A local’s guide to 17 of the best restaurants in Cronulla

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Long-time local Carla Grossetti suggests some of the best restaurants in Cronulla no matter the occasion.

Locals have pretty strong opinions about which are the best restaurants in Cronulla. We’re not here to play favourites, but we have rounded up some of the waterfront suburb’s best places to eat. Each provides a compelling snapshot of where the dining scene in the southern Sydney suburb is.

Here are the Cronulla restaurants, from family-friendly places for pizza to a swanky new supper club, that should be on your radar.

1. Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare

The community of Cronulla has quite a bit of ownership over the ivy-clad space that was once the ‘old library’, now a bright and breezy Italian fine diner that been reimagined by restaurateur Matteo Margiotta. The coastal-chic venue is an offshoot of Pino’s Vino e Cucina in Alexandria and has been thoughtfully redesigned by Nic Graham (behind the quirky QT Hotel Sydney) to complement the bones of the community building.

Pinos Vino e Cucina

Indulge in refined Italian fare. (Image: Steve Woodburn)

Although Matteo’s executive chef Cristiano Patacca now heads both venues, customers from the Alexandria iteration should expect “a sea change" when they visit its stylish sibling.

Pino Vino e Cucina

The restaurant sits within a 1908-built former church. (Image: Steve Woodburn)

The restaurant features handmade terracotta tiles from Italy, bespoke terracotta sconces from Byron Bay, and a palette of olive greens. It also has a private dining room with more than 1600 bottles of wine and pretty potted olive trees. You’ll be whisked away to Italy with a menu that features handmade pasta, fresh seafood, and tiramisu.

Best for: Maccheroncini alla vodka, spanner crab
Address: 1/15 Surf Rd, Cronulla

2. Benny’s

Bobby’s in South Cronulla is now bookended by Benny’s perched on the shores of Gunnamatta Bay on the other side of the peninsula. The new sun-starched restaurant has handed the reins to talented hatted chef RJ Lines (ex-One Penny Red) to serve a finely tuned roster of seasonal seafood-centric dishes that speak to the waterfront location.

Benny's Cronulla

Enjoy the ocean views from this waterfront location.(Image: Take Studios)

Lines has a very distinct style and does exceedingly well by relying on simple, honest ingredients to do the talking. Think bluefin tuna carpaccio. Sydney rock oysters shucked to order. And the delicious ‘barra in a bag’ with clams and cherry tomatoes that is set to become a signature.

Bobby's Cronulla

Indulge in oysters that have been shucked to order. (Image: Take Studios)

Designed by SISU Interiors, Benny’s is all sandstone and brass with large cut-out windows offering stunning views of beach and bay. Nelson Braid (Australian Gin Champion of the Year) is behind the drinks list and his cocktail list is light and refreshing and infused with local botanicals. The good news is you can enjoy a few bevvies while watching the sun set over the sea as the west-facing restaurant is just a few minutes’ walk from Cronulla Train Station.

Benny's Cronulla

Order fish and chips to go and eat by the beach. (Image: Take Studios)

Benny’s also has a takeaway stand for beer-battered fish and chips, gelato bars and ice cream cones that can be enjoyed on a nearby grassy knoll after a day spent paddling in the bay or doing bombies off the pier.

Best for: Fish and chips in the park or the barra baked in a bag.
Address: 27 Tonkin St, Cronulla

3. Hurricane’s Cronulla

Hurricane’s Grill & Bar Cronulla is the fifth Hurricane’s establishment by restaurateur Tony Teixeira and his wife Pauline. And one of the couple’s master strokes was to engage the folk at award-winning design studio Luchetti Krelle, who seem to have colour-matched the patina of sandstone from nearby South Cronulla headland and applied it to the walls of the 300-seater venue.

Hurricane's Cronulla

Grilled butterfly wild king prawns with garlic, chilli and herb butter.

The restaurant is all curved walls and textured arches that evoke a sort of Meet the Flintstones aesthetic. Add a few earthy terracotta pots overflowing with fruit and flowers, a cave-like grotto for private dining and cantilevered shelves and this coastal beauty feels perfect for the beachside culture of Cronulla.  Yes, the menu is still full of meaty dishes that diners like to gnaw on, such as the signature ribs and dry-aged steaks. But there have also been a few more micro adjustments to the menu with a raw bar curated by Brazilian-born head chef Allan Keidi Mikami that nods to his Japanese heritage.

Hurricane's Cronulla

The restaurant is all curved walls and textured arches. (Image: Dom Cherry)

Best for: Hiramasa kingfish with white soy and sesame followed by a full rack of flame-grilled, basted signature ribs with beef, pork and lamb.

Address: 49 Gerrale St, Cronulla

4. Bobby’s

Bobby’s is exactly the sort of place that first-time visitors to Cronulla want to be beamed into with everything from the food and the fit-out perfectly suited to the waterfront location.  But best get out the bronzer. The crowds at Bobby’s are generally young and good looking and that starts with the staff who greet you at the door, wearing terracotta-toned linen, all grins and sun-kissed glamour.

Bobby's Cronulla

The menu focuses heavily on fresh seafood.

Executive chef Pablo Tordesillasis (ex-Totti’s, Otto) has talent and flair, and the menu makes perfect sense in this prime waterfront location. Start with fresh and contemporary dishes such as stracciatella with fried rosemary, honey, hazelnut and focaccia. And follow with whole snapper with burnt butter, citrus and caperberries. The focal point here is the ocean and owners Adam and Kylie Micola have displayed an unerring instinct for knowing what this neighbourhood needed.

Bobby's Cronulla

The venue boasts a prime waterfront location.

Best for: Egg tagliatelle with prawns, cuttlefish, garlic, chilli and chives.

Address: 6R The Esplanade, Cronulla

5. The Pines

This elegant beachside pavilion is a place for special occasions. Nab a seat in the dining room near the large cut-out windows that frame a swirling scape of sea and sky to enjoy signature dishes such as the crispy pork jowl or angel-hair prawn pasta with XO sauce.

Plate of fish at The Pines

A table at The Pines will see you in a covetable position in Cronulla.

The menu at The Pines is designed by Michelin-trained chef James Metcalfe, while the global wines list is selected by local sommelier Noel Sorrenti. The restaurant is now open for breakfast seven days a week and has captured the early-morning crowds who convene here for breakfast burgers, sweetcorn fritters and maple granola. The bottomless bellini brunch is also a favourite.

A table overlooking North Cronulla Beach

The Pines is a bright and breezy waterfront restaurant in Cronulla.

Best for: Sea breezes over plates of crispy pork jowl and cured flank steak.
Address: Unit 1/8-18 Kingsway, Cronulla

6. Yalla Sawa Restaurant

This family-run restaurant has been going strong for about a decade. Yalla Sawa means to ‘come together’ in Lebanese and the family-run restaurant is a fine example of the kind of quality restaurants locals flock to for Sunday lunch or dinner.

Yalla Sawa dining room in Cronulla crowded with diners

Yalla Sawa means ‘come together’ in Arabic and that’s exactly what Cronulla locals do here.

This is home cooking done right with parsley-rich tabbouli and herb-flecked falafel staying true to family recipes. The quality and freshness of the ingredients is remarkable. Feast on flavoursome hummus and Lebanese flatbread and lamb shank tagine in this beautiful space which is distinguished by its colourful design.

The bar at Yalla Sawa has a stunning stained-glass backdrop.

The bar at Yalla Sawa has a stunning stained-glass backdrop.

Best for: Chicken shwarma, falafel and chermoula eggplant.
Address
: 2/59-65 Gerrale St, Cronulla

7. CC Babcoq

CC Babcoq has taken the notion of the humble roast chook shop up a notch and in doing so created one of the most jumping joints in Cronulla. The name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the character in The Nanny, C.C. Babcoq and was initially conceived of by Harry and Mario Kapoulas (who have the ever-popular HAM cafe and Rushi, near Chain Reaction).

CC Babcoq interiors have pops of pinks and greys

CC Babcoq interiors were created by Tom Mark Henry Designs.

Go for the rotisserie chook with crinkle-cut chips and baby cos salad and stay for the cocktails. Mussels in a tomato-rich broth are also a must-order when they’re in season. Portions are generous at the colourful eatery, which has both indoor and al fresco seating arrangements.

Mussels in a wine-rich tomatoey broth flecked with herbs

Order mussels when they’re in season at CC Babcoq Cronulla.

Best for: Crumbed chicken with baby cos.
Address: Shop 4/5/66-70 Cronulla St, Cronulla

8. Eat Lebanese

Ideally located on Cronulla’s high street, this low-key eatery is a top spot to come for lunch after a swim or a surf at South Cronulla. Eat Lebanese does what it says on the tin. It serves sensational share plates of Lebanese food in a light, comfortable dining area a pebble’s throw from the beach.

A kafta fold-up balancing on a plate

The kafta fold-up deserves its cult following at Eat Lebanese in Cronulla.

Once seated in this intimate venue, diners are encouraged to pick out their own mix of mezze dishes. A starter that should not be missed is the fattoush, a home-style salad made from rocket, fresh thyme, purslane, tomatoes and toasted flatbread. Round out your feast with falafels and a mixed grill plate.

pita chips and homemade dip

Start with pita chips, homemade dips and a dry glass of pet nat Eat Lebanese in Cronulla.

Best for: The kafta fold-up, which is a seven-serviette affair.
Address: 98 Cronulla St, Cronulla

9. Queen Margherita of Savoy

In spite of the fact Cronulla has no shortage of pizzerias, this dark and atmospheric family-run joint has long been considered one of the area’s best. Jorga Carroll has earned her place as a pizzaiola in just a few short years for her mastery of the traditional Neapolitan-style pizza, which is typically eaten folded over for easy consumption.

An Italian pizza dish on a plate

Head to the family-run Queen Margherita of Savoy for pizza and pasta.

There’s also an impressive selection of starters at Queen Margherita of Savoy such as nduja arancini and lamb polpette as well as pasta options and sensational salads. The pizzeria recently launched its Bottomless Sundays which includes pizzettas and spritzers, wines and Italian lager.

a bowl of Linguine con Gamberi pasta dish

Give the linguine con gamberi pasta dish a twirl at Queen Margherita of Savoy.

Best for: Pizza capriccioso and pasta gamberi.
Address: 2 Surf Road, Cronulla

10. El Rey Cronulla

El Rey means ‘the king’ and this neighbourhood hangout is a great place to gather for a few tacos, chilli margies and a chat. You can see the waves rolling in from this sun-drenched terrace where you will be waited on by staff wearing light-washed denim and haircuts that nod to the 90s. Favourite dishes include red tuna ceviche, chorizo croquetas, and the signature nachos del ray.

El Rey Cronulla

The earthy interiors at El Rey Cronulla. (Image: Wade Whitington)

The earthy dining room with its terracotta tones and warm, natural timbers sets the stage for a menu of modern Mexican favourites.  The service is unpretentious and the wait staff so friendly they’ll likely share the day’s swell forecast.

El Rey restaurant table full of Mexican dishes such as tacos

El Rey is a top spot for Mexican food in Cronulla. (Image: Wade Whitington)

Best for: Nachos and tacos de Pescado.
Address:  1 Kingsway, Cronulla

11. Johnny Hu

Locals have long liked to linger at Alphabet St and Giro Osteria. But the Natale Group have stepped it up another notch with Johnny Hu, a restaurant and bar by day and night that transitions into a supper club. From kung pao chicken and Peking duck pancakes and dumplings made in-house daily to Japanese whisky sours. Go to the supper club on a lazy Sunday and order the set menu in this up-and-coming corner of Cronulla.

Johnny Hu

Johnny Hu is the latest hip and happening place to open by the Natale Group.

Sea-changers waiting for Sydney’s property market to fall should catch the train here and do a reccie as Johnny Hu’s is a definite draw. Think curved banquettes, fine service  and Chinese classics where a very local Cronulla crew converge for late-night supper.

a cosy seating area inside the dining room at Johnny Hu

Knock, knock. Hu there? It’s Johnny Hu. And it’s a destination for dumplings and drinks.

Best for: Pork, prawn, garlic and chive dumplings.
Address: 134 Cronulla St, Cronulla

12. Giro Osteria

Giro Osteria is a discreet eatery tucked away on the second level of the Cote d’Azur building in Cronulla, which belies its charming interior. This upscale space was gifted to the community by the Natale Group, which has been spreading the gospel about the Shire for about a decade.

Blackboard specials and aubergine banquette at Giro Osteria Cronulla

Giro Osteria is one of the most romantic spots in Cronulla for a date night. Image: Carla Grossetti

Take a seat on the aubergine banquette and watch the chefs plating up at the pass. Everyone from tradies with their missos to local politicians doing business and groups of girlfriends going out to lunch are drawn to the intimate osteria. Undoubtedly, for dishes such as linguine with lobster and cacio e pepe.

Plate of antipasti balanced on empty tins of tomato with a cocktail on the side.

Giro Osteria is one of the favourite Italian restaurants in Cronulla.

Best for: Pork belly arancini and linguine with lobster. There’s bolognese for bambinis.
Address:
3/1 McDonald St, Cronulla

13. Summer Salt

Ride a right-hander at Elouera Beach in Cronulla and you’ll be deposited right out front of Summer Salt. The restaurant has long been known as one of the most compelling places in Cronulla to dine with a waterfront view. And being able to carry that beachfront location with great food and wine is all part of the experience at the newly reimagined Summer Salt restaurant.

Summer Salt Cronulla

Summer Salt is one of the most compelling places in Cronulla to dine with a waterfront view. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Sydney Restaurant Group venue has taken over the venue and given the interiors an elegant refresh. The Group is behind some of the city’s best waterfront venues. Think Aqua Dining, Manta Woolloomooloo, Sails in McMahon’s Point and Ormeggio at the Spit.

Summer Salt Cronulla

Enjoy fresh seafood. (Image: Steve Woodburn)

And Summer Salt, like the waves out front, is worth lining up for. Start with chargrilled WA octopus followed by seppia linguine with a rich buttery sauce infused with Cinzano and sea urchin. The roving dessert trolley demonstrates a high level of confidence when successfully competing with that view. Go for an Aphrodite cocktail and Sorrentine limoncello tiramisu layered with a refreshing yuzu-limoncello curd. Then do as the locals do and bookend the experience with an amble along the Esplanade.  

Best for: Salt Sessions on weekends with music and cocktails.
Address: 66 Mitchell Rd, Cronulla

14. Alphabet St

You can choose your own pan-Asian adventure at Alphabet St with its menu divided into bites, snacks, starters, salads and rice courses. As well as being the first Natale Group restaurant to open in the Sutherland Shire, Alphabet St embodied a shift in the local dining scene that was a long time coming.

Bowl of barramundi in black vinegar with herbs and chopsticks on the side

Barramundi, black vinegar and chilli dish at Alphabet St.

Alphabet St is the culinary complement to the coastal lifestyle on offer here. The menu blurs borders and is a mix of bold flavours and culinary refinement. Order the papaya salad, the Hiramasa kingfish sashimi, the big boyz chicken wings and the Massaman lamb curry with a coupla appletinis on the side.

Interior of Alphabet St restaurant in Cronulla

The playful interiors at Alphabet St Cronulla.

Best for: Appletinis and steamed whole fish with lime and chilli broth
Address: 5/8 Kingsway, Cronulla

15. Salt Meats Cheese

Salt Meats Cheese is in the heritage-listed Commonwealth Bank in Cronulla Plaza.  Sammut Group helped transform the mixed-use building into a local landmark, while Guru Projects worked on SMC’s interiors.

Sammut Group were behind the Banc rebuild, which houses Salt Meats Cheese. (Image: GURU)

Twirl your fork around a tangle of crab tagliolini. Stab a little square of spinach and ricotta ravioli fragrant with ricotta and pecorino. The dining room is a shiny Art Deco fantasy of what a neighbourhood Italian bistro should look like. It has a light, playful spirit anchored to some great talent in the kitchen.

A table filled with pizza and pasta

Arrive hungry at Salt Meats Cheese to smash down pizza and pasta.

Best for: Smashing a super truffle bros pizza after a surf.
Address: Shop 1/66-70 Cronulla St, Cronulla

16. Summer Salt

Locals have been watching the transformation of Summer Salt with great interest. Sydney Restaurant Group has taken over the waterfront venue and it has undergone a total refresh designed to capitalise on those sweeping views.

The exterior of Summer Salt restaurant in Cronulla

Summer Salt restaurant has some of the best waterfront views in Cronulla.

The Sydney Restaurant Group has some of Sydney’s best waterfront venues. There’s Aqua Dining, Manta Woolloomooloo, Sails in McMahon’s Point and Ormeggio at the Spit. The one thing that won’t change at Summer Salt is those million-dollar views of breaking waves and beachgoers. Summer Salt is a great place to stop off after an amble along the Esplanade.

A deconstructed prawn cocktail on a pretty pink plate

Order the seafood-centric dishes at Summer Salt in Cronulla with ocean views on the side.

Best for: The cold seafood plate and salmon sashimi.
Address: 66 Mitchell Rd, Cronulla

17. Sealevel

Sealevel is the local’s go-to for giant, tiered platters of fruits de mer. Besides Sydney rock oysters, blue swimmer crab, Moreton bay bugs, smoked salmon, fresh and barbecued prawns there’s barbecued octopus and beer-battered fish.

The beach view from Sea Level Restaurant in Cronulla

Sealevel in Cronulla has some of the best waterfront views in Sydney. (Image: Sealevel)

The beachfront restaurant becomes more like an aquarium when there’s a swell running, with waves rushing over the footpath out front. This is not the kind of place where you dust the sand off your feet and wander in off the beach. Channel your nanna from Nantucket and dress to impress.

The seafood platter at Sealevel is next level. Image: Sealevel

Best for: The seafood plate for two.
Address: No.2 The Kingsway, Cronulla

Looking for a pre-dinner drinks venue? Follow our guide to the best bars in Cronulla.
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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I’ve stayed in 21 hotels in Sydney and this is my favourite

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences. 

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table. 

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar. 

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits. 

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita a winning recommendation before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab. 

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!