The dining scene in Sydney can be described just like the city itself: world-class and extraordinary. Award-winning restaurants (40 single-hatted and four three-hatted Chefs Hat Award included) are shiny examples of its offer, but also the less-known and secluded joints. Whether you find yourself in the heart of the city, near Sydney Harbour Bridge or somewhere in the city’s east, you will find diverse food and pleasant ambiance on offer. Here are eight of the most interesting foodie havens in this Aussie gem:

The Meat & Wine Co

Sydney’s very own steakhouse spread across five different locations is everything a meat lover could ever wish for. The elegant, yet relaxed dining ambiance is a unique blend of local decor and African heritage. Offering every guest an experience to remember, The Meat & Wine Co serves only top quality meals and pairs them with Australia’s finest wines. Everything you decide to try from Argentinean spiced chicken breast to pork ribs will leave you wanting more.

Nomad

The living proof that hipsters are taking over the world: Nomad is a trendy warehouse-restaurant serving organic locally produced meals, but that is not all. Most of the meals are prepared in a huge wood fire oven which gives them a unique taste that keeps people coming back to Nomad. Oh and there wine cellar plays a big role here too.

Mr. Wong

There is a special unbreakable bond between Australians and Chinese food, and Mr Wong, one of the largest restaurants in the northern end of CBD, is one of the threads making that bond. Bringing the spirit of the Sleeping Dragon to Down Under, this restaurant is beautifully decorated with Chinese colonial furniture and ornaments. The food is nothing short of amazing and the dishes we know as fast food are transformed into elegant meals.

Whitewater Restaurant

Located in the peaceful suburb of Manly, this restaurant offers the ideal view of a giant beach promenade. The decor stuns with exposed wooden beams, shells and fishnets on the wall, mimicking the outside perfectly. The food is even better. You can’t go wrong with roasted Chinese duck, crumbed lamb loin with olives and pistachio and seafood plate, but for the first time it is always best to go with the succulent degustation menu with five most popular dishes.

Hubert

Time Out’s winner of the Restaurant of the Year Award, Hubert is a romantic and ravishing restaurant that makes you feel like you’re in the most dazzling eatery in the post-war Europe – fringed lamps, scarlet drapes and bow-tied waiters. It doesn’t get any better or does it? Well only when you try the tomato tart and chicken fricassee…

Zaaffran

The most alluring Indian restaurant in the entire city, Zaaffran aspires to please each visitor with a combination of sweeping interior, view of Sydney Harbour and spicy delicious meals. There is nothing here not to like – aromatic rice infused with saffron, creamy Indian cottage cheese cubes, chicken masala, lobster meat stir fried in curry… we could go on for days.

Son of Tuysuz

Another international diner with dishes from Turkey straight to Australia, Son of Tuysuz is a warm and welcoming place, where food and guests are highly appreciated. The owner, Ifran, learned to cook authentic middle-eastern food from his father, and he never seizes to amaze his guests with fantastic dishes (fistic kebab, iskender burger, chicken breast kebab) and home-like atmosphere.

Chiswick Restaurant

Anthony Bourdain loved this place when he visited Sydney, so there is nothing much left for us to say. Still, we have to mention that Chiswick is unique for the unbreakable link between food production and preparation, since the meat, vegetables and fruits come from Chef Matt Moran’s farm. Here, you can try tantalize your taste buds with lamb with zucchini and pine nut, smoked ocean trout, house-made mortadella, grilled baby octopus and plenty more.

Feeling hungry yet? Stop by to one of these eight outstanding restaurants in Sydney, and you won’t regret it. Each of them has its own style when it comes to interior and food, so you’ll find one that suits you best. Still, don’t stop there, Sydney’s restaurant scene is incredibly rich, keep on exploring.

This article was written by Roxana Oliver, a travel enthusiast and an occasional blogger from Sydney, Australia.