KarenWoo

Hello,
We are eagerly awaiting our upcoming trip to Australia and New Zealand for this fall! All our reservations are made, and I am now looking for restaurant recommendations for Melbourne and Sydney. I've already made reservations for dinner at The Sanderson in Sydney, compliments of our daughter and son-in-law. They gifted us with a gift certificate for our 50th wedding anniversary!

I do have a small list of restaurants that I found in various people's trip reports but could use some additional recommendations.

I would appreciate recommendations for breakfasts in both Melbourne and Sydney as our hotels there do not include breakfast. We prefer to have breakfasts where locals would dine. In Melbourne we are staying at The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins, and in Sydney we are staying at The Grace Hotel at 77 York Street. So restaurants/cafes close to these hotels would be preferable.

For lunches and dinners, we don't need Michelin starred restaurants, just places that serve good quality food and preferably where locals would dine. They don't have to be fancy; casual is fine with us. My husband definitely wants to eat a lot of Asian food especially Chinese. But we would appreciate recommendations for other kinds of food, too, such as Indian, Italian, Greek, etc. We like fish, seafood, beef, lamb, etc.

And one more question: We plan on taking the ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff. Is it necessary to book our ferry reservations in advance?

Thanks!

Bokhara2

Hi Karen,
Am I correct in thinking your "Fall" trip is in the Australian Spring - September to November?
We're 4 days into our Winter today.

KarenWoo

Yes! Sorry, I should have been more explicit. We will be in Australia this October for 3 weeks. And in New Zealand in November for 3 weeks.

Bokhara2

It would be useful to know what restaurants in Sydney & Melbourne you already have on your list.

Here's a couple of city maps & links which may be useful.
Sydney map: https://goo.gl/maps/PFmeA45BAKXruh4F8

Visit Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/

Wine Tasting – Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/articles/best...ting-in-sydney

Rooftop Bars – Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/...s/rooftop-bars

Sydney Beachfront cafes https://www.weekendnotes.com/best-sy...s-water-views/

Waterfront restaurants (April 2024) https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/...aurants-sydney


VISIT MELBOURNE: https://www.visitmelbourne.com

MELBOURNE MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/3iDQCJqzVdjtVGXL6

Bokhara2

Duplicate deleted

KarenWoo

Bokhara2, thank you so much for all the links! I've looked at two of them so far: the beachfront cafes and waterfront restaurants. Will check out the others when I have more time.

For Sydney, I have the following on my list:
Golden Century
Doyles on the Wharf
Harry's Cafe de Wheels
Din Tai Fung

For Melbourne, I have:
Chin Chin
Flower Drum
The Cut Steakhouse
Cumulus for breakfast

KTtravel

Hi KarenWoo,
We enjoyed the Big Esso restaurant in Melbourne. It is a casual lunch or dinner place tucked in the back of Federation Square that serves indigenous food and is fun if you're a bit adventurous. We opted for a tasting menu and thought everything was delicious. I"m happy to answer more questions about it, if you like.
Have a great trip!

KarenWoo

KTtravel, thanks for the recommendation! Sounds like Big Esso is right up our alley. We are adventurous eaters, especially my husband.

Bokhara2

I've added my Sydney comments above. I've always enjoyed Cumulus & Flower Drum.

KarenWoo

Bokhara2, thank you so much for your invaluable comments. Regarding Din Tai Fung, it looks like the one in World Square is the closest to the Grace Hotel where we are staying so that would make the most sense. Good to know you like Flower Drum and Cumulus. I appreciate your waterfront recommendations. Will add those to my list. Is it necessary to make reservations in advance? Thanks!

crellston

In Melbourne we enjoyed https://meatmaiden.com.au a different take on a steakhouse.

Bokhara2

Hi Karen,
Yes - make reservations for anywhere you want to eat. The good ones book out. You may be lucky if you "wing it" - but you may not & will miss out. You can always cancel if your plans change.

A few others you might like:
Bondi Icebergs - not necessarily the upmarket restaurant, but the Icebergs Club. Same spectacular views, more casual food offerings, very reasonable prices. Take your ID - Liquor Licensing requires visitors to sign in - all visitors are welcome. This is a nice end to the Coogee/Bronte to Bondi Beach walk, which is also high on my "things to do" list. www.icebergs.com.au/

Manly: Walk down the Corso to the Beach & turn right ..10 mins stroll... Shelly Beach has a very nice, casual "Boathouse" restaurant. You'll need to book. I forgot about it on the "Beach front" discussion yesterday. www.manlyboathouse.com.au/
There's another good one - "Pantry", right on Manly Beach.The Pantry Manly - Best view in Manly
Or ... you could walk around to the right when you exit the ferry to the Manly 16' Skiff Club. Very local, casual, nice spot.www.manlyskiff.com.au/

Rose Bay: More casual & cheaper than Catalina - The Boathouse at Rose Bay. https://www.theboathouserosebay.com.au/

You'll just have to stay longer, you know ..... Sydney has so much to offer!

KarenWoo

Wow! Thanks, crellston! This looks wonderful and so unique!

KarenWoo

Bokhara2, I really appreciate your new restaurant list with some less expensive offerings. They all look wonderful, and the views are gorgeous. If we didn't already make our airline reservations, I would seriously consider adding an extra week in Sydney just to eat. This makes me even more excited about our trip, and we have 4 months to go!

Bokhara2

My pleasure, Karen. Sydney is a gorgeous city & having lived there for 40 years, I barely scratched the surface of things to see & do - and great places to eat. Hospitality is a very fluid, quite fickle industry and Covid hit hard as it did all around the world's great cities' restaurants. So, those still trading are likely to be pretty good.

Within easy walking distance of The Grace, have a look at Ash Street (look up at the birdcages, down at the plagues and listen to the songs of birds we used to have in the city). There's nice collection of eateries of various cuisines. If you were looking for a French bistro like the one you might find in a side street in a village or Paris - Clarence Street's Bistro Papillon has been there forever & is still good.

The Grace Hotel is directly across the road from my old office and has a very interesting history. Grace Hotel: https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.go...s/view/1918236

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Building,_Sydney

KarenWoo

Bokhara2, many thanks once again for your helpful information and the links to the Grace Hotel. It's history is so interesting, especially the part about it being the Sydney headquarters for the US Armed Forces!

millie2112

You have good restaurants in Melbourne.
Here is one I went to a little while ago and I enjoyed it
https://www.philipperestaurant.com.au/
and have a look at this one
https://www.hardwaresociete.com/melbourne

KarenWoo

millie2112, thank you so much! They both look great. Hardware Societe looks like a good choice for breakfast or lunch.

kate_brownell86

Your trip sounds fantastic, and happy 50th anniversary! For breakfast in Melbourne, try Higher Ground or Hardware Société—both are local favorites near The Savoy. In Sydney, check out The Grounds of the City or Single O Surry Hills near The Grace Hotel. For lunch and dinner, Hutong Dumpling Bar and Chin Chin in Melbourne are great for Asian cuisine, while in Sydney, try Mr. Wong or Spice Alley. Enjoy your trip!

curiousgeo

For Melbourne, +1 for Hutong Dumplings, delicious xialongbao, wuntun in chili sauce, sautéed pea shoots. Shark Fin House nearby has excellent yum cha and good service. Dinner there looks really good for our next visit. We cut through the Crown Casino one day walking towards Southbank and Lucky Chan on the main floor looked surprisingly good, packed at mealtime.