Sydney is home to one of the world’s most impressive coastlines, and along it, you’ll find a swell of exceptional restaurants serving sunset-coloured spritzes and fresh, local seafood – beyond the usual salt-and-pepper fare.

Seaside stalwarts like Pilu at Freshwater, Catalina in Rose Bay and Bathers Pavilion in Balmoral have weathered the waves of time, remaining steadfast favourites over the years.

Then there’s the fresh faces - a new generation of breezy beachside diners like Bobbys in Cronulla, St Siandra in Mosman and Promenade at Bondi Beach, which offer a more relaxed style of dining that perfectly complements their laid-back location.

We’ve trawled the city to bring you the very best waterfront restaurants in Sydney, as featured in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025.

St Siandra

This is the Amalfi Coast transported to Middle Harbour Yacht Club in a long, sunshine-hued, beach-edged room. Moored yachts clink, waves lap gently beneath the floor, and children dig on the sand surrounded by citrus-striped umbrellas as St Siandra’s endless summer vibes roll on. Head chef Sam McCallum delivers Mediterranean and Middle East flavours with panache, from baked scallops with sun-dried tomato pesto to charred flatbread with silky whipped cod roe. Pavlova with lemon chantilly is your go-to while the sun sets over the sea.

Must-order dish: pavlova with lemon chantilly ($18)

75 Lower, Parriwi Rd, Mosman, stsiandra.com

Ormeggio at The Spit

It would be so easy for Ormeggio to present itself as an Amalfi cliche of yellow striped awnings and neon spritzes, but nothing about Alessandro and Anna Pavoni’s flagship restaurant is predictable. Not the baccala served tableside with a dusting of cocoa, Sichuan pepper and juniper, nor the carbonara-filled ‘bottoni’ pasta. What is guaranteed at any visit is an unwavering focus on quality – the San Marzano tomatoes in arrabiata sauce, the Modena DOP balsamic in the fior di latte gelato, and the exceptional wine list and service – making it all the more special.

Must-order dish: baccala (from the $149 tasting menu)

D’Albora Marinas, Spit Rd, Mosman, ormeggio.com.au

Pilu at Freshwater

It’s been two decades since Pilu first opened its doors, and at a lunch booking the sun is surely just as bright, the view over Freshwater Beach just as striking. Then there’s the suckling pig, a day-one dish that sees free-range pork roasted slowly, maialetto style, to render the skin crisp and the flesh rich. It hits as hard as ever. The detail counts, too: white spelt and rosemary focaccia has crackle and sheen and salty crunch, the cellar has real depth and the triumphant tiramisardo is still made tableside. Twenty years? And counting.

Must-order dish: suckling pig with agrodolce fennel ($65)

Moore Rd, Freshwater, pilu.com.au

Otto Ristorante

With a stunning location and a decades-long history of serving fine Italian food to a who’s-who of Sydney business, fashion and media, it would be easy for Otto to take its eye off the ball. But this harbourside institution, rocking a menu of Italian classics and a wide-ranging wine list, still remains one of the best lunch spots in town. Linguine is studded generously with Moreton Bay bug. A buttery mushroom and chestnut tart is cleanly cut with sorrel. Gazing over the water with a crisp Alto Adige pinot grigio in hand, Otto still feels like the place to be.

Must-order dish: saffron linguine with Moreton Bay bug ($41 as an entree or $61 as a main)

Area 8, 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo, ottoristorante.com.au/sydney

Bobbys

Summer lovin’ doesn’t get much better than this. Perched on the edge of South Cronulla Beach, Bobbys screams, “lunchtime, chilled beer and anchovies on toast”. Or a glass of rosé and a barra burger. Or a spritz and grapefruit-laced kingfish ceviche. Groups are well catered for with a generous set menu that includes Bobbys’ pavlova, a crusty, creamy meringue with diced mango and passionfruit puree. However you play it, angle for a spot with a view of the boardwalk and watch the world go by.

Must-order dish: wagyu beef carpaccio with anchovy mayo ($22)

6R The Esplanade, Cronulla, bobbyscronulla.com.au

Promenade

If Sydney is in its prawn toast era, Promenade has a seminal version: brioche, a mousse of bug meat, a sesame crust and lobes of sweet bug at the centre. A golden argument for the marriage of fried seafood and sea views – in this case, Bondi – from the refreshed Bondi Pavilion. Pair that toast with a spritz containing Bizzarro Bitter Aperitivo before moving to crisped spatchcock on sweet, spiced “stuffing” or the saffron mafaldine tangled with prawns. Order a large pour from the wine line then ride out your booking till the sun sets.

Must-order dish: sesame brioche bug toast ($15)

Bondi Pavilion Shop, 4a Queen Elizabeth Dr, Bondi Beach, promenadebondibeach.com

Sails

Welcome to Sails on Lavender Bay, but not as you know it. Linen tablecloths? Gone. Fusty off-white interiors? Out of here. Sydney Restaurant Group took the keys to the 1970s-built fixture in 2023, and the dining room is now a quiet riot of pastels, floral upholstery and pink scallop shell sconces. The commanding Harbour Bridge view is still there of course – plus formal service, oysters and an up-to-scratch crème brûlée – and most dishes play it safe with the occasional off-piste flourish. XO-boosted spaghettini, for example, with Moreton Bay bug and a Thai basil oil that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Must-order dish: Moreton Bay bug spaghettini with XO shellfish emulsion (from the two- or three-course set menu $95/$109).

2 Henry Lawson Ave, McMahons Point, sailslavenderbay.com

Cottage Point Inn

A waterfront setting overlooking the dense bush of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, soundtracked by kookaburras and the gentle wash of passing boats. The warmth of a sun-drenched deck with a fast-emptying bottle of bright King Valley prosecco. This is the kind of experience diners travel the world for, and Cottage Point Inn offers nothing if not great Australian dining. Highlights include the beef short-rib (profoundly rich and tender) crusted in macadamia and artichoke and a tricked-up lemon aspen cheesecake. Feeling flush? Stay overnight at one of the restaurant’s nearby apartments.

Must-order dish: Lemon aspen cheesecake (from the five- or eight-course tasting menu $180/$225)

2 Anderson Pl, Cottage Point, cottagepointinn.com.au

Bathers’ Pavilion

By the time Bathers′ American walnut cheese trolley rolls up, and the setting sun turns the harbour a deep, silky blue, you may find yourself leaning back with a glass of Mount Mary thinking, “Well, this is as good as it gets.” New-ish chef Aaron Ward brings a fresh breath of creativity to the heritage digs with crunchy potato scallops seasoned with powdered seaweed and vinegar, and rib-eye sparked up by biquinho peppers. The wine list boasts some truly impressive drops, and an on-message floor team rarely leaves a glass un-poured.

Must-order dish: potato scallops with seaweed and vinegar ($9)

4 The Esplanade, Mosman, batherspavilion.com.au

Catalina

After three decades, Catalina remains an immensely popular spot, thanks in no small part to its sweeping bay views. The cellar has plenty of fine options, whether it’s riesling to bring out the sea-sweet flavour of red emperor crudo with spot prawns, or grenache blanc for butterflied baby snapper – boned, deftly cooked and nudging a tumble of capers and green olives. None of this comes cheap, but when lunch calls for linen napkins and good ol’ fashioned hospitality, Catalina routinely nails the brief.

Must order dish: snapper with lemon caper butter sauce (from the three-course set menu for $150)

Lyne Park, New South Head Rd, Rose Bay, catalinarosebay.com.au