Best of Sydney
Where locals eat in Sydney
Start with Chat Thai in Haymarket for boat noodles and grilled pork neck, Dosa Hut in Harris Park for the masala dosa with sambar and chutneys and Mamak in Haymarket for roti canai with curry and a teh tarik. Here are all 12, with what to get at each.
- Chat ThaiHaymarket
Get: Boat noodles and grilled pork neck
Sydney's Thai Town favorite. Long-running Haymarket Thai spot loved for boat noodles, crying tiger beef, and late night mango sticky rice.
- Dosa HutHarris Park · South Indian
Get: the masala dosa with sambar and chutneys. A Wigram Street standby
Harris Park favorite for crisp, generously sized dosas and South Indian thalis at easy prices.
- MamakHaymarket
Get: Roti canai with curry and a teh tarik
Malaysian roti stretched in the window. Buzzy Haymarket Malaysian joint with a line out the door for roti canai and curry laksa.
- Pho Tau BayCabramatta · Vietnamese
Get: the rare beef pho with a Vietnamese iced coffee. A Cabramatta Saturday ritual
Cabramatta institution famous for its rich, fragrant beef pho and bustling no-frills dining room.
- Pizza MadreMarrickville · Pizza
Get: the margherita and a seasonal sourdough pizza. A Victoria Road neighbourhood room
Marrickville neighborhood pizzeria turning out wood-fired pies with a relaxed, no-fuss vibe.
- Fratelli ParadisoPotts Point · Italian trattoria
Get: the pasta of the day and the veal cotoletta. Locals have come for over 20 years
Potts Point Italian favorite with a buzzy trattoria feel, known for pasta and a popular weekend brunch.
- Ho JiakHaymarket · Malaysian
Get: the char kway teow and the Penang laksa. Malaysian food the chef grew up on
Haymarket Malaysian restaurant from a MasterChef alum, known for nasi lemak and punchy sambal flavors.
- Lankan Filling StationDarlinghurst · Sri Lankan
Get: egg hoppers with sambols and the black curry
Casual Darlinghurst spot serving Sri Lankan hoppers, kottu roti, and fiery sambols in a lively setting.
- Spice I AmSurry Hills · Thai
Get: the crispy pork belly with chilli and the green curry. Loud, cramped, cheap
Surry Hills favorite for fiery, authentic Thai dishes, always busy with long waits for good reason.
- Thai PothongNewtown · Thai
Get: the pad thai and green curry. A King Street standby since the 1990s
Long-standing Newtown Thai restaurant with a leafy courtyard, popular for curries and old-school charm.
- Marrickville Pork RollMarrickville · Vietnamese pork roll
Get: Classic cold-cut pork roll with house chilli sauce
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Save the whole listAsk Chef for morePlan my Sydney food tripWhere locals eat in Sydney: questions people ask
What are the local restaurants in Sydney?
Chef Amazing’s picks start with Chat Thai (Haymarket), Dosa Hut (Harris Park) and Mamak (Haymarket). All 12 places are on this page with what to get, where they are and a map.
What should I order?
At Chat Thai, get boat noodles and grilled pork neck. At Dosa Hut, get the masala dosa with sambar and chutneys. A Wigram Street standby. At Mamak, get roti canai with curry and a teh tarik. At Pho Tau Bay, get the rare beef pho with a Vietnamese iced coffee. A Cabramatta Saturday ritual.
Which neighborhood is best for local restaurants in Sydney?
Most of these are in Haymarket and Marrickville. The map on this page shows every one, numbered like the list.
How does Chef Amazing pick these?
From Chef Amazing’s city guide and lists for Sydney: the places critics, chefs and locals keep recommending, checked and kept current, with what to order at each. Nobody pays to be on them.
More in Sydney
Local restaurants in other cities
Places change: check hours before you go. Pins come from addresses and OpenStreetMap and can be a little off. Updated October 25, 2026.