The best lunch in Sydney can’t be easily crowned. Australia’s most delicious city has literally too much good food. Value for money, deliciousness, eat-in or takeaway – it’s hard to pick a winner so we’ve narrowed it down to 25 lunch options all over the inner city, specifically.
Where to get lunch in Sydney CBD, Haymarket and Surry Hills
1. Yok Yor – Haymarket
This tiny central Thai restaurant has easily the best lunch in Sydney in the area and it is their signature boat noodles. The chef used to have a roadside stall in Thailand making the classic Bangkok street food and he is clearly a master. The flavour is indescribable – smokey, sweet and rich with sliced beef or pork, beef or pork balls, morning glory, and lots of white pepper. Not spicy like Northern Thai food. One of Sydney’s best lunch restaurants.
Entrance from Campbell Street side, Shop G06/323 Castlereagh St, Haymarket
2. Enjoy Mie – Sydney CBD
The best Indonesian bakmi in Sydney (a dish of wheat noodles, originally brought to Java by immigrants from Southern China) and there for one of the best lunch spots in Sydney CBD. The noodles themselves are chewy, glossy and wavy, and come with a range of pork toppings – unusual, given Java’s mostly muslim population, but a hark back to the noodles place of origin. My favourite is the mie (noodle) babi (pork) matah (a delicious onion and lime leaf sambal). You get both red BBQ pork AND crispy roast pork belly.
375 Sussex St, Sydney (they have a second outpost – a smaller food court stall – in Chatswood.)
3. Garam Merica Sydney Original Warteg Nasi Bungkus Australia – Sydney CBD
The name is a mouthful, for sure. A delicious one. Nasi bungkus translates to ‘rice wrapped’ and said rice comes with a billion curry and stir fry options that are already ready in front of you, making it a perfect lunch break lunch place in Sydney.
Pick your meat and veg from the bain marie display and they’ll parcel it up to take away or eat in. Either way, you want it wrapped to so the flavours al melt together. this chain is especially known for its black baby squid curry. Order it. Find it hidden on the ground floor of an office building behind an Indonesian church outpost.
Wesley Mission Building, 220 Pitt St, Sydney
4. Medan Ciak Indonesian Restaurant – Sydney CBD
Similar deal: an epic bain marie selection, but they have an a la carte menu too. Nasi goreng, mie goreng, fried and grilled meats – all the hits.
10/339 Sussex St, Sydney
5. YOD – Haymarket
This all-day restaurant is a great place for lunch in Sydney if you’re hungover and a raw seafood cleanse. YOD does Isaan Thai cuisine from the north as well as central Thai seafood-heavy food. If you want a treat, get a blood cockles (named for the colour) with dipping sauce – one of the best shellfish to ever come out of the ocean – and their speciality: steamed squid stuffed with squid eggs. It is amazing.
462/40-54 Campbell St, Haymarket
6. Mother Chu’s Taiwanese Gourmet – Haymarket
A Sydney Chinatown staple, Mother Chu’s has been around for more than 20 years and still has some of the best Taiwanese breakfast and lunch menus and one of the best, freshest you tiao (doughnut stick) in Sydney.
1/86-88 Dixon St, Haymarket
7. Caysorn Thai Restaurant – Haymarket
Up an escalator in the heart of Haymarket is one of Australia’s only Southern Thai restaurants.
All the food at Caysorn is mindblowing but you have to come here for the kanom jeen – they have a whole menu of them. Kanom jeen is an iconic Southern Thai dish of rice noodles – traditionally the rice flour mixture was fermented to turn slightly sour before being boiled then extruded into noodles – with some sort of curry gravy. It can be with or without coconut, and the protein varies from fish to crab to prawns to chicken, blended with aromatics to create a thick, slippery, luscious sauce. All are $16.90 (or $18.90 if you opt for crab) and come with unlimited toppings including cucumber, bean sprouts, carrot, cabbage, green beans and pickled mustard leaves – just like in Thailand.
Prince Centre Building, Level 1/8 Quay St, Haymarket
8. Ikhwan Café – Pyrmont
Malaysian food in Sydney once meant mostly mamak and hawker classics like roti canai and char kuey teow, but Ikhwan Café does Malay-Muslim cuisines with an all-halal menu and an endless variety of nasi goreng (fried rice), nasi lemak, mee or noodles fried, in soups or coated in shrimp paste, plus the classic rotis, curries and sambal dishes.
But the real winner in the best Sydney lunch comp is the ‘pay as you wish’ Sunday buffet from 11am-8pm. Perhaps the best Sunday lunch place in Sydney.
Shop 2/1/27 Murray St, Pyrmont
9. Don Don City – Sydney CBD
Go into the weird alcove and up the elevator, don’t be scared. Cold noodles, DIY rice balls, bossam (pork belly) and jokbal (pork jowl) await. Banchan selection is lit too. So fun.
1/636-638 George St, Sydney
10. Otogo – Ultimo
One of Sydney’s best cheap eats in the area. First, there are their dozen or so signature onigiris with a few specials on rotation starting from $3. Then there’s soba noodles in a cup – the 63-degree egg version will set you back $10 while the most expensive, topped with prawn tempura, comes in at $13.
Portions are sensible and filling and there’s a variety of self-serve sauces and toppings to make it your own, as well as soft serves, karaage and drinks from $3.30.
40 Bay Street, Ultimo 2007
11. Rose Borek – Roseberry
The best and cutest Turkish breakfast and lunch spot in the area. The owners are honeys and the breakfast sets (served all day) are beautiful. Big silver platters with a borek of your choice, an egg option (for example, scrambled with sujuk sausage), some cucumber and tomato, sliced cheese and a pot of cream with honey and soft, sweet bread to dip in, plus a coffee or tea. Sit in the window and watch the world pass, or, they also have a chess set, so go with a friend and hang out.
399 Gardeners Rd, Rosebery
12. Prempree Grocery – Haymarket
Not a Sydney lunch restaurant, a grocery! With a huge selection of readymade, prepacked lunches and treats delivered daily. Seriously the selection is insane, half the dishes you won’t find at most Thai restaurants in Australia. And everything is maximum $14 for a full meal.
640/40 Campbell St, Haymarket
13. AP Bakery – Surry Hills
I know I know, but hear me out. The fancy touristy rooftop bakery is always crazy busy and crazy expensive, but a $8 perfect sesame bagel with butter AND cream cheese is a pretty ideal quick lunch. They have pretty good $14 pies too, if you can afford it.
L2/80 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
14. South Dowling Sandwiches – Darlinghurst
Another one that literally everyone knows about but those mega schnitzel sandwiches smothered in herb mayo and packed with literally every vegetable known to man are one of the only sandwiches I’ll ever pay for – other than banh mi. They have two other locations around the city now too.
377 S Dowling St, Darlinghurst
15. Una’s – Darlinghurst
While we’re on the topic of schnitzel and Darlinghurst, come to this Sydney institution for the biggest schnitzel of your life with rich, creamy mushroom jager sauce and a tall, frothy wheat beer. Sit outside in the sun. Heaven.
340 Victoria St, Darlinghurst
16. Juan Bowl and Tea – Redfern
Bowl and tea. They mean it. They tiny kitchen serves beautifully crafted rice bowls – there are only four or five on the menu – and premium Japanese teas. They do rice bowls topped with steamed chicken, unagi, beef tataki, pork tonkatsu and usually a raw seafood special. But this is serious, cheffy business, yet still super affordable. Such a treat, a gorgeous dining experience, perfect for a birthday lunch or special occasion.
94A Pitt St, Redfern
17. Pondok Bunyung – Kensington
More epic Indonesian bain marie food, specifically padang cuisine from West Java. The smoky, tender rendang is off the charts delicious. As is the chilli chicken and jackfruit curry.
140 Anzac Parade, Kensington
18. Ria Sari Padang Take Away – Randwick
Aaaaaaand another. This one is more about the vibes, the incredible, untouched vintage decor, sky blue walls and lace curtains. Owned and run by a husband and wife opposite the hospital, it’s a quick in-and-out sort of place but I implore you to sit down with your plate of rice and curries and one of their famous corn fritters. One of the best people-watching experiences you can have in the area.
142 Barker St, Randwick
19. Nua Lao Thai – Haymarket
This Laos restaurant has some of Sydney’s spiciest food but also the best lunch in Sydney. When I brought my boyfriend there for the first time he said their signature crispy rice and fermented pork salad was the “most delicious thing he’s ever eaten”. Facts. But do not skip the larb menu. They have every variety with “original” or “bitter” sauce. My favourite is the raw beef with tripe. If you’re boring you can also order pad Thai.
203/209 Thomas St, Haymarket
20. Cairo Takeaway – Newtown
An institution, a cult classic, where all the cool inner-west cuties hang out. Everyone looooves to say “have you heard of Cairo? You gotta go!” but it is no longer a hidden gem, if it ever was, those Egyptian pitas are popular – and rightly so.
81 Enmore Rd, Newtown
21. Azuki Bakery – Newtown
An adorable Japanese bakery with real Japanese-European lunch and snack options. No sushi or rice bowls, but yaki udon buns, and my favourite, their legendary mentaiko baguette. Literally just mentaiko (pollock roe) mixed with Japanese mayo and smeared all over the innards of a fresh baguette. The best Sydney lunch ever.
3/63/71 Enmore Rd, Newtown
22. Malibu – Surry Hills
The shop may be tiny, a mere hole in the wall dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers, but the sandwiches are fucking enormous. As are the personalities. I won’t tell you any more, you just have to come and experience it for yourself.
62 Foster St, Surry Hills
23. Khao Soi – Sydney CBD
My friend who’s a food writer and knows Sydney dining better than anyone (no seriously) sent me a voice note about this place that went something like this: “The owner is Thai [the the northern part where khao soi curry noodle soups are from] but he wanted to open a restaurant that was like the restaurants you get at the bottom of Japanese office buildings, but only serve khao soi and call it ‘Khao Soi’”.
The result is a modern Japanese kinda vibe…???? But exclusively khao soi on the menu with a variety of protein toppings including traditional grilled chicken or prawns, as well as Japanese-inspired tonkatsu and grilled mackerel. Fucking amazing.
Level 2/73-75 Liverpool St, Sydney
24. Gumshara Ramen – Haymarket
This is Sydney’s most famous ramen restaurant that was reborn from the ashes after a devastating closure to everyone’s relief. There is literally always a line, day or night, so I recommend coming at 11:30 right when they open for lunch service.
9 Kimber Ln, Haymarket
25. Spicy Joint Chinatown – Haymarket
This Sichuan chain has restaurants in four Sydney locations but this one is probably the most popular and busy and it’s no surprise because it has some of the best Sichaun food in the country. It’s my second favourite cuisine of all time so trust me. I simply don’t know how they make everything taste so fucking good. Do not go if you’re not gonna order the cold noodles with chicken and egg. Their signature fish hot pots and cold jellyfish salads are also must-orders.
Level 4/25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket
26. Pastizzi Cafe – Newtown
A Maltese-Italian institution that has been on King Street for decades. Come for the pastizzi, obviously, the flakey Maltese pastries with a huge array of filling from spinach and ricotta to beef and ale. Iconic.
109 King St, Newtown
27. Great Aunty Three – Enmore
A short trot down the road and you’ll reach one of the most gorgeous Vietnamese spots in the area with colourful plates of food and some of the biggest banh mi you’ve ever seen. Made aunty happy and finish all your food.
115 Enmore Rd, Enmore
28. Kabul Social – Sydney CBD
Amazing Afghan food in the city!!!!! Opened by a group of women refugees from Afghanistan, this place has taken off. They have other outlets around the city but this is probably the best Afghan lunch in Sydney CBD. It runs in collaboration with Plate It Forward so for every meal sold at Kabul Social we donate two meals to those in need. One in Sydney and one in Afghanistan.
Shop J15/60 Margaret St, Sydney
29. Brazilian Flame – Zetland
Meat. On. Swords. Huge portions for men. Men love it. Go here if you’re a man (or just really love luscious, smokey, tender grilled meats).
565 Botany Rd, Zetland
30. Makoto Sushi Train – Sydney CBD
It couldn’t be a list of 30 Sydney lunch restaurants without a sushi train. This one in World Square is so fun and fresh, I highly recommend taking yourself on a date there.
119 Liverpool St, Sydney
Aleksandra Bliszczyk is the Deputy Editor of VICE Australia. Follow her on Instagram.
The post The VICE Guide to the Best Lunch Spots in Sydney appeared first on VICE.
