Another fantastic Australian meal. We were able to make reservations to sit on the terrace and lucked out as it was a beautiful night. My fear with Cafe Sydney was that it would be totally touristy. To avoid this, we went on a week day and it was fantastic! I ordered two apps instead of an entree (the scallops and some salad that was wonderful). My husband had the steak which was also great! All in all, great food, very cool atmosphere, just be mindful of tourists on the weekends and during high season. read more

For a long time I've wanted to go to Café Sydney and finally I made it there last night. Originally we had a 630PM booking but because the day was grey and there was no chance of a sunset we changed it to a 930PM booking. When we arrived we were treated to the best set in the house - front and centre on the balcony with prime views of Sydney Harbour, sparking against the night sky. We ordered an entrée of grilled baby octopus which was AMAZE plus a duck and quail dish which was OK. For mains we ordered Queensland kings prawns plus a lamb lion dish. It is too hard to pick which one was better-they were both too good. Dessert finished the night which was hard to say goodbye to. The service was excellent and the late sitting meant the food came out quite quickly. This is a truly special place that is fitting for any special occasion. read more

Sunday, my favourite day of the week and we had our first break of sunshine , blue skies and a good day to be out in Sydney for the last day of winter. My friend and I tried our luck at 1.20pm today at Café Sydney without reservations and were lucky to get a table outside on the patio. The waiters were very helpful and quick to assist us despite a" 95%" capacity. What a view and I agree with the many that have written reviews on Café Sydney. My friend and I each ordered a Appetiser and a Main. I had the Seared Scallop and my friend the Crumbled Crabmeat, grilled prawns. Both dishes were served within minutes and they were great as it should for such a establishment. As for the main, I had the De Boned Free Range Chicken which I found 'nice' a bit 'overcrowded' as it also had tortellini, mushrooms, baby beans all soaked in a brown onion broth!. Would I order this dish again if I was at Café Sydney ? highly unlikely. My friend had the Pepper Beef Tenderloin - Medium Rare and it was cooked to PERFECTION!. Could not resist trying a piece of the beef off my friend's plate and it was divine!. I would definitely order this on my next visit. We were quite full and only had coffee after finishing our mains . Saw some of the various desserts served for other tables and they all looked good!! Next time. Excluding tips, the bill came to $154.50. Pricey for a Sunday lunch?? Well we are in 'PRIME REAL ESTATE' and what a view. Do recommend anyone who decides to have a nice brunch on a patio with fantastic views, do go to Café Sydney and don't forget reservations -, table 'outside'. Before I forget, gents no shorts, tongs, round collar T shirts. SMART CASUAL as the 'crowd' here are very different from the suburban restaurants or the food courts that we are ( I am) so used to and esp on a Sunday ! read more

Most reviewers talk first about the view but i rate this restaurant excellent primarily for the food and the service. The environment makes it just that much better. Appetizer. caramelized endive on roquefort on fila dough. Excellent well balanced appetizer just dripping with "give me more". Perfectly opened my appetite and still left us hungry enough for the entree Entrees: beef tenderloin: tender perfectly cooked prime beef. Grilled barramundi. succulent well presented fresh. Side. Chat potatoes in duck fat Copious and tasty Desert. Fabulous orange almond cake with grapefruit sorbet. Wines: the only area i was disappointed but I didn't go for high end so to be expected both the temparanillo and cabernet by the glass were ordinary. Service was excellent. No pressure. Discreet polite but not servile. Price. Around 250 Inside: beautiful bar lobby area and very smart eating area Overall. Very good to excellent. And wonderful views of course. read more

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The food is fantastic. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and prompt. The view is breathtaking. However I found some of the management's policies to be too strict. My family is a big fan of duck. We were given the lounge menu which had the only duck dish on it. When I asked if we could get the dish as a starter we were told that is only served in the lounge. Unusual to refuse a reasonable request from a guest, but we shrugged it off. After running up a fairly large tab well over $500, when it came time for dessert, we were told that the table was reserved for others. We had ordered everything quickly, there was no breakdown in service yet there was no time for dessert at that table. Our server nicely offered to put us in the lounge but at that point I was a bit offended. Turning tables is great, turning off customers at the end is not. read more

I am giving this place two starts for the unbelievably beautiful view, but everything else, starting with the encounter with the hostess, the lack of attention/detail from the wait staff, ridiculously expensive menu ($14 for bottled water) that is very good but not outstanding left me wandering about the popularity of this place. Meh... nothing more than a glamorous rooftop with an ATTITUDE. read more

Amazing view, we had outdoor balcony seating. Tried the Tasmanian Ocean Trout, Beef Tenderloin and Potatoes, everything was good. The homemade ginger beer was also gingery and delicious. Best meal I had visiting Sydney. read more

Beautiful view of Sydney Harbor, outstanding service and delicious food made for a memorable 21st Birthday celebration for my daughter. This is a special place for special occasions, highly recommended. read more

2nd visit in 12 months. Amazing food and location. Out of this world. Service worthy of a diner. So disappointing.

Fabulous restaurant in Sydney! Be sure you sit on the patio; the views are amazing. Make your reservations months in advance and book your table for sunset. The food is delicious. Everything we tried was sensational. Enjoy! read more

Restaurant was very busy for Sunday lunch. Only appointment was at 12:10pm. Bit to busy for my liking and did not bode well for service. I was wrong-service very good and relaxed, good recommendations. Starters were very good, Morton bay bug with prawns, very tasty and goats cheese tart, rich strong flavours. Chose a nice SA Pinot Grigio to go with the meal, plus a few cocktails. Mains were pork belly, of which the highlight was the pork croquet, and the duck confit, which was excellent. Decided to share desert and a desert cocktail, panacotta, very good and salted caramel cocktail, yum. Great meal, great view. read more

Cafe Sydney definitely boasts a great location with views over the harbour. Went here for a special occasion and was impressed with the service and food. A nice ambience during dinner. Worth a visit! read more

Already a fan of Cafe Sydney's great post-work drinks, dining here has added another mode of enjoyment to this landmark establishment. Once you've deftly navigated to your table in the fashionable dark, you'll enjoy a menu that seems to authentically embrace the much-overused banner of 'fusion'. Whilst our waitress on this particular evening did seem to have other pressing things on her mind, the excellent food and wine list and of course the view easily overcame. read more

Great place, everytime I have been the weather has been perfect so it has been fun to enjoy the view of the harbour while you enjoy your food and drink. Food is good and will not disappoint, but you are paying for the atmosphere and view as it is only the higher price end, if you haven't been yet it's is definitely worth checking out. read more

We visited Cafe Sydney on our recent trip to Sydney 3 weeks ago. It's has a beautiful view of the harbor on the balcony, and a great place to take in the sunset. The service is very good too, but it's just a little bit pricey for the portion sizes! read more

This gem was a bit of a struggle to find at first, but once we got here, I realised that it was worth getting lost for ! The view was amazing - over looking the beautiful harbour bridge, what more could we ask for ? To top it off, the food was amazing. The wagyu beef cheeks were to die for. So tender - the meat literally just melts in your mouth. Seafood platter was very fresh - slightly over priced.. but great for a special occasion. Will definitely be back to visit you cafe Sydney ! read more

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Had a great Saturday night dinner at Cafe Sydney. The service was great & food was very good. Best views in Sydney. Make sure you ask for a table with a great view. Book in early as it's very busy on a Sat night. Great menu. I will tell everyone that i know. Many thanks Gina read more

Cafe Sydney is a real treat to visit and dine at! Firstly let's start with the views. If you haven't been to Sydney before try get seating on the balcony, we sat smack bang in the middle of the balcony on the very front overlooking the bridge and opera house- spectacular views. The staff are friendly, efficient and polite. We dined for lunch, which seemed a little more casual than what i expect dinner to be like. All the food was so delicious, we had oysters to start- freshly shucked and totally divine. We also had morton bay bugs to start with lemon and mayo- these were super tasty. Both main meals were cooked to perfection, I had the pan fried Hapuka fish, with pan fried gnocchi in a broth which was to die for. My partner also had fish- cooked so perfectly. Dessert was a salted caramel and chocolate slice with ice cream and candied nuts. Wine list is extensive and the whole experience was a total treat! read more

Great service, great food and an absolutely wonderful ambience! It was packed and noisy but still liked it, gonna be back soon!

Great ambiance but food was hit and miss. My steak was very good but my girlfriend had the swordfish and it wasn't fresh but a frozen piece cooked. They charge for dinner rolls and they come cold not warm. I sent them back to be warmed and even that didn't help. You'd think if your paying for the bread it would be outstanding. No inquiry made if we enjoyed the bread after they brought it back. If I was here for any length of time I'd try it again to make sure it wasn't just a bad night. read more

Lovely food though has failed to bamboozle in the three times I've eaten there. Excellent views of the harbour and a great place for a long lunch in the sun. Watch out for the internal steps though. The tables obstruct the view and it's easy to miss them - as happened to one elderly woman who fell and cracked her head open. Staff are very attentive but weren't as apologetic as I would have expected when I nearly cracked my teeth on a stray walnut shell. All in all a nice place to dine but doesn't live up to the hype. Another one for the company credit card. $80+pp read more

Great location with great views I would recommend booking a table outside for the best view. The crab and the Morton bay bugs where yummy. The service was great with very friendly staff. read more

Took my parents here for their first time in Sydney dinner, as they love seafood and I wanted them to try the two tier seafood platter. I went early to purchase the gift certificate, and those at the front desk were SO friendly and helpful. I was excited and eager for a nice night out. However, while we were again greeted by the great staff at the front, as well as the man behind the Bar, we took a seat at our table and unfortunately encountered possibly the worst waiter there at Cafe Sydney. He was so unfriendly, and took his time serving us while attempting to rush us as if we were hassling him. He slapped down our menus pretty hard on the table, and left without saying a word. Did he offer us water? Nope. The menu looked great, and while we definitely wanted the seafood platter, we had a hard time deciding what else to get. The guy came by once, and asked, in a very snooty manner, "Ready yet?" to which we replied "No sorry, not yet!". He quickly left again without saying a word, and didn't come back for 15 minutes. He finally took our orders and left (I politely asked if we could keep the drinks menu, incase we wanted something later, but he denied my request, saying NO, there's no room at this table!!!). Baffled, I gave him back the menu. There was plenty of space on the table, even with the seafood platter that came. The seafood was great though, cold, fresh, and sweet. The beef rump was decent... I hate to say it but the beef tongue was horrid. The waiter never came back for water refills, never came to check up on us. It was another 20 min after we finished our meal that he came by with water. He was about to leave when I asked for the check, and he sighed pretty loudly and said YEAH OK. We honestly didn't know what his problem was!! Ten minutes later, he came back with the check. My mom was paying with the gift card I had bought them, and nicely asked if it was okay to get it back, as it would be a nice souvenir type of thing. He rolled his eyes AGAIN (very clear in the candlelight!!!) and said Mmmhmm. Yet, another woman came with the check WITHOUT the card, saying " Oh he said nothing about that, so we threw it away...let me go get it sorry about that!!" Didn't see the waiter again after that thankfully. Every other staff graciously said goodbye and thank you on our way out however, so that's two stars for them. If I could have, I would have tipped everyone else besides that one fella. He pretty much killed what was supposed to be a celebratory night. (Bald fella, tanned brown skin with an attitude! BEWARE) I might have understood his rushed and rude manner if the restaurant had been busy. It was not. It was a weekday and pretty empty, with a few scattered families here and there. I don't see an excuse for his behavior, and it quickly soured my parents feeling towards Australians (Im still trying to persuade them that not many aussie are this rude!!) Bah. Thanks to all the other great staff however. Wish I could have given five stars for you folks. read more

Love this place, great value for money if your looking for a higher end meal, great staff, excellent wine list and fantastic views...

If you are hunting for Cajun food this is the place, if you are hunting for A Texan fare, keep on driving.

What could have been a good dining experience turned horribly awful when the server abruptly arrived at our table while we were finishing our dessert to say we had to immediately leave for the next seating. Apparently the reservation made months in advance had a box that said we could have the table until 7:45 pm and it was now 7:47 pm. (Gasp!). This was the first we heard of it. Then a succession of people came and lectured our group of 4 mature adults like children as we were were chewing and gulping and paying our four figure bill. (Meanwhile, we were surrounded by empty tables so it was difficult to understand the urgency of the situation that was being expressed and the diners who we were told were being inconvenienced by our wanting to finish our meal.) Just handled extremely poorly - one particular young hostess was horribly rude and condescending - and the evening ended on a very sour note. I won't ever be back. read more

The view was spectacular and worth the 5 stars all by itself. Cafe Sydney is on top of customs house at circular quay so you can easily get there by ferry, train or bus. There are 2 sittings for dinner, early - I think seating starts from 5 or 5.30 and the late seating is for 8.30pm. If you choose the early session, the restaurant will let you know that they would like you to finish by 8.15. We went on Saturday night to the early session and started at 6pm. when we arrived most of the tables were already seated . This session lets you see the harbour during daylight and lit up at night. As night falls the restaurant gets pretty dark - I couldn't read the dessert menu until I put my phone light next to it, but this is so the view of the harbour stays the star of the restaurant. Cafe Sydney has a lovely atmosphere, it is very buzzy and is decorated in an understated elegant manner. entrees are around $30 , mains $40 and desserts $20 and sides around $10. The menu had enough options so that everyone could easily chose something to eat and this is available on the website so you can decide what you want to eat before you even get there, there was also a daily specials list . There was also a separate menu for vegans. the dishes were interesting enough to be without being fussy or overworked. The only flaw we found was the temperature of some of the meals not being as hot as we would have liked , but it was only a minor issue. We started with cocktails ( around $20 ) and there was a good interesting selection. Our waiter was helpful and made some good suggestions for our group. our group had 3 cocktails, bread and three courses and were not hurried out, but still finished around 8.20. I would recommend this to any visitors to Sydney. read more

The best dinner we had in Sydney, and we had great ones! The drinks were excellent (had a Lemon Tree and then something like a cosmopolitan, except made with pomegranate juice,) seared scallops were perfectly done and the beef tenderloin nearly melted in my mouth. Others had the prawns, the carpaccio of beef and the barramundi, as well as another tenderloin. For dessert, I had the brownie AND a salted caramel martini. I remember a cheesecake being pronounced "amazing" and another dessert drink was the Top Gun. Our server was great- he was very knowledgable and gave super recommendations, down to pairing my (ALMOST too much) chocolate dessert and drink! The view is breathtaking (ask to be "outside") and we hated to leave! read more

If anywhere could epitomise the worst aspects of dining culture in this city then Cafe Sydney would take the cake. The staff are unashamedly arrogant, especially at front of house. Someone needs to reality check the majority of these glorified ushers and remind them that they are in the hospitality industry. Given the incredibly competitive environment in which they operate, Cafe Sydney seems to continually coast on its location, an attribute that redeems them less and less with every visit. Having had an extremely dissatisfying experience for our anniversary last year we were offered a complimentary drink on our next visit which we took up for my birthday. It is astounding how they managed to put on an experience so utterly impersonal and offensive that we left before even receiving our 'free' drinks. The food is mediocre at best especially considering the price. We have been fortunate enough to eat some amazing restaurants around the world and it is especially embarrassing to accept that this establishment is considered a flagship for visitors and locals alike. To say that we were morbidly disappointed on both occasions is an understatement. Frankly, I am bewildered that Cafe Sydney have mustered as many positive reviews as they have. Don't even get me started on the disgusting aqua uniforms they dress their wait staff in. There are so many amazing options in Sydney, I implore you to visit one of the smaller, more intimate establishments who actually care about their diners and uphold even the most basic principles of service. read more

I was extremely disappointed with my lunch experience at cafe Sydney. With an amazing view and nice food I was very disappointed in the lack of customer service. This restaurant isn't the cheapest place to eat at so I would expect to go with these higher prices a higher level of customer service. read more

Showcases the ultimate Sydney backdrop as the perfect venue for that hot date or entertaining guests from abroad. Poised on the top floor of the majestic sandstone heritage Customs House building. Come here in the evening for moody as it gets lighting and tables aglow with candle lamps. Book ahead and snag a table right on the edge, so there's nothing but Harbour between you and the Bridge. Fresh seafood dominates the menu as a perfect accompaniment to the harbourside setting. A fixture that has withstood the test of time, is the tandoori roasted Tasmanian ocean trout, onion bhaji, spiced beans, raita and chilli jam $39. But there's something for every palate on this distinctly multi-cultural modern Oz fusion menu. Thyme gnocchi, peas, jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, cavolo nero, nettle butter, pecorino 34 sounds rich and indulgent as it gets, but I can't ever get past the salmon to sample anything else. Forgo dessert in favour of an "After Thought"... try the aptly named Harbour by Night with chestnut liqueur, Cazadores Reposado tequila and cream served straight up with a touch of nutmeg $17; or the Crème Noir - dark chocolate melted and fused with Bacardi 8, Grand Marnier, Creme de Cacao and vanilla liqueur $19. Ensure you take some time out from the conversation to marvel at our magnificent city... and wonder why you don't come here more often. read more

Great cocktails. Overall good service except for this short, older blonde waitress who really talked down to us. She treated us like we didn't belong there. She was extremely snobby. The rest of the staff bumped this up from a 2 star to a 3 tho read more

The price is high but the food, atmosphere & service warrant the cost. I'd highly recommend the quail, oysters (& I don't typically love seafood), pork, Easy Tiger cocktail & rhubarb/strawberry ice cream dessert read more

Wonderful seafood! Had a great meal here with family during our vacation to Sydney. The view is outstanding, you overlook the bridge and the Opera house. The food was fresh and the service was hard to fault. Little bit expensive for the size of the servings, also a piece of advice, you will find it almost impossible to get in on a weekend (we tried and they told us they were booked out a month or more in advance), try and get here middle of the week like a Wednesday or so so that you can guarantee your booking will get through! Definitely recommended but not quite 5 star. read more

Delicious food and view. The setting is beautiful and the food quite good. Our group was pleased with the scallop appetizer and our mains of lamb, tandoori ocean trout and waygu beef. Our dessert, fried bananas, salted caramel bar, peanuts and chocolate ice cream, was better in concept than delivery. Service was adequate. The fabulous setting and tasty mains made for a wonderful evening. read more

Went here last night for my sons 20th birthday. View of course is exceptional and food was good but the service was very poor for a restaurant of this level. Our waitress was condescending and unhelpful. We mentioned at booking one in the group was gluten free. There is nothing on the menu at all to guide you - no mention at all of GF. So I had to ask the wait staff what the options were. I was asked if I was coeliac and I said no (as I am gluten intolerant) and from then on I was treated in a dismissive and rude manner. I was told just pick anything and they could accommodate GF (except tart or soufflé). So I picked a meal and then was treated like an idiot that of course that couldn't be GF. She spoke to me in such a patronising and offensive manner. We ordered bread for the table and she completely ignored me - obviously no gluten free bread either which is pretty basic to most decent restaurants now. This is completely unacceptable Cafe Sydney and you unfortunately spoiled what should have been a celebration. read more