This is the grandest restaurant Merivale’s ever opened, and that’s saying something. It took six years, plus the careful stewardship of Justin Hemmes and executive chef Jordan Toft, but we finally have it: Mimi’s is the jewel in the Coogee Pavilion’s crown. And it was worth the wait. The dining room is bright and sweeping, like Est but with beach views. The food is the poster boy for the type of cuisine that Merivale has been spearheading in Sydney for years: a lot of Mediterranean, a bit of Australian, and all produce-driven.

A big part of the appeal of Totti’s in Bondi is the setting: it feels like you’re having a meal in a Tuscan backyard, complete with crisp white walls and olive trees. How can that translate to a smaller, darker CBD space? Very well, it turns out. Dishes from Bondi – including that show-stopping bread – have been carried over to the new Ivy precinct outpost, but antipasti – best enjoyed with a drink in hand – is a renewed focus: there are over 20 options to choose from right now. A timballo, which is basically a lasagne in a pie, is the standout dish at the moment. Only a few are cooked each day, so stop by early to score yourself a slice.

Pasi Petanen is back and he’s better than ever. Since closing the original much-loved Cafe Paci back in 2015, Petanen has been popping up at restaurants around town, with questions about when he would find a new permanent space trailing in his wake. We have that new spot now and it was worth the wait. Things are more casual now, a-la-carte, not set menu. The cuisine genre is hard to pin down, there’s a lot of Finnish, a little bit of Italy and some inspiration taken from Australian favourites. On the wine front, vino maestro Giorgio De Maria has created a wine list with an emphasis on fun, drinkable drops.

This follow-up to smash-hit steakhouse Bistecca has a lot in common with its older sibling. Steak is still the focus (despite an expanded menu), both venues are subterranean and phones are controversially banned at the dinner table. But it’s the little touches that distinguish The Gidley and make it so exciting. Like the Martinis, which come deconstructed with three ramekins filled with garnishes so you can make it how you like it. Or in the theatre of the place – drinks are finished and fishes are filleted right in front of guests at the table.

When Dan Hong joined Potts Point’s Lotus back in 2008, he was one of Australia’s brightest young chefs, hungry for success. Over a decade later, he’s opened a handful of blockbuster restaurants, written bestselling cookbooks and has become a fixture on television. He’s got nothing to prove. That attitude shows up in spades at Lotus 2.0. The cooking is confident, unrestrained and comfortable. There are old favourites (the cheeseburger is back, with a few tweaks), but we recommend some of the newer dishes – maybe a cheese toastie laced with black truffles, or noodles with scarlet prawns and XO. Lotus 2.0 is a one-year pop-up, but here’s hoping we get a Lotus 3.0.

It may have the same name as its Darlinghurst forebear, but Chaco Bar Potts Point is an entirely new beast where the focus here is exclusively on yakitori (if you’re after Chaco’s exalted ramen, the original location is now Chaco Ramen, and is dedicated exclusively to the stuff). At Potts Point, owner Keita Abe is clearly relishing his singular focus: the skewers he grills over charcoal – whether they’re chicken thigh, heart, liver, pork belly, lamb shoulder, miso eggplant or gizzard – have never been better. Combine it with a fun roster of sides and a tidy cocktail list and you’re guaranteed a great night out.

This ambitious venue is actually a four-in-one. There’s Brew Bar, a daytime cafe serving coffee and simple pastries; Kuro Dining, a casual Japanese diner; a bar serving molecular cocktails; and Teramoto a promising 10-seat fine-diner. Teramoto hasn’t opened yet and so far, Kuro Dining is the pick of the bunch. Try the black fried chicken, bass grouper with “harusame” (glass noodles) and crab sauce, and aged duck breast with black garlic and soy vinegar.

Handmade pasta and natural wines. It’s an easy (and very on-trend) sell. But there’s always room for another player in the field when they’re doing good work. And that’s what Bar Vincent is doing. It’s a simple and charming corner eatery, within which you’ll find plump tortellini, hearty maltagliati and many more pasta shapes, paired with their soul mate sauces. The small wine list backs things up well and the excellent house-made bread is complimentary.

When Neutral Bay institution The Oaks announced a multi-million dollar redevelopment, the news was received with equal-parts trepidation and excitement – it’s always tricky to mess with a classic. Alala’s is the restaurant of the development, and it breathes fresh air into the space without stepping on the toes of the rest of The Oaks around it. It’s a light and airy space – we recommend trying to get a table by one of the large windows. The menu marries approachability with refinement well; highlights include the chicken and pistachio terrine and the sardine, chermoula and harissa tartine. There's also excellent porchetta and plump rotisserie chooks available from the downstairs takeaway.

This delightfully pared-back eatery has just a handful of items on the menu. At the moment you can order a cheeseburger, greens and chips, and for dessert, a fairy-bread-and-butter pudding. Enjoy it with a coffee, tea or a milkshake. That’s it. It’s simple, but Bush does one of the best burgers in town. It’s worth checking out.

This jazzed up kebab shop with a takeaway focus isn’t exactly a restaurant, but we would be remiss not to include it here. These kebabs are some of the best things to eat in Sydney right now. Shwarmama exists because of a conversation between Matt Lindsay, owner of Ester and Poly (and one of the best chefs in Sydney) and Russell Beard of Paramount Coffee Project and Reuben Hills (two of Sydney’s finest cafes). Now, we have a place where you can have an exceptional – and surprisingly good value – kebab alongside a great coffee from a futuristic coffee machine. Wonderful.

It feels like recently every second opening has been an Italian restaurant, so why do we think Ragazzi will stand out? Its pedigree, for one. Chef and co-owner Scott Williams has worked in the kitchens at Movida Sydney and Bacco Osteria e Espresso. He’s putting out a changing menu that’s included cavatelli (thin shell pasta) with pipis and pork sausage, a classic cacio e pepe and a goat ragu mafaldine (long ribbon-shaped pasta). Then there’s the other two co-owners, Nathaniel Hatwell and Matthew Swieboda, the team responsible for Love, Tilly Devine and Dear Sainte Eloise, two of the best wine bars in town. And the wine? 300 bottles strong. It all comes in a snug 40-person CBD space the size of a small convenience shop.

Sean and Luke Miller are serial Manly restaurateurs. They’re the pair behind the much-loved Sunset Sabi and Chica Bonita (which opened a CBD spot earlier this year). Now, they’ve set their sights on Italian. At the moment, Busta has a tight menu: a cluster of antipasti options, a handful of pastas and mains and two desserts. Fine by us. It’s perfect beachside fare.

Anastasia Drakopoulos has restaurants in her bones. Her father Bill owns a suite of them including Aqua Dining, Ripples, Ormeggio at the Spit and the recently opened Fenwick. As for Drakopoulos herself, she’s a co-owner of Lumi, the acclaimed Pyrmont fine diner. Noi is more understated than those restaurants (it doesn’t have an incredible view to fall back on, for one). Instead the focus is on well-executed classic Italian dishes, delivered at an attractive pricepoint. The proficient, Italian-leaning wine list is also worth exploring.

One day, a new Mary’s opening won’t be an event anymore. But if the queues that have been snaking out of Mary’s Pitt Street are anything to go by, we’re a long way off from that day. The Pitt Street outpost of the Mary’s burger clan – which ambush-opened in September out of nowhere – is smaller than other members of the family. But it felt fully formed from day one; the sort of opening that only a hospitality team at the height of their powers can pull off. So why is Mary’s Pitt Street an event? The burgers are still unsurpassed, the drinks (the focus here is on rum cocktails) are as interesting as ever and the vibe and menu is fun and inclusive.

Fried chicken is one of the few foods whose quality can be measured by sound. If the crunch of your first bite isn’t loud, then it’s unlikely to be a great piece of bird. Thirstybird makes deafeningly crispy fried chicken. First in Potts Point, in a small takeaway-geared space, and now in Newtown in a bigger space with plenty of seats. There’s a wealth of classic and spicy chickens available in all the pieces. A range of burgers, such as the Big Kahuna (fried chicken, pineapple, bacon and cheese), rounds things out.

Many Sydneysiders have fond memories of smashing a bowl of Golden Century’s famous pipis with XO sauce after midnight. Visitors like it too: American celebrity chef David Chang once called it “the best dish in the world”. Safe to say, if any dish deserves to be the namesake of a restaurant, it’s those pipis. XOPP (say it letter-by-letter) recently opened in Darling Square. Although the headline act steals a lot of attention, the supporting cast is also strong: we loved the salted duck egg potato wedges and the chicken liver parfait. Add to that a fun wine list bolstered by the full firepower of Golden Century’s wine arsenal, and you have a sure-fire hit.

The team behind the Prince of York is going for a party vibe: somewhere guests of all ages can eat, drink and dance. Upstairs you’ll find a sophisticated take on pub food; dishes include a toastie with cheese and bone marrow, and a chilli crab spaghetti served in a bag. Downstairs, check your coat and bag into one of 40 lockers and gear up for a dance. There’s a roaming drinks trolley loaded with punch bowls, and tequila and mezcal are sold by the bottle and tagged so people can come back to the bar for pours.

Only the Mary’s group could open a restaurant with a menu that has lobster, flaming bombe Alaska, caviar and raw clams with fermented chilli and make it feel like a party. This ambitious CBD restaurant has all the cues and price tags of a fancy restaurant, but no one treats it like one. There’s not another place in Sydney like it.

This Bondi restaurant is vegan only, but that shouldn’t be what defines Peppe’s. This vibe-y eatery is delicious, fun and just happens to have a plant-based menu. The day's dishes are posted on the restaurant’s chalkboard and make up a hit list of pastas. The house speciality is gnocchi and there are three different options available as well as a special.

Osteria Coogee, which quietly opened in May 2019, is fast becoming a firm favourite in the area. It’s little wonder why: coastal Italian flavours and Coogee are a great match. Enjoy classics such as the crudo – sheets of white tuna dotted tomato and pancetta – and the gnocchi with porcini and truffles.

The big-city sequel to this Manly favourite hasn’t disappointed since it opened in April 2019. It’s delightful and surprising. That’s thanks in large part to chef Alejandro Huerta and his talent for modernising classic Mexican food and marrying it with Australian ingredients. Standout dishes include nopales (“no-pah-lays”) – cactus picked and served with burrata and milk – and a pork-belly dish, slow-cooked and deep-fried until crisp, served with mole.

Pizza, craft beers, natural wine. It’s a trio showing up everywhere right now, and it’s easy to see why. Dimitri’s is proof that the key to nailing this simple formula is in the steadfast commitment to quality ingredients and produce and to consistent execution. Dimitri’s has been around since 1975, and has had its current owners for the past eight years, but since its move from Crown Street to Oxford, it’s never felt fresher (or more fun). To match the new spot there’s a new oven firing pizza made with new dough. Try the Bee Sting: mozzarella, sopressa, tomato and honey. Or the Brussel Crowe, which is topped with roasted brussels sprouts, caramelised onion, fennel and scamorza.

Little Felix is more than a waiting room for French bistro Felix. Thanks to a Cognac and Cointreau-heavy drinks list and a bar piled high with towers of French cheese cut to order, Merivale’s latest opening is a destination in its own right. It’s all set in an opulent, pale-emerald room replete with comfortable dark-toned leather lounges.

This may be the only venue in this guide where we’d recommend takeaway as much as eating in. At $15, the dinner boxes – heaped with Italian comfort food – are a steal. Whether you order the lasagne or the polenta served with mushrooms (eat-in or to-go), just make sure you follow it up with the light and fluffy tiramisu for dessert. It’s a star.