• Meet Cafe Cressida, the cafe – from Ursula’s chef Phil Wood and partner Lis Davies – in a pretty pink Woollahra terrace. There’s brekkie, a casual dinner service and a resurrected citrusy baked good that the community adores.

• First look: Cypriot newcomer Myra’s Kitchen wins on King Street with family-recipe falafels and house-made pita. And it’s all done by a team of one.

• First look: it’s piazza-style dining at Cibaria, the Pavonis’ ambitious new 130-seater in Manly. There’s something “for everybody, for every day” across its dedicated spaghetteria, bisteccheria, friggitoria and more.

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• It’s all about shime-no-ramen at Menya Monaka, where house-made noodles join choi-nomi small plate sets and late-night bowls.

• Worth the Trip: a drive south to Ciro’s will reward you with house-made vermouth and outstanding woodfired pizza from a young team with big heart.

• Mexican restaurant Lottie, on a Redfern rooftop, takes a leading chef sky high. Take the lift up for Margs, a snacky rendition of Aztec cake and Coca Cola pork jowl.

• Don’t fill up on bread at AP Bread & Wine, the Darlo newcomer where the bakery team takes on dinner (think shareable dishes, pasta made from leftover sesame-and-fenugreek loaf and vol-a-vents).

• First look: Sana, a fast-casual Med spot by chef Joel Bennetts and Blackwood’s Dan Sorridimi, solves lunchtime in Eveleigh. It’s all about bowls (one with a 24-hour slow-cooked lamb and herby salsa), rolls and $4 house sodas.

• First look: Golden Century’s yum cha legacy continues (with a whole new vibe). Every item from the OG menu returns, alongside a few newcomers – and a water view.

• Find the “second-best adobo” in Sydney at Taguan, a new Filipino cafe that’s already adored by locals. Lattes are swirled with ube, banana ketchup jazzes up brekkie rolls and tokwa especial keeps it traditional.

• First look: The Bar Copains team burst onto Albion Street with restaurant-bar pair Bessie’s and Alma’s. It immediately became tricky to get a booking, due to a fired-up kitchen, big-energy cocktails and slick (but friendly) service.

• Spicetown, a multicultural food market, spices up an old pub in the inner west. Find African sandwiches, Indonesian fried rice, plenty of skewers and more.

Additional reporting by Monique Foy, Lucy Bell Bird, Pilar Mitchell and Jasmine Crittenden.