The best restaurants with a view in Sydney

Aqua, which sits above a newly refurbished public swimming pool with front-row views of the Harbour Bridge, has long been one of the most premium restaurants with a view in Sydney. It’s set to reopen at the end of 2026 after a lengthy renovation. When it does, guests can expect a menu packed with Australian produce, with hints of Asian and Italian influence. The entry will be quite the eyeful too: the first thing you’ll see is a huge, specially-commissioned artwork by Ken Done, one of Australia’s most colourful and beloved artists. Brian O’Flaherty (formerly of the now-shuttered Quay and The Dining Room at the Park Hyatt) leads the kitchen, and Aqua will also have a zero-waste cocktail program. A dip followed by lunch sounds like a solid Sydney day out.

What’s better than admiring one of Sydney’s great landmarks from the outside? Dining inside it, naturally. Beautiful Bennelong sits inside the Sydney Opera House, which gives diners views across the bustling Circular Quay (and, if you score the right table, the Harbour Bridge). Until recently, the restaurant was under the careful stewardship of acclaimed chef Peter Gilmore, who has now handed the reins to longtime head chef, Rob Cockerill. The menu – three courses at dinner, the option of two at lunch and approachable bar and counter menus – is Australia on a plate, with dishes such as marron, Australia’s native freshwater crayfish, with buckwheat pikelets and finger lime, and of course the iconic pavlova, shaped like the very building you’re sitting in. 

Sydney is world-renowned for its beaches, but its spectacular ocean pools are equally iconic. The legendary Icebergs overlooks the most famous of them all: the Bondi Icebergs Pool, a streak of aqua blue against the bottle green of the Pacific, with the swell breaking over the lap lanes. While admiring the swimmers from the dining room, order a round of Sydney rock oysters, the beloved risotto ai gamberi and especially the colourful cassata. Or for something more casual, pop into the bar for the Iceburger and an ice-cold martini. 

Revolving restaurants don’t always have the best reputations for food, but few of them are captained by a chef of the calibre of Mark Best, who previously ran one of the city’s best restaurants, Marque (once on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants longlist). Today, Infinity is one of the most spectacular restaurants with a view in Sydney, serving an à la carte menu using purely Australian ingredients: dishes like red emperor with pipis (a local clam) and Australian saffron, or pumpkin miso and sea urchin spaghetti. The wines, too, are 100% Aussie, chosen by esteemed sommelier Polly Mackarel. And the view? The entire city, of course – from the Harbour to way out west. And with a 70-minute spin, you’ll see every bit of it over the course of your meal.

Sydney’s skyline mightn’t be as famous as New York’s or London’s; it leans heavily on the natural beauty of its harbours and beaches instead. But scoring a birdseye view of the busy downtown is still a great way to get a sense of what the city is all about. Japanese-inspired rooftop bar Joji sits right on the corner of King and George, two of Sydney’s most energetic streets, and has cemented its reputation as one of the most popular rooftop restaurants in Sydney. You can peer onto the pedestrian action while you sip complex Japanese cocktails and bug and prawn rolls (don’t worry, ‘bugs’ in Australia are a type of slipper lobster, not an insect!). The eye-level views are great too, a mix of Victorian-era sandstone buildings and the soaring glass skyscrapers of the business district.

Not enough Sydney visitors make time to cross to the other side of the Harbour Bridge, but those who do reap great rewards. The Northern Beaches are home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the city – if not the world. Powder-sand beaches, charming little villages full of delis and bakeries, and a small but mighty handful of glamorous waterfront restaurants that are 100% worth the rideshare cost. Pilu at Freshwater, in a beachside suburb that flies under the radar even for many locals, is perhaps the most elegant example, and one of the best restaurants with a view in Sydney. The Sardinian-leaning restaurant has operated from a heritage-listed weatherboard house for 22 years, and its elevated position enables sweeping ocean views (look out for whales in winter). The menu is equally diverting, especially the signature maialetto suckling pig, and the seafood pasta with its bottarga crown.

First there was a’Mare, the showpiece Italian on the ground floor of the Crown Sydney hotel complex. It’s known for its suave service and tableside theatrics: salumi carved in front of you, pesto pounded while you watch. What it doesn’t have, however, is the best views. So, the same team opened Pizza’Mare, on the mezzanine level above. The premise is simple: a lively, casual space dishing up creative, generously-topped pizzas that span from traditional (margherita, diavola, etc.) to creative (notably, one featuring tuna crudo and stracciatella). There’s also a concise list of classic pastas and a beguiling spritz menu that follows the flavours of different Italian regions. The windows look out across busy Darling Harbour, a lesser-seen side of the city’s waterways.

Admittedly, the water views at this modern Cantonese/Szechuan diner in the harbourside suburb of Manly are a little tricky to see from the indoor tables, but grab one outdoors and you’ll get a sweeping view of boats bobbing across the harbour. However, as any local will tell you, the real views on any trip to Manly begin before you arrive. Catch the Manly ferry from Circular Quay and you’ll get wide views of every landmark the Harbour holds: you chug directly past the Harbour Bridge as you exit the dock, get close up with the Opera House and can even spy the Prime Minister’s house on the northern foreshore. It’s a great way to work up an appetite for dumplings, noodles and live seafood – the restaurant’s hallmarks.