Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Sydney

Located above the Coronation Hotel, the Smoking Panda is what looks like a fun marriage between retro Americana and glitzy Shanghai. If you can adjust your eyes enough to see through the neon-pink haze that envelops this bar, you will also see red Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling. That apart, the amazing cocktails are accentuated by their large spirit collection featuring 65 bourbons, 50 rums and a smattering of tequila and whiskey. The kitchen menu is not just an after-thought to accompany the booze, rather it stands on its own with exotic Chinese elements, with dishes such as Salt & Pepper Squid, Dim Sums and Pot Stickers.

The Mezz Bar is several genres all rolled into one. It is a bar and a restaurant, and once the dining is done, it turns into a dance party with a revolving selection of late-night DJs. Popular with city workers, it is cosy and comfortable and quite large, with bar and restaurant seating that can be moved back when the dance floor is pumping. Pasta dishes include popular favorites such as Lasagne and Spaghetti Napoli and tempting alternatives such as Fettuccine with Tiger Prawns. Call to check the timings.

Serving a variety of Japanese desserts and matcha options, Chanoma Cafe is a traditional tea house in George street with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Along with matcha and refreshing green tea, the shop also serves traditional Japanese desserts, matcha ice-cream, matcha floats, snacks and more. The dishes are served according to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony rituals and norms.

Located in the Central Business District, this branch of the iconic fried chicken brand was the first ever branch to open in all of Australia. Using the 11 secret herbs and spices which is the signature of all KFC chicken, the branch serves a range of chicken buckets, burgers, fries, wraps and more. If you want to get some delicious chicken to go, just get some take-out or order for it to be delivered right to your doorstep.

From the moment it arrived on the Sydney dining scene in mid-2010, Chef's Gallery has had the city's foodies eating out of the palm of its hand. Great dumplings always go down well in this town, but Chef's Gallery adds a voyeuristic slant to the dining experience, offering customers the chance to see the chefs in action. Behind the glass walls of the kitchen, skilled dough wranglers pull out the noodles soon to be topped with minced pork, or the casings for the pan fried dumplings. Dessert is a must even for the novelty, with sweet dumplings shaped into walnuts, pumpkins and pink pigs.

Located in one of the shops in Regent Place, Sedap serves its customers authentic Malaysian food. With minimal decor but a clean, simple set-up, the focus of the restaurant is obviously on the food. Each item on the menu is cooked to perfection and also completely authentic. Indulge yourself with exotic Malaysian delicacies like squid nasi lemak, char kuey tiow which is a Malaysian fried noodle dish cooked with eggs, laksa, which is a Malaysian soupy noodle dish and more.