Sydney Restaurant Tips by jlanza29

Restaurant Name: Icebergs

Icebergs has earned a great repuation not only for it's location, but the food is to die for....located in or should I say on Bondi Beach, this is were the jet set come to eat and party..The place is ULTRA CHIC and ULTRA HIP !!!!!.....The food is heavy on the fresh seafood. The wine list is long, but yet easy to navigate. The desserts are heavenly.....after being named one of the best 100 restraunts in all the WORLD by Conde Nast Traveler.....it is worth every effort and all of the money spent here !!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT !!!!! If you could afford it, do it !!!!!!!!
The staff very cordial, friendly and professional......made you know that you were in 5 star restaurant, but yet made you feel like if you were in the living room of your home !!!!! perfect 10 out of 10 !!!!!!

UPDATE: May 2008
4 years after my first visit, Icebergs is still one of the finest places to eat in Sydney...the service and food have not changed..... still superb !!!!! Prices have gone up quit a bit !!!!

Favorite Dish: The seafood risoto was the best I have ever had......the canoli for dessert were mouth watering.....

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: +612 9365-9000
Address: One Notts Ave, Bondi Beach
Directions: You can't miss it, it's a light blue building overlooking Bondi Beach !!!!
Website: www.idrb.com

Restaurant Name: Glass Bassiere inside The Hilton Hotel

I must say, this is a great restaurant !!!!! When you first walk in the impressive wine cellar or racks is stunning to look at, the service is near perfect, very friendly, the menu is easy to understand, the wine list is superb (the resident sommlier is always on hand to help with your choices) and the prices are standard with other high end places !!!! starters run from $12 AU to $30 AU, main dishes run from $30 AU to $50 AU and desserts from $12 AU to $18 AU.......I must say this and ICEBERGS (read my other tip) are probably the best places in town !!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND it perfect 10 out of 10 !!!!!

Favorite Dish: Had steak with mash !!!!! wow !!!!!!

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Directions: Inside the Hilton Hotel across from the QVB building

Restaurant Name: Prime

Considered by many as the best steakhouse in all of Australia PRIME.....doesn't disappoint.......the prices are very good for the quality of beef serve here.......THE US dollar isn't as strong as in pervious years, but it goes a long way at this place. Located in the basement of the GPO (General Post Office) building in downtown Sydney...the restaurant has an almost secert entrance and the staff and sommiler were attentive and extremely friendly for such a high end place.

Favorite Dish: The house special fillet mignon.......soft enough to cut it with a fork !!!!!! The wine list is very heavy on Australian wine, but it does have French, American, and other world wines for your pleasure !!!!

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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Address: 1 Martin Place
Directions: Basement of the General Post Office Building, downtown Sydney !!!!

Restaurant Name: Aqua Luna

Considered by many the best Italian restaurant in Sydney, Aqua Luna doesn't dissapoint....located on the second floor, facing Circular Quay, the views of the Harbour Bridge and the beautiful downtown city is breathtaking at night. The food is very, very good.....the food selections are simple but yet elegantly presented......the wine list is heavy on Australian wines (hey remeber you are in Sydney) but a nice selections of Italian wines are also avaiable. Service was pleasant and the setting is really romantic. Recommend it to anyone !!!!!

Favorite Dish: the oven roasted quail with thin sliced onions and potatoe slices....excellent....and vanilla cream pie for dessert !!! WOW !!!!!

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: +61 2 9251 0311
Address: East Circular Quay
Directions: on the 2nd floor above Aqua Luna BAR !!!! facing the Quay.....near Wharf # 1
Website: www.aqualuna.com.au

Restaurant Name: Quay

This is a must for the trendy and high end crowds.....Located on the 3rd floor in The Overseas Pasenger Terminal in Circular Quay above Doyles restaurant....Quay has everything a perfect night is suppose to be about.....but be warned the prices are extremely high for this place.......and the portions are small considering the prices the plates go for......most of the tables face the world famous Sydney opera house and look down at the numberous ferries going and coming into Circular Quay. The menu is simple but yet elegant in it's explantion of dishes. The wine list is long and pricey...and the desserts are to die for but again pricey !!! $20 AU for dessert, I thought it was just a bit too high and when our bill came....well let's say...we ate at some other places (see my other tips) for about half the price......but the food here was awesome to say the least !!!! If you could pluck down $300 AU for dinner .....DO IT !!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT....but if you can't then there is no need coming close to this place !!!! If this place was a bit cheaper...it would be PERFECT !!!! so I would give it an 8 out of 10...and mostly because of the cost !!!!! otherwise PERFECT !!!!!

Favorite Dish: Pan seared cod fish, with scallops, grilled octopus $47 AU a plate !!!!! but boy it's the best cod fish I have ever tasted !!!!

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 9251 5600
Address: Overseas Passenger Terminal
Directions: above Doyles restaurant !!!!
Website: www.quay.com.au

Restaurant Name: Longrain

Wow is the word for this place......Longrain serves better Thai food than if you were in Bangkok.. (AND I HAVE BEEN TO THAILAND).....a long commune table and excellent bar on the other side makes this an "IN" place for the high end crowd.......come early, come late, the place is always full......and the food is the reason why !!!!! if you are just with one person I would recommend that you sit next to eat other instead of across from each other as the table is pretty big. The food is served in big portions and are meant to be shared......and believe me when they place the food in front of you....you almost have to share !!!!! WOW !!!! The serivce was excellent with the waiter answering every question I threw at him !!!!!! PERFECT 10 out of 10 .....HIGHLY RECOMMEND......Top 5 in my list of best restaurant's from around the WORLD !!!!!!

Favorite Dish: Curried Vension is a stock pot with mushrooms and leeks !!! AMAZING !!!! oh and at the bar....Watermelon Martini !!!! two thumbs up !!!!!!

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Address: Surry Hills
Directions: on Commenweath Ave a block down the street from Hyde Park......ask anyone in the area and they direct you to where it at !!!!
Website: www.longrain.com

Restaurant Name: AMP Tower/Centrepoint.

With a set menu and set price this is an OK place to eat.....I would recommend lunch which is cheaper instead of dinner.......The food isn't the attraction.....the views is what gets people to come to this place.......sitting on top of the tower the views are stunning !!!! The food is just plain OK !!!! nothing to rave about !!!! It would have been better at lunch !!!

Favorite Dish: The wine selection was impressive...with all types of wines...of course heavy on the domestic Austrailian wines. Great buy was a Penfold's Bin 407 1999 at $28..... that's the price it sells at a wine store in the United States....and here it was the price at the restaurant !!!!!

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Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Directions: Downtown Sydney

Restaurant Name: Blue Fish Cafe

After reading several other VT tips about this place I thought this would do as a quick bite to eat and continue on our day adventures.....but I have to say...this place is Terrible !!! The service one of the worst I have ever had....even Paris which is know for there rude waiters were better than the waiters at this place......everything was a mission to get.....a soda....water, the appetizer's, food.....it took us almost 2 hours to get out of there...and the place wasn't even jammed packed !!!!!!! WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE !!!!! STAY AWAY !!!!!

UPDATE: MAY 2008

THIS RESTAURANT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS !!!!! Good RIDANCE !!!!!!

Favorite Dish: The"famous" fish and chips were terrible, and the big prices they charge is wayyyyy toooo much for such a crappy place !!!!!!

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: Darling Harbour

Restaurant Name: Sydney Fish Market.

Well there isn't much to say about this place when it comes to eating, there are several places to eat but the food isn't really well prepared and the prices aren't really worth it !!!! The seafood is fresh but other than that I was really disappointed in the place.....not really worth the trip there !!!!

Favorite Dish: Raw seafood selection is avaiable in abudance....other than that not very cheap !!!!

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Doyles at Quay

I must say Doyles has a great location at the Quay but the prices have literally gone thru the roof for such a place. The food and service were good but nothing to warrant the prices they are charging now !!! $36 AU for fish and chips, don't get me wrong the fish they use is great but 2 small portions for $36 AU !!!! just a bit pricey !!!!! come here and have a glass of wine....or you'll see the sticker shock I saw !!!!!!


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Address: Overseas passenger terminal !!!