The 10 Best Restaurants in Neutral Bay, Sydney

Firefly is one of Neutral Bay’s most cosmopolitan restaurants and wine bars. It is cool, contemporary and attracts a buzzy crowd of locals in the know. Known for its hospitality, chic eats and great bar selection, Firefly has a great offering of shared plates and mains. With an electric dining atmosphere and fantastic service, this is the perfect place to host an event North of the Harbour Bridge.

IN Restaurant is a relaxed dining affair. Serving creative modern Australian cuisine in a chic-bistro, IN Restaurant has earned itself a loyal following. Established in 1999, the mission behind IN was to create such a welcoming and friendly environment that the service came only second to the quality of food on offer. It certainly looks like a mission accomplished.

At the helm of Indian cuisine in Neutral Bay is The Colonial. As one of the suburbs most exciting restaurants, The Colonial offers Anglo-Indian curries which use traditional ingredients and spices. The space is simple, contemporary and stylish, allowing the most mouth-watering menu to speak for itself.

According to the traditional style of Japanese dining, a restaurant should specialise in one dish – a concept commonly lost in fusion and contemporary Japanese cuisine. Not at Jugemu & Shimbashi. They specialise in (and master the art of) teppanyaki and shimbashi in hand-made soba. Deeply connected with the true art of Japanese cooking, guests will feel transported to a journey of culinary delights in this warm and welcoming Neutral Bay restaurant. To top it all off: BYO from Monday to Thursday.

Built around the Italian custom of eating with friends, laughing and sharing, Italian Street Kitchen is a relaxed and traditional bistro serving only the most delicious and authentic Italian fare in Neutral Bay. It considers itself a ‘market stall on a grand scale’ offering home-cooked food out of recipes passed down from generation to generation. The setting itself is rustic and romantic. Guests not only smell the dough being cooked but see it being rolled out before their very eyes in the open-plan kitchen.

Launched in 2013 by Australian TV Chef Damian Heads (Channel 10’s Ready Steady Cook) and wife Jenny, this modern Australian restaurant has been a hot topic. Woodland Kitchen has a beautifully curated menu of seasonal dishes set in a casual but sophisticated environment. In 2017 alone the restaurant was awarded two Chef Hats and named ‘Best Contemporary Australian (informal) Restaurant in New South Wales’ and placed third in all of Australia at the Savour Australia Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence.