A guide by Citybreaker
You can't go to Sydney without sampling (probably several times) the best Thai food outside of Thailand. Thai is to Australia what Indian is to the UK - usually decent, very affordable and everywhere.
For cheap as chips Thai made with the freshest of fresh ingredients, fight through the crowds at Tum Thai in Randwick (up the hill from Coogee Beach).
For more daring Thai with a view, Sailor's Thai, a Sydney institution is a must. The restaurant is not cheap but those in the know head for the more relaxed surrounds and reasonable prices of Sailors Bay Canteen, just upstairs.
Finally, for Thai food mixed with people watching, try Longrain, a bar/restaurant in trendy Surry Hills. The reason why the girl next to you looks like Kylie is proabbly because she is Kylie!
Randwick Tum Thai - 167 Alison Road PH (02) 9326 3261.
Sailors Thai Canteen - 106 George Street, The Rocks. PH (02) 9251 2466. No bookings.
Longrain, 85 Commonwealth Street, Surrey Hills, (02) 9280 2888, www.longrain.com.au
Sydney does excellent European cuisine, particularly Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, but its south-east Asian cuisine really surpasses anything you'll find in Europe. Red Rock is a fine example of a good Vietnamese restaurant. Simple decor, excellent food. Spend $80 and you'll get a feast for two.
King Street, Newtown
I lived in Sydney for 6 months and Bécasse is divine. There's nothing flashy or garish about Bécasse but it will stand out as one of the most memorable dining experiences you'll ever have. The muted, elegant decor is the perfect complement to the superbly created dishes. The decadent degustation menu is seven courses of heaven.
48 Albion St
Surry Hills
There are plenty of museums in Sydney - some good, some decidedly average. The Museum of Sydney ($7) tells the story of the city from 1788 to the present, and although small is extremely interesting. Also worth a look is the nearby Hyde Park Barracks Museum ($7), built by convicts in 1818, which shows the history of the fledgling community through the people who were housed there - convicts, immigrants and soldiers. Finally the Powerhouse Museum ($10) is a fun and massive collection devoted to science, transport and technology - where you could spend hours. Kids will love it.
On the downside is the Australian Museum (£10). Despite having been there three times, I've always felt let down at the size and content. For such a huge building, there really is precious little on display apart from the ubiquitous animal bones and minerals. If you can make it over to Canberra, the National Museum of Australia there is far, far better.
MoS - cnr Phillip/Bridge Sts, city centre
HPBM - Queens Square, Macquarie St, city centre
Powerhouse - Harris St, Ultimo (Central station)
Australian Museum - College St, Hyde Park
Local cafe, which does the best and biggest portions of fish and chips in Sydney. They get all their fish fresh that day from the fish market, and cook it there and then for you. All for $12!
Taylor Square, Darlinghurst
This has to be one of Sydney's best-kept culinary secrets. A beautiful little Japanese/French fusion restaurant with live jazz most nights and reasonable if not cheap prices.
Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, near Central Station.
Everyone wants to complete the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, but at $180 a pop (around £90) each, plus paying for their photographs (you are not allowed to take a camera with you) not everyone can afford it.
An equally good option, but one which is little advertised, is the Sydney Pylon Lookout. This involves climbing the interior of the concrete tower of the Harbour Bridge and is the tower nearest the Opera House.
It has three floors of exhibits and a film show but best of all, the view from the open top is only a few feet below the top of the bridge and is equally as stunning.
You can stay as long as you like and take your own photographs. And it is only $9.50 each - under a fiver!
Use the 'Bridge Stairs' from Cumberland Street in The Rocks for access.
Sydney's food is probably the city's strongest suit. Find Yum Cha in China town or in the old ballroom-style splendour of the Regal. Yum Cha is buffet-style Chinese but fresher and more interesting than anything you have ever tasted in Europe. Thai food is also consistently excellent in Sydney but don't bother with Indian - apart from one or two exceptions (notably Zaaffran, Level 2, 345 Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour) it is not as good as in the UK.
The Regal, 347-353 Sussex St
A quintessential Sydney institution is the Sydney fish markets in Pyrmont. If you're there over the weekend - go for lunch and have a look around the markets. Either you can buy a seafood platter there including a dozen oysters for $12 and a bottle of young Semillon and eat on the harbour side (beer battered snapper is ace) or buy some green king prawns and whatever else takes your fancy and head to a beach (Bondi or Coogee are good) spark up one of the barbies there and make you own seafood feast.
Pyrmont
For breakfast, Bills is a Sydney institution. There are two locations - Crown Street in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst. Must trys are ricotta hotcakes or the sweetcorn fritters. Make sure you do brunch at least one day of your stay as I swear nowhere in the UK does brunch like Sydney does. If you can't get to Bills and want a view Ripples cafe across the harbour from the city is a lovely place for brunch. Yellow at Potts Point Maclay Street is also good.
This gently rotating bar on the 43rd storey offers dynamic panoramas over the stunning vista of the Sydney Harbour area.
Australia Square, George Street, Sydney 2000
This is the best Indian restaurant in Sydney, according to me. The curries are as authentic as the ones in England. If you see what I mean. If you like curry and happen to be in Sydney, eat at The Clove.
249 Crown Street, Darlinghurst.
A day trip out of Sydney. Good food and of course good wine.
Nice places to stay in if you want to make the trip a weekend break.
