TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS - Sydney - page 170

RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS AND PUBS

Sydneysiders are justifiably proud

able to offer many dining options.
From a survey of different types of
restaurant in varying price brackets,
we have selected those offer-
ing good value for money.
Detailed descriptions of each
restaurant can be found in the
listings on pages 184-93. Casual
eating places, where you can
often enjoy food that is as good
as at a restaurant but cheaper, are
featured on pages 194-7; here you will
also find mention of pubs that have
recommended bistros and dining areas.

of their dining scene. Australia's
largest city has been populated
by successive waves of migrants,
all of whom have added some-
thing of their home countries
to the communal table. These
influences have spilled over into
contemporary cuisine, which is
often called “Modern Australian”.
This term covers just about any ethnic
style the chef may fancy, loosely based
on French cuisine. The result is that, in
terms of ethnic diversity, Sydney is

Fresh seafood,
Chinese style

WHERE TO EAT the restaurants at the Opera

Quays or at one of Sydney's
best restaurants, Quay (see
p185) , at the Overseas
Passenger Terminal.
Many restaurants at Darling
Harbour, Cockle Bay and King
Street Wharf have outside
tables, so diners can enjoy the
atmosphere of the lights, the
water and the boats.

Circular Quay, The Rocks,
Darlinghurst, Potts Point and
Paddington are the areas
where you will find the widest
choice of places to eat. Just
outside the city centre, and
not covered in depth in these
listings, are the inner-city “eat
streets” of Glebe Point Road,
Glebe (see p131) , and King
Street, Newtown.
On the lower North Shore
is Military Road, which
extends from Neutral Bay
to Mosman. It would be
difficult to walk along any
of these streets and not find
a café or restaurant to suit
your taste and budget.
All of the major hotels have
at least one restaurant and a
few of these offer beautiful
surroundings, too.
To enjoy a spectacular view
while you dine, start with
drinks at the Horizon Blu bar
at the Shangri-La Hotel (see
p172) , followed by any of

HOW MUCH TO PAY

Compared with other major
world capitals, dining out in
Sydney is relatively inexpen-
sive. The cost of a three-
course meal in an average
restaurant is probably 25 per
cent lower than its equivalent
in, say, New York or London.
The cost is further reduced if
you choose a BYO restaurant
where you can avoid paying
the marked-up price of
restaurant wine by taking
your own alcohol.However,
there will usually be a
“corkage” cost per drinker.

Main dining room of the Rockpool
Bar & Grill (see p186)

OPENING TIMES

Most restaurants serve
lunch from noon to 3pm and
dinner from 6pm to about
11pm, though last orders are
often at 10:30pm. Cheap and
cheerful ethnic kitchens may
close earlier, around 9:30pm,
but this largely depends on
demand. Many restaurants
close on some, if not all, public
holidays (see p51) . This is par-
ticularly true of Christmas Day,
Boxing Day and Good Friday.

RESERVATIONS

Booking is recommended in
most places - earlier in the
day is usually adequate. If,
you want to be sure of a table
for Friday or Saturday in a
spot that is currently fashion-
able, however, you may need
to make a reservation up to
one month in advance. If a
restaurant says it's full, it is
worth asking about an early
table, around 6pm, or when-
ever the place opens. Many

Hugo's on Manly Wharf (see p192)