The 24 Hottest Dishes and Drinks in Sydney Right Now

The Hot List is the definitive guide to Sydney’s most essential food and drink experiences, updated weekly. Learn more.

If the warmer months are all about crowning the drink of the summer, winter tends to be for comforting food trends: hearty soup bowls, homey pasta plates and roasts. And if this list is anything to go by, Sydney has embraced winter dining this year.

Variety has been the spice of the cooler months, reflecting the city’s diverse mix of food and culture. Deep-fried braised beef sandwiches and octopus ragu are selling and, despite the cooler weather, so is granita. Classic Sunday roasts remain a go-to, as does a perennially popular porridge. If you’re looking for a hot new dish to try, or a classic, here are some excellent options.

Duck liver parfait with crispy fried potato and pickled pear, Corner 75 – $12

“The ubiquitous Hungarian duck liver made into a rich and smooth parfait. Paired with the crispy, warm texture of the potato and the balance of pickled fruit, it’s outrageously delicious and a definite bestseller. So good! Customers have been skipping dessert and ordering a second serving of this instead.” – Alex Kelly, creative director

Red Comedor, Silver’s Motel – $25

“Our Red Comedor has seen a lot of love lately, we sell around 400 each month. Guests gravitate towards this drink for either their love of a Margarita or interest in rhubarb. We’re getting great feedback from them about how fresh it tastes. We gently cook the rhubarb to the point where it starts falling apart but is not overcooked so it retains its brightness. It also has brilliant acidity, so it goes very well in a Margarita-style drink.” – Michael Chiem, co-owner

Moreton Bay bug sandwich, Bessie’s – $29

“The Moreton Bay bug sandwich is the signature dish and our most popular at Bessie’s and Alma’s. It’s inspired by the King George Whiting Sandwich that’s a favourite at Bar Copains, so the idea was to create a sibling for it here. This one walks the line between hot and cold, crunchy and soft: Moreton Bay bug, fermented chilli mayo, shaved iceberg and pickles tucked into pillowy white bread. You really can’t dine here without ordering it!” – Sali Sasi, co-owner

O’Connor braised beef cheek sandwich, Ormeggio at The Spit – $16

“One of our most in-demand snacks to date! We braise the beef cheeks for 10 hours, press the meat, sandwich between bread and then deep-fry it. To serve, each bite is topped with sweet and sour onion jam and creamy black garlic mayo. It’s one of those dishes guests tend to overlook when reading the menu, but as soon as our team start carrying them out, every other table wants to know what it is. Fifteen hours of preparation goes into every bite.” – Anna Pavoni, owner

Plats du jour (Sunday roast) Cricketers Arms – $34–$40

“Our roast has been popular, so we’re continuing to serve it through spring and summer – garnishes will change to adapt to the changing seasons. People have been booking weeks in advance – the dining room is often full from lunch to dinner with people enjoying the roast next to the fireplace. We’re honouring bespoke produce from small butchers like Hungerford Meats Co, having a weekly rotating roster of beef, pork, chicken and fish.” – Wesley Cooper-Jones, head chef

Thai milk tea and Porkfat larb, Porkfat – part of the $95 set menu

“Our Thai milk tea has become incredibly popular, especially when paired with our Porkfat larb, a Thai salad that everyone has been talking about. Its bright sourness and gentle spiciness bring wonderful warmth to this cold winter. The flavours of Central Thailand come together beautifully with fresh herbs, creating a harmony that feels like a little corner of Bangkok right here in Haymarket.” – Porkfat team

Yiayia’s soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs), Homer Rogue Taverna – $45

“One of our bestsellers – we’ve served more than 300 this month so far. Our soutzoukakia is a recipe passed down from our mum’s side of the family. Incredibly juicy meatballs swimming in a rich, delicious Napoli sauce, served with handcut chips and a generous grating of Greek kefalotyri. It’s the kind of comfort food that makes you stop mid-bite, and when one table orders it, you can guarantee everyone else is asking: ‘Can we order that?’” – Harry Kapoulas, co-owner

Pork carnitas torta, El Primo Sanchez – $22

“Our pork carnitas torta is flying off the menu. A torta is basically a Mexican sandwich. Where I’m from, you eat them everywhere. They’re available with various proteins on our menu, but the customer favourite right now is our braised pork carnitas with pico de gallo, salsa roja and pickled onion. We put them on the menu a few weeks ago and now the kitchen can barely keep up.” – Jorge Mascorro, venue manager

Zucchini, chilli and gruyere bun, Flour and Stone Annexe – $9.50

“Our zucchini, chilli and gruyere bun has built quite the loyal following among our morning regulars. We love it toasted and slathered with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. If you’ve got your eye on one, we recommend coming in early – they tend to disappear from the counter before you know it.” – Flour and Stone team

Bills plate, Bills Darlinghurst – $30

“The Bills has been a popular lunch option for those looking for something balanced and easy to enjoy. It’s ever-changing and currently features Long Paddock’s Banksia cheese made in small batches in Castlemaine; and a complex, earthy wattleseed butter sourced by Sharon Winsor of Indigiearth. There’s also fresh vegetables from Pocket City Farms, a regenerative not-for-profit urban farm in nearby Camperdown, grown especially for our restaurants. A seasonal house pickle, relish and our seeded rye crispbread, made with sustainably grown flour from Wholegrain Milling in Gunnedah, are the constants. Guests love the cheese and appreciate the fact that it’s Australian, commenting on its depth of flavour.” – Steph Liu, global culinary director

The Shining, Maybe Sammy – $26

“Every drink on our Showtime menu is built from a film, and The Shining is the one people can’t stop ordering right now. Bourbon, plum, passionfruit and egg white, so it drinks like a sour but with a bit more weight to it. The detail is in the glass, ‘REDRUM’ is engraved on the side, and you only really catch it as you sip. Half the fun is watching someone spot it halfway through.” – Hunter Gregory, bar manager

Superfreak Porridge, Superfreak – $21

“The menu item going off for us in the last month has easily been the Superfreak Porridge. Superfreak seems to flourish in the colder months. Our cosy living-room fit-out matched with our nourishing menu seems to make the porridge the default selection for most of our patrons. This month in particular our porridge customers were plentiful.” – Daniel Harrison, co-founder

Chicken schnitzel sandwich with Calabrian chilli, Self Raised Bread Shoppe – $22

“Our bestseller right now has to be the chicken schnitzel on white bread with Calabrian chilli. It’s a staple here and has consistently been our most popular item since we opened. We’ve had specials come and go, but the schnitzel is always the go-to item. It’s a freshly house-crumbed chicken and that touch of chili never disappoints.” – Sal Senan, owner

Sgroppino Blanco for two, Icebergs Dining Room – $56

“We’ve twisted the Venetian classic, replacing the vodka with Don Julio Rosado Tequila, poured and mixed tableside with Rhubi Mistelle, lemon sorbet and prosecco. It was originally conceived as a palate cleanser between courses. Our version turns a long lunch into a party.” – Matty Opai, beverage director

Sarson da saag with makki di roti, Chatkazz – $21

“Our winter specials have been a crowd favourite this season. The star of the menu, our rich and aromatic sarson da saag, is made from slow-cooked mustard greens and served with golden cornmeal bread – makki di roti – fresh churned white butter, and cooling buttermilk, bringing an authentic taste of Indian winters straight to Australia.” – Team Chatkazz

Vincisgrassi, Neptune’s Grotto – $44

“Our top-selling dish at the moment is definitely the vincisgrassi. It’s a style of lasagne made from a ragu of duck, duck liver, Guinea fowl and quail, braised in nebbiolo and layered with fresh pasta, truffles and porcini. Perfect for the cold season.” – Daniel Pepperell, co-owner

Mapo granita with mascarpone soft serve, Mapo Darlinghurst – $10

“The Mapo granita topped with mascarpone soft serve has been a big hit. We have a rotating menu of seasonal granita flavours, including watermelon, lime, coffee and something new we’ve been quietly trialling: pistachio. You also have the option to top with any gelato scoop, so the flavour combinations are endless.” – Matteo Pochintesta, founder

Lagane e lenticchie, Fontana – $30

“A little pasta dish from Basilicata in the south of Italy. Basically, it’s pasta served in a lentil sauce. It’s the dish we get the most compliments about, it’s something your nonna would cook to nurse you back to health. The pasta is a thin-rolled egg noodle in three-by-seven-centimetre sheets, they’re super silky and served in a soupy sauce that has sweetness from vegetables, earthiness from the lentils and freshness from the olive oil that is used to finish the dish. A real favourite among our regular customers right now.” – Ivey Wawn, co-owner

Barbeque chicken, Baba’s Place – quarter $48, half $88

“Something that has been, and still is, one of our top sellers is the barbeque chicken. It’s arguably the most labour-intensive dish at Baba’s and has been on the menu since the early Sloane Street days. It’s served with house-made toum, pickled turnips and twice-fried chips seasoned with sumac and dehydrated chicken skins which are fried, vinegar washed and dried. At its heart, it’s our take on the classic chicken, chips and toum. People love it because it’s familiar, but you can taste the amount of care the whole team puts into it.” – Jean-Paul El Tom, co-founder

Salad sanga, Good Ways Deli - $17

“An absolute classic and number-one seller. House-baked sourdough ciabatta packed with the umami hit of mushroom pâté, mature maffra cheddar, bright pickled beets, crunchy julienned carrot, alfalfa spouts, arugula and mayo. It’s a sanga you can eat everyday – super fresh, light but filling. Add house-made fermented chilli paste to spice it up.” – Tom Pye, owner

Octopus trottole ragu, Attenzione – $40

“I'd say our octopus ragu with trottole is a fan favourite right now. We treat the octopus much like you would a classic white pork ragu, mincing the tentacles into a coarse texture. As octopus always maintains its bounce, it leads to a very enjoyable bite paired with the trottole pasta shape. Trottole is arguably the best sauce-catching shape going around. The ragu itself is a classic white sofrito with the additions of fennel and coriander seed. To finish, we top it with parsley greens and lemon zest for that seaside lift.” – Felix Colman, co-owner

Aussiefeller oyster, warrigal greens, cheddar and beer, Arthur – $9 each

“This is our take on the Rockefeller oyster. It’s a creamy sauce made with Moo Brew Dark Ale, Australian cheddar and warrigal greens. You don’t see a lot of cooked oysters in Sydney, it’s unique. It’s been a popular standout because it’s unexpected.” – Tristan Rosier, chef-owner

Dirty Daiquiri, Razz Room – $25

“This is my play on the classic Dirty Martini, a drink very much in vogue right now. It’s been ‘daiquiri-fied’ to give the Dirty Martini drinker something oddly familiar yet entirely new and intriguing (dare I say, with more layers and elements to enjoy). It has the refreshment factor you want from a shaken Daiquiri with components of savouriness, salinity, fruit and a whiff of smoke from everyone’s new best friend, mezcal. Fresh lime, always. Garnished with three big olives – for dinner, obviously.” – Jordan Blackman, head of beverage and partnerships

Sweet and sour pork, Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre – $27

“This has been the most-ordered main since day one and still is at the moment. The undisputed icon of Chinese Australian dining. Crispy pork coated in a glossy, tangy sauce that walks the line between comfort and chaos. It’s nostalgia on a plate.” – The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre team

The Hot List is proudly sponsored by Square.