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Best Lunch in Sydney CBD

What makes a good CBD lunch spot?

It could be that you're meeting a prospective client and you need somewhere central and impressive to dine. Or you could be a time-poor worker looking for a place with reliable food and fast, efficient service. Or maybe you're just a tourist in the centre of Sydney looking for the kind of restaurant that Sydneysiders eat at day in, day out.

Whatever the case, there's a spot in here for you.


Updated on 3 June 2024

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Kitchen by Mike
Restaurant
Kitchen by Mike
The best place in town to have lunch. The sheer quantity of quality lunch options at this part-canteen, part-restaurant is staggering. There's pizza by the slice, healthy bowls of grains or salads, freshly carved rotisserie chicken and much more.
Chat Thai Circular Quay
Restaurant
Chat Thai Circular Quay
Get one of the "one-plate wonders" if you can't decide. You get a variety of different things from the menu on one plate with prices ranging from $15 to $23.
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Beerhaus Barangaroo
Bar
Beerhaus Barangaroo
Beer, boilermakers and barbeque – plus 40 beers on tap.
Mo’st
Cafe
Mo’st
Traditional northern-Chinese food such as rou jia mo, which here are twice the size of your hand.
Enjoy Cafe
Restaurant
Enjoy Cafe
Nasi Goreng, bakmi and flat whites.
Mary's Circular Quay
Restaurant
Mary's Circular Quay
One of the best burgers in Sydney has a location smack-dab in the middle of the city. And the entire all-day menu can be made vegan.
The Sambal
Restaurant
The Sambal
Hearty Indonesian dishes, served to you quickly.
Bar Luca
Restaurant
Bar Luca
Sydney's other favourite burger is also an excellent lunch choice.
Malay Chinese Noodle Bar
Restaurant
Malay Chinese Noodle Bar
If you manage to get a spot at this icon (queues can be hectic), you'll be rewarded with some of the best har mee (prawn noodle soup) in Sydney.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Restaurant
Rockpool Bar & Grill
This place is virtually synonymous with the term business lunch. It's where Sydney's movers and shakers have dined for two decades, and it isn't likely to change soon.
Bopp and Tone
Restaurant
Bopp and Tone
There's a $25 lunch deal which runs from Monday to Thursday. Past dishes on the menu have included minute steak, squid ink spaghetti and chicken cotoletta.
Matteo Downtown
Restaurant
Matteo Downtown
Try a pizza from the extended range here, or one of the generous bowls of pasta.
Boon Cafe and Jarern Chai
Cafe
Boon Cafe and Jarern Chai
Inventive dishes from the team behind Chat Thai.
Marlowe's Way
Cafe
Marlowe's Way
Choose from a home-style menu of Italian classics, from a menu which changes daily.
Mr Wong
Restaurant
Mr Wong
The dim sum – fried or steamed – here are available at lunch exclusively (they only appear on platters at dinner).
Crafted By Matt Moran
Restaurant
Crafted By Matt Moran
Pull up a chair at the former Chiswick at the Gallery site for mid-week and weekend brunch, long lunches, and extraordinary views over Sydney Harbour.

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