A great casual neighbourhood restaurant is a special place. It’s versatile and relaxed with food and wine you can just enjoy without too much thought.
It’s suitable for a quick bite on your own or a long lunch with friends. Everyone’s comfortable, staff look out for the kids, make regulars feel at home and new-comers feel like regulars. There’s always something new and interesting to try, but your favourites are there too. And you don’t have to think too much about the food and drink, just order, relax, eat and enjoy. Great casual neighbourhood restaurants are scattered across Sydney. They keep their locals well-fed and watered, and the best are worth travelling for too. Here are some of my favourite casual neighbourhood restaurants in Sydney, well worth seeking out if they don’t happen to be in your ‘hood.
Bondi Trattoria Bondi Beach
‘The Tratt’, overlooking one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, has been serving great Mediterranean fare to locals and tourists for almost 40 years. Today Joe Pavlovich and Alasdair France continue the tradition. Juicy bugs and chunks of buffalo mozzarella with fresh herbs (pictured) sit in garlic and chilli butter begging to be mopped up with focaccia. House-made pasta is simply sauced, tiramisu is light, and the staff and wines are great.
Braci North Willoughby
It’s hard not to make it all about the pizze at this north shore local, especially ‘Killa Beez’ with fior di latte, hot sopressa and a hint of honey to off-set the chilli. But make room for excellent spuntini including cacio e pepe arancini and peppers aqua pazza, butter lettuce salad with salsa verde, and Italian doughnuts with salted caramel ice cream. Owned by ex-Firedoor barman Toby Robinson, cocktails and wines are excellent too.
Boronia Kitchen Hunters Hill
From take-away slow-roast lamb shoulder, to breakfast, lunch and dinner, Simon Sandall (ex-Aria) takes looking after locals to the next level. Generous serves of quality produce taste and look great. Smoked anchovies on sourdough slathered with tomato pesto are a brilliant start, King George whiting fish & chips is a fixture, and desserts, especially Meyer lemon curd ice cream with piment d’Espelette (pictured) – are exceptional!
20 Chapel Marrickville
Corey Costelloe (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill) is another fine dining chef turning his hand to excellent neighbourhood fare. He’s brought his love of wood-fire and great steak with him to this casual inner-city space. Blackmore’s 9+ wagyu is perfect with just a little jalapeño hot sauce or Korean BBQ sauce, though oregano salt fries are an irresistible side. The best kokoda I’ve ever tasted (pictured), personable staff and great wines by the glass.
Folly’s Cammeray
Whether you’re after a snack and a pint in the front bar or a multi-course feast and bottle of something special up the back, this Cammeray local has you covered. A plate of excellent salumi with pickles, sourdough and cultured butter is a great start, juicy grilled spatchcock (pictured) is hard to go past, and those sweet potato chips with chilli and honey are a revelation. Interesting weekly specials too with good wines by the glass.
Sagra Darlinghurst
It’s all about good, simple, house-made Italian at this casual Stanley Street osteria. Pasta is made in-house daily and the simple sauces are a revelation from crab with ‘nduja to conchiglie with a vivid salsa of brassicas and splodge of stracciatella. Prosciutto San Daniele is sliced to order and served with house-made deep-fried bread sticks. Even the tulips on the table are from owner Ed Saxton’s garden.
