When it comes to tourist accommodation, most capital cities in Australia are on an even footing but Sydney has long been in competition with Melbourne as to which city has the best restaurants. These days the competition is less fierce and it has slowly been accepted that every capital city in Australia has its own wonderful restaurants. Tourists tend to visit restaurants close to their hotels or in the CBD area to avoid having to travel too far in their rental cars when they want to eat, especially as they have a few drinks as well.


Photo: anselmogz

Nevertheless it would be foolish to eliminate a restaurant from this assessment simply because it is not centrally located. Instead, we are going to look at the five best restaurants in Sydney as rated by critics and food aficionados alike. This is not meant to rate the restaurants in any particular order.

• Marque Restaurant. This wonderful restaurant is located in Surry Hills and is a modern example of exuberant cooking. Here you will find food that is experimental, innovative, classical and inventive or the same time. Some more recent examples include beetroot macaroons filled with fois gras mousse which has been described as being as beautiful as they are tasty. You'll need to book a long time in advance.
• Tetsuya's. When you learn that this famous restaurant is ranked in the top 50 dining experiences in the world it hardly needs any more recommendation. The food is outstanding, the service impeccable and the ingredients superb. It consistently wins first or second place in the Sydney food awards, so if you are visiting Sydney and you get the chance make sure you visit this restaurant for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
• Guillame's at Bennelong. Quite simply Guillame's has become almost a site of religious significance. Food critics consistently rate the cuisine here as superb and delightful. As famous as he is for innovative cuisine, Guillame is also a truly classical chef. For a spectacular view there is little better than Sydney can offer.
• Claude's. This Woollahra restaurant is firmly established in the annals of Sydney's finest restaurants. From simple beginnings in the early 1980s Claude's has risen through the ranks to become one of the finer dining experiences the Sydney has to offer. The menu is constantly changing and, using traditional Chinese cooking methods, the head chef creates magnificent dishes which make booking a table of Claude is a must for every tourist.
• Rockpool. Rockpool is simply one of the most visually stunning restaurants in Sydney. That's not to say that the food doesn't also rise to the same spectacular standards. It has a distinctly New York feel to it and has maintained a slick efficient yet friendly approach to dining that is the envy of most other restaurants. As well as serving up classical and modern interpretations, Rockpool became famous for dishng up incredible burgers too!

So, if you're planning on a big night out and you want to leave your hire car at your hotel, take a cab to one of these fine establishments for a night to remember. At the end of the night, if you have planned properly, you'll find yourself relaxing at one of the many Sydney hotels in the CBD basking in the memory of a wonderful meal.