How to get a table at Sydney’s most in-demand restaurants

It’s never been easier to get a table at Sydney’s most in-demand restaurants — even ones made famous by megastar Taylor Swift. Read how to avoid months-long wait lists here.

The cost-of-living crisis has had one positive effect — it’s never been easier to get a table at Sydney’s most in-demand restaurants.

Once, diners had to wait three months to get into celebrity favourite Totti’s at Bondi. Now, to get a booking for two people on a Saturday night at 7pm, diners have to wait only a month.

And if they don’t want to wait that long, there are other timeslots available quicker.

In November 2022, getting into Neil Perry’s newly opened Double Bay restaurant took a month.

Now, despite the restaurant recently being named the best steak restaurant in Australia and Perry himself receiving an Icon Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in Las Vegas, two people can get a reservation at Margaret next Saturday at 8.30pm.

James Bradey at his steakhouse restaurant Bistecca. Picture: Tim Hunter

Even global superstar Taylor Swift hasn’t made it impossible to get into Surry Hill’s Italian restaurant Pellegrino 2000.

The venue was already popular when Swift dined there in February while in Sydney on her Eras tour, and it still is. However, two people can get a table next Saturday night at 9.30pm.

Superstar Taylor Swift heads into Pellegrino 2000. Picture: @housemate123/TikTok

CBD steakhouse Bistecca has long been notoriously hard to get into.

When the Liquid and Larder restaurant, which specialises in T-bone cut of steak, first opened in 2018 it offered walk-ins only. After Covid, it switched to bookings and reservations are opened only 30 days in advance at 7am.

While there are no reservations available on a Saturday night for the month of July, there are still spaces on Thursdays and Sundays.

Founder James Bradey said inflation had meant many restaurants had increased sittings to help profit margins.

“If there is a table available, we do take walk-ins. It’s absolutely worth calling up on the day.

“We have a huge amount of cancellations and, while we run a waitlist online, sometimes customers take up that spot or sometimes they don’t,” he said.

“If you’re a frequent visitor of any restaurant and friendly and courteous, that helps get a table too!”

Bradey added that Sydney was spoiled for choice when it came to good restaurants, with more competition leading to more availabilities in venues.

Combine that with cost of living pressures — a NAB customer sentiment survey recently revealed 57 per cent of customers are spending less on dining to reduce their overall spending — it means more tables have opened up.

The Swillhouse Group’s Hubert is a perennial favourite and, post-pandemic, it took at least six weeks to get any table.

Almost two years later it’s still difficult to get into the venue on a Friday or Saturday night (you’ll still have to wait six months to do that) but if you’re flexible with your dates there is a table for two waiting for you next week.

Hospitality consultant Brendon Hill, who has worked at popular establishments like The Grounds of Alexandria, believes it doesn’t serve restaurants to be booked out 100 per cent of the time.

“If you say no to walk-ins, then in three to six months they stop. But those walk-ins help protect businesses when bookings cancel, or don’t stay as long,” Hill said.

“Hospitality is about being hospitable, and trying to accommodate those diners who walk past and see a busy restaurant and want to try it.

“The booked out model is definitely disappearing.”

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