From courtyard discos to beach frontage: 15 of Sydney’s best places to dine outdoors

If outdoor dining is your thing, Sydney has you covered. Whether you’re after a casual, low-cost lunch or a lavish seafood feast, there are venues from Penrith to Palm Beach where you can eat surrounded by lush parkland, ocean views or bustling city streets.

Promenade, Bondi Beach

Aim for a late afternoon innings and request a table under the red-and-white terrace umbrellas at this chic and sprawling new addition to Bondi Pavilion. Then order the bug toast – just like the Chinese takeaway favourite but made with brioche fried to a gnarled crunch and stuffed with sweet hunks of Moreton Bay bug meat. Chef Chris Benedet excels at cooking seafood in flavour-forward ways like this. If you can’t find something you want to eat here, you probably just don’t like food.

Shop 4, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach, promenadebondibeach.com

Misc, Parramatta

Walk through the lush Parramatta Park to this always-packed cafe by the river and cover the stylish outdoor tables with bright, Lebanese-inspired pita breads, dips, grills, salads and Stitch coffee. Misc (run by Gogglebox favourite and avocado toast naysayer Jad Nehmetallah) is now open from brekkie through to dinner, with a $90-a-head feed-me menu featuring slow-roasted lamb shoulder. There’s an extensive selection of cocktails and wines, for drinkers and the sober-curious alike.

Little Coogee, Byrnes Avenue, Parramatta Park, Parramatta, miscparramatta.com.au

Bobbys, Cronulla

New beachside restaurant Bobbys offers the perfect all-weather outdoor dining experience. Yes, there are tables mere steps from the sand on the outdoor footpath, shaded by striped parasols. But the restaurant’s wrap-around bi-fold windows mean that even when seated inside, diners can feel the ocean breeze and watch the waves roll in. The menu is appropriately seafood-forward, with prawn rolls, whole snapper and ocean trout crudo. Plus, the set menu is just $85 a head (minimum four people).

6R The Esplanade Cronulla,bobbyscronulla.com.au

Sammy’s Careel Bay, Avalon

This Northern Beaches newcomer boasts spectacular views across Careel Bay. Owner-chef Sammy Bizarro (ex-Bistro Boulevard) serves simple but thoughtful cafe fare using organic and ethically sourced produce. The baked goods are from Bonfire Bread, the coffee is from Single O and there’s a selection of Japanese teas and cold-pressed juices. On a warm summer morning, the sun-bleached wharf is the perfect spot to enjoy a slow-cooked bolognese or tuna jaffle.

94 George Street, Avalon Beach, sammyscareelbay.com.au

Next Door, Double Bay

Chef and owner Neil Perry calls it Next Door; we call it “the place to get a killer cheeseburger and outstanding fish”. Order only that burger, or precision-grilled coral trout, and you will likely be more than content. This is the casual lunch-to-dinner sibling to Good Food Guide 2024 Restaurant of the Year Margaret – but you can always move next door if you want to dial it up a few notches.

30-36 Bay Street, Double Bay, margaretdoublebay.com

Wharf Cafe and Bar, North Head

Sydney’s historic Quarantine Station, which protected Australia from ship-borne disease between 1832 and 1984, has been transformed into a museum and cafe by the shores of Quarantine Beach. There’s a selection of rattan tables located outside, overlooking the water, with individual umbrellas providing shade. Expect simple cafe fare such as sandwiches and salads, with the option to amp things up with charcuterie boards and oysters at the neighbouring Boilerhouse Kitchen and Bar. There’s plenty to do afterwards, from a museum tour to a swim in the calm water.

1 North Head Scenic Drive, Manly, qstation.com.au/wharf-cafe.html

Ricos Tacos, Redfern

After 18 months of big tortilla energy and queues snaking out the door, Toby Wilson’s Chippendale taqueria has relocated to the colourful, dog-friendly courtyard of The Norfolk. There’s a laid-back, no-fuss vibe here, with vivid murals, cold cans of Modelo and a menu that’s compact and focused. Tortas and quesadillas are big hits during the day, while nighttime features more tostadas. Book a table on Sunday for pig on the spit, seasoned in different ways each week to make some very special tacos.

305 Cleveland Street, Redfern, ricostacos.com.au

The Orchard, Penrith

This expansive new venue boasts a number of outdoor dining areas, from The Stables (a rustic, open-air stable with elevated pub fare) and The Kiosk (a classic Aussie takeaway shop with fish and chips and burgers), to the Garden Bar (with live music and frozen cocktails). They’re all surrounded by lush green lawns, playgrounds and fire pits: in other words, everything the family needs to have a fun day out. Check their website to see what events are on when you’re visiting.

50 Tench Avenue, Jamisontown, theorchardpenrith.com.au

Berkelo, Terrey Hills

Berkelo’s newest location is going bush in Terrey Hills. It follows the north-side bakery’s short-lived venture at nearby Bar Berkelo, which received positive feedback before its surprise closure last March. The new venture features lush gardens, timber picnic tables, and Single O coffee being poured at a weatherboard cottage cafe. This month, the venue expanded to offer pasta nights (using their fresh, house-made sourdough pasta) and weekend barbecues, so keep an eye on socials for details.

205 Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills, berkelo.com.au

Cottage Point Inn, Cottage Point

Dock your yacht, glide in via seaplane, or stroll down a leafy pathway. No matter how you arrive at this secluded Hawkesbury River fine diner, it’s a heck of an entrance. With kayakers paddling by, the sun sparkling and waves lapping the deck, it’s hard to conceive of a more ideal spot for a tasting menu lauding native, sustainable produce. Kookaburras as lunch companions, thoughtful waitstaff and an approachable wine list are more reasons to delay the journey home.

2 Anderson Place, Cottage Point, cottagepointinn.com.au

Bar Copains, Surry Hills

Everyone (including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver) gravitates towards the pig’s head fritti at this corner wine bar. It’s been in chef Nathan Sasi’s repertoire for years, and the golden cubes of crumbed pork are an exemplary snack to accompany a glass of something textural and white. The natural-leaning wine list includes many rarities sourced from Sasi and co-owner Morgan McGlone’s private stash, but you’re best going with a group to share a bottle. This summer, the outdoor seating has expanded onto the leafy Surry Hills street, filling it with laughter and conversation well into the evening.

67 Albion Street, Surry Hills, barcopains.com

Totti’s, Bondi

A list of Sydney’s outdoor venues would be incomplete without mention of Merivale’s popular Italian eatery Totti’s. Wander through The Royal Bondi to emerge at the casual, ever-bustling restaurant. Book a table in the garden, where striped umbrellas and olive trees provide much-needed shade. You’d do well going hard at the antipasti, filling your table with bowls of pickled vegetables, ling dip, and thinly sliced prosciutto (to be eaten with the famous fluffy, wood-fired bread, naturally), but there’s also a shared menu with pastas and wood-roasted fish, starting from $90 a head.

283 Bondi Road, Bondi, merivale.com/venues/tottis

Dunes, Palm Beach

This breezy all-day diner is a beautiful place to have a meal after your morning swim. The white outdoor picnic tables are surrounded by fairy lights, palm trees and a child-friendly lawn. It’s a seafood-focused menu, from simple beer-battered flathead and chips and fresh tiger prawns at the kiosk, to big bowls of pipis with herby Pepe Saya butter, and prawn saganaki with confit garlic and tomato in the dining room. On Sundays, there’s a big seafood paella with drinks specials from 4-7pm.

Governor Phillip Park, 1193 Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach, dunespalmbeach.com.au

Pepito’s, Marrickville

Hidden at the end of a tight brick corridor is Pepito’s outdoor dining area, filled with plants, posters of Peruvian rock bands and red fairy lights. This neighbourhood “taberna” is known for its Pisco Sours, and it recently began hosting “pisco discos” with Latin dancing and DJs under the mirror ball in its outdoor courtyard. The menu features Peruvian classics such as leche de tigre (fish ceviche with prawns, fried calamari, lime and chilli) and grilled skewers with chicken and oxheart.

276 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, pepitos.com.au

Fish Shop, Bondi

Despite the name and address, this isn’t fish and chips wrapped in yesterday’s news by the beach. The brutalist concrete diner is a relaxed place to lose yourself in good company with a bottle of orange wine and a menu of fresh seafood. By night the dining room edges towards the intimate and upmarket, while weekend lunches are made for tuna cheeseburgers, sandwiches and yes, fish and chips, too. Sit outside for prime Bondi people watching.

87 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi, fishshop.com.au

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au.