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Restaurants

Sydney’s restaurant scene is on the rise, now featuring a cosmopolitan offering of eateries to suit any palate and budget. Highlights include modern Australian cuisine and sensational seafood, showcasing native catch like fresh Tasmanian scallops, South Australian tuna and barramundi, but you’ll also find top-notch Asian (from Burmese and Thai to Nepalese and Lao) and just about any European strand of cuisine, including ‘Oz-talian’. Note that many restaurants are BYO, so check in advance if you want an alcoholic beverage with your meal.

Our favorite destination restaurants include Tetsuya’s (529 Kent St; reservations required; +61 (2) 9267 2900; dinner Tues–Sat, lunch Sat only), in CBD, where Sydney’s star chef of the same name conjures up Japanese delights with a French twist ($180 for a ten-course menu). Out in The Rocks, the multi-award-winning Rockpool (107 George St.; +61 (2) 9252 1888) is a big draw for its innovative and super fresh seafood – try the Six Tastes sashimi and the lobster tagine –created by the celebrity chef Neil Perry.

For more restrictive budgets, we recommend the following mid-range eateries. The best Asian fusion can be sampled in the swanky oceanfront interior of Darling Harbour’s long-running Malaya (39 Lime St., King Street Wharf; (+61 (2) 9279 1170), while Surry Hill’s chic Alio (5 Baptist St.; +61 (2) 8394 9368) dishes out fine ‘Oz-talian’ dishes composed of native ingredients with an Italian twist. The latter neighborhood also finds the stylishly decked out Red Lantern (545 Crown St., Surry Hills; must book at+61 (2) 9698 4355), which offers a brilliantly flavorful combo of French and Vietnamese.

The best cheap eats in town include the cozy, but often crowded, Nepalese Kitchen, in Surry Hills (481 Crown St.; +61 (2) 9319 4264), where excellent curries and other Nepalese treats top the menu, and the Chinese Noodle Restaurant (8 Quay St; +61 (2) 9281 9051), a hole-in-the-wall Chinatown spot where you can savor delicious homemade noodle dishes. Seafood fans shouldn’t miss the Sydney Fish Market, next to Darling Harbour; stalls sell excellent fish-and-chips and fresh oysters; it’s an amazing sight on early mornings (auction at 5.30am; market open 7am-4pm) when the daily catch of over 100 species is up for grabs.

Finally, don’t miss a meal or a glass of wine in one of the several restaurants at the Opera House. Our favorite is the stylish Opera Bar (), with its delicious fusion cuisine and top-quality Australian wines. For serious, and seriously pricey, gourmet fare, book a table at the award-winning Guillaume at Bennelong (closed Sunday; +61 (2) 9241 1999).