Exciting New Local Cafes, Bars and Restaurants In North Sydney

There are some fabulous new foodie adventures to be had in and around the local area. From a hidden sake bar, to a hot new Vietnamese restaurant and a great new Mexican – plus more… We’ll keep adding to this very exciting list of new cafes, bars and restaurants!

From our Facebook group to our Instagram, it’s clear among North Sydney Living followers that everyone wants to know about the area’s new cafes and restaurants. So look no further! Here’s our list of what’s new and trending in the area – if you’ve got something to add, please email us at northsydney@thelivingcollective.com.au.

Blessed Fruit Pies, North Sydney

Blessed Fruit Pies is a family-run business with owners David and Rose at the helm. They were previously located at Castle Cove, but have been looking for a venue with larger facilities, and 103 Miller St provided the perfect elegant shopfront and internal kitchen in which for them to bake all pies on site.

You can smell the delicious aroma of stewing fruit and oven fresh pastry wafting down the main road, which has resulted in many locals through the doors already (they officially opened on Monday Feb 2. 2026).

Says David, “The past few days have been incredibly special, and we’re so grateful for the love and support. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be working on a small specials menu to share some new flavours we’ve been experimenting with. For now, we hope you enjoy our pies, bakes, coffee and tea, and we can’t wait to welcome you back again and again.”

Currently there’s a divine selection of fruit pies including sweet cherry, sour cherry, blackberry, date and walnut. mixed berry and apple – plus sweet babka and scones. There are also savoury pies including Chicken and Leek, Meat, Chicken and Vegetable, and Vegetable.

There’s a very cute French-style courtyard at the front, and cosy indoor tables as well. Tea and coffee are also on offer, along with a homemade Persian cucumber and mint tea which can be enjoyed hot or cold.

NSL tried the sweet cherry pie and the Chicken and Leek – and both were delicious! What a very sweet addition to the North Sydney neighbourhood.

 

Ciabatta, North Sydney

It’s exciting news when a hatted resturant – in this case North Sydney favourite Antica Dining – decides to expand with an Italian brekkie and lunch takeaway spot. Ciabatta is located in the bustling foodie precinct along Denison St and is already packed at lunchtime.

The concept centres on simple, familiar Italian flavours, with a menu built around Paninis – and you can watch these being freshly made via the deli-style cabinet and window. Think crusty ciabatta rolls and enticing combination fillings such as prosciutto di Parma with stracciatella and tomatoes, porchetta with pickled eggplant and salsa verde, mortadella with pistachio paste, and a chicken schnitzel panini with roasted tomato and pesto. Vegetarian eaters have a grilled vegetable and stracciatella option as well.

Breakfast is designed for quick service, offering items like a bacon and egg panini, a prosciutto cotto toastie, a vego egg panini with pesto, and simple ciabatta toast.

Ciabatta also includes several hot food items that draw from Italian home-style cooking. These include arancini filled with saffron rice, beef bolognese and peas, and house-made pork and veal meatballs served in tomato sugo, with the option to add ciabatta or a rocket salad.

A small sweets menu rounds things out, featuring authentic Italian zeppole, the cinnamon-dusted Italian doughnut sold individually or in sets, with optional pistachio cream or Nutella. Plus in true Italiano style, there’s cold coffee-based treats such as the frozen Caffè Crema and a Tiramisu Iced Latte.

“At Ciabatta, we’re on a mission to redefine the workday lunch,” says the Antica Dining team. “Serving up golden, crusty ciabatta filled with quality ingredients: fresh, delicious, and unmistakably Italian. We’ve taken our culinary expertise and pressed it straight into gourmet Italian sandwiches.”

“Beyond panini, Ciabatta has teamed up with Vittoria Coffee and is bringing you all-day Southern Italian favourites: golden arancini, Nonna’s meatballs, and daily rotating sweets that will have you lining up early (because when they’re gone, they’re gone).”

Ciabatta

📍1 Denison St, North Sydney
🕧 Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 8am-3.30pm

🌐https://ciabattasydney.com.au/

📱@ciabattanorthsydney

Bar Twenty 61, Kirribilli 

There’s a new spot to sip and linger in Kirribilli: Bar Twenty 61, the latest addition to the neighbourhood, has taken over the former Bamfords Kirribilli site.

Still in its early days, the team says they’re learning fast. “Every night we learn something new: how the crowd moves through the room, what people order twice (the Lemon Chester is a crowd pleaser) and which songs always land. It’s still early days, but the bar’s already teaching us what it wants to be.”

General Manager, Thomas Westenberg tell us, “The bar is family owned, so it is myself and three members of my family who have all invested together to buy the place. I am the one with hospitality experience so I am the one operating and behind the bar. I have been working in hospitality for 14 years, most recently running cocktail bars in the CBD, including the Fox Hole, the Barbershop, Redoak Bar and ‘Brewery among others.”

“Our theme is passion, we care about the quality and details of everything we do, from hand making ingredients in kitchen and cocktails to taking the time to learn what regulars like and  make sure we offer that. I believe that bars are a huge part of the cultural life of a community; a meeting place, a gathering place, something which brings us together, and I want to be a part of that.”

The carefully crafted cocktail list is certainly sparking local chatter. The Lemon Chester – a playful liquid take on lemon meringue pie – has quickly become a must-try. For classic lovers, the Cosmo Done Right aims to restore balance to the oft-mishandled Cosmopolitan: “Most Cosmos just end up a vodka and cranberry juice,” says Thomas, “this one’s all about balance.”

On the food front, the menu blends comforting bites with hearty plates. We sampled the Baked Camembert with crunchy bacon and plum jam on toasty bread, alongside delicious hot salty fries, but other temptations include the Ploughman’s Platter with prosciutto, salami, chutney, and a cranberry pork pie, or the House Spiced Chicken Bites with BBQ sauce and hot honey. For something more substantial, guests can tuck into burgers, pasta, or Mediterranean lamb skewers.

Beyond the food and drink, Bar Twenty 61 has a great setting, the outdoor seating along Fitzroy St overlooks a blooming white cherry blossom and the eclectic bustle directly below our side of the Bridge. Meanwhile, inside offers table seating, and a cosy corner nook lined with literary tomes where you can while away some time – perhaps with a Hemingway Daiquiri in hand. Or, as a few locals were doing while we were there, you can pull up a stool for a good old fashioned chin wag with Thomas.

“I lived in Milsons Point for about 7 years,” he says. “I love the local community and the energy. I always said that if Bamfords went up for sale I would want to buy it because I love the small size which means you can pay personal attention to everyone who comes by.”

Bar Twenty 61

Address: 10 Fitzroy St, Kirribilli

Opening hours: Tuesday-Thursday 4pm-11pm; Friday-Sunday 12pm-11pm

Instagram: @2061kirribilli 

Cecilia, North Sydney

Picture this: it’s lunchtime in North Sydney when hunger strikes. The weather’s turned cool, and you’re craving something warm and comforting. Sound like you? You might be interested to learn a new Italian joint has opened up in the lobby at 65 Berry St in North Sydney.

Cecilia is the kind of warm and inviting place where you can grab a quick takeaway lunch or linger over a glass of wine if your day allows. On the menu, you’ll find all the usual breakfast and brunch faves, but their lunch menu is what you’re here for. Think pasta made fresh daily, meatballs your nonna would approve of, rich ragus and risottos, and a Pasta All Vodka that’s up there with the best.

If that all sounds too heavy, their salads are hearty but won’t leave you with that sinking ate-too-much feeling. Order the Cabbage Salad with raisins, shaved parmesan, crispy pancetta and lemon or the Superfood Salad with quinoa, broccolini, baby spinach and enjoy feeling virtuous, but sneak some of your dining companion’s pasta when they’re not looking.

Cecilia

Address: 65 Berry St, North Sydney

Hours: Monday – Friday: 7am to 3pm (extended hours to come)

Website: https://www.ceciliasydney.com.au

Instagram:  @cecilianorthsydney

Fleur de Mizu, Northbridge

The Funky Indian, Crows Nest

Crows Nest has a new flavour sensation! The Funky Indian restaurant is serving up a sizzling mix of authentic Indian cuisine, vibrant atmosphere, and mind-blowing cocktails.

The team are on a mission to redefine what it means to experience Indian cuisine. You can expect all your street food favourites, but with a contemporary twist. Get ready to tantalise your taste buds with bold flavours bursting with spices.

Indulge in mouthwatering curries or for something truly unique, try their innovative takes on classic Indian food, such as the crispy and flavourful Samosa Chaat or the succulent Tandoori Lamb Chops.

And don’t forget to quench your thirst with one of their show-stopping dry ice cocktails, a perfect complement to your meal. The cool interiors feature a neon-lit bar, cosy seating, and super welcoming staff. The Funky Indian is the perfect spot for a night out with friends, date night or a special occasion.

The Funky Indian 

Where: 469 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 5-10pm

Website: https://thefunkyindian.com.au/

Instagram:@thefunkyindianrestaurant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funky-indian

Shanghai Club, Cremorne

Behind a set of frosted glass doors high above Military Road sits the newly opened Shanghai Club.

Specialising in modern-Australian Chinese cuisine, they have all your favourites covered. From San Choy Bao to pot stickers, this is an elevated take on your local Chinese restaurant – and the prices are good too.

Their small plates menu features three versions of San Choy Bao ($15), including Sauteed Five Spice Chicken Mince with Chili and Lime, and handmade spring rolls with delicious fillings like Wagyu beef, caramelised onions and fior di Latte Mozzarella ($16).

Moving onto bigger dishes, Peking Duck fans will be glad to see a Shanghai Club special on the menu along with Hong Shao Rou (slow braised pork belly), and Crispy Salt & Pepper Prawns.

Leave room for dessert because this isn’t your typical fried ice-cream fare (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). The Ginger & Szechuan Pepper Brulee and Hot Apple Rhubarb Spring Roll with Anglaise Dip are our pick!

Shanghai Club

Address: 16/332 Military Road, First Floor Cremorne Plaza, Cremorne

Bookings: 0451 584 758 or reservations@shanghaiclub.sydney

Instagram: shanghaiclub.cremorne

Website: shanghaiclub.sydney

Genzo, North Sydney

Genzo is a relaxed, contemporary Japanese dining and bar. The busy open kitchen with robata grill looks out onto a 28-seater cocktail and sake bar with temperature-controlled sake room, dining for 90 that spills out to the all-weather outdoor terrace, pops of colour emanating across the ceiling’s LED lighting, and character illustrations by Tokyo artist Masanori Ushiki.

The Genzo kitchen is led by executive chef Rhys Connell (ex-The Gantry; Sepia) alongside head chef Tuan Colombo (ex- Sokyo; Kyubi, London; Nobu London). Connell’s fascination with Japanese cooking was originally honed working under Martin Benn at Sepia and a recent trip to Japan reignited his creativity with this style.

“I love the complexity and elegance of Japanese flavours and dishes and how incorporating Australian influences can work beautifully,” explains Connell. “The menu is refined but very approachable – apart from a few one-bite snacks, everything is either on sticks or eaten with sticks. It works whether you are at the bar or in it for a full dining experience in the restaurant.”

The menu begins with one-bites like a playful avocado and vegemite on crispy rice cake. Snacks and sashimi hits include yellowfin tuna on a stracciatella and umeboshi (Japanese salt plum) onigiri and the scallop sashimi topped with whipped roe and wasabi. Kushi (skewers) and sutikku (sticks) cooked over the robatayaki are a hero of the menu.

Larger dishes include a roasted duck and house-made soba noodle tsukemen, or deconstructed ramen – dip the noodles in the hot broth before slurping. Ramen all’Assassina is an umami-packed combination of spicy assassina sauce and wafu spaghetti. The curried Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) layers yakisoba noodles, grilled cabbage, nori, and bonito flakes.

Genzo

Address: 168 Walker Street, North Sydney (access via McLaren Street)

Website: genzo.sydney

Instagram: @genzo.sydney

Soluna, North Sydney 

Part of the same dining precinct, the 200-seat restaurant, Soluna takes design cues from relaxed Los Angeles coastal vibes, with lush greenery, curved joinery and banquet seating, eclectic timber furniture with marble tabletops, and a calming colour palette of green, concrete and timber.

“LA-inspired is a mood to me – it’s relaxed, really fresh, light, clean, and evokes that chilling-in-the-sunshine feeling. It’s very much food I love cooking – not boxed into one specific cuisine but taking cues from Mediterranean and Asian flavours that just go well together and flow,” explains executive chef Rhys Connell. “Soluna’s dishes are not overcomplicated, just beautifully cooked ingredients that are delicious and feel kind of good for you.”

The dining menu begins with ‘bites & snacks’ – think deliciously moreish pressed prawn toast and herbed falafel with cream cheese and chilli. Among the ‘light & raw’ options, order the yellowfin tuna with slightly dried tomato, burrata and basil and scoop it up with a thick slice of toasted bread. The lightly seared scallops with macadamia puree and plum is a must, as is the imperadore sashimi with rhubarb and yuzu koshu. Of the fresh pastas made inhouse, Connell’s favourite is the sourdough spaghetti with roasted garlic miso and black pepper.

Dessert is worth saving room for. Fans of the classic Monte Carlo biscuit should try this incarnation as an ice cream sandwich with layers of coconut sorbet, honey ice cream, coconut dacquoise, rhubarb jam, and a coconut honey shortbread on top just begging to be cracked with a spoon. Liquorice bullet petit fours are made using liquorice root for an herbaceous flavour with marshmallow and then coated in dark chocolate. Sweet and savoury feta, thyme and honey madeleines are served straight from the oven with a warm honey dipping sauce. And don’t skip the super refreshing grapefruit and Campari sorbet that’s served inside the grapefruit skin and on ice.

The bar menu, available in both the bar and lounge spaces, features all the smaller and lighter dishes from the dining menu plus a handful of mains including a wagyu cheeseburger on a potato pretzel bun with a bolognaise-style Napoli sauce, mustard and pickles and a minute steak served with curry butter.

Soluna

Address: 168 Walker Street, North Sydney (access via McLaren Street)

Website: soluna.sydney

Instagram: @soluna.sydney

Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 5pm – 12am, Friday-Sunday 11.30am – 12am

Bacari, Kirribilli

Kirribilli is renowned for its charming cafes and harbour-view restaurants, and now it has a new gem to add to its dining scene – Bacari. Taking up residency in the former Kirribilli Village Café space, this Italian restaurant is the latest wine and dine destination on the lower North Shore.

Bacari draws its name from the neighbourhood Venetian Aperitivo bars, with both indoor seating and an alfresco area for the ultimate European vibes. Owner Tony Binning says, “Bacari wants to be the restaurant that every suburb wishes they had. Simple but interesting food, paired with great wine and a smart-casual atmosphere.”

Binning knows a thing or two about creating memorable dining experiences from his previous roles as the sommelier at Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred restaurant The Savoy Grill, three-hatted Claude’s, and Aqua dining where he was recognised for the ‘Best Comprehensive Wine List’.

Helming the kitchen is former Automata, Lucio’s, and Pendolino chef, Youngjae (Jay) Cho, whose innovative and creative menu pays respects to traditional Italian simplicity.

Cho says, “Our aim is to create a casual space where guests can gather and share simple yet well-executed dishes bursting with flavour, while paired with a fantastic selection of wines.”

Bacari’s brunch menu captures the flavours of the seasons with fresh pastries like almond croissants and raspberry bomboloni; classics like avo toast with tomato chutney, mushroom bruschetta and croque monsieur; and an innovative Bolognese toastie.

The team’s must-try dishes from the lunch and dinner menu include:

• Tuna crudo, with lemon and garlic cream, soy and chardonnay dressing
• Spicy carbonara bucatini, with chorizo, nduja and pecorino
• Vermouth infused tiramisu
• Panna cotta mandarin, Kalamata olives, balsamic and thyme oil

Bacari’s compact but ever-evolving wine selection is a celebration of both Australian and international vinos. You can sip on half-price wines by the glass, $7 beer and $14 listed cocktails at Barcari’s Italian Aperitivo, available Monday to Friday from 3-5pm.

The team says, “We are looking forward to sharing some special events with both the local community and visitors. For example, on Father’s Day, we have a delightful 1.2kg Tomahawk Steak special planned, perfect for treating dad to an unforgettable dining experience. Additionally, we have more wine events lined up throughout the year, offering an excellent chance for wine enthusiasts to indulge and discover new favourites.”

Bacari opened in early August with bookings available online and walk-ins are also welcome.

“Since opening, Bacari has faced significant challenges, particularly due to the strong attachment of many locals to the old beloved and iconic Kirribilli Village Cafe…,” the team notes. “But we are committed to honouring the area’s history while also bringing something fresh and exciting to the neighbourhood.”

Bacari

Where: 1/3 Broughton Street, Kirribilli

When: Open 7 days – Breakfast from 8-11:30am on weekdays, 8am-2pm on weekends. Lunch from 12pm – 4:30pm excluding Sundays (12pm-2pm). Dinner from 5pm – 9pm excluding Sundays (9am – 9pm).

Website: https://www.bacari.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacari.kirribilli

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bacari_kirribilli

Image credits: Steve Woodburn

The Captain’s Balcony, Crows Nest

Prepare to embark on a whisky journey like no other as one of Sydney’s finest boutique whisky bars, The Captain’s Balcony, drops its anchor on Willoughby Road this August. Owners Akash and Isabella opened their first bar on Erskine Street, Wynyard in 2015 and are excited to embark on this new venture in Crows Nest, eight years later.

“We are first and foremost a bar, specialising in whisky,” Akash explains. “We have an eye-watering range of Japanese whisky and more from all corners of the globe (500 to begin with and more on the way), as well as craft beers, wine, boutique gins and accompanying bar snacks to soak it up.”

Those eager to explore the world of whisky can set sail on a crafted tasting flight – each acting as a guided tour through various tastes, profiles, regions, and countries.

“Come for the barrel-aged Old Fashions and Negronis, then stay for the neat serves and top-shelf snacks,” Akash says.

In many ways, the opening of this Crows Nest venue is a heartfelt homecoming for Akash and Isabella who currently reside in the neighbourhood with their baby Airen.

Akash explains, “When Isabella first landed in Australia, her life revolved around Willoughby Road and North Sydney – studying English at TAFE, hospitality in North Sydney and falling in love with food, particularly Japanese food, in the many Asian eateries of the North Shore in the ’90s.”

This Asian influence runs through their bar menu with everything from wagyu cheeseburgers and K-pop spicy chicken burgers to prawn rolls and chargrilled skewers.

The couple hopes that The Captain’s Balcony, Crows Nest bar can be a “home away from home” for locals and invite them to book for private parties and events. With a bar room, a whisky room, a captain’s lounge and an outdoor courtyard, there’s a space for every mood and occasion.

The Captain’s Balcony will open in Crows Nest on Tuesday, August 8, welcoming both booked guests and walk-ins. Keep your eye out for whisky masterclasses and exclusive tastings in the future.

The Captain’s Balcony
Where: 116 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 4pm – 11.30pm. Saturdays from 12pm – 11:30pm, Sundays from 12pm – 10pm.
Website: https://www.thecaptainsbalcony.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaptainsbalcony/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_captains_balcony/