Grace Mackenzie

Which dining rooms do Mimi Wong, Nik Hill, Khanh Nguyen, Neil Perry and more pick when they’re looking for somewhere special? We found out for you, Sydney.

Already this year’s delivered 12 ripper new spots, including a Thai beef noodle soup shop hidden in a Haymarket tunnel, a cheffy fish’n’chipper and a buzzy corner for king-size slices of pizza.

Including saucy plates in Glebe, juicy melon-scented Negronis in the CBD and a Wagyu steak up there with the best in the world. Plus, a few sweet treats, including a perfect apple pie with a view.

Our latest boozers zero in on Daiquiris, Martinis and Margaritas. They span beer bars and dance bars – and what is likely Australia’s smallest wine bar.

Just-opened cafes led by chefs have popped up all over town, along with specialty coffee shops, independent bakeries and a neighbourhood stock-up shop selling matcha spiked with foraged wildflowers.

Sangcuary will be all about sandwiches – both the regular kind and others stuffed with house-made ice-cream.

From electric Thai-ish flavours to neighbourhood Italian, snacky Spanish plates and a Malaysian spot inside a flash new market, these are 12 to book now.

Including a Thai-ish dining room in Newtown, Mexico City’s hottest taco, a specialty chocolate shop from an old-school pro, and a cardamom bun we wish we’d known about earlier. Plus, a first look at Bar Planet’s new Margarita bar.

Volta will be for wine, ouzo and snacky plates that go big on pickling. But don’t expect the traditional Greek flourishes – we’re in for the kind of bar you’d find in Athens today.

The pair are reinventing their long-closed patisserie and chocolaterie, opening with retro blackcurrant gateaux, Sicilian tarts, sell-out truffles and more.

Including an NY-style slice shop, a Michelin-recommended Japanese spot and two pizza-powered extensions by top Sydney chefs. Plus, an excellent newcomer worth travelling north for.

Plus, a new Greek wine club, Tony Tan in conversation with Jennifer Wong, Tarts Anon’s Sydney appearance and six new Sydney venues.