Over the last few years, Barangaroo restaurants have gone through some significant changes. The Shipyard that used to be full of busy warehouse space is now one of Sydney’s most beautiful and popular restaurants precincts. Besides having awe-inspiring city architecture, it also has perfect views for watching the sunset thanks to its west-facing aspect.
It has been a long wait, but the streets of Barangaroo waterfront precinct in the CBD look pretty handsome these days, and with Crown Sydney, it’s the official tallest building as its centrepiece.
And not only the million-dollar harbour views – but the Barangaroo area is also home to regular international visitors and great culinary outdoor dining experiences by sun view. The Wulugul Walk might be the best way to experience this destination, as it offers continuous barbecue fare discounts for hungry walkers.
People come here for Ross & Sunny Lusted (Woodcut, The Bridge Room), Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit), and the globally loved Nobu and three-Michelin Star chef Clare Smyth. Considering Corso Brio Italian, seafood, Japanese omakase, Turkish, fried chicken, whole fish, and contemporary Chinese—there are plenty of options to choose from.
The Best Barangaroo Restaurants
1) Oncore By Clare Smyth
Known for her successful restaurants, cafes, and bar in the UK, Clare Smyth is coming to Sydney Harbour. And now, she’s come to Sydney to take over the 26th floor of the Crown Tower with its beautiful views across the city. Clare Smyth was awarded three Michelin stars recently – making her restaurant the most famous dine casual eats accolade in the locality of Barangaroo. This is a tremendous honour, and it’s a sign of how talented Clare Smyth is.
Crown Sydney is an incredible dining destination in the south city, and you’re guaranteed to have an excellent time while dining here. Oncore by Clare Smyth will offer you a service no lower than the best standards. Her restaurant in Barangaroo draws on sustainable fresh produce from the nation’s best farmers and producers and a 3,000-strong wine cellar. Their interiors are luxurious and elegant, and their food is no less than exceptional with exquisite presentation.
Renowned for having dishes on the table that balance the tension between simplicity and sophistication, Smyth’s Sydney menu will include her now-famous Potatoes and Roe dish. Sydney will be the first place to experience potatoes from Southern Highlands farms.
2) Woodcut
We’ve always been impressed by The Bridge Room, so when former head chef Ross and his wife Sunny Lousy opened their new restaurant in this locality filled with some of the best cafes and bars with wine, we had high expectations. The husband-and-wife duo delivered to no one’s surprise with this sprawling venue that opens out onto the water and Barangaroo Promenade. Their modern restaurant quickly became one of the best Barangaroo restaurants you could dine at.
The outdoor dining and bars are open on the rooftop, and they’re spacious with four front-of-house kitchens, bringing guests into the centre of the kitchen experience. The dishes change every day in place of a traditional menu split into entrees, mains, and desserts.
If you’re coming here with high expectations, you won’t be disappointed but merely surprised by how much it met your standards. The service here is top-notch, just like the promising quality of food.
3) Nobu
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert DeNiro famously launched their Nobu empire in 1994 by opening the famed New York City restaurant. First, they opened to dine in Paris, and since then, Nobu has opened over 50 internationally-renowned best restaurants for lunch. Nobu now resides at a site in Barangaroo amongst some of the best restaurants at Crown Sydney.
Sydney locals now have the exciting opportunity to enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist from one of the most beautiful waterfront restaurants in the area.
Chef Harold Hurtado has spent 11 years working in the group’s best restaurants and showcases signature dishes, like black cod miso, dessert, and yellowtail jalapeno. When it comes to ordering, if you can’t decide between the Classic or Now menu, we recommend going for the Nobu Classic.
4) Lotus Barangaroo
When dumplings experts at Lotus joined the unique waterfront outdoor discover outdoor dining scene and exclusive supper clubs at Barangaroo avenue, we were beyond stoked. The restaurant offers every modern Chinese dish you can think of, focusing on a fresh-seafood house bar rooftop. This restaurant also has live fish tanks you can shop for ahead of time if that vibe is what you’re into!
Inspired by China’s culinary history, the menu features classic dishes like deep-fried dumplings and wok-fried corn nuts. It also offers a variety of other choices, from lobster to BBQ duck and fried chicken.
5) CHI by Lotus
A new Lotus Eatery has just opened to a range of casual eats to taste in the streets of Barangaroo avenue and restaurants from waterfront dining to cheeky tipple spots. And this time, it will be inspired explicitly by Beijing’s street food.
Not content with just opening Lotus Double Bay, the Lotus Group has also opened up a fine-casual eatery inspired by the spicy Sichuan flavours of Beijing’s ‘Ghost Street’ street food in Barangaroo avenue. The Chinese chef of this restaurant is Chris Cheng.
The eatery on the main thoroughfare of Barangaroo avenue house has a lot to offer: customers can come for drinks by the water, mini cocktails available, and a vast natural wines list and sake. Choose from a variety of skewer options – lamb with cumin salt, king brown mushroom, or okra with fermented barbecue sauce – all for $8.
For a more personal experience, it may be worth asking the chef to come out of the kitchen and chat with you while you’re enjoying your meal. It will be a memorable experience for sure.
6) Cirrus Dining
Cirrus is an outdoor Dining seafood Barangaroo restaurant located at Barangaroo’s waterfront dining and bar. Chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt have been working together since 1995, and they are the brains behind some of Sydney’s most famous Barangaroo restaurants, including Bentley, Monopole & Yellow, and bars.
Being amongst Australia’s most respected and influential chefs, Brent has a reputation for exciting, cutting-edge food and clever technique. His unique mastery of flavours and textures has made him one of the country’s most famous entrepreneurs.
With a stunning view over Darling Harbour, Cirrus offers the most refined dining in crown Sydney Harbour. To make your time here more enjoyable, they offer casual eats, drinks, and some of Sydney’s most pleasing dining experiences.
Brent’s menu at Cirrus reflects the seasonality of the location and is made from local produce & sustainably-caught seafood. Whether you’re a seafood-eater or vegetarian, there’s something for everybody.
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