Sydney

As lively and appealing as downtown Sydney is, you cannot fully appreciate life in this beautiful place until you visit one of the city’s spectacular beaches. Bondi, to the east, is a particular favorite for its stretch of inviting yellow sand and legendary surf. Ideally situated on the cliffs at Bondi’s south end, this bright, predominantly white restaurant offers not only a panoramic view through huge windows, but also some of the top food in the city. The menu has an Italian inflection, so you’ll find pastas such as gnocchi made with buffalo mozzarella in an amatriciana-basil sauce, as well as wonderful main courses such as the free-range Berkshire pork cutlet with pan-roasted yellow peppers, almonds and currants, or fresh whole fish with a wide range of condiments such as almond aioli or classic lemon butter. The excellent wine list is particularly good on Italian bottlings. If you can’t secure a reservation, consider sitting at the bar, ordering from the light menu and soaking up the glorious view.

Chef Mark Best cooked with the great chefs of France before coming home and hanging out his shingle in arty, upscale Surry Hills. The service here is a bit precious, but Best’s food is superb, so the multicourse tasting menu is recommended. It changes often, but may include dishes such as potatoes with bone marrow, sea urchin and coffee; cod with polenta and lemon; and a rich Sauternes custard. There is a fine assortment of wines by the glass.

Chef Neil Perry opened Rockpool more than 20 years ago to showcase his innovative cuisine using the best Australian products with influences from Asia. Always in the forefront, Perry restyled the restaurant to “Rockpool classic,” which in practice means white tablecloths and crisp, professional service. What has not changed is Perry’s imaginative cooking. Look for wonderful dishes such as blue swimmer crab congee; lobster congee with star anise-scented peanuts; John Dory and scampi with paprika, macadamia nuts and a basil pistou; tender lamb with borlotti beans, tea-smoked mussels and preserved mustard greens; and the rich date tart, a Rockpool classic. The wine list is a joy, with wide selections by the glass, half-bottle and magnum, plus many reasonably priced options.