The best casual restaurants in Sydney are a testament to the city’s laidback nature and wealth of hospitality talent. Proof that some of the city’s best gustatory delights are found outside the hallowed halls of fine dining institutions, Sydney’s casual restaurant scene serves up culinary virtuoso in relaxed settings. Doing away with multi-course tasting menus and white tablecloth service, these outposts offer the ideal setting for intimate rendezvous and group bookings alike.
Choose to linger over an aprés meal coffee or be in and out within your lunch hour; the best casual restaurants in Sydney let you set the pace.
1. Le Foote, The Rocks
An expansive 19th-century building in The Rocks plays host to Le Foote, a buzzy joint that’s a cross between a Mediterranean Grill and a Parisian wine bar. Le Foote comes courtesy of the Swillhouse Group (Restaurant Hubert, Shady Pines, and Alberto’s Lounge); while the outpost’s two wine bars offer an ideal alternative to the numerous pubs and bars dotted further up George St, bypass them both for the dining room which serves Mediterranean-style fare (the taramasalata, barramundi, and pommes frites are all must-order dishes) in a refined yet simultaneously relaxed setting.
Open: daily
Address: 101 George St, The Rocks, NSW, Australia
2. 10 William St, Paddington
Despite being able to fit on a single page, the food menu at 10 William St never gets old. Set within a two-storey Paddington terrace, the homuncular joint is run by the same brothers as Potts Point’s spacious Fratelli Paradiso. And yet; it’s 10 William St that remains our go-to. While the seasonal food menu keeps it to the point with its contemporary take on Italian cuisine (favourites include the cacio e pepe, crudités, and the focaccia), the drinks menu is where the outpost shines. The wine list is a veritable encyclopaedia of reds, whites, and orange wines worth trying, with bar staff matching the textbook knowledge with personalised recommendations. The space is small and cosy—seriously, expect to hit your elbow against a fellow patron’s whilst reaching for the aforementioned focaccia—and the volume is perpetually turned up.
Open: Monday to Saturday
Address: 10 William St, Paddington, NSW, Australia
Check out and book 10 William St.
3. Khanaa, Surry Hills
Khanaa sees Bangladesh-born, European-trained chef Opel Khan (Metisse, Acqua e Farina) draw upon his childhood and memories to create a masterful take on Bengali cuisine. Though don’t expect to find rice and curry on the menu; the vibe at Khanaa (‘khana’ means food in Bengali and Hindi) is avant-garde, experimental, and deconstructed. Khan’s Bangladeshi heritage is given a contemporary spin by his daughter Lucinda Khan, who heads up the kitchen; think fall-apart-in-your-mouth confit leek teamed with macadamia milk, the humble aloo pakora elevated to fine dining levels care of buffalo curd and caviar, and Yamba prawns paired with masala. While there is a degustation menu on offer, an à la carte menu is also available, and, despite the elevated nature of the cuisine, the open kitchen, banquette seating, large tables, and lively Surry Hills setting make for a decidedly relaxed feeling.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday
Address: 3/355 Crown St, Surry Hills, NSW, Australia
4. Continental Deli, Newtown
Serving up a slice of European charm in Sydney’s inner west, Continental Deli delivers gildas, crudo, tinned fish, cheese, pastries, canned cocktails, and fine wine in a cosy deli-cum-bistro setting. Sit at the bar downstairs and watch your sandwich being assembled or head to the dining room upstairs for one of the joint’s signature Mar-tinnys (served in a branded tin, of course — Andy Warhol would love it).
Open: daily
Address: 210 Australia St, Newtown, NSW, Australia
Check out and book Continental Deli.
5. Mr. Wong, Sydney CBD
Holding court over two floors in a former bond warehouse, Mr. Wong is a veritable institution. The Cantonese restaurant is lauded for its dim sum (save yourself the mental labour of choosing and just order the platter), wok-fried pippies in XO sauce, and signature fried rice, buoyed by an extensive drinks menu and attentive yet unpushy service.
Open: daily
Address: 3 Bridge Lane, Sydney, NSW, Australia
6. Lankan Filling Station, Darlinghurst
Lankan Filling Station is a restaurant that can be smelt before it’s seen, with notes of masala, tamarind, cardamom, and ginger delicately scenting the street. Flavour-laden bites of mixed pickles, fish cutlets, and sambol-spiced crab whet the appetite and set the tone for the feast ahead. Lacy hoppers served with coconut milk gravy and flaky roti are quick to follow—using your hands is encouraged—with an array of vegetarian, fish, and meat curries offering something more substantial. Founder and head chef O’Tama Carey skillfully weaves spices from her Sri Lankan heritage into every dish, however it’s the vegetables and sides that best showcase the balancing act of pungent, sweet and sour, and hot flavours at play here; ensure you order the snake beans with fish, cabbage mallung, and eggplant pahi.
Open: Monday to Saturday
Address: Ground Floor/58 Riley St, Darlinghurst, NSW
Check out and book Lankan Filling Station.
7. Baba’s Place, Marrickville
The unobtrusive entrance—tucked between mechanics and warehouses in Marrickville’s industrial district, it looks like a garage from the front—isn’t enough to keep Baba’s Place under the radar. On any given night, but particularly Fridays and Saturdays, expect to find the inner west joint positively teaming with locals and—gasp!—those who’ve made the great journey across the bridge. Eclectic, kitschy decor reigns supreme here, with the grandma-core interiors providing the perfect setting for dishes prepared by ‘baba’ (the Lebanese term for grandmother). Nostalgic for several ethnic communities and simply delightful for everyone else, Baba’s Place takes a gustatory journey through suburbia, exploring pockets of Sydney’s west and inner west through a menu as eclectic as its decor. While toum gets an update courtesy of a verdant garlic chive oil and hummus is served with fermented mushrooms and Afghan bread, there’s also a Bouillabaisse Bolognese, a multi-ethnic dish that sees Shanghai wheat noodles topped with XO sauce and ragù, inspired by frequent outings to Burwood’s Xi Bay restaurant.
Open: Thursday to Sunday
Address: 20 Sloane St, Marrickville, NSW, Australia
Check out and book Baba’s Place.
8. Ragazzi, Sydney CBD
Upon stepping back out into the ‘real’ world, diners at Ragazzi are left with the slightly disconcerting sensation of forgetting time and place. Ensconced in Sydney’s Angel Place, Ragazzi feels akin to a restaurant one might find in Rome or Florence, making for the ideal respite from the endless bustle of the CBD. A curated menu changes daily to weekly, showcasing seasonal produce alongside classic Italian favourites. A carb-lover’s heaven, Ragazzi purveys some of the best pasta in the city, with highlights on the rolling menu including the cacio e pepe, malfadine with mackerel, and mushroom ravioli.
Open: daily
Address: 1 Angel Pl, Sydney, NSW, Australia
9. Ramen Auru, Crow’s Nest
As casual as it gets in the best possible way. A ramen restaurant in Crow’s Nest, Ramen Auru not only brings Japanese flavours to Sydney’s north shore, but gives diners a taste of the dining style typical of the land of the rising sun. Use the vending machine-style order system upon entry, kick off your shoes (i.e. carefully place them in the dedicated cubbies), and take a seat on the tatami mats. The casual ambience of Ramen Auru belies its attention to detail in the culinary realm, with a short yet impeccably executed menu featuring a trio of signature ramens—tonotsku, yuzu shio, and ebi—complemented by gyozas, kimchi, and a couple of Chinese dishes.
Open: Wednesday to Sunday
Address: 2/F/6-8 Falcon St, Crows Nest, NSW, Australia
Check out Ramen Auru (walk-ins only).
10. Clam Bar, Sydney CBD
Heritage-listed building? Check. Unapologetic opulence? Check. Good food? Check. On a dreary day, Clam Bar provides a welcome respite from the greys and browns of Sydney’s CBD, with the aforementioned heritage-listed building complementing its Herringbone timber flooring with Art Deco chandeliers, Murano clam-shaped lights that nod to the outpost’s namesake sea creature, and chocolate-toned leather banquette seating. While its far from one of the most casual restaurants in Sydney, its moody setting and cosmopolitan crowd make for a buzzy, relaxed environment that’s the antithesis of stuffy.
Coming courtesy of Dan Pepperell, Andy Tyson, and Mikey Clift (Bistrot 916, Pellegrino 2000), Clam Bar leans into the quintessential New York steakhouse vibe, yet modernises it for today’s crowd. The menu contains all the classics—think York strip, a rib-eye, and a porterhouse—but they’re bolstered by deliciously briny oysters three ways (metropole, casino, and east coast), prawns served tom yum style, a plethora of umami-laden appetisers, and caviar bumps galore. Oh, and naturally, spaghetti with clams.
Open: Monday to Saturday
Address: 44 Bridge St, Sydney, NSW, Australia
11. Toko, Sydney CBD
It was a sad day when Toko in Surry Hills closed down. Fortunately, there’s a new Toko in town—literally, with the restaurant holding court at a moody venue on Sydney’s George Street. Old favourites have made their way onto the menu, with the miso sweetcorn, miso eggplant, ponzu kingfish, and robata grilled broccolini all receiving a welcome revival. However, the more intimate venue also introduces an exclusive omakase experience on Wednesday nights, available for eight diners at a time.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday
Address: Lower Ground, 275 George St, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Words by Theo Rosen & T. Angel
