Waterfront Restaurants in Sydney

Looking for a venue to head to before or after your hens party cruise? These are our top 8 waterfront restaurants in Sydney, which offer a variety of cuisines for different tastes.

Sydney is a hot location for some of the best dining experiences in the world. These waterfront restaurants in Sydney sit right by the water and offer stunning views. Any meal enjoyed by the water always makes the overall experience that much better.

Being a country surrounded by water it’s no surprise that Sydney waterfront restaurants offer some of the best seafood in the country.

Waterfront Restaurants in Sydney Harbour

1. Catalina Restaurant

The first on the list of waterfront restaurants in Sydney; Catalina Restaurant is located in the gorgeous Rose Bay and is an iconic Sydney fine dining establishment. The scenery at this restaurant is simply stunning, with panoramic windows. You can enjoy a delicious meal and drinks whilst watching ferries and yachts cruise by.

They have an outdoor terrace too which is the place to be on a nice day to enjoy views of Sydney Harbour. Catalina offers some of the best Sydney Rock Oysters in the city and the Soy Cured King Salmon is hard to go past. Our tip is to go for the 3-course a la carte menu priced at $140 per person.

2. Watsons Bay Hotel

Watsons Bay Hotel is located on the sandy shoreline of one of Sydney’s most famous harbour beaches. With incredible views across the water, it is the place to be on a beautiful day. Their menu is extensive with lots of seafood options and pub classics. For us, it’s hard to go past their instagram-worthy seafood platter, paired with a nice bottle of Australian white wine. In their ‘Sunset Room’ you will feel like you’ve stepped into the Hamptons. There’s also the Top Deck to check out which has a private bar and the best views of the harbour.

3. Ripples Chowder Bay

For an unforgettable Modern Australian dining experience it’s hard to go past Ripples. Located in Mosman on a unique waterfront setting, this restaurant should be top of your list for Sydney dining. Their house specialities are definitely worth trying, like the Live Tasmanian Lobster Spaghetti and their 1kg T-bone steak. Ripples offers barramundi, whole market fish and the classic fish and chips for seafood-lovers.  They have a great selection of local Australian wines, but also allow BYO wine and champagne which makes this spot even better.

4. Vela Dining and Bar 

Vela Dining and Bar in Cabarita park on the D’Albora Marina offers lovely ocean views and some of the best modern Mediterranean seafood in Sydney. These guys focus on big and classic Italian flavours. As you eat and drink delicious food you can enjoy views of both Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River. If you love oysters you have to try at least a dozen of them freshly shucked at the Vela Seafood Bar. Top picks for us are the Spanner Crab Linguine, Marinated Octopus and the Surf and Turf. Vela also offers an extensive wine list to complement each meal, as well as lots of tasty cocktails.

5. Aria 

For the best view of Circular Quay, with Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge in sight too, Aria is the best choice. Their food and wine menu will delight fine diners and make for an experience hard to forget. So many stunning dishes to choose from, all made from fine produce from Australian suppliers. It’s hard to narrow down our favourites at Aria.

The glazed duck, flathead and Abrolhos Island scallops are really hard to beat. Each dish really has a unique taste sensation and leaves your mouth watering for more. Aria offers a wonderful pre-theatre menu for diners too, which is $150 for 3 courses. Don’t miss their blood orange souffle!

More Waterfront Restaurants in Sydney

6. Pilu

Pilu is a restaurant built into a beautiful weatherboard cottage on the magical Freshwater Beach in Sydney. If you want to take in that delightful seaside air and dine in style, then Pilu is your spot. It’s a two chef hats restaurant and it’s not hard to see why. The menu is inspired by the owner’s native land of Sardinia in Italy and really focuses on using quality, local ingredients.

Pilu is best experienced with a large group so you can share a lot of delicious dishes. We suggest you try the ‘Sardinian Experience’. You enjoy a variety of small dishes among the entire table. It’s $185 and with matching Sardinian wines an extra $85 which is well worth it. The wild boar ragu and the slow roasted suckling pig are standout dishes to die for.

7. Jonah’s

Sitting at the far end of the iconic Northern Beaches of Sydney, lies the famous Jonah’s restaurant another of the best waterfront restaurants in Sydney. This iconic hotel and restaurant has served some huge stars over the years like Mick Jagger, Anthony Hopkins and Queen. The panoramic views over Whale Beach below the establishment help create the ultimate relaxed atmosphere for diners.

When at Jonah’s you have to try their 3 course set menu for $140 per person. For optional matched wines with your meal, you can add an extra $70. We recommend the grilled king prawns, wagyu beef and the caramel delice for dessert. It’s a great place for wine lovers too, with 1,600 bottles to enjoy from their extensive cellar.

8. Icebergs Dining Room and Bar

A dining experience in Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a visit to perhaps the most famous seafront views in the city. Icebergs in Bondi Beach is the perfect location to take in the stunning views of this world-famous beach. This waterfront restaurants in Sydney sits on the top floor and specialises in modern Italian cuisine with a heavy focus on seafood.

The classic Sydney Rock Oysters are hard to ignore, especially when paired with a crispy glass of white wine. Stand outs are also some of their unique pasta dishes like the cuttlefish, pancetta agnolotti and the seriously tasty spanner crab macaroni. For meat lovers the 10-day aged Maremma duck with mustard fruit and rose jam is out of this world.

These Waterfront Restaurants in Sydney are the perfect to start your hens party day or finish it, with a cruise on Sydney Harbour to top it off, what more could you ask for?

Check Out our all Inclusive hens party packages