Resy’s Guide to The Best Restaurants in Darlinghurst

A pillar of the Sydney dining scene and a favourite among industry types, Dimitri’s specialises in wood-fired sourdough pizza, handmade pastas, craft beers, and natural wines. The heart of the restaurant is a traditional Italian pizza oven (transported brick-by-brick), which turns out crisp, fluffy pies with traditional and creative toppings. Try the Bee Sting, a savoury-sweet concoction with sweet tomatoes, mozzarella, sopressa, and hot honey. Takeaway also available.

A darling of Sydney’s South Asian food scene, LFS is legendary for its assertive Sri Lankan sambals, curries, and rotis. Equally so is its buzzing dining room — a balm for lockdown-induced isolation — and banquet-style menu, perfect for gathering a few friends. The black crab curry is legendary, and the wine list is full of pleasurable surprises and twists.

An institution for craft beer devotees, yes, but also a fantastic bar for casual drinkers, Bitter Phew has garnered a reputation (and been named the best place to drink beer in the country – twice) for its no-compromise approach to quality. Twelve taps are in constant rotation, highlight interesting brews, while hundreds of bottles — many local, but also international — span a range of styles. There’s a cosy outdoor deck for al fresco drinking, while the main bar – found up a stairway on Oxford Street – feels like snuggling up in a friend’s living room.

While the original Freda’s may be gone – for now – the owners have converted the ground floor space into an airy café and bistro complete with an artsy vibe and plenty of outdoor seating for lazy lunches on an iconic Oxford Street corner. Xinyi Lim – previously of NYC’s Marlow and Sons – cooks with lightness and finesse; expect dishes like creamy burrata with carrot mole and floral Sichuan peppercorn, or pannacotta infused with pandan. A former Leo somm oversees a wine list of French and Italian vintages alongside natural drops that change regularly.

The original location of Bill’s was an original in many ways – an OG brunch spot that broke the mould for easy, sunny dining, and the restaurant that ensured avocado toast, sweetcorn fritters and ricotta hotcakes were essentials on every brunch menu from Bali to London. Three decades on, its communal table and dining room are still buzzing, and it’s a fitting place to pay homage with a full Aussie breakfast and cocktails.

Home of Sydney’s pasta wheel (think tableside cacio e pepe from a giant wheel of pecorino), the pillars of the Buffalo Dining Club are pasta, cheese, and prosciutto. Grab a table on the footpath for some fresh air and easy, comforting Italian dishes, excellent burrata, and a glass of wine or three. Very fun, very accessible, and no-nonsense.

This upscale corner café boasts artsy, minimal interiors punctuated with lush florals, superb coffee, and food that befits chef Jihwan Choi’s pedigree. A Momofuku Seiobo alum, Choi preps casually luxe dishes like a croque-monsieur that arrives beneath a shower of black truffles; ocean trout gravlax; and a lobster roll with caviar service that somehow feels totally in sync with its relaxed surroundings. Brunch here is pretty special, and bookings are accepted.