25 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 25 Sydney chefs where they head when they need room for a crowd – and the list brings a spot to suit every mood.

Trisha Greentree, Fratelli Paradiso

XOPP or Bornga in Haymarket, or Strathfield Korean restaurant Myeong Dong.

Ozge Kalvo, Olympus

Because I don’t have my family in Sydney, a big group usually means colleagues (past and present) for me. And it’s generally Korean barbeque for chefs – as if we don’t cook enough, we have to cook at the restaurants we dine at as well!

Isobel Whelan-Little, Ace Hotel

Bella Brutta, order everything.

Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater and Flaminia

The Apollo. The food is designed to share, it’s generous and packed with flavour. There’s a great energy too, it always feels buzzy. You can relax, enjoy a long meal and know that everyone’s going to leave full and happy. It’s the kind of place where the more people you bring, the better the experience.

Peter Gilmore

When I’m out with a group of family or friends I love to go to Mama Mulan in Chatswood. You can reserve one of the private rooms and have a great yum cha experience.

Andy Hearnden, aka Andy Cooks

We’d probably head out to Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant.

Mimi Wong

Big group events always happen out west. It’s either Sun Ming in Hurstville or Hansang in Strathfield. Like, Asian food’s always perfect for that. Sun Ming is classic Cantonese, love that place. I always get the sizzling tofu with gravy. Not a lot of Chinese restaurants around the city actually do that dish, so when I go I always get that.

Cam Votano, The Bat & Ball

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.

Jack Alexander, Pomme Table

Maya Da Dhaba on Cleveland Street has been a favourite spot for my friends and I for as long as I’ve been in Australia. A family-run Indian restaurant delivering all the classics and more. Coming from the UK, where curry is pretty much a way of life, Maya Da Dhaba fills that void and then some. The minute you walk through the door, the smell and the atmosphere immediately grab your attention – red carpet on the floor, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, it’s like eating in someone’s living room.

Not to mention the very reasonable price-point and BYO. The tandoori chicken is out of this world, and make sure you order the Punjabi baigan (an unbelievable eggplant and potato curry).

Lennox Hastie, Firedoor and Gildas

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.

Carley Scheidegger, Corner 75

Fratelli Paradiso – no-brainer.

Toby Wilson, Ricos Tacos

Lao Village, a Laotian restaurant. You could probably get away with ordering the entire menu for a large group, but you’d want to double down on the quail, ox tongue and crunchy fried rice.

Christine Manfield

Bart Jr. It’s quite casual, but it’s really upscale, clever bar food that’s very seasonal – changing all the time, week in week out. [Chef George Woodyard], she’s just got a handle on flavour – big on flavour, great produce. It’s very elegant comfort food in a casual bar setting, where the drinks are great. It’s a really great place to meet with friends and just hang out.

Michaela Johansson, Aplenty

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

Sam Rozsnyoi, Chiswick

Lucky Prawn! Or Dry Dock in Balmain, it’s just got a vibe to it. It’s dimly lit, they’ve got a fireplace, perfect for a Sunday. The music’s a bit of Johnny Cash, the food is really tasty and well executed.

Lily Davies, Pomme Table

Olympic Meats in Marrickville is wicked. The smell of the grill whilst cooking is enough to make you happy to queue. Grab a variety of meats, sourdough pita, pickles and lean in – it is just so good. Watch the meat spinning and do not miss the pickled octopus with green chilli.

Big Sam Young, S’More and Young’s Palace

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.

Lizzie Hewson, Saturday Night Pasta

Fontana, I love it so much. It’s warm, welcoming, approachable and so tasty. They offer a fantastic group menu that suits everyone, and really excel at accommodating large groups without making it feel like a hassle. You know how some restaurants can be less enthusiastic about big groups? At Fontana, everyone feels well taken care of. Every time I leave, I think, “I can’t wait to go back”.

Paul Farag, ex-Aalia

The Palace for yum cha. It’s our favourite way to catch up with a large group – always extremely relaxed with an endless amount of variety to meet everyone’s needs. Who doesn’t love yum cha?

Neil Perry, Margaret, Cafe Margaret, Gran Torino and Pizzeria Sotto

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

Ahana Dutt, Kolkata Social

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.

Junda Khoo, Ho Jiak and Tam Jiak

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.

Stefano Marano, Avia

I have spent the past few special occasions at Sean’s. Ideally a large group in the private dining room overlooking the ocean, otherwise a window seat for two. Their pastas are always sensational, and if there is baked custard for dessert, it’s definitely the way to finish.

Annita Potter, Viand

Paski on Oxford Street is a brilliant spot for a large group. The buzz in the main downstairs room is sensational, superb wines, utterly delicious food and such brilliant service.

Declan Cleary, Masterchef

Spice I Am in Surry Hills. The flavours are bold, the servings are generous, and sharing a spread of Thai dishes always gets everyone talking. It’s loud, fun, and packed with punch, just how a group dinner should be.