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

Ask locals about the best Cronulla restaurants and you’re likely to get some strong opinions. These days, the beachside suburb in Sydney’s southern suburbs takes its wining and dining scene seriously.   The following are the places that should be on your radar – from a bougie Parisian-style bistro to a swanky supper club. And if it’s great cafes you’re after, we’ve got those for you, too.

The shortlist

Hottest new opening: Homer Rogue Taverna
Great for special occasions: The Pines
Family-friendly spot: Queen Margherita of Savoy
Best views: Summer Salt
Best wine list: Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare

Homer Rogue Taverna

Restaurateurs Harry and Mario Kapoulas have gone rogue on the idea of a humble Greek taverna to create one of the best restaurants in Cronulla. The name is a nod to the ‘loud, warm and rough around the edges’ gastrokafenios discovered by the brothers (who have two of the most popular cafes in Cronulla) during repeat reccies to Athens. Go for the koulouri, taramas and chicken souvla and stay for the cocktails. Our mum’s moussaka is another must-order dish. Portions are generous at Homer Rogue Taverna, which has both indoor and al fresco seating arrangements.

Address: Shop 3/3/Surf Road, Cronulla

Duke’s After Hours

Ask your cool Shire friend for a recommendation for the best Cronulla restaurants and they will likely include Duke’s After Hours (formerly known as Fred’s After Hours). Duke’s Providore shifts gears after dark and reemerges as a snug, Euro-leaning wine bar and bistro that has gifted grown-ups with the kind of venue they have been dreaming of.  The intimate 36-seater space is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 5.30pm until late. And while there’s a lot to love about Duke’s, let’s start with the acoustic batts lining the ceiling: dinner minus the din. The snug canteen is run by butcher Nathan Creary, so start with steak tartare and finish with the chicken cotoletta.

Address: 109 Cronulla St, Cronulla

Pippis Cronulla

By mid-morning, Pippis Cronulla is packed with locals. The restaurant overlooking the marina in Gunnamatta Bay is drenched in sunshine during the day and works as a place for a quick bite before or after catching the ferry to the Royal National Park. Lunch with kids in tow is also made easy thanks to the cordoned-off play area. The restaurant has long been BYO (you can still bring a bottle of bubbles or rosé) but is now licensed, too. It’s also set up for large groups and families with its menu built around crowd-pleasers such as crudo and ceviche, wood-fired pizzas and linguini with prawns, mussels, calamari, scampi and – yes you guessed it – pippis when they’re in season.

Address: 2 Tonkin St, Cronulla

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 signature bouillabaisse for two. The kitchen at The Pines is led by head chef Nicholas Sum, while the expansive drinks menu was curated by sommelier Chris Hoy (ex-Merivale). Breakfast, lunch or dinner are attractive propositions at The Pines. Stay at your mate’s place, go for a surf and don’t leave until you have to. Plot your return to try the bottomless brunch at The Pines, one of the best restaurants in Cronulla.

Address: Unit 1/8-18 Kingsway, Cronulla

Yalla Sawa Restaurant

Yalla Sawa means to ‘come together’ in Lebanese and this family-run Cronulla restaurant is a fine example of the kind of venue locals flock to for Sunday lunch or dinner. This is homespun 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, Lebanese flatbread and lamb shank tagine in this beautiful space which is distinguished by its colourful design.

Address: 2/59-65 Gerrale St, Cronulla

Benny’s

Benny’s is right in position for golden hour on the shores of Gunnamatta Bay. Hatted chef RJ Lines (ex-One Penny Red) does exceedingly well here by relying on ingredients that speak to the waterfront location.  Think bluefin tuna carpaccio. Sydney rock oysters shucked to order. And ‘barra in a bag’ with clams and cherry tomatoes. Designed by SISU Interiors, Benny’s is all sandstone and brass with large cut-out windows offering stunning views of the beach and bay. Nelson Braid (Australian Gin Champion of the Year) is behind the drinks list and his cocktail menu is infused with local botanicals. Benny’s is just a short walk from Cronulla Train Station.

Address: 27 Tonkin St, Cronulla

Queen Margherita of Savoy

This dark and atmospheric family-run pizza joint has long been considered one of the Shire’s best. Owner-chef Lee Carroll has earned his place as a pizzaiolo for his mastery of the traditional Neapolitan-style pizza, which is typically eaten folded over for easy consumption. 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 is one of just a handful of Australian venues named in the 50 Top Pizza awards in Asia Pacific.

Address: 2 Surf Road, Cronulla

Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare

Cronulla has quite a bit of ownership over the ivy-clad ‘old library’. The coastal-chic venue was reimagined by restaurateur Matteo Margiotta and designer Nic Graham (behind the quirky QT Hotel Sydney) to complement the bones of the community building. It features handmade tiles from Italy, bespoke sconces from Byron Bay, and a palette of olive greens. It also has a wine room with more than 1600 bottles of wine – ranging in price from $15 to $22 by the glass; $76 to $2300 by the bottle – and potted olive trees. Executive chef Cristiano Patacca heads the venue.

Address: 1/15 Surf Rd, Cronulla

Hurricanes Grill & Bar Cronulla Beach

Hurricanes Grill & Bar Cronulla Beach 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, cave-like grottos and cantilevered shelves and this coastal beauty feels perfect for the beachside culture of Cronulla.  Yes, the menu is full of meaty dishes diners like to gnaw on, such as the signature ribs and dry-aged steaks. But this sophisticated spin-off also has a raw bar with everything from fresh and briny Sydney rock oysters to delicate squares of Hiramasa kingfish.

Address: 1/49 Gerrale St, Cronulla

Bobby’s

Bobby’s is exactly the sort of place that first-time visitors to Cronulla want to be beamed into. 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 wearing terracotta-toned linen, all grins and sun-kissed glamour. Both the food and fit-out are perfectly suited to the beachside 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.

Address: 6R The Esplanade, Cronulla

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. 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.

Address: 98 Cronulla St, Cronulla

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 the 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 snapper ceviche, jalapeno poppers, and charred pork belly. 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 surfie staff so friendly they’ll likely share the day’s swell forecast.

Address:  1 Kingsway, Cronulla

Johnny Hu

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

Address: 134 Cronulla St, Cronulla

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. 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.

Address: 3/1 McDonald St, Cronulla

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.

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.

Address: 5/8 Kingsway, Cronulla

Salt Meats Cheese

There are dozens of places to dine and drink in Cronulla. But not all are created equal. Salt Meats Cheese is housed in the iconic heritage-listed former Commonwealth Bank in a hip pocket of the pedestrianised plaza. 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.

Address: Shop 1/66-70 Cronulla St, Cronulla

Summer Salt

Ride a right-hander at Elouera Beach in Cronulla and you’ll be deposited right out front of Summer Salt.  Sydney Restaurant Group (Aqua Dining, Manta Woolloomooloo, Sails in McMahon’s Point and Ormeggio at the Spit) has given the restaurant an elegant refresh. Start with chargrilled WA octopus followed by handmade linguine with mussels, pipis, Moreton Bay bugs, cherry tomato and parsley. The roving dessert trolley does well to compete 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.  

Address: 66 Mitchell Rd, Cronulla

Sealevel

Sealevel is the locals’ 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 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.

Address: No.2 The Kingsway, Cronulla

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