The Resy Guide to Sydney’s Cosiest Neighbourhood Restaurants

The crisp bowl-shaped hoppers (delicate savoury Sri Lankan pancakes) are just one of the reasons to visit this Darlinghurst restaurant – and the fragrant curries and punchy sambols you swipe up with them are another. Chef O Tama Carey’s Sri Lankan hotspot creates curries that layer on the flavour dimensions, be it a fiery and sour prawn number aided by the undercurrent of tamarind; or a gentle, toasty cumin seed-powered cashew nut curry.

The friendly neighbourhood feels run strong at this Redfern corner restaurant, thanks to the keen and kind staff, excellent plates of seasonally lead food and ace drinks list. The Tuesday night local’s night is also a surefire win, which may see homely slices of butternut pumpkin and eggplant lasagne or spaghetti with pancetta and peas, served alongside a glass of vino.

This Italian mainstay has pretty much reached institution-level in Sydney, thanks to its restrained but always hard-hitting menu. While it’s a special spot, it’s also an ideal place to cruise into for a midweek dinner, because toothsome spaghettini with scampi and a bright cherry tomato studded bisque is never a bad idea on any night of the week.

Candlelit tables, an approachable-but-excellent natural-leaning wine list and inclusive plates of pasta make this modern Manly trattoria a local’s secret. Order up spaghetti tossed with red chillis, garlic, parsley and nubs of Western Australia scallops; or casarecce mingling with a sausage ragu; plus, pastas are also available in gluten-free versions too.

Glebe Point Road is packed out with plenty of restaurants, but you’ll have to travel right down the end to find one of its best. Within this homely diner, you’ll find a chalkboard menu beholding European share plates and mains – perhaps yellowtail kingfish crudo served with crunchy apple and zippy herb oil; or a country-style chicken liver pâté; followed by roast duck with braised leeks, pickled peach and jus; or folds of pappardelle with roasted tomato, cod roe and pangratatto.

This mainstay Mosman restaurant brings something unique to the suburb: pan-African eats, a vibrant atmosphere and always friendly service. The sprawling menu travels through the continent, be it Moroccan chicken tagine with orange, honey and apricots; Kenyan beef and black chickpea curry; or Tunisian-style slow-cooked lamb shanks. Add in an eclectic and welcoming feel and bright cocktails, and you’ve got a neighbourhood haunt worth revisiting again and again.

Newtown is filled with a lot of great restaurants, but not all of them have as much heart as Bloodwood. This community-focused restaurant sees head chef and owner Claire Van Vuuren plate up clever snacks (be it a clever plant-based take on pâté, crafted from pecans) and producer-showcasing mains (perhaps charcoal-kissed octopus with kipfler potato and skordalia; or pan-roasted Murray cod in an aromatic broth), alongside sustainably-minded wines.

The tradition of a Sunday roast is the calling card every day at this easy-going Potts Point diner. Rotisserie chooks are served alongside all the accoutrements (crisp roast potatoes, pumpkin, beans and of course, gravy), and there’s also chip butties, creole chicken wings and schnitzels (served in burgers and pitas), alongside a solid natural wine list.

Chef Nik Hill pays ode to the humble pig at this Paddington bistro located above P&V. Even though the food is French-leaning, the dining room has all the charm and warmth of an English pub. While the kitchen transforms a whole pig into rillettes, pork chops and terrines, you’ll also find just shucked oysters; bourride (fish stew with aïoli); and coq au vin on the menu as well.

This day-to-night cafe serves a brunch and dinner menu that draws on the family’s Sri Lankan heritage, joined by their collective high-end restaurant experience. Dive into prawns gently tossed in black pepper, pickled chilli and red onion; a curry of slow-roasted beef short with green banana chips and lemongrass oil; and lamprais (banana-leaf wrapped burgher rice and curry parcels).

Sydney’s lower North Shore – particularly Crows Nest – has become a bubbling hub for Japanese expatriates living in Australia, and Yurippi Yakitori draws in locals and visitors alike. The pint-sized dining room is charged by the scent of smoking yakitori skewers, threaded with glossy chicken thigh and shallots; king oyster mushrooms with soy butter; unctuous pork jowl; and tsukune (chicken meatballs), all rendered tender and moreish by the charcoal-lit flames.

The ‘Corn is a pitch-perfect pub with Sydney style, thanks to its epic bone-in schnitzels, dartboards and an occasional dancefloor. Inside you can dine in the cosy pub upstairs or the more intimate subterranean dining room, while a quaint beer garden out the back seals the deal. The wine list is also well above your average pub selection, with drops from Australian minimal intervention producers as the focus.