In a town obsessed with real estate, there are some good restaurant views and there are great restaurant views. And then there is the vista from Café Sydney. Cafe Sydney’s private dining room is one of Sydney’s most sought after venues. With terrace access featuring views of the Harbour Bridge and floor to ceiling glass doors, this intimate setting accommodates 16 guests seated or 30 for a cocktail party. For groups of up to 60 guests, you also have the option to book an extended area of the terrace for a stand up celebration. 31 Alfred St, Circular Quay; cafesydney.com.

The Apollo’s semi-private chef’s table adjoins the kitchen and feels part of the lively dinner service, while claiming some privacy from the other punters. Chef Jonathan Barthelmess sends out share plates of his sublime, modern tweaks on Greek classics – think taramasalata dip; village salad of tomato, cucumber, feta and olives; and his famous slow-cooked lamb with lemon and Greek yoghurt – to the table of up to 12 guests. This is fun, delicious food made for joyous, communal dining. 44 MacLeay St, Potts Point, theapollo.com.au

Bronte’s neighbourhood gem Table Manners has earned a loyal following for its airy, light-filled interiors, striking wall murals by local artist Bec Fernon, an impressive wine selection and cult-favourite dishes. But tucked at the back of the Euro-inspired restaurant is an intimate private dining room, centred around a statement round marble table that seats up to 10 guests. The space offers two set menu options priced at $89 or $135 per person, showcasing the bold, produce-led flavours the restaurant is known for. tablemanners.com.au

At one of Sydney’s premier steakhouses, there’s always options. Namely, the two private dining spaces at the Gidley. For groups of up to 20, the Norfolk room is the perfect option for a larger group looking to have an elegant dining experience. For something a little more intimate and rowdy, there’s the Library. Groups of up to eight people can enjoy a private dinner before the table is whisked away to reveal a poker table – experienced dealer included. 161 King St, Sydney; liquidandlarder.com.au/venues/the-gidley.

Bennelong is the best seat in the house, the Sydney Opera House, and there’s no better dining experience – location-wise – in Sydney. The main restaurant is snug when fully booked, but the semi-private dining room offers a more intimate experience while still enjoying a presence under the lofty sculptural ribs of the building’s ceiling. Between six and 10 people can sit in the beautiful nook, with its deep, red chairs and sculptural lighting, and the same extraordinary menu the rest of Bennelong enjoys. Executive chef Peter Gilmore’s food is just as superb as the room. Bennelong Point, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, bennelong.com.au.

Instead of flying your entire crew on your private jet to Sardinia for an intimate gathering, book in to this sparkling space on Freshwater Beach with a Sardinian menu designed by Giovanni Pilu – think hand-rolled fregola and an oven-roasted suckling pig. The heritage-listed restaurant is filled with natural light by day, and the private balcony room has panoramic views of the beach. It fits up to 18 guests and none of them will have to suffer jetlag to be there. Moore Rd, Freshwater, pilu.com.au.

It feels a bit like you’re sitting in someone’s living room at Sixpenny – the tiny Inner West neighbourhood diner. This is fine dining without pomp and pretence, where every little detail – from tasting menu to hospitality – is golden. The Seven Course Tasting Menu, at $265 a head, is built around painstakingly sourced produce and shaped by the in-house koji fermentation program, with its neverending variations of house-fermented sauces and pastes. The most intimate of seats in this most intimate of venues are found in the private dining room, with its view of the kitchen. 83 Percival Rd, Stanmore, sixpenny.com.au

Designed by Luchetti Krelle, RAFI is sheer, unadulterated elegance with a mix of marble and stone floors, custom timber parquetry and pops of orange, pink and bottle green spread across the 300-seat venue. For groups, you can book out the glasshouse-like Arbour for up to 20, the plant-lined terrace for 40 or the cosy, geometric-shaped private dining room for 10. The $105 banquet menu changes seasonally, but for the next few months will star hummus with green chilli, Roman beans with roasted garlic, toothfish with charred lemon salsa and a stunning Black Angus rib-eye. Weekend get-together? There’s a bottomless lunch every Saturday and Sunday for $120pp. 99 Mount St, North Sydney, rafisydney.com.au

This Roman-inspired trattoria is the palatial sibling to famed CBD hole-in-the-wall Ragazzi Wine + Pasta. Across the 120-seat restaurant, you’ll find several areas to dine in numbers – from spacious, curved banquettes to a private dining room for up to 22, hidden behind a leather curtain. Decisions are made easy with two set menus ($90pp or $120pp) starring the likes of the much-loved Palazzo ham with house-made colatura hot sauce, hand-rolled agnolotti del plin stuffed with Wessex Saddleback pig and glossy slices of salted dark chocolate for dessert. 201 Clarence St, Sydney, palazzosalato.com

As if Quay isn’t already exquisite enough, there’s a slightly more exclusive offering to this quintessentially Sydney dining experience. The Upper Tower is the restaurant’s most intimate space, with the same panoramic views as the restaurant, where chef Peter Gilmore mans the pans. It seats up to 20 guests, and there’s floor to ceiling glass walls for full Sydney viewing impact. Overseas Passenger Terminal, Hickson Rd, The Rocks, quay.com.au

It’s not just ladies who lunch. This beautiful Hamptons-style Woollahra restaurant, with its own working kitchen garden, is perfect for groups. The charming interior is all glass-panelled French doors with views in all directions of the garden, but all eyes are on the relaxed food by chef-owner Matt Moran and head chef Tom Haynes. The semi-private dining room can accommodate up to 40 guests for a sit-down lunch or dinner receptions (yes, they do weddings). The group menu is designed for sharing, and spans wood-fired rosemary focaccia, stuffed zucchini flowers, ‘barra-in-a-bag’ with peas and broad beans, and the famous Moran Family lamb shoulder with zucchini, mint and lemon. 65 Ocean St, Woollahra, chiswickrestaurant.com.au

Da Orazio has a strong contender for Sydney’s most beautiful PDRs. Inspired by Puglia’s masserie, the space features terrazzo floors, warm blonde timber and soft, ambient lighting – creating an oasis-like feel just moments from Bondi Beach. The room seats 14-20 guests around a central table and offers two menu options: the $105pp Tavolata (also available in the main dining room) and the $145pp Dining Room menu, exclusive to the PDR. Both showcase Da Orazio’s signature Italian fare, from seafood pasta and charcoal-grilled steaks to woodfired focaccia and pistachio Maritozzi. daorazio.com.au

The postcard-worthy view of Sydney Harbour jostles with the stellar food by chef Matt Moran in this slick dining room, which is completely private. A recent mammoth refurbishment has instilled a new vibrancy to this beautiful space by Sydney’s favourite restaurant interior architect George Livissianis. The room seats up to 54 guests or 120 for cocktails, and has an exclusive terrace. 1 Macquarie St, Sydney, ariarestaurant.com

Otto’s home in the heritage Woolloomooloo Wharf makes this one of the loveliest rooms in waterfront Sydney on a sparkling day. A party of six to 14 can dine in the elevated 100-year-old timber wool lift, which is completely exclusive to the main restaurant and has its own waiter. The Rosso room, for 35 seated or 50 standing guests, overlooks the marina below. Area 8, 6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, ottoristorante.com.au/sydney

Sitting in the beautiful wine cellar that is the private dining room at Beppis Restaurant remains one of the most charming dining experiences in Sydney. After more than 60 years in the same location, Beppis has weathered the tides of trends and new openings, while consistently delivering authentic Italian food and polished service. 21 Yurong St, Sydney, beppis.com.au.