Seafood, saganaki and speakeasies: a hotel concierge’s guide to Sydney

Capella Sydney's 'culturalist' shares top tier spots for fine dining, street food and a caffeine fix.

Sydney has no shortage of restaurants with jaw-dropping backdrops, from its harbourside Opera House and the warm sands of Bondi to the gleaming business district. Dig a little deeper and you'll find neighbourhoods dotted with atmospheric wine bars, farm-to-fork restaurants, plus dozens of cuisines representing Australia's rich diaspora, from Greek to Vietnamese. 

Primed to "peel back the layers of the city" is Jonathan Fambart, the Assistant Director of Guest Experience and Clefs d'Or concierge at Capella Sydney – the luxury business district hotel that placed No.16 on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list.

Fambart's expertise extends well beyond the hotel's sandstone walls. As its chief 'culturalist' (the name bestowed upon its concierges), he leverages a vast network to "make the impossible possible".

As Sydney hits shoulder season, it's the perfect time to get a table at trending spots – whether you're in town to enjoy the milder months at Just for Laughs comedy festival (9-22 November) or the Rugby World Cup, set to take place across Australia in autumn 2027. Here, Fambart shares his local take on the city, from the icons to the spots you won't find in your average guidebook.

What's the secret to being a successful concierge?

It's our job to showcase the heart and soul of a city. Guests really prepare for their trip, so a modern concierge needs to be one step ahead. I have a great network of contacts, and I'm always trawling guidebooks – my house is full of article clippings – and I'm plugged into what's new. When I first started, my boss told me to take a new route home every day so I'd spot something new. I train my team to be just as curious.

What are Sydney staples for first-time visitors?

Bennelong offers a la carte and three-course dining options (Image: Nikki To)

It seems cliché but dining within an architectural masterpiece is iconic. At Sydney Opera House, Bennelong has outstanding produce and high-touch service, and Midden by Mark Olive showcases Aboriginal culture through indigenous ingredients.

Matt Moran's fine dining Aria restaurant, overlooking Sydney Harbour, has been running for over 20 years – it's great for dinner before a performance at the Opera House. Over in Double Bay, Neil Perry's Margaret serves the best steak in the city.


The steaks at Margaret are wood fire grilled (Image: Petrina Tinslay)

Most guests eat within a 5km radius of the hotel, but the most exciting part of my job is sending people to neighbourhoods they won't necessarily know about. No doubt you'll go to The Rocks and Circular Quay, but we try to push the envelope.

Which lesser-known neighbourhoods should be on our radar?

The avocado toast at Piña is served on sourdough and finished with herb oil

Potts Point has some of the best cafés by day and wine bars by night – plus beautiful Art Deco architecture. For delicious artisan coffee and brunch, head to Room Ten and sister venue Piña in the laneways. In the evening, I adore the wine bars Dear Sainte Eloise and La Buvette.


Hawke's Brewing is part brewery, part 1980s pub, and part country-town Chinese-Australian bistro

Marrickville is also really exciting. It's a multicultural mesh with great street food, microbreweries and live music. VN Street Foods does amazing northern Vietnamese food, with diners perched on milk crates as they dig into beef noodle bowls. Lazybones Lounge Restaurant & Bar has great live music, while Hawke's Brewing – named after former prime minister, Bob Hawke – has the Chinese restaurant Lucky Prawn inside.

The hottest table in town is...

Mr. Wong seats 240 people over two storeys and its menu serves up to 80 dishes

Mr. Wong, a modern Cantonese restaurant in a reconverted nightclub, has queues down the road. The food is incredible – from the dumplings to Kung Pao chicken and steamed fish with ginger. Tucked behind is one of my favourite speakeasies, Palmer & Co.

People take their coffee seriously in Sydney. Where can we find the best barista brews?

Skittle Lane serves seasonal espresso blends, batch brews and signature iced lattes

We're spoilt for choice. My favourite is from Diggy Doo's, a hole-in-the-wall in an arcade in the business district. Skittle Lane in Circular Quay also has great artisan coffee, and Gumption by Coffee Alchemy in The Strand Arcade is an outstanding representation of Australian coffee culture.

Find the finest produce at...

CarriageWorks Farmers Market is open every Saturday until 1pm

CarriageWorks Farmers Market in Redford, which showcases the best produce from New South Wales. Curated by chef Mike McEnearney, it only operates Saturdays from 8am-1pm. When it comes to seafood, Bella Brutta in Newtown serves a gorgeous clam pizza, while The Boathouse Shelly Beach in Manly does the best fish and chips.


The woodfired pizzas at Bella Brutta are available to takeaway from the walk-up counter

Which local restaurants should we book?

The food menu at Bar Copains features meat, seafood and offal

Chef Nathan Sasi has amazing neighbourhood-centric restaurants that you don't read about too often. He's behind my favourite Italian – Vin-Cenzo's in Darlinghurst – and my favourite wine bar – Bar Copains in Surry Hills.


Also opened by the team behind Bar Copains, Vin-Cenzo's serves Italian small plates and pastas in a bistro format

What's an authentic Sydneysider experience?

The sports culture here is huge. Head to The Rocks and watch a game at The Lord Nelson, one of the city's oldest pubs and breweries. Order an Aussie Beef Pie and the Quayle Ale – a low ABV ale named after a former US Vice President.

Where's the best place to splash out?

Take a seaplane from Sydney Harbour to Bert's Bar & Brasserie in Pittwater. Executive chef Jordan Toft – the man behind the famous caviar bump trend – focuses on coastal Mediterranean food using Australian produce. The food is exquisite, from lobster tagliolini to beautiful grilled fish, and he's a genius when it comes to presentation.

For theatrical bar experiences, head to...

Maybe Sammy, which has trolleys, bubble machines and plenty of 'surprise and delight' moments. The Caterpillar Club is also quirky as hell – it's a late-night bar with live music and Sydney's longest bar. The cowboy-themed Shady Pines Saloon in the business district, meanwhile, serves whisky with fresh apple – it's divine.

What's the one dish you shouldn't leave Sydney without trying?

The saganaki at The Apollo, Nathan Sasi's modern Greek taverna in Potts Point. We're also the only country that eats its coat of arms – the Australian Heritage Hotel in The Rocks serves a Coat of Arms pizza, topped with emu and kangaroo.

Which new restaurants are making waves? 

Ashe is a contemporary Southeast Asian grill serving fried fish and rice salads (Image: Leigh Griffiths)

I'm hearing outstanding feedback about Ashe, Khan Nguyen's restaurant specialising in Vietnamese and Thai food. Grandfathers in the business district, run by Neil Perry's son-in-law Michael Clift, is also a great new modern Sichuanese restaurant.

Header image credit: Nikki To

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