Breath-snatching views and modern Italian plates are the calling cards at Maurice Terzini’s Bondi institution. But getting them to yourself is a tall order – unless you spring for the Pacific Dining Room, which combines a private bar (and entry) with an unfettered vantage point to Bondi’s north end.

The team behind Ragazzi have taken cues from their favourite Roman trattorias and New York's Gramercy Tavern to create their dream Italian joint – with a walk-in bar area and a beautiful art-filled dining room spanning 120 seats. Slide into a velvet-and-leather booth for a plate for lovingly made pastas, and a choice of 600 wines from Italy and beyond.

In the old Golden Century site, this 400-seat Cantonese diner is ushering in a new era for Chinatown. The seafood tanks are full, the yum cha trolleys are back in action and late-night dining runs until 3am.

The Swillhouse Group’s nostalgic CBD stunner caters for small functions across two petite spaces. But if your crew is bigger than 10, do those Martinis and XO escargots in the beautifully restored theatre hidden beyond the Beatrix dining room.

At the newly refurbished Bondi Pavilion, Promenade’s 12-seat space (the Grotto) offers beach views through those iconic pavilion archways. There’s also a semi-private option (the Dunes) which sits adjacent to the main restaurant and seats groups of up to 20.

For a view on par with Quay’s, consider the terrace at Cafe Sydney. It’s good for 16 seated guests or 30 standing. But if your group is 60-strong, the venue can extend the space for standup celebrations. It doesn’t get more “Sydney” than this.

Nobu Matsuhisa’s Sydney outpost has not one, but three private dining spaces. Its aqua-hued eight-seater, Karada, is where you want to down those salmon sashimi tacos and Matsuhisa’s famous black cod miso.

The Norfolk Room is the Gidley’s opulent dining space out back, fitting up to 20 people for a good-sized soirée. On top of a tailor-made menu starring the restaurant’s Riverine steaks grilled to perfection, you’ll have your own private bar stocked with any vintage you desire.

Will it be the Wine Room or the Library? Harbour View Room or Dining Room? You're spoiled for choice at Alessandro Pavoni’s stunning Italian eatery inside Crown Sydney. If you’re having trouble making a decision, you could always just book out the entire venue. No matter where you end up, the views are worth every cent.

The godfather of Italian dining in Sydney, Beppi offers up its incredible wine cellar for group bookings. There are also three smaller spaces (the Magnum Room, the Vintage Room and an alcove) for intimate groups. If you’re going large, the room near the entrance, Sala Intima, can fit up to 32 people.

This exclusive 20-seat dining room whisks you away from the crowds on Babylon’s sprawling rooftop terrace. In step with the rest of the venue, it’s a lavish space – all the better to appreciate those modern Middle Eastern flavours and on-point cocktails.

Luxe cocktail bar Alice can accommodate groups of 12 at its beautiful, single walnut oak table – which is separated from the rest of the venue by drapes that drop dramatically from the ceiling. If you’re keen to splash out, there’s a caviar service and live lobster from the tank.

Between 12 and 50 guests can dine on Spice Temple’s innovative Chinese cuisine in complete privacy at this Sydney institution. Sichuan flavours reign supreme, but the menu also takes in lesser-seen dishes from China's Yunnan, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces.

A sexy wine bar and restaurant from the team behind Nomad. Enter via the back lane, take a seat on a caramel leather banquette, and order some of the best gamay Beaujolais has to offer, with lobster thermidor on baked tomato-saffron rice to match.