Time Out Food & Drink Awards 2023: People's Choice

Totti’s has been serving the beautiful people of Bondi puffed bread and banging pastas in the sunny, olive-tree spiked courtyard since it opened with a bang in 2018. Five years on, it’s still one of the hottest places for a long lunch, which makes sense as it’s near impossible to nab a weekend booking. You don’t come to Totti’s for complicated dining; you come to feel like you’re in a Martha Stewart holiday shoot for the kind of casual Italian entertaining that one can never truly emulate at home. Nothing on the menu boasts more than three core ingredients (unless you count the wafer surrounding your Neapolitan ice-cream sandwich), but they’re nailing the understated luxe that characterises food you will happily eat on repeat visits.

This Merivale venue is a crowd-pleaser, so it's no wonder that other Totti's have sprouted in Sydney – in Rozelle, and Bar Totti's in the CBD.

Parramatta’s most celebrated café Circa Espresso has landed the People’s Choice for Favourite Café, and impressively for the second year in a row. This narrow space has been exemplifying café excellence since 2010, and things are as busy now as they were then. It really doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the full-page tea menu, the refined coffee program, real-deal baked goods, or the go-to, destination-worthy dish of Ottoman Eggs – people here have clearly worked hard to ensure the options are all killer, no filler and the results speak for themselves. Well deserved.

Huelo is a general store, wine bar and hidden cocktail bar with Miami topical glam vibes all rolled into one good-old time. The multifaceted operation is the child of two Sydney hospitality heavyweights – Dre Walters from Old Mate’s Place, and Ginny’s Canoe Club, and Swan 'Swanny' Kanongataa from the Rover and Bistecca – so know that your drinks are in good hands. Named after the Tongan word for ‘sun rays’ as a nod to Swanny’s heritage, Huelo is found on King Street and calls Sydney favourites Café Paci, Bella Brutta and Ante neighbours. At the front of the funky operation is where you’ll find the general store and wine bar selling goodies Nonna would love: pretty ceramics, sardines, truffle oil, pasta and other yum pantry items. Then make your way through the back door to find the speakeasy-style 12-seater tropical cocktail bar with its own sunny courtyard.

We're not surprised the people of Sydney voted this one their fave – it's also ours, having taken out the award for Best Casual Drinking Venue in this year's awards.

The three-storey brick and butter building looks well-worn yet strong – which makes sense when you consider the Old Fitz is around 150 years old. The pub is surrounded by leafy green trees, punters sit out the front to knock back cold ones, and it glows in the spring sunshine. Just from the exterior, you can tell the old boozer has more character and charm than a new opening could dream of. Fun fact: The Old Fitzroy Hotel is the only remaining theatre pub in Australia (it’s found out the back and down the stairs). Locals have been coming here for decades to see some of the most interesting and cutting-edge theatre in the country. Plus, the Old Fitz serves up a cracking pub feed. 

When the sun is shining, it doesn’t get much better than sitting at Quarterdeck Narooma, one hand holding a Banana Daiquiri and the other, a banging tuna tostada. The restaurant is perched right on the gin-clear waters of the Wagonga Inlet, and has been feeding locals for more than 20 years. Merivale bought the gem back in 2021, and since then has given it a tiki-style glow up while championing the South Coasts' incredible produce. Come for the views, grilled scallops and retro feelgood vibes. (And maybe a couple of Banana Daiquiris.) Trust us – you won't want to leave.