Billy Wong.
14/20

If little of the original Golden Century remains,is it still Golden Century? The verdict

For devotees of the Cantonese icon,the reborn GC might feel like your parents have moved from your childhood home into flash new digs. But you’ll be hard-pressed to find yum cha with a better view.

  • Myffy Rigby
Half-chicken with French onion soup toast.
14.5/20

Heritage farmhouse meets natural wine at this new bread fanciers’ hang-out

The All Purpose Bakery team brings “posh RSL” vibes and a no-bookings policy to a refurbished sandstone cottage on Oxford Street,serving rissoles,steak,oysters Kilpatrick and all things bread.

  • Callan Boys
December will mark the ten-year anniversary of Embla.
Good Food hat15.5/20

This dark,moody wine bar is our critic’s go-to because it’s exactly what Melbourne does best

This decade-old CBD favourite is still as dynamic as the day it opened.

  • Besha Rodell
Chef Stella Roditis.
14.5/20

It’s not all over Insta (yet),but this unpretentious city diner deserves your immediate attention

The small team at Clarence and V is all about minimum fuss and maximum flavour,says our critic.

  • David Matthews
Eleven Barrack is banking on the market for plush dining rooms.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16.5/20

This new two-hatted grill is so good,our critic booked it for his birthday

Eleven Barrack pushes beyond the usual surf-and-turf trappings to create a singular restaurant,complete with a baby grand and live pianist.

  • Callan Boys
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Guk’s Eedaero Gamjatang.
14/20

This Korean restaurant only sells one type of soup,but the queue starts early

Sydney has a new holder for the title of Koreatown. “I didn’t expect it to be so popular,” says the chef of Guk’s Eedaero Gamjatang in the thriving new hub.

  • Kevin Cheng
Crullers and spiced almonds.

This semi-hidden CBD spot for two-hatted snacks takes orders until 11pm

Clocktower Bar at Shell House is a deep-red cocoon of cocktails and crullers nine storeys above the street.

  • Lenny Ann Low
Mister Grotto is set among a new strip of venues on Australia Street.
Good Food hat15.5/20

Mister Grotto is the ‘smart-casual fish shop that’s long been missing from Sydney’

The Continental Delicatessen crew blend South American cuisines with North Carolina fish camp vibes at this inner west seafood bar.

  • Callan Boys
Juni opened on Exhibition Street in late November.
13/20

Fun drinks,disappointing duck:Critic sees red at new modern Asian hot spot

The mood-lit restaurant plays it safe with a selection of greatest hits from Michael Lambie’s pan-Asian playbook.

  • Besha Rodell
Wood-fired fennel,spinach,chicory and ricotta pie.
Good Food hat15.5/20

A restaurant for the share-plate generation:Bessie’s clocks up a second hat for the Bar Copains team

The Surry Hills hotspot is all about snacks,fizzy wine and a wood-fired pie.

  • David Matthews