The restaurants in Barangaroo are now some of Sydney’s hottest. Barangaroo is a relatively new very exciting neighbourhood in Sydney.
Shockingly, there was a rather large area of Sydney New South Wales just over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and to the side of the central business district that was quite a no man’s land. Extraordinary in a city with such high real estate prices.
There has been a massive amount of investment in this region to create the streets of Barangaroo. The team behind Barangaroo sydney have done an outstanding job.
They were inspired by the laneways of Melbourne and they have managed to create an area that already feels like a neighbourhood rather than a new complex.
Best of all, Barangaroo is home to some of the most exciting and interesting Sydney restaurants and a crucial part of any Sydney Itinerary.
My brother lives in Sydney and works around Barangaroo and I visit at least every two years so I can attest that Barangaroo is home to some of the most popular restaurants in Sydney.
Plus every time I go to Sydney and meet up with friends they suggest meeting at one of the restaurants in Barangaroo.
I have been to Barangaroo quite a few times – and I even went on a food tour that covered the area – so I like to think I am in a good position to write about some of the best restaurants in Barangaroo.
Restaurants in Barangaroo – The Theme
Barangaroo is positioned as The Streets of Barangaroo – as I mentioned above it is a bit of a nod to the popular laneway culture in Melbourne and in Sydney to some extent.
It is clear that all Barangaroo suppliers were given a brief to push the envelope out when it came to design and concepts and the result is a cutting-edge collection must eat places in Sydney Australia.
The majority of Barangaroo restaurants are, of course, on the waterfront. They are the classic Australian model of a small inside seating area and then a large outside eating area with cover for the harsh Aussie sun and Sydney’s tropical rainstorms.
Barangaroo is home to some of the nicest outdoor restaurants Sydney has on offer.
Lining Barangaroo Avenue is a number of interesting and different eats – many brought to you by some of the top names in Australian food. I have visited several myself but have also sought advice from my Sydney based brother who works in the Barangaroo area and is quite the king of lunch!
Barangaroo is a big neighbourhood with quite a few different areas. Plus, there is still quite a bit of construction going on. As it can be a little confusing I highly recommend taking the Taste of Sydney Food Tour which covers both Barangaroo and the Rocks. This tour also has quite a few Sydney Hidden Gems that will make you feel like a local!
Fantastic Restaurants in Barangaroo
1. Banksii Barangaroo
Banksii Barangaroo is one of the hottest restaurants on Barangaroo Avenue. The food is modern Australian but then it also has a “Vermouth” bar. I had never heard of a Vermouth bar but hey there you go.
I chose an Aperol Spritz at Banksii instead as I was severely jet-lagged and thought it wasn’t the time to test drive a new alcoholic beverage but next time I will be there.
Banksii Barangaroo also has a whole page of spritzes. In addition to this classic, there are Campari spritzes and many Vermouth based spritzes all of which sounded fantastic.
2. Love Fish
I headed to Love Fish Barangaroo as I was craving some good Australian seafood and I certainly got it. Love Fish Barangaroo is located on the waterfront. As per its name, there is a fantastic selection of Aussie fish treats as well as a few meat options.
We started by splitting 2 entrees – the snapper ceviche and the salt and pepper squid. Both were delicious although I particularly enjoyed the ceviche.
For the main, it had to be Barramundi. For those of you who aren’t Australian Barramundi is probably Australia’s signature white fish and I love it. It is a soft and fleshy fish and best served grilled – with some chips on the side. Love Fish has great Barramundi.
The service was friendly and fast and the location is absolutely delightful. I also enjoyed an apple mockhito which I can highly recommend.
3. Bel & Brio
One of my favourites is Bel & Brio. This is a giant deli as well as a bar as well as a restaurant that is about a block in from the water. You will want to have an apartment whilst in Sydney if you go here as there is a fantastic selection of delicious-looking food – especially the amazing display of yoghurts.
I had a great coffee here and they also do a full menu and have a nice looking bar.
Bel & Brio is deservedly well known for its outstanding pizza which is served in the ground floor restaurant. There is also a fine dining restaurant tucked away on the ground floor.
Bel & Brio Barangaroo is open all day and does a fantastic menu. The bar dining menu has a range of salads and an Italian style menu of antipasti and pizzas.
4. Anason
On the European front, Anason is a Greek restaurant on Barangaroo Avenue with super cute bright blue gorgeous wicker chairs to help you feel like you are in Mykonos.
Anason was set up by chef and cookbook author Somer Sivrioglu who was already well known for his Turkish restaurant Effendy in Sydney’s Balmain. Anason Barangaroo offers Anatolian cooking like the meyhanes of Istanbul. I absolutely loved my meal here.
The menu features a range of sharing dishes broken down into Flora, Ocean and Fauna. The majority of the menu is in Flora and Ocean so Anason Sydney is a great choice for vegetarians.
Everything we ordered at Anason was amazing! I am very pleased with how well these photos came out and I can tell you that the food tastes as good as it looks. The char-grilled octopus and the amazing bread were the highlights of the meal for me.
5. Wild Sage
Wild Sage is modern Australian eating at its best. The restaurant itself is very contemporary and light with loads of glass. Wild Sage Barangaroo is open all day so you can start off your morning with their chilli scrambled eggs. The weekend brunch menu, in particular, is very impressive.
The menu is quite broad and features everything from pasta to salads and sandwiches to their deservedly famous lobster tacos. The dinner menu is quite similar and divided into sharing dishes and main meals.
6. Bourke Street Bakery
Barangaroo is home to a branch of the brilliant Bourke Street Bakery. The first Bourke Street Bakery was in Sydney’s Surry Hills and is home to one of the best sausage rolls you are ever likely to eat and many other extraordinary treats!
7. Belle’s Chicken
Belle’s Hot Chicken is also located on Barangaroo Avenue. I first visited Barangaroo about 5 years ago when it was mostly still under construction and a pop up of Belle’s was pretty much the only thing open. However, it served some pretty fantastic fried chicken so do check it out.
⇒ Don’t miss my post on the 10 best weekend getaways from Sydney for grown-ups.
8. Rivareno Gelato
Finally, I had to die for salted caramel ice cream at RivaReno Gelato. Riva Reno is located one block from the water and near Barangaroo House. It is a proper Italian Gelato shop and I highly recommend it.
One of the things which makes Rivareno gelato taste so good is the temperature at which they keep their gelato. They keep it warmer than the average ice cream and make all their gelato fresh daily.
This means that ice crystals do not form in the gelato so it has a particularly velvety texture which is absolutely delicious.
Other great places to eat in Barangaroo
My brother highly rates Nola’s Smokehouse when it comes to restaurants in Barangaroo. The smokehouse is all about meat – big platters, bbq and sharing platters.
The other place to go for a meat fest is The Meat and Wine Company. If you are looking to spend big on the modern Australian eating front check out Cirrus– it has a big pricey reputation
As you would expect in Australia there are a large number of Asian and Asian fusion restaurants in Barangaroo. My brother highly rates the Old Town Hong Kong restaurant which is traditional Cantonese.
Lotus Barangaroo also has had great reviews and is a favourite with my foodie niece. Lotus focuses on dumplings dumplings dumplings and seafood. For sushi check out Sushi Hon Izakaya.
⇒ And definitely log in to 12Go when you’re organising how you’re going to get around Australia. This super easy to use platform has all modes of transport on the one platform and allows you to compare based on time, cost, and reviews.
The best name of a Barangaroo restaurant has got to be Phomo! This Vietnamese themed restaurant also has prime real estate on Barangaroo Avenue but lower prices than most of the restaurants I have mentioned above.
The same is the case with Two Sticks which is Chinese with lots of hot soups and cold noodles.
And finally, for an Asian snack and drink head to Bing’s Bao and Beer.Barangaroo House is a 3 storey 3 in one concept. The ground floor has an outdoor relaxed feeling and all the main meals are under AUD$30.
They also have a great happy hour offer on drinks. On the first floor is Bea which is modern Australian and has considerably higher price points. The top floor is Smoke – a fabulous rooftop bar with amazing views.
⇒ If you’re keen on exploring more of Foodie Sydney check out Taste Tour’s Taste of Chinatown Tour or their Taste of Syria, Afghanistan and Persia tour of Merrylands.
How to Get to Barangaroo:
The easiest way to get to Barangaroo is to take a train or a bus to Wynyard station. Once you are there it is about a 5-minute walk through a very clearly signed tunnel to head to the road that takes you straight down to the water and the heart of Barangaroo.
If you are staying in the Sydney CBD or Darling Harbour it is an easy walk. It is also fairly comfortable just over a 10-minute walk from Circular Quay.
Other Things to Do at Barangaroo:
As I noted above quite a few of the restaurants on the waterfront have bars – with a particular call out to the Vermouth bar at Banksii Barangaroo. However, the back streets of Barangaroo also have some hidden gems.
I was captivated by the combination of a bar and a blow-dry at Blown! They have a bar which is also where you sit to get your hair done – whilst you are having a drink! What a brilliant idea!
And whilst I am mentioning concept bars The Shirt Bar is both a bar and a men’s shirt shop. And The Shirt Bar at Barangaroo serves food. I do love a concept bar.
There are quite a few cute boutiques in the streets of Barangaroo. They tend to be quite modern and small brand focused so rather interesting. There is also a decent-sized albeit scaled down David Jones department store for your big brand needs.
Barangaroo is still under construction and there are plans for more Barangaroo restaurants. The Streets of Barangaroo website is great for keeping up to speed with all the new openings and what is already on offer in terms of food and shopping.
And for bookings, you can sort this from anywhere in the world before you go with Open Table.
⇒ Planning a trip to Melbourne? Read about the Best Place to Stay in Melbourne, where to have a fantastic Melbourne Brunch, 18 brilliant places to watch the sunset in Melbourne, and 2 of Melbourne’s best side-trips: The Mornington Peninsula and Daylesford. And don’t forget Melbourne is very close to the wonderful Tasmania.
Flights to Sydney:
Yes, I am afraid it is a very long flight and there is no way around that! A stopover in Asia is often a good idea to break things up.
And as you may have heard Australia is big! Often the easiest to get to most of the Sydney getaways above and to be able to explore them properly is to hire a car.
⇒ Heading to Australia for the first time? Check out this fantastic 101 Things you Need to Know when Visiting Australia Post
Boutique Hotels in Sydney
This part of Sydney tends to be more about big hotel chains vs boutiques but there are a few good ones. I would recommend having a look at:
For an amazing location literally right on Sydney Harbour check out Pier One
⇒ Read reviews on TripAdvisor ⇒ Book Now
You can’t go wrong staying at a Langham hotel – this is the Langham Sydney which is within walking distance to Barangaroo nestled in The Rocks.
⇒ Read reviews on TripAdvisor ⇒ Book Now
Hotel Palisade is my pick. Hotel Palisade is a gorgeous boutique hotel with fantastic views of Sydney harbour. It also has a great classic ground floor Australian pub and a fantastic cocktail bar with awesome views on the top floor.
⇒ Read reviews on TripAdvisor ⇒ Book Now
And for an affordable boutique hotel in the heart of The Rocks check out The Russell Boutique Hotel
⇒ Read reviews on TripAdvisor ⇒ Book Now
Planning a trip to Queensland? Check out my posts on the top 15 Brisbane Boutique Hotels and my Gold Coast Itinerary.
Tours of Sydney:
There are loads of ways to explore Sydney as part of a tour. This is often a necessary way to explore Sydney as it is often a much easier way to get out onto Sydney Harbour! Here are some of the most popular tours in Sydney:
⇒ The brilliant Sydney Bridge Climb – don’t miss this! I paid extra to go at sunset and it was well worth it!
⇒ Try a guided tour walking tour of the Sydney Opera House – otherwise, it is just a beautiful building – or take a Behind the Scenes Tour of the opera house.
⇒ a Jet Boat Tour of Sydney harbour is a great way to get a feel for the city – but I do warn you that you will most likely get wet!
⇒ take a Pub Walking Tour of The Rocks
⇒ or a great affordable way to see the entire harbour is the Sydney Harbour Hop-on Hop-off Cruise
Day Trips from Sydney
In addition to all that Sydney has on offer, there are loads of great easy day trip options and loads of great weekend getaways from Sydney. The most popular day trips from Sydney are:
⇒ The most popular day trip from Sydney is to the beautiful Blue Mountains
⇒ For wine lovers don’t miss a day trip to the nearby Hunter Valley
⇒ Visit some of the most beautiful beaches in New South Wales – including where Home and Away is filmed – on this Sydney Northern Beaches tour.
⇒ And don’t miss a mini day trip to Watsons Bay Sydney – just a ferry trip away from Circular Quay.
Who Paid for What in this Post
I covered all of the costs associated with this cost. I wrote the first version when I was living in Sydney and now update it on my semi-annual returns and as I come across any relevant news.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click through on them and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of this.
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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.
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Wednesday 24th of January 2018
This is really is great, awesome review for AU.