French techniques meet Korean flavours at Allta, a minimalist, degustation-only fine diner on Pitt Street. The grown-up counterpart to chef Jun-su Chang’s surrealist Korean diner Funda, Allta offers a classic “fine dining” experience, with silent chefs and an austere atmosphere included. Guests journey through a 15-course tasting menu while sat at a communal horseshoe-shaped counter, savouring bites like Naeng-chae – cold seasonal vegetables in punchy mustard dressing; delicate scampi tweezered into place with salty cured egg yolk; and buttery toothfish cut with daikon and earthy Jerusalem artichoke. 50 Pitt St, Sydney; alltasydney.com.au.

At long last, Saint Peter restaurant has reopened at The Grand National Hotel in Paddington, just upstream from the original Oxford Street site. Saint Peter at The Grand National has grown from a guppy on Oxford St to a seriously Big Fish. A slick new fit-out by Sydney-based designer Studio Aquilo features fine fishbone tiled walls and curved booth seating in soft mollusc shades. 161 Underwood St, Paddington; saintpeter.com.au.

While it’s easy to be enthralled by the food on the plate and wine in the glass, Aalia’s interior is also part of the journey. The natural textures, warm lighting and sculptural mushroom-like curves of the ceiling are reminiscent of the restaurant’s home within Harry Seidler’s Modernist MLC Centre, visible through floor-to-ceiling windows. The soft, inviting space has the same warm welcome and sculptural wow of chef Paul Farag’s menu, reminding you that this is something worth leaving home for. 25 Martin Pl, Sydney; aaliarestaurant.com.

With seating for 150 patrons spread across two large dining rooms, Armorica Grand Brasserie still maintains an intimate and opulent feel. ‘Grand’ is most certainly the word for it, with impressive handcrafted details throughout the space, from ribbed red leather seating to gilded scones and a series of art moderne paintings on the wall. Front and centre is an impressive Brescia Pontifina marble bar, behind from which a small army of chefs are busy preparing le menu. 490 Crown St Surry Hills; armorica.com.au.

With Quay’s imminent closure on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026, its decades-long run as one of Sydney’s premier destination diners is now drawing to a close. It’s not going to be easy to say goodbye – Quay might have been serving for over 20 years but Peter Gilmore’s flagship fine diner has never looked or felt fresher. Spotted gum tables along with custom-made leather chairs and a royal blue carpet that stretches endlessly out to sea cements this fine-dining staple in its Circular Quay locale. The showpiece remains the Sydney Opera House with its glowing white sails, which can be admired from all angles. When it comes to the eight-course tasting menu, Gilmore is still at the top of his game. If you can snag a table before last service, be sure to save room for the iconic Snow Egg. Here’s to you, Quay – you will be greatly missed. Upper Level Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks; quay.com.au

The first independent restaurant of acclaimed chef Phil Wood, formerly of Pt. Leo Estate and Rockpool, Ursula’s sits within a pretty corner terrace in the leafy backstreets of Paddington. The newly renovated space could just as easily be an art gallery, and the menu proves Wood’s talent at turning simple dishes into show-stopping masterworks. The restaurant is billed as a neighbourhood diner, but we’re not so sure about that. If locals thought they could keep Ursula’s all to themselves, they’d better think again. 92 Hargrave St, Paddington; ursulas.com.au.

Cooking over flames is hot on the international fine-dining circuit. And in Australia, no one does it better than Lennox Hastie. Even before an appearance on Netflix’s Chef’s Table made scoring a table here a competitive sport, Firedoor had become renowned for fire-fuelled cooking of unexpected delicacy. In the open kitchen that forms the smouldering heart of the venue, Hastie calmly supervises the wood-fired grills. From flame to plate, there’s nowhere to hide in Hastie’s kitchen. It’s dinner theatre acted out by a team firing on all cylinders. 23-33 Mary St, Surry Hills; firedoor.com.au.

Swaying masts, superyachts and LuMi – it’s all about luxe in this pocket of Pyrmont. There are two menus at this moody fine diner but only one choice to make: whether you opt for the original tasting menu – with no fewer than 13 individual dishes – or the omakase, a tasting menu on steroids, bedazzled with truffle and caviar. Despite the impressive quantity, it’s somehow impossible not to clear each plate. 56 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont; lumidining.com.

Almost 90 years on, Jonah’s of Whale Beach is still a big fish in the Sydney dining scene.After the departure of executive chef Logan Campbell, Jonah’s has managed to lure top chef Matteo Zamboni to the post. He’s a great catch, with four Michelin-starred restaurants on his CV, and a raft of experience at similar seaside stalwarts, from Quay to Pilu at Freshwater and Ormeggio at The Spit. Younger and more progressive than chefs past, Zamboni has thrown the old menus out the impressively large windows, to incorporate a string of more playful and imaginative dishes. 69 Bynya Rd Palm Beach; jonahs.com.au.

Only Bennelong could make turnips sexy. In a dish of sashimi scallops, it lends a delicate crunch to an otherwise silky smooth oyster cream dressing. Later, we find it playing a supporting role in a magical dish of lightly seared coral trout, flown in from the Great Barrier Reef, served with shavings of southern squid on a koji emulsion bed. Granted, turnips aren’t the only star of the show. There’s the knockout location inside the Sydney Opera House; the impeccable level of service on the dining room floor; and attention to detail from the kitchen led by chefs Peter Gilmore and Rob Cockerill. Bennelong Point, Sydney; bennelong.com.au.

An unwavering commitment to locally sourced, ethically raised, and incredibly high quality is the name of the game at The Blue Door. The pint-sized restaurant plays fast and loose with the ‘menu’, in that, it doesn’t exist. Go with the flow, everything is delicious and the matching wines are a wild exploration of creative local and international makers. Relax, you’re in good hands. 38 Waterloo St Surry Hills; thebluedoorsurryhills.com.au.