By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Beyond the usual – albeit excellent – out-of-towner endorsed suspects (Bondi Icebergs! Quay! Aria!) that practically scream Australiana with their coastal views and vistas over Circular Quay, the Harbour City is home to a number of eateries that have perfected the magic of Mod Oz fare.
Whether through spotlighting the abundance of regional ingredients, adopting innovative approaches to cooking techniques or fusing global influences with a local touch to deliver a unique blend of flavours, here are six of Sydney’s best Modern Australian restaurants.
You don’t need to be a tourist to tuck in!
A nostalgic nod to Sydney’s past wrapped in thoroughly contemporary charm, Bopp & Tone is as much about storytelling as it is about sumptuous eating. Named after founders Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts’ grandfathers, the venue is a tribute to old-school hospitality, brought into the present with a lush Mod Oz menu where "food influences come from the Chef’s passion for Mediterranean food and philosophies yet translate so well with Australian ingredients and the Aussie way of life.”
Executive Chef Patrick Friesen and Head Chef Jordan Wijeadasa source ingredients that are honest and seasonal, with most dishes making remarkable use of the restaurant’s wood grill.
Think southern calamari with ajo blanco, salsa verde and almonds; Moreton Bay bugs with lemon, seaweed butter; Australian King prawns with fermented chill and Wagyu bone-in sirloin from Queensland’s Darling Downs. The sustainability-leaning wine list also showcases local cutting-edge winemakers, while cocktails are tailored with native ingredients.
Tucked along the tranquil banks of the Nepean River, Sinclair’s offers a slower, more contemplative take on Modern Australian cuisine. Hyperlocal to the extreme - nearly every ingredient on the menu is sourced within 50 km of the dining room - the result is a taste of regional NSW. Unpretentious, articulate and quietly elegant.
From Sonoma sourdough drizzled with Katoomba honey and whipped Wagyu butter to a perfectly charred free-range pork chop with Bilpin apple or a cheeky side of Wilberforce Sebago hand-cut chips, Sinclair’s crafts dishes that tell stories of their origin. There’s a purity here that captures the essence of Mod Oz cooking: where community, sustainability and provenance come first - all in an idyllic countryside setting.
With a name steeped in colonial history - a reference to the six heads of cattle that arrived with the First Fleet - 6Head blends heritage with a forward-thinking culinary ethos. Located in a prime waterfront perch at Campbell’s Cove, the restaurant offers front-row views of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks. While it would be tempting to attribute its location as responsible for its Mod Oz credentials, it’s the food that truly shines.
A celebration of Australian beef, 6Head’s six signature cuts - from eye fillet to Wagyu - are sourced from top-tier producers and treated with the reverence they deserve. Other excellent options include a raw seafood platter starring native sea urchins and pickled mussels, alongside a dry-aged Wagyu and bone marrow burger that reimagines pub classics through a modern lens. An all-Australian wine list rounds out the experience, celebrating the country’s winemaking accomplishments with every pour.
For those seeking theatre on the plate, Nel delivers drama through 11 delicious courses. Helmed by the ever-creative Nelly Robinson, this cult eatery redefines what Modern Australian fine dining can be. While the degustation menu changes regularly, each edition is themed, seasonal and highly conceptual.
In the current ‘Native Australia’ offering, diners might encounter anise myrtle kingfish, pepperberry and coffee kangaroo, or wildfire Murray cod. The approach is daring, inventive, and deeply rooted in Australian identity – a degustation journey that’s part homage, part fantasy but all flavour.
A rooftop perch in Circular Quay with front-row seats of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House makes Cafe Sydney a quintessential addition to any best Modern Australian compilation. However, it’s not all-style-no-substance at this spectacular eatery. Long regarded as one of the city’s most celebrated dining destinations, it continues to impress with a contemporary Australian menu grounded in elegance and simplicity.
The seafood is stellar - from a decadent shellfish platter brimming with yabbies, bugs and marron, to exquisitely grilled local fish, and its Australian-focused wine list is also award-winning. The service is sharp without being stuffy - all embodying the spirit of the city by serving up glam, a little glitz and a lot of love for the good life.
It would be remiss to compile a list of Sydney’s best Modern Australian restaurants without mentioning one of the pioneers in the space - Neil Perry. While many of his establishments (Rockpool, Spice Temple and Rosetta) showcase his foray into fusion-inspired Mod Oz fare, Margaret in Double Bay stands out as the most intimate and personal menu of his career.
Named in tribute to his mother, it was the first restaurant Neil launched without any outside financial backing, giving him the freedom to create a fine dining experience entirely of his own making. It’s a deeply personal ode to his years in the kitchen, with a focus on Australia’s incredible seafood - a cornerstone of Neil’s cuisine - that takes pride of place on the menu. Dishes change regularly to reflect the best seasonal produce available from dedicated local suppliers.
With such a kaleidoscopic range of global influences represented, navigating Margaret’s menu might seem daunting. Rather than be puzzled by Neil’s reluctance to stick strictly to either Asian fare or more Euro-leaning dishes, diners should embrace it as a true example of one of Sydney’s best expressions of Modern Australian cuisine.
