14 Outstanding Sydney Restaurants For a Group Dinner

Talented young chef Tristan Rosier (ex-Est and Biota) heads up this personable, intimate Surry Hills diner, with refined interiors and produce-forward plates. Its restrained but welcoming dining room is prime for groups, taking bookings for up to nine people or you can book directly for larger groups. The six-course menu takes the fuss out of ordering, with plates showcasing seasonal veggies, thoughtfully-sourced and seasoned seafood and vibrant flavours all round.

This all-day wine bar takes up the prime position on the corner of Stanley and Crown Street and leans into bright and breezy Mediterranean snacks and share plates. Bar Nina boasts a great value set menu, which includes calamari fritti, charcuterie, duck ragu rigatoni and tiramisu to finish. You can book in for up to 12, while larger groups can get in touch to cater with custom menus, beverage packages, food stations and canapes.

Parties of all sizes are welcome at this slick neighbourhood wine bar, where Mediterranean-leaning snacks rule alongside interesting wines from across the world. Alongside two spaces that can be booked out for private dining, Bibo also takes group bookings for up to 18 people in the main dining room. Here, former fine-dining chef Jose Silva nods to his Portuguese heritage for the menu of wine-friendly bites. A shared set menu may see rich smoked mackerel pressed into pâté; bacalhau (dried and salted cod) fried into golden croquettes; or flambéed chorizo.

Bistecca’s phone-free dining room policy means you may not have seen photos of it all over Instagram, but word-of-mouth praise has spread about this excellent underground CBD restaurant. Diners can get around the eponymous dish of the lauded Tuscan-style wood-grilled t-bone steak, alongside sides of generously seasoned veggies and a wine list that celebrates the two kings of Italian wine, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.

Situated in one of the country’s most esteemed art galleries, Crafted sees much-loved chef Matt Moran behind a menu that celebrates Australian produce cooked and served with finesse. Groups of eight or more can get around a three-course set menu that takes in the greatest hits of the wider menus, and caters for vegans too. Think herb-flecked focaccia and an orb of milky burrata, followed by potato gnocchi with zucchini, citrus and chilli, or perhaps a gently grilled swordfish steak asparagus and a zippy salsa crudo, while a classic chocolate torte seals the deal and completes the meal.

With its glamorous dining room, astute waitstaff and elegant menu, this luxe Potts Point brasserie is a destination for an extravagant affair. Work your way through one of two set menus, both of which celebrate modern takes on French classics. The first is a choose-your-own three-course affair, while the L ‘Aristocrate menu sees caviar, miniature Martinis, oysters, a one kilo t-bone steak and a spiced apple tarte tatin dished out to share.

Though this restaurant may be small in size, it can accommodate group bookings easily, with a banquet menu of rollicking good curries, punchy sambols and delicately crisp hoppers at $70. You can also book in for the beloved crab curry banquets on Sunday, which sees blue swimmer crab slicked in a peppery curry sauce, with legs and claws ready to be broken apart to pry the sweet crab meat from.

Nik Hill’s Paddington diner pays homage to the humble hog from snout to tail, with jazzed up Frenchy bistro classics being dished out in this charming dining room situated just above P&V. Whole Berkshire pigs are delivered weekly, and then transformed into carefully pressed terrines, neat cutlets and hearty pork chops. This hearty-yet-elegant fair is prime for tackling as a group, alongside vol-au-vents, raw endive salads and grilled baby octopus.

This Oaxacan restaurant is the eighth venue from hospitality pros Milpa Collective, who know their way around excellent tequila and mezcal, superb snacks and hosting groups. The menu is both opulent and adventurous, taking snacks from the city of Oaxaca. Work your way through memelitas (a round, thicker corn tortilla) which may be crowned with blue swimmer crab, morita salsa and guacachile; and tetelas (grilled corn masa triangles) perhaps filled with Mexican truffle and goat cheese and topped with urchin roe and caviar. Parties of ten or more will be fitted out with the chef’s tasting menu. Given its CBD location, they also have the capacity to host larger scale corporate and one-off events.

Sean Moran has built his name over 25-plus years, becoming one of Bondi and Australia’s most beloved chefs, thanks largely to his honest, unfussy but always excellent beachside diner. Groups are well looked after by the standard-setting waitstaff and easy-going BYO policy, while the menu centres on premium produce sourced from Moran’s own farm in Bilpin.

If you’re after a group dining experience that’s homely and comforting but still modern and even better than you could cook at home, Sunday is a top pick. This welcoming Potts Point diner celebrates the tradition of gathering for a Sunday roast, tricked up with excellent snacks and sides, alongside a thoughtfully curated drinks list. Share oysters, creole chicken wings and croquettes, followed by a free-range rotisserie-cooked chook with all the sides.

This Five Ways dwelling restaurant accommodates groups with ease, dishing out an $85 tasting menu that leans into Mexican classics with produce-driven modern updates. With the ability to cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diners (just make sure you let them know while booking), you’ll work your way through ceviche tacos, beetroot cured salmon, eggplant nachos, slow-roasted lamb shoulder and charcoal chicken. As the name implies, agave spirits are the star of the cocktail menu, with Margaritas shaken up alongside modern riffs on classics. Larger groups of ten or more can also book in to use their dining areas exclusively.

Instead of taking your chances on any old pub, book ahead for a big brunch at the Unicorn, where you’ll be furnished with great beers on taps, one of Sydney’s best schnitzels and charming pub hospitality. The counter ordering system means no fussing with split bills, and the menu caters to dietaries of all types, as well as kids.

While the much-adored original Golden Century may be shuttered for now, you can still rally the troops and hit this Darling Square sister restaurant, where the greatest hits of the Chinatown mainstay can still be found. Going in a group means you can order a dish from every section of the menu and splash out on live seafood cooked-to-order (including whole green lip abalone steamed or coral trout) and Cantonese favourites like salt and pepper squid and garlicky stir-fried prawns. And of course, you have to get the eponymous dish of XO pippies, which sees a salty slosh of stir-fried pippies atop crisp vermicelli noodles.