A Japanese wine bar with Michelin cred in Surry Hills.

The snacks are great and the wine list is balanced and approachable at this self-assured wine bar and restaurant from Tetsuya's former executive chef.

From pop-up to permanent, this homey restaurant celebrates Thai-Chinese dishes. Come for the family-recipe beef noodle soup, steam pork buns and huge wontons swimming in a spicy, sweet sauce.

An ex-Bentley chef is serving a set menu dedicated to snacks at his cosy pan-Asian diner. We loved the quail katsu, styled after Hot Star’s Taiwanese fried chicken.

Bessie's is the restaurant half of the two-in-one follow-up to Bar Copains (Alma's, the cocktail bar, is across the floor). Come for flame-grilled Mediterranean share-style plates, and an exciting wine list stewarded by enthusiastic staff.

Japanese with a side of jazz? Hit this smooth diner, where legit musos play most nights of the week. Jazzed up ramens and Japanese favourites have been served here for more than 20 years.

The family behind The Fold is taking on Surry Hills with this Sri Lankan wine bar and diner. Get a front-row seat at the hopper bar, and share fragrant curries featuring native Australian ingredients.

Seafood towers, scampi spaghetti and five types of steak frites are just some of the highlights at this stylish brasserie from the Franca team. Slide into a red leather banquette and admire the capacious dining room – or perhaps that perfect spiral of lemon peel floating in your Martini.

Partway between a Tuscan wine bar and an American speakeasy, this Italian stallion is all about the Negroni. It serves around 30 versions of the classic drink, and Italian liqueurs so rare they're even hard to find in Italy. The menu spans classic aperitivo snacks and pastas.

Pass between two heritage buildings to reach this dramatic space with a 10-metre-tall glass ceiling. Inspired by the marketplaces of the Middle East, it’s a romantic spot to enjoy shawarma, velvety burrata and pita pockets.

Inspired by Tuscany’s dining scene, this female-led diner is all about fresh pasta (including a squid-ink fettucine with crab), al fresco dining and flamboyant weekly specials.

The best of the eternal city inspires this graffiti-covered pasta cave. Enter for classic Roman pastas including carbonara and cacio e pepe. Plus, blistered slabs of Roman pizza recognised by a prestigious Italian food authority.

At this bright community kitchen, ingredients rescued by Ozharvest are transformed into gourmet lunches for those experiencing food insecurity. It’s an Australian-first collaboration between acclaimed Italian chef Massimo Bottura and Ozharvest founder Ronni Kahn.

A garage-style trattoria where you can disappear into prawn ravioli bathing in brown butter and sage sauce, a list of mainly Italian vino, and a lively soundtrack spanning Afrobeat and Italian pop. From the rock star trio behind Potts Point neo-bistro, Bistro 916.

At every turn, chef Dylan Cashman’s smart 20-seater is guided by provenance and zero waste. Whole beasts are used from nose to tail; fresh produce comes from the garden out back; and local winemakers are placed front and centre. Ask for the “secret” drinks menu – it’s got super rare French drops and cocktail specials.

A handsome brasserie-style spin-off by the team from Arthur Restaurant. It’s primed for casual afterwork drinks and snacks with a sharing menu focused on zero-waste.

The Porteño group’s Holt Street eatery pays tribute to the group’s seminal venue Bodega (which used to be right around the corner) of the early noughties, combined with a ’60s-era Italian trattoria. Pull up at one of the mint terrazzo tables for vibrant antipasti, seasonal house-made pastas and a knockout drinks list.

This Crown Street eatery is a no-rules fusion joint serving spicy noodles and voluminous cocktails.

Authentic Neapolitan street food in a bright, modern setting.

The pizza bases here are proved for four days so they’re light and easy to digest, then topped with only a couple of ingredients, including buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy.

Contrasting colours and layered textures – Sang pushes the boundaries of Korean cooking.

A renowned izakaya from Tokyo serving Hakata-style skewers grilled over charcoal. The best seats in the house are wrapped around the open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs prepare and serve the house specialty with military precision.

An ambitious yet down-to-earth restaurant from former Farmhouse and Dead Ringer chef Tristan Rosier.

An ironbark-fuelled hearth works magic at this buzzing, subterranean wine bar and restaurant from the same crew behind Ester. Expect a long wine list of both classics and genre-busting naturals, plus an innovative, ever-changing snack menu focused on woodfire flavours and eating with your hands.

A colourful vegan-friendly pasta and spritz bar.

Line up for luxurious, velvety ramen made with the help of science.

This Mexican diner's menu is entirely plant-based, and it's all the better for it. If you're a veg-lover and a fan of Mexican flavours, this is the spot for you. When your tortilla's loaded with pastor-style mushrooms, pico de gallo and pineapple; you won't even notice the meat's gone.

Some of the best light ramen in Sydney.

A colourful restaurant showing India’s whimsical side.

Noisy, spicy and lots of fun – just like the original in Melbourne. Follow the pink-neon bunny to GoGo bar for cocktails, then head to the buzzy dining room proper for Chin Chin classics like kingfish sashimi with lime and coconut, and wok-fired rice noodles with Wagyu.

An industrial-looking local with Thai-inspired brunch.

Not every pizzeria can say it has an Italian flour technician at the pass. And the proof is well and truly in the dough here (there’s more than one kind depending on what you order). But it’s the genre-bending toppings that truly stand out: past pizzas on the menu have been loaded with anything from pureed pea to smoked turkey.

Forget everything you know about Lebanese food.

This Surry Hills pub got a shake-up in 2020 – but it’s still one of Sydney’s best all-in-one wine bars, restaurants and boozers.

Authentic Vietnamese street food and a long list of Asian beers make this mini-chain a winner.

Sneakers and champers to go with your fried chicken.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza on Crown Street.

The popular food truck has a standalone store.

High-quality produce cooked over a naked flame, with no sauces to hide behind.

A cosy, izakaya-style Japanese bar diner with a downtown vibe.

A low-down, boozy affair with Southern barbeque.

Top contender for Sydney’s smallest restaurant, Raita Noda is an eight-seater Japanese kitchen in Surry Hills.

A traditional Sydney pub with a Central American twist.

A Vietnamese institution in Surry Hills.

With heritage elements and just 35 rooms, this boutique hotel barely feels like one.

It has 29 rooms, Japanese-style timber baths and mini-bar snacks by LPs Quality Meats.

There's more than 90 brands, including behemoths Nike, New Balance and Asics, and small, hard-to-find labels like A Kind of Guise, Casablanca, Andersson Bell and Sunflower.

This sun-drenched, two-storey shop houses bespoke candles inspired by Australiana. It also offers scent consultations, candle-making workshops and a dedicated event space.

This design-forward bathhouse was inspired by bathing experiences across the world, from the onsens of Japan to the hammams of Moroccan. Sweat in out in the hot-stone sauna or steam room; soak in the heated magnesium bath; then refresh in the two-person cold plunge.

Try on a hoodie by Perfect White Tee, a leather jacket by Austin’s Understated Leather, or a bohemian dress by Malibu’s Jen’s Pirate Booty in this beautifully renovated terrace.

This charming book nook is all about quality over quantity. Sip wine and mull over the latest page-turner at one of its intimate, monthly book club meetings.

This alluring and mysterious emporium trades in antique books and curiosities from Australia’s pre-federation history. Its treasures span the entire second floor of a converted Surry Hills warehouse, and – if you’ve got an appointment – you can sit in its grand reading room and pore over immaculate books that predate the city itself.

Everything you need for your kitchen, and state-of-the art cooking-class facilities. Plus a cheese counter with local and international specialties.

An artisan butchery with a mini restaurant attached taking on the supermarkets by offering cut-to-order meat .

Japanese and Scandinavian homewares, and pieces handmade by owner Tara Bennett.

Part bookshop, part record store. It’s a must-visit for any music lover with enough books to rival their record collection. It’s a favourite among international touring artists too, with the odd legend sifting through the artfully curated shelves of books, DVDs and vinyl. Now with a second location in Barangaroo.

Two Nomad alumni serving kombucha on tap, nitro coffee and nduja-packed croque monsieur.

One of the only dedicated men’s vintage clothing stores in Sydney.

HAY Shop brings Danish design to Sydney.

It’s a one-stop-shop for cyclists and bike lovers.

A shop selling a novel dessert on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills.

This takeaway-only sibling to AP House serves all the classics – like Aleppo scrolls and cheese-topped focaccia slabs. But you’ll also find got exclusive baked goods (like Japanese-inspired cream puffs) and roasted-croissant soft-serve.

A tiny sandwich spot turning out well-made, grab-and-go lunches that don’t cost the earth. If you’re here for brekkie, grab a BAE roll with chilli jam, or a yoghurt and granola cup for the win.

Choose from 12 ready-to-go flavours – including nanko-ume plum with shiso or marinated onsen egg – at this specialist onigiri shop. Luxe made-to-order options like flame-grilled M9 wagyu add a touch of drama to the diminutive space.

There are seven ripper sandwiches and a breakfast brisket roll at this Central Asian deli. Plus Coffee Supreme coffee, homemade cookies, and Turkish smallgoods to take home.

Housed inside a breezy terrace, this cosy cafe serves single-origin coffees roasted in-house. The menu flaunts classics like buttermilk pancakes, and a za'taar brekkie flatbread that's become a crowd fave.

The Surry Hills sequel to the popular Botany bakery serves classic Turkish breakfasts like you'd find in Istanbul. Roll up for simit bagels stuffed with egg and sucuk (spicy sausage), classic Turkish breakfast plates and daily-baked sweets.

A tiny vegan wholefood kitchen and bakery by a former Jamie's Italian chef. Rock up to the takeaway window for baked goods free from gluten and refined sugar – including avo toast on slices of sprouted quinoa loaf, bliss balls, banana bread and more.

The contender for Sydney's best macaron, where you can purchase the day’s technicolour creations along with cupcakes, cookies and croissants.

A polished pastry shop that puts a fine-dining twist on classic bakery items. Think Wagyu and mushroom pies, and yuzu curd croissants. The star item – the Crown on 487 – is so labour-intensive only 15 are made each day.

A Cali-inspired rooftop bakery from the teams behind Ester, Reuben Hills and Paramount House Hotel. Ascend for sourdough bread made with old-world wheat, hefty pies and pastries we can’t stop thinking about.

Whether they’re baking bread or butchering steaks, the Porteno team does not muck around. Its humble little bakery nearly broke the internet with a gorgeous finger bun. But it’s no slouch in the sandwich department either.

Macedonian food, including burek made by a master.

A part-cafe and part-workshop for experts and budding barista amateurs.

Another winner from Bill Granger, the man who revolutionised Sydney's cafe scene.

Innovative brunch dishes by an ex-fine-dining chef.

Kentaro is Oratnek spelled backwards – a nod to its sister venue in Redfern. You can get Oratnek’s signature katsu sando here (“worth the 15 minute wait”), but there’s also hard-to-find Japanese classics such as omurice. It’s restaurant-quality fare, set within an industrial fit-out.

Where everybody knows your name, and your coffee order.

A space-themed cat cafe.

Down on Bourke Street, a batch is brewing and it’s from Bolivia … this week.

An extension of the popular Mona Vale cafe and bakery in the inner east.

After a big revamp, the Crown Street landmark now flaunts a modern Australian restaurant and a leafy rooftop bar. Plus, a food and drink offering led by some of the best in the game.

Walk in for party-ready classic cocktails like a Harvey Wallbanger, Pimms Cup or Pina-Colada-strawberry-Daquiri mix. Plus it’s easy to make a meal out of the restaurant’s snack menu, too.

This petite, 20-person wine bar embraces life’s simple pleasures: good company, sleek design and great wine. There’s a focus on lo-fi drops, Salt and Vinegar Martinis, charcuterie and excellent fried chicken.

At the second incarnation of the Mexican cocktail bar from the Maybe Sammy team, it’s in with the old and in with the new too. There are tequila loyalty cards and Horchata Colada slushies, plus bookable karaoke and enough Margaritas to make Jimmy Buffett blush.

Bar Copains is one of the best places in Sydney to drink wine at. At this romantic corner bar, two of the country’s best chefs are sharing "unicorns" from their own personal cellars, and elegant snacks to try them with.

The sister venue to Lennox Hastie’s Firedoor is a celebration of the vibrant pintxos bars of northern Spain. The menu offers Australian ingredients with Basque-inspired touches, a taste of Spain via imported jamon iberico, and a drinks list that’ll change the way you feel about sherry.

This huge two-storey pub – with a popular wraparound verandah and interior courtyard – is one of Surry Hill's original boozers. And after 150 years, you still can't do the Crown Street crawl without a trip to The Clock.

A spot for great value beers and pub feeds.

Craft beer is king at this petite Surry Hills boozer.

This Crown Street gin hub has a still making small-batch spirits just for Sydney, and a shop selling gin and gin-related goods. To find Eileen’s Bar, look out for the discreet doorway and ascend the staircase.

Inside a former storage space used by St Mary’s Cathedral is Sydney’s best (and only) dedicated rum distillery. Settle in for a tasting flight, and South American-inspired eats like tacos and croquetas.

A bar serving French Mistelle cocktails, with a millinery workshop at the back.

Settle in for a long dinner, or eat a few snacks and dash. Both are possible at this comfortable wine bar.

It hasn’t taken long for this back-street neighbourhood pub to attract the locals.

A karaoke right of passage for Sydneysiders everywhere.

Good times are guaranteed at this fun izakaya. Studio Ghibli films are projected on the wall, the staff are cool, and the bites are booze-friendly. Sit at the bar with a whisky highball and some chicken-thigh skewers for the win.

Party like a salaryman with the aid of karaoke, yakitori and plenty of saké.

Craft beer is the focus at this Surry Hills pub.

Whisky appreciation and education in Surry Hills.