Guide to Sydney
Introduction
Sydney is a city defined by its geography. The harbour divides the city in two and is the centre of focus, particularly in summer. The beaches are the city's eastern border, and are part of the reason the city's life shifts east out of the CBD on weekends.
Sydney's café culture is also huge, so take advantage of it by finding your local and spending time enjoying coffee and breakfast.
Neighbourhoods
CBD, Circular Quay & the Rocks
The heart of the city is around Martin Place, which is busy during the week and on Saturday nights, but is pretty quiet the rest of the weekend. There are still plenty of restaurants and cafes around, but they all cater to the business crowd. At the northern end of the city there is Circular Quay and the Rocks, more residential neighbourhoods which are lively all week. Circular Quay is mostly tourists, though locals come for a drink around the foreshore in the evenings. The Rocks is the oldest part of the city, and has some great traditional pubs (including The Australian, Harts, The Glenmore and Harbourview) to spend the afternoon relaxing in.
Barangaroo & Walsh Bay
Barangaroo is a new development on the western edge of the CBD, and the newly constructed headland park gives you great views of the harbour to the west. At the northern end of the park are the Walsh Bay piers (also known as the finger wharves), home to most of Sydney's theatre / performing arts, and a couple of good bars and restaurants (Bar at the End of the Wharf, Ventuno, the Lord Nelson Brewery).
Kings Cross & Woolloomooloo
Parts of Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo are great - there are amazing restaurants and some nice bars on Woolloomooloo Bay, up the hill Potts Point has some of the city's most expensive real estate, and King's Cross is home to upscale bars - but other parts of the area still remind you of the area's red light past.
Surry Hills & Paddington
Surry Hills and Paddington are sprawling neighbourhoods full of people in their 20s and 30s. Paddington is older and more established while Surry Hills has gentrified more recently but is the heart of Sydney's cafe culture. There are plenty of casual places to eat and drink in both, and they're great places to stay if you don't mind Ubering everywhere (otherwise good luck trying to decipher the buses). The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and Football Stadium sit in between them if you want to catch a game.
Kirribilli
Walk across the bridge and look back at the Opera House, CBD and bridge. This is a residential neighbourhood that is a little off the tourist track but always busy with locals. There are some great restaurants and bars on Broughton, Fitzroy and Bligh Streets. And if you are willing to do takeaway you can sit under the bridge and look across at the Opera House.
Manly
You can eat at the Ferry wharf, or make your way along the Corso to the beach. The beach is long, and the surf can get rough at the northern end, but the south end is usually calm and the best place in Sydney to try surfing for the first time if you are interested. If you want a more peaceful sunbathing opportunity, walk south around the foreshore to Shelly Beach. There is also a small waterpark and aquarium at the harbour beach's northern end. Some good restaurants and bars include Insitu, Fishmongers Manly, 4 Pines and Hemingway's - or you can grab fish and chips from any of the fishmongers on the Corso, or better, just off it.
You can get to Manly easily on a ferry from Circular Quay, and you'll get a free tour of the harbour on the way.
Bondi
Bondi is undoubtedly the busiest beach in Sydney. The proximity to the city and good food and bars draw people, but the beach itself gets packed out in the afternoon. The surrounding suburb (particularly behind the beach) has retained hints of the beach suburb feel and can be a great place to base yourself if you want to make a morning swim or surf part of your routine.
What to Do
The Beaches
Find a beach, chill out, have fish and chips or some ice cream. What could be better? Bondi is the most convenient, but Manly is nicer. And if you you just want a picnic, just go with one of the harbour beaches.
Bondi to Bronte or Coogee
If you get bored just lying on the beach, walk along the cliff tops from Bondi to Bronte or further on to Coogee. You can walk through Waverly Cemetery, and if you have some time, stop for clifftop barefoot bowls and drinks at Clovelly Lawn Bowls club.
The Spit to Manly Walk
This long-ish (10km) track is effectively a walking tour of the outer harbour. You can get to the start on a bus from the city, and make your way along the harbour-front and cliff-tops to the beach at Manly. There are particularly good views out the heads as you walk around Dobroyd Head.
Bridge Climb
Its expensive, but you're going to do it anyway, so go ahead. Also you'll never forget it. Sunrise and sunset are best, but also the hardest to get and most expensive.
Zoo
Somehow the combination of the views (the Zoo runs down a hill on the northern side of the harbour) and the animals just works.
Sail in the Harbour Every weekend (and Wednesday night) during summer the harbour fills up with yatchs. Don't bother with the harbour cruises, but if you can find a way to get on a smaller yacht, you can spend the day in the sun drinking wine and enjoying yourself.
Day Trip – Royal National Park
The Royal National Park is about 45 minutes south of the city on the coast, and you can choose between short walks to surprisingly secluded beaches or walks along the ocean cliffs. It's also nice to just drive the park's winding roads and if you go through to the southern end you can drive the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge.
Day Trip – Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains are about an hour and a half west of Sydney, with spectacular scenery and quiet towns up along the train line. The Three Sisters in Katoomba is the best known stop, and there are some nice short hikes (we call them bushwalks) from the lookout, but there are plenty of scenic walks to choose from if you would like.
Food
The Australian food culture is really about fresh food, prepared simply, with flavours that are based in ingredients.
Cafés
Sydney has an incredibly strong café culture. Wherever you are the local café is almost guaranteed to have good food and great coffee. However the below are some well know ones.
Four Ate Five (485 Crown St, Surry Hills)
bills (359 Crown St, Surry Hills)
Two great spot in Surry Hills
Bourke Street Bakery (633 Bourke St, Surry Hills)
Amazing bread and pastries, they do decent coffee.
Grounds of Alexandria (2 Huntley St, Alexandria)
Best coffee in the city, though a bit of a trek.
Thelma & Louise (1 Hayes St, Neutral Bay)
At the Neutral Bay Ferry Wharf. Catch the ferry over and back from Circular Quay.
Axil Coffee (1/2 Holbrook Ave, Kirribilli)
On the Kirribilli Wharf, catch the ferry over from Circular Quay. Delicious food and even better milkshakes.
Bathers Pavilion (4 The Esplanade, Mosman)
The Boathouse (2 The Esplanade, Mosman)
Both these cafes are a little more upmarket, but have great food, and Balmoral Beach is nice enough to warrant the trip in itself.
Restaurants
Around the City
Sake (12 Argyle St, The Rocks)
Upscale modern Japanese that is a bit more casual. There is also a bar inside.
Sailors Thai (106 George Street, The Rocks)
A must-do if you enjoy Thai food.
Spice Temple (66 Hunter St, Sydney (downstairs)
Amazing Chinese fusion. Make sure to get the Three Shot Chicken.
Tetsuya's (529 Kent St, Sydney)
Probably the top restaurant in the city. Asian fusion but reservations are hard to get (and you may need to mortgage your home or internal organs to afford it).
Quay (3, Overseas Passenger Terminal, George St & Argyle Street, The Rocks)
Also one of the top restaurants. Reservations are hard to get but worth it if you can (particularly if there isn't a cruise ship in Circular Quay).
Rockpool Bar & Grill (66 Hunter St, Sydney (upstairs))
This is 'normal food' done well. The burger and duck fat fries are the highlight.
China Doll (4/5 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo)
Great Chinese fusion in a casual setting.
Mejico (105 Pitt St, Sydney)
Upscale Mexican right in the CBD.
Aki's (1/6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo)
The best Indian around the CBD. Get the Chicken Briyani.
Mr Wongs (3 Bridge Ln, Sydney)
Very nice (semi-)traditional Cantonese in what used to be a bar / club. Works well for groups and open relatively late.
Fratelli Fresh / Cafe Sopra (11 Bridge St, Sydney)
Casual Italian bar with really good pizzas and pastas. Also, get the Banoffee pie. You can thank me later.
Settlement on Quay (33 Alfred St, Sydney)
Good food for a reasonably quick lunch. The owners are legends. A little further out.
Mamak (15 Goulburn St, Sydney)
Casual Malaysian restaurant on the edge of China town. Worth it just for the roti.
Gelato Messina (241 Victoria St, Darlinghurst)
A must for ever-changing and incredibly inventive gelato. Amazing.
Pancakes on the Rocks (4 Hickson Rd, The Rocks)
A 24 hour pancake restaurant in the Rocks, perfect for a late night snack
Further out
Icebergs (1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach)
Come here just for the views of Bondi Beach, though the food is great as well (especially the steak). Only downside is it is a little dressier than you want to be at Bondi.
Pizza E Birra (1/500 Crown St, Surry Hills)
Great pizza and beers in Surry Hills.
Billy Kwong (1/28 Macleay St, Elizabeth Bay)
One of the classic Asian fusion restaurants. Still really good.
Aqua Dining (Paul St & Northcliff Street, Milsons Point)
Worth it for the views of Luna Park and the city.
Bangkok Sidewalk (31 Fitzroy Street, Kirribilli)
A great casual spot in Kirribilli if you want to walk across the bridge, grab dinner and then walk back.
Drinks
Opera Bar (Lower Concourse of the Sydney Opera House)
A little bit pricey, but the location more than makes up for it - this is pretty much a must-do if you're in Sydney. The food isn't bad either.
Quay Bar (31 Alfred St, Sydney)
A casual outdoor bar in the forecourt of Customs House.
Bar at the End of the Wharf (Pier 4, Hicksons Road, Sydney)
At the end of Pier 4 in Walsh Bay this is a classy, uncrowded bar with nice drinks and amazing views.
Frankie's Pizza (50 Hunter St, Sydney)
Part dive bar, part pizza joint, this place somehow works.
Grasshopper (1 Temperance Lane, Sydney)
It's down the end of a questionable lane off George Street, but the cocktails are more than worth it.
Grandma's (Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney)
A basement cocktail bar around Town Hall.
Stitch (61 York St, Sydney)
What could be a better than whiskey and hot dogs? They also do great cocktails. Look for the sewing machine at the entrance (there is no sign).
Baxter Inn (Basement, 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney)
Another really good cocktail bar in the city.
Eau-de-Vie (229 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst)
Eau-de-Vie is known (or maybe hyped) as the city's best cocktail bar just near Kings Cross' clubs.
The Tilbury Hotel (12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo)
A nice pub in Woolloomooloo with great food and a nice outdoor seating area.
The Clock Hotel (470 Crown St, Surry Hills)
A nice 'local' Surry Hills pub.
El Loco (64 Foveaux St, Surry Hills)
Mexican themed pub / bar in Surry Hills. Enjoy the tacos and the margarita pitchers.
The London Hotel (85 Underwood St, Paddington)
A nice 'local' Paddington pub.
Argyle (18 Argyle St, The Rocks)
A large bar with a decent outdoor area in a heritage building. Frequently populated by office workers from around the CBD.
The Ivy Pool Bar (Sixth Floor, 1/330 George St, Sydney)
If you enter the Ivy off George St go left at the end of the lane then look for the elevators on your right to go up to the sixth floor. It's overhyped and known for attracting some less favourable clientele (to put it politely), but it has a rooftop pool bar which is quite nice.