Want to eat your way around the world? Tim Ross reckons you can without even going past Sydney. These are the best restaurants in Sydney according to the comedian and design enthusiast – did yours make the cut?

One of the many things I love about Sydney is the diversity of cuisine. At the end of a tour or after a long week, I love heading out to hear diners laughing, wine being poured, cutlery clanking, and to take in the aromas drifting from the kitchen. 

I love the passion that Sydney chefs and restaurateurs have for their menus, the produce and the overall experience. I have fond memories of sitting around a table with family and friends (and a bottle of Malbec) feasting on those renowned Brussels sprouts and the spit-roasted, wood-fired lamb a la cruz at Porteno in Surry Hills, as well as the late-night post-show meals at Chinatown institution Golden Century, where I’ve savoured Pippies in XO sauce and sweet and sour pork that’s just like what I ate at my local suburban Chinese restaurant as a kid. 

Porteno, Surry Hills

 Image credit: Porteno, Surry Hills. James Horan/Destination NSW

It’s an ever-expanding scene. For me, Sydney cuisine really got exciting when Bodega first opened in Surry Hills in the mid-aughts. Thankfully by that stage my palette had evolved beyond the 90s pub staple of wedges with chilli sauce. This was real food, made with passion. Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate, who are also the minds behind Porteno, are true epicureans, their restaurants beautifully designed, food incredible and they play great music, too. They really put the fun back into dining. 

VN Street Foods, Marrickville

 Image credit: VN Street Food, Marrickville NSW

There are always new destinations and experiences like this to enjoy across the city, and distinct precincts where you can sample some of the world’s best cuisine. I might travel across town for a yeeros from my favourite Greek kebab joint in Marrickville when the mood suits or a pho in Cabramatta, a mixed shish plate from a Turkish restaurant in Auburn, and for dessert, a babka from a Jewish deli in Bondi. The streets of our multicultural town offer endless choice.

Spice Alley, Chippendale

 Image credit: Spice Alley, Chippendale. Also pictured top.

You can take a stroll down King Street in Newtown and find some of the best Thai restaurants in the world. Or wander down Norton Street in Leichhardt for truly great Italian. You can order incredible South Indian thali or a masala dosa in Sydney’s Little India on Wigram Street in Harris Park. Or, closer to the city, Spice Alley – the buzzing little lantern-strung laneway in Chippendale– has a delicious collection of Asian hawker-style businesses. 

Wherever you choose to venture, consider joining a local food tour, so you can taste all an area has to offer with an expert (such as Taste Tours). Make note of your favourite and come back later to share a meal and good conversation with family and friends, impressing them with your latest Sydney find.

SEE ALSO: An Insider’s Guide to the Best Food & Things To Do in Mollymook, NSW

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