An early Sydney pioneer of tableside service, guéridon is a cornerstone of the a’Mare experience. Founded by expert restaurateur Alessandro Pavoni, this harbourside restaurant delivers its trofie al pesto with extra flair, with the basil pounded in a mortar and pestle (as it always should be) beside your table before being stirred through curls of twisted pasta. The wagyu tartare is also similarly a la cart, with black pepper mayonnaise and various accoutrements stirred in as you watch. If it’s how you roll, there’s now an entire tableside menu – the Italian Job – with tableside bruschetta to accompany your pesto and tartare, as well as salt-baked coral trout, a sgroppino palate cleanser, gelato and optional add-ons of tableside cocktails. Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo; crownsydney.com.au.

At The Charles it’s possible to partake in gueridon, or tableside service, from entree through to dessert. The steak tartare is mixed tableside on a silver platter, with egg yolk, shallots and fresh herbs scooped from cut-glass bowls. Everything from a whole flounder and Rangers Valley rib-eye steak to the pastry-wrapped spatchcock and squab en croûte is finished tableside, as well as seasonal specials. No matter how full you are, wave down the dessert cart, piled high with sweets crafted by head pastry chef, and Dessert Masters star, Rhiann Mead. The must-try Russian Honey cake takes a full two days to make. 66 King St, Sydney; thecharles.sydney.

The new tableside lasagne and tiramisu service in Icebergs’ front bar this past winter was so popular that the Tuesday special has been extended through summer. In the Dining Room, the wild venison tartare is mixed with classic condiments at the table, while the lobster maltagliati sees a whole crustacean cooked over charcoal then plated tableside on ribbons of hand-cut pasta in a Chandon Blanc de Blancs butter. For dessert, the sgroppino is theatrically muddled in a big bowl tableside, infusing the sorbet of the day with prosecco and vodka; while the martini cart is a fixture at afternoon sessions. 1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach; idrb.com.

The trolleys are always trucking at the new Sofitel Wentworth. At Vietnamese-French eatery Delta Rue, the banh mi trolley does constant rounds, offering baguettes packed tableside with house-made chicken parfait and pickles, fragrant herbs and juicy pork belly. Downstairs, the already-legendary bread and butter service at Tilda entails enough Pepe Saya butter to make your arteries seize up on sight being seasoned and blended with aromatics tableside, then served with AP focaccia. To finish, the lemon and cheesecake trifle is scooped from its bowl directly into yours. Follow the theme through at Bar Tilda, with a tableside martini from the custom Archie Rose trolley. 61-101 Phillip St, Sydney; sofitelsydney.com.au.

The younger Shire sibling of Surry Hills favourites Arthur and Jane, Fior caps its breezy Italian dining experience with a roaming gelato trolley. Freshly churned in-house on the daily, seasonal gelato flavours such as tangy pink grapefruit and classics like rich milk chocolate and creamy pistachio are deposited into deep stainless steel tubs in a traditional Italian pozzetti freezer on wheels, and trundled out onto the restaurant floor to be liberally dolloped into metal coupes at your table. Shop 2/752 Kingsway, Gymea; fiorrestaurant.com.au.

Three decades on from its first service, the waterfront restaurant is proving as irresistible as ever for a long lunch overlooking the harbour. The new roaming cocktail cart was Catalina’s 30th birthday gift to itself, designed by innovative Sydney industrial designer David Caon, who counts Qantas and Neil Perry on his client list. The custom Catalina bar cart is currently doing the rounds making classic, Tommy’s or spicy margaritas while you watch, as well as the restaurant’s signature espresso martini. Lyne Park, New South Head Rd, Rose Bay; catalinarosebay.com.au.