, under which you can order up cocktails with names inspired by the suburb. In the kitchen, you'll find chef Peter Fitzsimmons (who was previously at Chin Chin). Order up chilli salted school prawns, oysters Kilpatrick, panko-crumbed lamb cutlets and chilli jam green snake beans to start, then save some room for coconut and lime panna cotta or a cheeseboard to finish. If you're a rosé fan, you're going to want to head in on a Saturday when they host a bottomless rosé lunch. 

Come to this bowling/leagues club on a sunny day if you can for a seat with views of the parkland and harbour. The modern Australian menu is streets ahead of standard clubland fare.  Seafood is a strength of the kitchen: a grilled barramundi has crisp crackling but tender flesh, a taste and texture contrast to baby vegetables and fresh pea sauce. The drinks list isn’t typical of a club either, with a wide range of fruity tipples that includes mega cocktails to share, like the watermelon kegger which is literally served out of a carved-out whole watermelon. 

At this former home of a botanist, high-set tables and a long bar with a lengthy drinks list give the impression that this is a pub rather than a restaurant. The sophisticated Mediterranean-style menu reassures diners that food comes first. The dishes are pleasing, both to look at and in their flavour combinations. The room is, unsurprisingly, botanical. There’s hanging plants and floral lampshades. But it feels homey and inviting instead of like an overgrown nursery or (even worse) an over-themed bar.

Chedi Thai stands out from its local competitors due to the high standard of the cooking and the seasonal freshness of the ingredients. Veteran restaurateurs Greg and Shanya Richardson’s decades of experience, both in Sydney and in Thailand, are on display: Greg’s geniality in the front-of-house role, while Shanya and her team show they know their way around a wok. The mains include a crisp pork belly dish with green peppercorns and ginger; and an authentic version of that touchstone noodle dish, pad Thai.

An offshoot of nearby favourite Rose of India, this small but perfectly positioned Indian restaurant combines harbour views and white tablecloths with ambitious fusion food. A seasonal tasting menu takes the stress out of decision-making, but brave souls can parse the not-so-easy menu on their own. The starters of juicy barbecued lamb cutlets, and the crispy lemon and soy prawns are winners. A main dish of butter chicken garnished with fenugreek and almond transcends the ordinary. 

In a streamlined white space warmed by homey touches, Charlie & Franks is an oasis of real food in a desert of fast-food options. Its two strengths are attentive customer service, and ingredients sourced with an eye to ethics and sustainability from quality purveyors, listed on a blackboard. The menu’s indulgent options coexist with salads: a spicy fried chicken burger is almost swamped by string-thin fries. Offset it with a ‘green detox’ juice of starring kale, or rev up with a chai latte made with leaf tea and whole spices. There are also thoughtful choices for wine, beer, and cocktails.

Modestly described as a teahouse and eatery, this warm and inviting space is a restaurant in all but name and liquor licence. The experienced hosts (they’ve been in this same spot for 30 years) divide their labour: Ivan serves, and chooses the smooth jazz; Lizzie does the cooking. Bring your own bottle for a small corkage fee, and hoe into slightly Asian, slightly European dishes cooked without pretension but with a sure touch: see the comfort-food entree of curried lentils topped with sour cream and enveloped in a wafer-thin, soft parcel of rice-flour.

It’s pot-luck if you get into this tiny café tucked away in a sunny side street – it doesn’t take bookings but certainly draws crowds. They’re here for good coffee and an unusual café menu. Owner Erik draws on his Scandinavian heritage for dishes such as pytt I panna (Swedish bubble and squeak), where a perfectly round fried egg sits on top of sautéed bacon, sausages and tiny potatoes, dressed with olive oil and fresh dill. Sides of house-made pickled cucumber and beetroot help to cut the richness. Solicitous customer service is also part of Oski’s charm.

Samurai armour at the entrance to Rengaya is a not-so-subtle hint of what’s to come at this Japanese restaurant. The speciality here is yakiniku; that is, barbeque. Diners are in control of grilling select cuts of fat-marbled meat and seafood at their table. Grab three friends for the best sharing experience, or if time is tight, the lunch special covers a choice of three meats or seafood. Stick to the a la carte menu if you don’t fancy being the chef. Customers range from corporate workers at lunchtime to families with young children in the early evening.

An elevated position means the Treehouse feels like an escape from busy North Sydney. Velvet curtains, chandeliers and a soul and rock soundtrack are nods to speakeasy style, well suited to relaxed evening dining. Lunches range from on-the-go business eats like Hawaiian poke bowls, or make it a long lunch with Sydney rock oysters and steak with café de Paris butter.