Cafe Sydney Restaurant

Came to Cafe Sydney on an impromptu visit - we were meant to go somewhere else but over the holidays it was closed and my friend thought this would be casual place to visit. It’s definitely not a casual vibe place but I’m so glad we came. I have not been to cafe Sydney in years and it was as spectacular as I remember with a Beautiful vista overlooking the harbour bridge and water. As we had no reservation we had one of the random tables inside but service was still great, a lovely vibe and absolutely delicious food. We opted to share a few things - the pork chop, the salmon in curry sauce, some garlic naan and rosemary chat potatoes. Honestly everything was delicious and would recommend! Total bill came to 180 (we each had a drink) and I thought this very reasonable esp considering the location, service and the quality of food. Would definitely recommend and would return - although ideally with a table on the patio overlooking the water!

Came here for dinner one night with the family, great experience! Unlike some of the other reviewers it seems we got quite lucky with the view, we were placed right in the middle on the terrace facing directly towards the harbour which was great, our waitress was absolutely incredible, she remembered a few things and her customer service skill was top notch, polite, friendly, smiling, and attentive. She recommended the table some incredible drinks of which I had a few, she picked up on my tastes and recommended a few more similar drinks which I absolutely also loved. Top notch service from the lady with blonde hair. (Didn’t grab a name). The food was also great, went for one of the only beef options on the menu, I think from memory it was a lot of seafood but the beef was cooked perfectly and had the best sauce, entirety of the table also wen for desert which was also lovely, would definitely come back and we also ran into our friends there too who share our opinions. Hopefully the other reviewers can come back and experience what we did! Only thing to add is that I wish the portion sizes for the food were larger but what we got was expected of a place like this and similar venues.

First time in Sydney and we had the best experience! My brother and I pre-booked weeks ago, which was smart because the place was packed. The tenderloin was incredible, and the Wagyu steak special was a total standout. We also ordered a beef tartare for starters and a sorbet for dessert. Huge thanks to our host Nicole, she was so sweet and even surprised me with a treat for my first Australian visit. Thanks, Cafe Sydney! ❤️❤️❤️

I went for a work Christmas lunch. The view was amazing and I felt so lucky to be there. I did find the service to be quite slow but I also understand it was a very busy day for them. The staff were a little rude at times and although they were great at topping up glasses it would have been nice to ask first. Sometimes people are watching how much they drink and automatic top ups can through you off. Such a beautiful restaurant and the view really was exceptional

Visited for my birthday and left quite disappointed. We were seated and asked for sparkling water, but no one came back for nearly 20 minutes. I tried to get someone’s attention, but nothing — meanwhile, a table that arrived after us was already being served. It was frustrating, especially on a special night and I was really needing some water and a glass of wine to start. After my partner spoke to the staff, a server came over, apologized, and took care of us. He was friendly, and once things got moving, the food and wine were actually really good! The scallops were delicious and they even added a small “happy birthday” message to my dessert, which I appreciated. Still, it didn’t sit right that we were rushed to pay while other guests were still eating despite being served late and it was not even the peak 7-9pm dining hour but a 8:30pm-10:30pm slot. For the price point, I expected much better service.

For front row view of the Sydney Harbour over delicious fancy dining, this is the right spot. It sits at the top floor of the Customs House in Circular Quay. We came here for dinner and really happy with everything we picked: Tuna Carpaccio, Gruyere Souffle, Beef Tenderloin, Roast Duck Breast. Extensive wine list offering decent selection of wine by the glass. Of course a visit wouldn’t be official without the mandatory photo in front of the glittering Opera House.

"Just had an incredible dinner at Cafe Sydney! The oysters were fresh and perfectly paired with a tangy sauce. The naan was warm and crispy, perfect for dipping into the flavorful sauces. The cutlets were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and the steak was cooked to perfection. Service was top-notch too! Highly recommend this spot for a night out in Sydney. 5/5 stars!"

When we first sat down at the restaurant, the service was wonderful. The waitress who looked after us was especially kind and attentive, which left a great first impression. Once the food started coming out, however, the experience became a little disappointing. The oysters were fresh and delicious, but the duck parfait had a slightly unpleasant aftertaste, and the bread served alongside tasted somewhat burnt. The burrata cheese dish also felt unbalanced — pairing it only with bitter witlof and radicchio leaves didn’t seem to complement the cheese well. The octopus was tender, but the bitterness was stronger than expected. Usually, grilled octopus has a lovely smoky flavor from the wood or charcoal, but in this case the bitterness was overwhelming. When the scallop dish was brought out, our table was still full from the previous course. The runner suggested that we each take the scallops directly from their tray, but we asked them instead to place the plates on the corner of the table. In the process, we had to hurriedly move the oysters off their plates and shuffle everything around to make room before we could eat, which disrupted the flow of the meal. Overall, the entrées were underwhelming, while the mains and sides were more enjoyable. Still, many dishes felt under-seasoned and lacking in balance, which was a shame. The view was beautiful and the service at the beginning was excellent, but the food itself did not quite meet expectations. Unfortunately, that makes me hesitant about returning.

Our main waiter Zac was brilliant! Zac engaged with us throughout the nearly 3hrs my partner & I were at your venue, Zac kept his communication professional, his contact with us prompt, however, did not smother us, Zac explained wines & meals perfectly which made our experience wonderful. My partner celebrated her birthday in style at a classy venue and serviced by your exceptional staff. Well Done Cafe Sydney!!! Phil & Sienna

Cafe Sydney was definately one of my finest dining experiences in Sydney. We stopped by for lunch, and it was fabulous! Service was impeccable, the view of the harbor incredible, the drinks/wine menu extensive, and the food imaginative and delicious. Located on the 5th floor of the old Customs House (now a library) Cafe Sydney overlooks Sydney Bay and the Bridge. Reservations recommended, we managed to get a table at lunch. It filled up quickly, and is obviously very popular with the business crowd. My wife has food allergies, and the wait staff made sure the cook staff could accomadate them. Everything we tried was wonderfully prepared and presented...and delicious! Prices were surprisingly reasonable for the quality and craftsmanship of the dishes.

We were looking for a good restaurant a short walk from our Intercontinental Hotel since it was rainy, and Yelpers raved about this place. We have to agree, five star dining with upscale professional service, a great wine list and an eclectic menu with innovative offerings. Located on the 5th floor of the customs house, now the city library, on a clear day the views of the bridge from the outside seats would be stunning. On a rainy day with everyone seated inside noise level was high due to the locals and business people filling the place, obviously very popular rain or shine. We arrived just before noon and were lucky to get a table. Reservations are a good idea. My allergy issues were handled well, with a quick check on the items I ordered to make sure they were okay, rather than trying to list items I could eat. I started with twice cooked Gruyere souffle, quince, watermelon radish, pomegranate, burnt apple puree, all fresh ingredients with a wonderful blend of flavors. Their dutch cream potato gnocchi, stracciatella, cavolo nero, zucchini, basil, lemon butter sauce came in a large portion, and was very rich and tasty. Their appertifs are reasonably priced, service great, and we will definitely eat here again.

It's the total package, but getting a reservation can take years as I can attest. I think on retrospect, a walk in is better than trying to make a real reservation. The food is good but it's not 5 star, but the view is. Even a marginal table is fortunate. It's a total magical experience even with good but not exceptional food.

Cafe Sydney, 6Head, Bennelong, & Maybe Sammy (for drinks) have to be the 4 places you must go in Sydney if you are even remotely a foodie. I absolutely loved me some Cafe Sydney. The view is impeccable. The restaurant is beautiful. I love the view of Circular Quay. Up first, the $23 espresso martini! Perfect! Get yourself one if you like espresso martinis! Up next, $17 broccolini probably the worst of the items we tried, but still an 8/10. Then, the $18 brussel sprouts. They were amazing. Had a really different taste to them, nothing like I've ever had anywhere. 9.5/10. Only wish they were slightly more charred. For main courses, $56 beef tenderloin, roasted oyster mushroom, peppercorn sauce. Freaking amazing. 10/10. There is a Happy Hour here on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5pm-7pm. $2 Sydney rock oysters, $14 classic cocktails, $10 local wines.

Well, I had never heard of this place before a friend recommended it, it's a spot that will not soon be forgotten! Café Sydney sits a top an old building near Sydney Harbour, overlooking one of the most iconic inlets in the world. It's a top-notch place. That is well worth checking out if you have the time. We were able to get a reservation on the patio on what turned out to be an absolutely spectacular night. If you have the opportunity to dine out there when it's nice, the experience is unparallel! The cocktail selection, wine list, and food selection are distinctively, upscale, and creative. It's very seafood, focused, as you would expect, and left very little to be desired. The staff were all very friendly, aside from a waitress who seemed to not love that we had our kids dining with us, everybody was very nice. We were seated promptly, our beverages and food came out quickly, and everything was exactly as we hoped. If you have the opportunity to dine here, you should absolutely take it. We booked reservations, something like three months ahead of time, so it's definitely something you need to plan for, and wallet will be a relatively expensive dinner, it's 100% worth it!

I heard a lot about this place including a Deion the states who lived in Australia. Unfortunately The food was definitely a solid three stars. It was just average. NOTHING stood out as being special. I then deducted a star because we felt very rushed. I then deducted a star because they actually asked us to leave. Apparently reservations end at a certain time so they can make another seating. So as soon as we finished dessert they said we needed to move to the bar. I've NEVER had that happen, especially after we spent $750 for a table of four. I thought it was extremely rude and inappropriate. Certainly they can figure out a better way to-- every other place has. I also deducted a star because it is hard to find and no signs are posted. View is terrific.

Had a center view from the balcony at Cafe Sydney, what an experience. And for anyone who's vegan, they also have a completely separate plant based menu which has loads of options, we tried all 3 of the small vegan entrees which were exceptional, the main meal was off the chart and we had two of their vegan desserts. If you're looking for a fine dining experience by the harbor and this is it! For anyone looking for plant based options, you will be well taken care of.

Great food... Great views...Great staff Will be posting more as we travel along Looking for Sushi now

Came here for our first ever night in Sydney, which happened to be our 20th Anniversary. The Terrace View was stunning. Sit on the Terrace...it's a must and one of the best views in Sydney. The food was spectacular. My wife ordered the Snapper and I ordered the filet. We shared them so we both had "Surf N Turf". Both were great. Instead of a "side" we ordered a main dish of the Gnocchi in a cheese/cream sauce. Good thing we skipped the starters...we ate 3 mains shared between the two of us for our meal. The wine selection was extensive, but the wine team made sure we got the perfect bottle for our meal. Ben our waiter was simply the best. The whole team was beyond Top Notch and here, the whole team works seamlessly to insure the best possible experience. They took care of everything to make sure our 20th anniversary dinner was incredible and memorable. If I could give the service 6 Stars out of 5, I would. From the moment we walked off the elevator into the restaurant until the moment we left...everything was as good as it gets.

I am not a lover of things that crawl about or live in coastal ocean floors, but the birthday girl certainly is. I chose the Soufle entre and the Duck fat potatoes and more. In a word, "Superb!" We took some more photos of us at CS and the sensational setting to add to our portfolio and confirm the lovely ambiance for our friends. Loscooks, Brisbane

Everything was alright. I ordered the barramundi, my partner ordering the tandoori salmon. The barramundi was flakey and soft, and that where my praise ends. It lacked salt and the trout roe butter that could've given the fish a little flavor was there purely for show. The tandoori salmon was a bit better with the seasoning adding sweet and spicy. For appetizers, we ordered garlic, spiced onion, and plain naan as well as the tuna salmon tartare. all of which were pretty underwhelming. Not the typically fluffy and aromatic naan you'd get at an Indian restaurant. The tartare came with a fried rice cracker that was clearly stale indicated by rubber bites. The service was standard. At times it did seem like our server was nowhere to be found when needed. We also received the wrong appetizer order initially even after doublechecking our orders. It was a busier, seemingly upscale restaurant that focused on selling their fine dining plating. It is reservation only and intended to be a bit dressier. The view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge was breathtaking from the balcony where we were sitting. Cafe Sydney is definitely the place to take your tourist friends for a beautiful outlook, but I wouldn't rave about the food.

Keep the wonderful staff you have and the food was amazing! And of course the view !! So proud to live in Sydney

The service was prompt and efficient. The food scrumptious AS ALWAYS! Ambience perfect, we got an amazing table. View of the harbour not compromised Drinks, on par with other restaurants

Brough 3 overseas friends as a highlight of their day with me and their visit overall. They were totally blown away by the setting on the balcony overlooking the Quay and the bridge. The experience was well supported by excellent food and attentive service. Definitely a place to come for a special occasion.

We were celebrating our anniversary with our two young children. The table had a beautiful view, the staff members were all very friendly and helpful and the food was all amazing. We can't recommend it enough, just perfect!

Incredible service, great views and delicious food! The team delivered and made our anniversary extra special! Thank you to the team at Sydney Cafe for a memorable evening.

Everything was excellent -- from how easy it was to make a reservation, to the cleanliness of the restaurant and restrooms, the beautiful presentation and taste of the food, the friendly service, and even the atmosphere created by the other guests.It was my first time visiting Sydney, and I'm so glad I chose this restaurant. It truly became one of the most memorable parts of my trip.Thank you for the unforgettable experience!Wishing your restaurant continued success in the future.

Everything was perfect! We went here at the end of our Australia trip and I can't say enough how great everything was. Our server was super knowledgeable and attentive, our food and drinks were amazing and you can't beat the view. If you're able to sit on the terrace - do it.

Booking early pays off. I did so more than a month out and we had a front table on the terrace with a fabulous view of the harbor, bridge, and Opera House. The menu offers an array of choices. Our appetizer beef carpaccio was outstanding and more than enough for two. The barramundi was cooked to perfection. My swordfish was so tender I never touched it with a knife. The sourdough roll was not great and the only downside of the meal. Service was perfectly paced and not intrusive. Yes, this is a VERY busy place. But the noise was inside, not on our terrace. I highly recommend Cafe Sydney for your special dinner. Just remember my advice on booking well ahead for the terrace!

Our waiter, Jack, was excellent. Not hanging around, but there when we needed him, and attentive to our wine glasses and their repsective levels of wine - this is critical! ;-)Hard to beat the view, and it was gorgeous day with the sun beaming on the harbour (rare in winter '25). Fabulous, all around!

I feel that I am often fairly critical of paid experiences. It isn't often that I really can't find even a small item to be critical. My expectation is places with fantastic views generally suffer from poor food or poor service as these are taken for granted. This wasn't the case here.The only thing that you could have done to make it better was to make the meal free :) We had a really nice evening.

This is our favorite restaurant in Sydney! We loved the terrace dining and the views are gorgeous! The service was excellent. The food was divine! We were also given blankets to use while dining on a cooler winter night. The experience was very memorable and we cannot wait to return. Thank you for a lovely evening. The Larsons

Cafe Sydney has the best dining view of Sydney harbour by far....the Cafe Sydney team always deliver. Awesome always

Everything was exceptional Service Drinks Food View Can't wait to come back The prawn special was the best I've ever had !

Outstanding NYE Venue from beginning to end and all the way through. Everyone was lovely and helpful. Food was outstanding and the venue is beautiful! Highly recommend.

Fantastic evening with knowledgeable and highly attentive staff, great food and fantastic warm environment. Could not find any fault with the dining experience at Cafe Sydney

We had lunch at Cafe Sydney this past Wednesday after arriving on a 15-hour flight from the U.S. Food, service and ambiance were all outstanding. My wife has many food allergies, but the restaurant easily accommodated every one of them. In fact, we loved Cafe Sydney so much that we ate there again on Friday!

Really pretty views, and the service was good. The cocktails were good as well. The food was a little forgettable. I had the pork chop, which was a bit bland. My wife had the octopus, which was very underwhelming. The duck fat potatoes were quite good, and the burrata was good as well. We really enjoyed the garnishes for the burrata. Ambience was also very cute - good for a date night. Probably wouldn't go back for the food, but it was a nice experience, especially sitting on the deck.

The Service is Exemplary ! I've come to expect less in Australia due to the lack of a Tipping Culture but Cafe Sydney destroys that stereotype

We loved it. Very accommodating in relation to my child's cealiac/ gluten free and the lovely waiter had no problem pointing out which options were safe/ altering the menu around the allergies. She was beautiful and very understanding. I was worried about cross contamination but had a good experience just very expensive for our family to visit regularly.

We had a visitor from the USA and was really impressed with the quality of food and of course the service of Cafe Sydney staff. We would like to acknowledge, Shiv, who served us kindly and looked after us really well during our dining experience.

Great ambience, delicious food and awesome wines. Great friendly and informed service.

Wonderful experience! So glad they had room for us during our stay in Sydney! Food was amazing as well as service and ambience.

Absolutely thrilled with our wedding anniversary dinner on the terrace last evening. Food heavenly and wait staff very knowledgeable, warm and smoothly efficient. Great to see this cultural icon still firing after more than a quarter of a century under Jan McKenzie's management.

COCKROACHES. I have to start with that because we saw no less than 5 while we were there which was less than an hour. And those were just the ones we saw. This was among the worst dining experiences I've ever had from start to finish. When we arrived, the host berated my wife for not checking her email (while on vacation - which they knew) so we hadnt confirmed the reservation. They made her confirm her email address after we were already at the restaurant.. Super weird but whatever. When we sat down, there was an identical table next to ours that was empty and we asked to switch but were told that table was taken. About 10 minutes later, a kid and his date sat down there and after ordering drinks, the kid bragged about getting away with ordering alcohol underage - so I guess you can feel comfortable coming here if you're 17! We ordered bread to start and were getting concerned that it wasn't coming. After they dropped off the food, we saw the bread was coming but we no longer wanted it because the main course was there. The server said he was confused because he thought we wanted the bread WITH dinner. What kind of restaurant serves bread with dinner? It's ok to mess up but that was such a ridiculous lie that my intelligence was insulted. Don't try to gaslight me to cover up your mistake. Thankfully, they comped the bread that we didn't eat (by the way, this is the first place we've been in Australia that charged for bread). The waiter convinced me to try the wagyu special. Yes, the term wagyu is overused, but this could not have been further from wagyu. Normally, imitation wagyu is still pretty good but this was actually disgusting. I took two bites and couldn't stomach any further. A hamburger has higher quality beef than this sirloin. The other reason I couldn't stomach it was the cockroaches. We were on a 5th floor patio and they were all. Over. The walls. Look, I get it. We're outside and bugs exist. But cockroaches that are multiple inches long cannot be tolerated and when they keep coming from the same place and you have to be asked multiple times to get rid of them, maybe you should investigate where they're coming from and try to get rid of them instead of just getting rid of the one?? But that's too much to ask of this service staff. Just the worst dining experience I can ever remember having, from the food to the service (and the consistently poor service from everyone we interacted with) to the ambiance. Go to McDonald's downstairs and you'll not only have a cleaner eating experience but it'll taste better and cost 10% of the price.

It was a lovely place to have a special lunch. The staff are absolutely wonderful. But In the words of one of our party, it is no cafe! Book a table on the Terrace for the best views and enjoy.

A wonderful experience. Sat out on the covered terrace with exceptional view of the harbor. Service was great. My tandoori salmon was delicious. Not over priced for view and quality of food.

So it was later in the evening(9:25pm) and not many places were open but we found them to be open until 11pm. We asked if we could order food and the bartender said yes if we ordered immediately. She was annoyed that we walked up for service. Mind you there wasn't a soul in the place! We got our order in and sat down . Upon sitting we realized she made my husbands drink wrong. He ordered a double Bullet on the rocks. She mixed it with coke- what a way to ruin a good bourbon! My husband took it back to her immediately without even taking a sip and said he didn't order his drink with coke. She was completely annoyed that she would have to remake it , because of her mistake! We received our dinner pretty quick as we only ordered two ceasar salads and a bread basket. The young woman that brought it to us was very pleasant. The salads were very large. So that was a pleasant surprise. Plenty of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, and the chicken was actually a cooked chicken( as we had bones!) Didn't much care for the dressing , as it was very anchovy forward. Too fishy . Bread was amazing. Glad we were able to get some food, but wouldn't return for the poor service.

The best service I have ever received anywhere in the world! the food was excellent and beautiful views of the Sydney harbor and bridge.

Make reservation. Without it, you'll be going home without an awesome meal and of course, the spectacular view of the harbor!! I'd say that CS has pretty good food and decent dessert. However, the 5 star isn't really for the food but it's for the spectacular harbor view and the Opera House, if you can get an outside seating. Some of the best tables have had to be reserved for weeks in advance. Our reservation was made only a week ago, therefore it wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either. CS is an experience of a life time if you are a visitor of Sydney, Australia. Of course if you live in Sydney, you can come everyday. Since to get a good table with a good view is very important to eat here, I suggest you do plan ahead when you are in town and in the area. We had a great time here, so yes I do recommend CS, but i believe whether a party has a good time here or not, it all depends on where you sit and when you dine here.

My two friends from San Diego US and I had a wonderful 2 and a half hours on the Terrace. From the start the service was welcoming, very polite, helpful and careful. The staff were attentive, and it was a real team approach all round. They were also very open and responsive to questions and requests, and in effect took us into their confidence personally. And the food was delicious, initially a little slow in coming, but there was ample apology. but really very much worth waiting for. The salad was unusual and delicately presented. The lamingtons we had for desert were delicious, attractive, and quite unusual. The greatest of agreable and warm-hearted professionalism and hospitality were the dominance notes, and my quite particular and very widely travelled friends were also most impressed and of course they loved the view.

We visited on July 29, and had a fabulous meal. The food was fabulous. Our server, Leami, was warm, welcoming and gracious. She recommende wines, and took pictures for us. She was equally gracious while serving at all tables. It was a wonderful experience. We sat outdoors, and although ti was a chilly evening, with a blanket and heater it was wonderful. The views of the Harbour Bridge from the outdoor balcony are quite wonderful.

This timed seating ridiculousness has to end. The pandemic is over so there's no excuse any more. Been told, politely, that if we wanted desert we would have to eat it in the lounge less then 2hrs into our meal is unacceptable. Food and ambience is still amazing, service is still good but the fact that there are a "lot of double bookings tonight" (their words) isn't the patrons problem. Patrons btw paying $200 to $300 per head. Maybe they need to speed up their service and stop mucking around with changing forks, moving glasses about and otherwise chasing their tails. So they lost 4 deserts and another $180 bottle of wine from us. Won't be back until this times seating stupidity is gone.

Never disappoints!! View is amazing and the food service and ambiance even better!!! We visit Sydney often from NY and Cafe Sydney is always on the trip agenda!

It's been a while since we've dined at Cafe Sydney and we were pleasantly surprised. I always thought CS was a tourist spot but it's proven to be a legitimate, quality dining. destination. Looking forward to our next visit.

Breathtaking view with scrumptious meals & topped it up with friendly service! Fantastic place to celebrate 21st birthday!

Location: INSIDE Custom House. Side note: When you enter, in front of the info desk, look at the ground. You will see a miniature model of Sydney underneath. We thought it was pretty awesome (see picture although it may not show the awesomeness to it). This rating is strictly for the food. Don't get me wrong, the service was amazing but the food was just okay. We ordered the garlic naan, two beers, Humpty Doo Barramundi and the Black Angus beef Tenderloin. Garlic naan: It was one of the fanciest looking naan I've ever tried. It wasn't bad but I thought it tasted as though it was slightly burnt. Beers: Order two Asahi. Can't go wrong with these. Barramundi: The hubby said it was one of the best barramundi fish he has ever tried. I am not really a seafood/fish person unless it is absolutely fantastic. Yes, this sounds weird but there are some restaurants I would go to eat their fish even though I am not a fish/seafood type of person...this restaurant was not one..at least for me. I tried a bite and I didn't really enjoy it. So, if you are not a fish person, I would not recommend it. Angus Beef Tenderloin: It was cooked to perfection but I thought the meat was served a tad bit cold. Overall, the food was just okay..Not mind blowing. What you are really paying for is the view. Also, make reservations or you won't get a table with a view. IF I were to come back, I would probably come back for drinks and the view.

My favorite restaurant in Sydney. Charming service, killer bridge views from the terrace, great food and drinks. Not inexpensive but not overpriced for what you get. Loud inside, I absolutely recommend eating on the terrace. Make reservations well in advance.