The standard-setter for fine dining in Sydney. Executive chef Peter Gilmore is tireless in his pursuit of what’s interesting, new and Australian. His backyard is peppered with test plantations of rare vegetables, he works with local ceramicists on custom crockery and, like interstate peers Ben Shewry and Jock Zonfrillo, he’s a leading advocate for native produce. The restaurant’s theatrical tasting menus show off all this and more, bolstered by some of the city’s best harbour views.

This elevated vantage of Bondi’s sloshing surf is one of Australia’s great views – one a less conscientious restaurateur might easily lean on. Not Maurice Terzini, who’s been pushing his resplendent Italian diner to greater and greater heights since 2002. Long lunches in this smart aquamarine room have never been better, largely thanks to a strict insistence on top-quality Australian produce, which makes the mostly classic menu sing.

Hubert’s low ceilings, timber-panelled walls and candle-lit tables feel like they’ve been there forever. And yet, this convincing facsimile of a grand European restaurant circa World War II only opened in 2016. Behind this extravagant and ambitious facade there’s unmatched reverence for classic hospitality and notably un-classic French food. Sure, the menu includes duck parfait and escargot, but with clever tweaks such as maple syrup jelly and Chinese XO sauce. This is a room you want to eat in, and often.

This lively Italian diner is from Swillhouse, the same group behind Restaurant Hubert. It shows – the place has an ineffable cool and gently subversive food that often seems traditional at first glance. Case in point: the signature trippa alla romana (braised tripe), which employs cinnamon, cardamom and garam masala in place of the expected Roman flavours. Pastas play it straighter but offer no fewer thrills.

The room is dim, the volume loud and the drinks are flowing. More than any other venue on this list, the focus here is fun. Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz opened this tapas and cocktail bar before they became better known for their Argentinean restaurant Porteño, when little else like it existed in Sydney. Many have since tried to replicate this simple but perfectly executed package, but none have succeeded like Bodega.

Second only to Saint Peter in the art of seafood cookery. While Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt’s Barangaroo restaurant is similarly interested in issues of sustainability, this waterfront restaurant is more focused on luxury. An all-Australian seafood tower, multiple caviar options and an unrivalled selection of chablis are proof of that.

As soon as you walk into this good-looking restaurant you’ll see what you’re in for. At the central firepit they’ll be charring whole lambs and suckling pigs Argentinian style; you’ll spot a bar stocked with wine local and imported, natural and classic; and you’ll grasp that this restaurant cares not for trends or tropes, just what’s good according to owners Ben Milgate, Elvis Abrahanowicz and Joe Valore. Take a decent-sized crew and share the good stuff.

When Brent Savage’s Yellow turned vegetarian in 2016, it seemed like a potential misstep. What actually happened is: it got better. It’s now Sydney’s only purely vegetarian fine-diner, rivalled by none when it comes to cooking vegetables with a level of care and creativity that will impress all but the most stubborn carnivores.

Get the best Australian produce from both the paddock and the soil, and cook it over an open flame. That’s it. It’s an extremely simple concept, but one few execute with the precision and aplomb of chef Lennox Hastie, who learnt the trade at Spain’s pioneering Asador Extebarri. Sit at the kitchen bar and watch Hastie roast a dry-aged steak, a prawn straight from the tank or a simple potato

Though the original Rockpool is now closed, the opulent steakhouse which bears its name is still the clear favourite child in Neil Perry’s family of bars and restaurants. Despite being (slightly) more casual than the original, this is still one of Sydney’s premiere special occasion restaurants. That’s because Rockpool Bar and Grill refuses to rest on its laurels; Neil Perry’s commitment to timeless dishes cooked with fastidiously-sourced ingredients has given this fine-diner commendable vitality and longevity.

Few restaurants have maintained their excellence and hunger for invention like this one. Bentley opened in an old Surry Hills pub in ’06 before moving to this grander location in 2013, announcing its culinary ambitions in the process. Chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt continue to post some of Sydney’s most varied and progressive wine lists and degustations. Depending on the season, you could find anything from white beetroot and rare fennel-like herbs to caramelised lactose, olive-oil ice-cream and pineapple beer. All dietary needs are catered for in the most delicious ways possible.

Calling LP’s an American barbeque place is underselling it. Yes, there are smoked meats. Yes, they’re cooked in a Southern Pride Smoker shipped from Texas. And yes, the restaurant has a rowdy diner feel. But this isn’t a derivative brisket and pulled-pork haunt – it’s an Australian interpretation with all the cultural influences that brings. Aside from the smoky big-hitters, look out for the house charcuterie, sangas and exceptional sourdough. Plus it’s got a great bar if you just want a drink.

If Fred’s has the most beautiful dining room in Sydney, Bennelong has the most iconic. Aside from the fact it’s set within the window-cupped, city-facing end of the Opera House, the dining area is spectacular, no matter if the sun pours in or the CBD’s lights are illuminated. Quay’s Peter Gilmore and head chef Rob Cockerill run a menu that matches the location – seafood from nearby waters, house charcuterie made with all Australian produce and a show stopping desserts, such as pavlova sculpted to match the sails above it, and the best lamington you’ll ever eat.

Frat Paz, as its many regulars call it, has been doing its very confident thing since 2001. That is: feeding and watering everyone from nonnas to the city’s A-listers, people who come back regularly for dishes such as calamari Sant’ Andrea and what could possibly be one of the best tiramisus in the city. This bustling, all-day operation is by the same people who brought us 10 William St, and although it has a more traditional approach to Italian food, the wine list and service are equally as schmick.

Imagine a beautiful timber-built seaside home, one with spectacular, sea breeze-swept views and a courtyard that walks onto the sands. Now fill it with tablecloths, birthday celebrations and plates of seafood-led Italian fare, and you’ve got Pilu. Choose between either a traditional or innovative menu. Either way, you’re in for flavours from Sardinia, the region owner Giovanni Pilu himself is from.

There are two options at this flashy Star City restaurant: Chase Kojima’s modern Japanese menu or Takashi Sano’s $165, give-me-whatever omakase. The former offers premium Australian meats off the robata grill, some of the best nigiri rolls in Sydney and umami-punching mains, while the latter is an intimate, bar-only, several-hour excursion into Japanese tradition and raw seafood.

The food here is very Sri Lankan – there’s a traditional fish curry, hoppers (bowl-shaped crepes made from fermented rice flour), an array of sambols and fluffy dal – but this narrow restaurant is a reflection of chef and owner O Tama Carey. She wanted to bring her experience of the island to Sydney, along with what she likes to drink: Australian-brewed mead, pét-nats, a coconut and coffee slushie, and wine poured from a tap.