Oribu Parramatta, Marcel Bar and Bistro Penrith among western Sydney’s best restaurants
Accomplished chefs working in award-winning restaurants are delivering for diners in Sydney’s west who “work very hard for their money” and are happy to pay for a posh nosh.
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Candlelit dining rooms, endless wine and cocktail lists, oversized sashimi platters and marbled steaks prepared on open grills.
Discerning diners in Sydney’s west know their food and they’re not scared to splash their cash on a great meal.
From Parramatta to Penrith, here are some of the region’s finest restaurants.
Oribu
Japanese fusion restaurant Oribu owner Louis Arida had to break 440 hearts when he turned them away for Valentine’s Day bookings at his chic, hatted rooftop restaurant in Parramatta.
Such is the Church St restaurant’s growing reputation as a destination for somewhere special for a posh (but not pretentious) nosh.
While many of his peers in the hospitality industry have failed to see the potential in opening fine dining restaurants in Sydney’s west, Arida knew locals had the appetite and financial means for sophisticated cuisine.
In 2023, he opened Oribu alongside the Heritage Bar which arrived four years earlier.
“Parramatta doesn’t traditionally have fine dining restaurants especially in Japanese cuisine,’’ he said.
“However, we’ve got the demographic of people prepared to eat fine dining. If you go to the city or Double Bay you will bump into a lot of people from out west.
“I grew up in Oatlands, I went to school in King’s. The western suburbs community works very hard for their money and when they spend their money – they don’t want to feel like another number.
“They want to be appreciated, they want enjoyment. They don’t want to go to a restaurant and just drop their money and leave feel hungry.’’
His hospitable Middle Eastern ethos is evident at the restaurant where technicolour sashimi platters, theatrical tropical cocktails served in pineapple-shaped vessels and “melt-in-your-mouth’’ Hida wagyu delight diners.
The elevated skill level of chefs Bryan Paul Nery, Jay Lee and Jaybert Teves bring imaginative concepts to life on seasonal menus.
“The main three chefs come up with the dishes but I think they draw a lot of inspiration from my wild inspiration,’’ Arida said.
“I think it’s succeeded because every feedback we get is taken on board and every customer that comes is truly valued. You have to keep reinventing yourself.’’
Charcoal-painted Oribu sits atop the stately Heritage Lounge in the centre of Parramatta’s CBD.
Arida explains the site was once the home to a Presbyterian church hall where the community united in World War I.
“They rallied against what was going on and if I was to sum up what my business is, it’s a place that brings my community together and creates memories,” he said.
“The customer’s always my No.1.’’
215 Church St, Parramatta
Sinclair’s in the Log Cabin
Perched on the banks of the picturesque Nepean River, the cuisine at Sinclair’s restaurant in the Log Cabin hotel is befitting of its vista.
At the helm is chef Scott Mills, who was crowned the Australian Hotels’ Association’s 2024 chef of the year and tied with a Holbrook chef for the NSW title.
One of his signature dishes that makes Mills and Sinclair’s a young but acclaimed Penrith restaurant is the wagyu strip loin steak and tomahawks.
Mills is a familiar face to his guests, many who book the chef’s table each Friday and Saturday when he serves groups of six a bespoke menu.
Dishes at the 150-seat venue are prepared in front of the grill and Mills serves each dish to the group with a side of knowledge about what is in the entree, main and dessert.
“That’s a very big drawcard,” Log Cabin general manager Matthew Betteridge says.
“It’s usually booked out.’’
Sinclair’s also hosts bottomless brunches on Saturdays and $35 steak frites with unlimited fries cooked in duck fat potatoes on Wednesdays.
As its reputation as a fine dining establishment grows, many food lovers have travelled to the outskirts of Sydney to dine at Sinclair’s while many locals have become regulars, including wine lovers making the most of the extensive 100-strong wine list.
“I think it was something this area needed,’’ Betteridge said.
“We’ve had people travel from Newcastle to try us out, from Manly, from Lithgow.
“Everything from our menu is sourced locally … within 25km. It’s locally sourced ingredients so that’s another drawcard and we’re working with local suppliers.”
Like his talented head chef who moved from Ryde, northern beaches’ native Betteridge has planted roots in the Nepean, an area he “loves’’.
Level 1/20 Memorial Ave, (Log Cabin) Penrith
Chu
Pan-Asian dining has been thriving in club land since Chu arrived in the behemoth that is West HQ post-Covid, building on the fine reputation of its Woolloomooloo restaurant China Doll.
Renowned Sydney chef Frank Shek and Chu head chef Arthur Jheng are behind the classy menu that entices with offerings including soy garlic chicken drumettes, Mandarin duck pancakes and wok-fried mussels with beer Samba and Chinese doughnuts.
The offerings are also developed to complement the three-glass-rated wine list which, in recent years, earned the gong of the NSW Wine List of the Year.
In November 2023, Chu was crowned the best Asian restaurant of the year at NSW Restaurant Catering Australia awards, beating nominees Chin Chin at Surry Hills, Ms. G’s at Potts Point and MuMu in Sydney CBD for the gong.
Other major awards include the best rated cuisine for a restaurant in a hotel or club in the Western Sydney Tourism Awards.
“Our goal when revising the menu for CHU was to capture pan-Asian cuisine’s essence while adding our signature flair,’’ Shek said.
“We wanted a visit to CHU not being about just a meal – instead we wanted a visit to be a journey through Asia’s most celebrated culinary traditions.”
The restaurant’s interiors are also a sight for sore eyes with lush decor inspired by 1940s Shanghai featuring opulent chandeliers and a striking Buddha statue centrepiece that complements Shek’s culinary vision to create “an atmosphere that blends elegance and authenticity”.
The Rooty Hill restaurant is a gateway to the 2200-seat Coliseum Theatre at a club that was once dubbed the Vegas of the West.
West HQ, 33 Railway St, Rooty Hill
Marcel Bar and Bistro
Locals describe Marcel’s in the adjoining Pullman hotel as the bougiest place in Penrith, a label that sits well with John Pugliano.
The executive chef, who has 19 years of international experience, joined the Pullman group five months ago and knows a little luxury goes a long way, especially for a restaurant adjoined to the region’s first five-star hotel.
Crystal glassware, dim lighting and five-star presentation are part of the dining experience which has added elegance to the Panthers complex.
Italian-born Pugliano’ career spans more than 20 years and includes roles at Nobu in London and Paris, Aqua in Hong Kong and the Intercontinental in Dubai, establishments where “lobsters the size of baseball bats” and cooking “white truffles” are the norm.
So the sophisticated Marcel’s suits his penchant for old world charm from its “different tones” and “lovely textures”.
“I was very impressed when I saw it and thought ‘I can work with this’,’’ he said.
“I like the fit-out, it looks very elegant, it’s got a romantic casual elegance.
“That grandeur of walking up the stairs gives you more of an old school vibe.
“The grandeur is something you’re supposed to have in a hotel background.’’
Debuting as a French restaurant in 2023, the menu has broadened to include modern Australian dishes, Asian cuisine and fare from Pugliano’s homeland.
Tuna crudo, burrata, spanner crab linguine, Tasmanian lamb backstrap and seafood risotto are some options.
Pugliano says a bare dish devoid of garnishes does his “head in” and he takes great pride in making sure guests are visually satisfied with their choices.
He said growing up in Sydney’s inner west, Penrith would be a place to pass by en route to the Blue Mountains for some apple picking. However, he says the region has become a destination.
“I didn’t know what to expect,’’ he said.
“There’s a fair bit of money in Penrith and they’re not scared to go out and enjoy themselves and have a good meal. I was surprised by the spend per head. Before I thought that wasn’t the case. We’ve got $85 steaks and … they seem to be hungry for that lifestyle, and there’s people who want the champagne lifestyle on a big budget.’’
81 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith
Ruse Bar and Brasserie
Wood-fired grill and cocktail bar Ruse has been a mainstay at Parramatta Square for almost five years when owner John Vissaritis signed with Walker Corporation to bring elevated dining to the $3.2bn development.
Executive chef Jay Rao and his team fillet their own fish, butcher their own meats and shuck oysters in front of customers.
“We’ve stuck to those principles we promised to Walker Corporation and the greater customer,’’ Vissaritis said.
Special 350-degree ovens are used for a quick char of cuts including wagyu and black angus, which are then completed in one of its four open grills.
“If you speak to any meat lover that comes to Ruse they would definitely love the double hanger steak,’’ Vissaritis said.
“It’s special cut that is similar to the tenderness of the eye fillet but has a little more texture and flavour, and that is something that we’re known for.’’
Ruse is also embarking on a program with cattle farmers in the Southern Highlands to use more grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free meat from “extremely well cared for” cuts.
The restaurant also boasts 150 wines, making it one of the “more premier wine lists in the west”.
“There are a lot of wine-educated people in the west,’’ Vissaritis said.
“They’re very discerning and they definitely know quality, and they are very in tune with the cost of good quality food.
“They’re always more than happy to give an opinion and give a review and give constructive feedback.
“That creates a synergy between you and the guest, and that’s the basis for having longevity in the Parramatta area. We’ve almost been five years here and we’re humming along.’’
Shop 4.01-4.03 Parramatta Square, 12 Darcy St, Parramatta
LilyMu
Lovers of this Pan-Asian restaurant will be pleased to know co-founder Ibby Moubadder has dismissed rumours there are plans to sell this beloved gem in Parramatta Square.
The ESCA Group executive director was one of the first tenants to arrive in the development’s domain and, on April 8, he will open Henrietta charcoal chicken in the same domain.
“I still love Parramatta and I think there’s a huge opportunity and the market’s growing but I think people want more affordable food,’’ he said.
“I know our offering at LilyMu is perceived as fine dining, and it’s not fine dining. Our average spend at LilyMu is $100 a person.’’
Head chef Roy Park keeps the favourites coming. Think tom yum prawn dumplings, kingfish ceviche with coconut sauce, taro crisps and coconut sorbet.
“Our food is amazing and I get consistent feedback from people that eat at all my venues, and when they eat at LilyMu they say ‘it’s amazing, you should bring it to the city’,” he said.
“I genuinely think it’s one of the best restaurants in Parramatta, not because it’s mine, but the food and quality is the best there.’’
Like most other restaurateurs, business in Parramatta has its challenges with vacant offices at “50 per cent”, a small lunch crowd despite the corporate presence, limited parking in the CBD and cost-of-living pressures.
“Parramatta is not an easy market,’’ he said.
3 Parramatta Square, 153 Macquarie St
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