A 20-minute train ride from Sydney airport has you landing smack-bang between Sydney’ Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Here are five new and revitalised places to dine near Circular Quay.
Fancy a hearty Sunday roast at one of the oldest pubs in Sydney, or burgers and bubbles at a happening harbourside bar with live music and killer views? How about an art-filled, experiential degustation at an iconic hotel, perfect pizza by an Australian culinary legend, or casual dining near the steps of the Opera House?
Here are five wildly different places where you can head for dinner and drinks in one the most beautiful cities in the world.
Relax over a roast at the Lord Nelson
Having traded since 1841, the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel is one of Sydney’s oldest continually licensed hotels. The charmingly British sandstone building was originally a private residence for raconteur, highway robber and convict turned publican William Wells. It’s also home to Australia’s oldest operating pub brewery, where you can order a beer paddle and taste some of the micro-brewed award-winning ales such as the Three Sheets and the Old Admiral.
Every Sunday, the Lord Nelson serves up a proper British-style pub roast for two featuring three rotating meats, crispy golden potatoes, seasonal vegetables, pillowy Yorkshire pudding. Of course, there’s a rich, savoury gravy and classic condiments of horseradish, apple sauce and English mustard. Settle in beside the fireplace or dine upstairs in the heritage dining room – there are also other classic English meals on the menu such as pork pies, ploughman’s boards and Welsh rarebit. Pair your meal with a Lord Nelson ale, or share a bottle of wine and soak up the buzzing atmosphere.
It’ll cost you: $70 for two for the roast for two. Around $150 will cover the roast, drinks and dessert for two.
Bubbles and burgers at Cruise Bar
With its prime harbourfront position, good-as-it-gets views of Opera House and live music to enjoy from outdoor seating or comfy lounges, Cruise Bar & Restaurant is a timeless crowd- pleaser. Recently refreshed, the iconic venue has an exciting new menu that celebrates local produce, native ingredients and bold flavours.
Expect fresh seafood, shareable plates and beautifully presented dishes, alongside signature cocktails designed for long lunches and golden-hour drinks. A glass of prosecco is an unheard of $8 during the 4-6pm Monday-Friday happy hour.
Tuck into a generous serving of mini chicken parmies and a bowl of delicious mussels for entrees to share, and for mains, the burgers, steak frites and crumbed veal are as hearty as they are tasty. Share a bottle
of wine and soak up those stunning views complete with ferries bobbing past on a glistening harbour.
It’ll cost you: Around $200 for a bottle of wine, two entrées and two mains.
Paintings, palettes, and pairing for the palate
Be whisked into a whimsical world where the Mona Lisa talks to you from her gilt frame standing at the end of the dining table, and the Girl with a Balloon appears on your charcuterie board. The chef organising your degustation comes for a chat – in the form of a Lilliputian striding across the table – before flying away on a paintbrush to take you down one of the many artistic rabbit-holes that will have you open-mouthed in awe.
At the 7 Paintings degustation at The West Hotel Sydney by Curio Collection, you can paint and then eat a mini painting of Starry Nights by Vincent van Gogh, create a Pollock-style salad with colourful dips, and watch Banksy’s and Picasso’s masterpieces come to vivid life before you. The immersive 2.5-hour journey brings together food, music and technology, for a fun night where the entertainment is as wonderful and as engrossing as the art-filled seven courses.
It’ll cost you: $179 per person, with an additional $60 for matching wines.
Perfect pizza by Perry at Pizzeria Sotto
There are pizza joints, and then there are places where perfecting pizzas is taken to Master Chef levels. That’s what you get when take a ferry from Circular Quay across to Double Bay, where you’ll find Neil Perry’s latest venture: Pizzeria Sotto.
Perry is one of Australia’s most iconic and celebrated chefs, and in 2025 his cheeseburger served at sister-restaurant Café Margaret won the best burger in Australia in The World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, and ranked 3rd best burger in the world in 2026.
Now, with his Roman-inspired thin-crust pizza at Pizzeria Sotto, Perry is no doubt gunning for the best pizza in Australia. The sourdough base with low hydration makes it water-thin, but able to sturdily hold the toppings. Popular pizzas include the ‘Inferno’ (tomato, buffalo mozzarella, ‘nduja, hot salami, and chilli honey), king prawn with pesto, and preserved tuna with olives.
It’ll cost you: Around $90 for an entree and two pizzas. Have a couple of drinks each and you’re up for around $150 for two people.
Mod-Aus dining between icons at Winnie’s
When the Sydney Opera House was being constructed in 1964, Pianist Winifred Atwell played an impromptu rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ on her piano for construction workers on the iconic building’s stairs, nearly a decade before it officially opened in October 1973.
Today, the newly renovated all day café below those stairs (formerly House Canteen next to The Opera Bar) has been renamed Winnie’s in her honour. The friendly staff serve up delicious takes on Aussie classics such as a pot of blue swimmer crab with salt and vinegar potato scallops, and the conchiglie with king prawns is a standout for pasta lovers. With truly unbeatable views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it’s a top pick for those flying into Sydney and wanting to experience the harbour’s buzz – as you’re literally sandwiched between two icons while dining on great food and wine.
It’ll cost you: Around $200 for two entrees, two mains and a few drinks each.
Can’t get enough of these top places to dine near Circular Quay? To read about the best experiences around the corner in Darling Harbour, click here.
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