Greek Tavernas and Cantonese: Seven Sydney Chefs Share Where They Dine When They’re With a Crowd

When you’re dining with a big group, it’s never easy to lock down a spot. Maybe you can’t agree on the dining room’s vibe. Or the cuisine. Or maybe it’s the price point. Well, we asked seven Sydney chefs where they head when they need room for a crowd – and the list brings a spot to suit every mood.

Time after time proves Bella Brutta is best, whether it’s for staff Christmas dinner or some friends you haven’t seen in ages. Pizza is something everyone can always agree on.
– Cam Votano, Bat & Ball, Lowkey, BTB Kirribilli

Baba’s Place. It’s a great space to take members of your team, who are your family. It’s quite a pared back restaurant in so many ways, which just delivers in spades in terms of hospitality and deliciousness. It’s crazy simple, but it’s just that freshness, that vitality, that energy that they have. You can really feel it in the food.
– Lennox Hastie of Firedoor and Gildas

I love Yiamas Greek Taverna on the Princess Highway in St Peters – very fun vibe and great food.
– Michaela Johansson, Aplenty

Taste of Shunde would be my go-to. They do this amazing steamed fish platter with so many different kinds of seafood on there. I would also get a whole Cantonese-style roast duck, which is one of the best in Sydney.
– Big Sam Young, S'more

Porcine in Paddington. A classic French bistro of the highest quality. I love the food, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
– Neil Perry, Song Bird

To be honest, if it’s a big group of us, we end up doing a dinner party [at home]. Most of my friends are hospo, so everyone ends up helping out. It’s more intimate and fun, and feels like the best dining experience.
– Ahana Dutt of now-closed Raja

Pioneer Palace in Lakemba – we did one with the chefs the other night. We went after service, at like 11pm, and sat around till two or 3am. It’s just really, really good Chinese food but they have this one dish that’s quite hard to find in Sydney. It’s a dried abalone and dried sea cucumber dish, where they rehydrate it and then braise it for a long time in red sauce. It’s called hong shao men bao yu – red-braised abalone with sea cucumber and fish maw. All the other stuff – like the pigeon, the salt-and-pepper whitebait – is fantastic.
– Junda Khoo, Ho Jiak