Dining in Sydney and surrounding areas

[Cyanne]

I am traveling to Sydney next week and I am looking for inexpensive places to eat. I will be spending several days in the central business district and one day in Manly. I will also be spending a couple of days near Macquarie Park. I have a fish allergy so the menu has to include other items. There are no cooking facilities where I am staying so I will need options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[marty998]

Hehe... inexpensive lol. I have a bridge I can sell you (that's a Sydney joke by the way).

For brekkie... go to a supermarket and buy cereal and milk or bread and jam... seriously, otherwise you'll be out $10 for a coffee and slice of toast.

Most Bars and Pubs/Hotels have lunchtime specials... if you're lucky you can get $10 steaks, chicken schnitzels etc. The drinks will set you back a bit more on top. The Helm, or Shellbourne, or Cargo Bar have decent, if not spectacular food near darling harbour. Not a big fan of the food at a couple of the Irish pubs though...

Dinner you'll be hard pressed to stay under $20 per person if you eat out at most restaurants. Macquarie Park is other side of the city to me... haven't been up that end of town before

[Cyanne]

Thanks. Those are the prices I have seen online when I've been checking. It is a bit more expensive than where i am from but the real cost is eating out three meals a day for 10 days (2 people). We do have a rental car the first few days and I may pack a cooler and shop at Aldi for breakfast and lunch fixings.

Thank you also for the restaurants near Darling Harbor. We are doing a whale watching cruise out of there so will be in the area.

P.S. We have the same joke about selling a bridge-it's just a different bridge than what you have in Sydney. ;)

[marty998]

Japan kills our whales. Like the Antarctic waters were ever traditional hunting grounds for the inhabitants of Kyushu and Kyoto lol. We are not happy with them. Hopefully you get to see a few migrating whales when you head out.

P.S. We have the same joke about selling a bridge-it's just a different bridge than what you have in Sydney. ;)

Hehe... yes the original was the Brooklyn Bridge con? Also applied to London Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge... pretty much any span that you could say to prospective buyers "think of the tolls you could charge!"

[limeandpepper]

When I was in Sydney last year with my partner, we found places like Tenkomori, Mrs. Chan's Kitchen and Dixon House Food Court to be reasonably priced. If you like Asian food you could try them out. Might have to make sure there isn't any sneaky fish sauce or bonito flakes etc. in the dishes though. (I have a blog post too if you want to read more. Sorry I didn't include addresses but a quick Google should sort you out.) Have fun in Sydney! :)

[Fresh Bread]

Hmmm, cheap eats in Manly. Normally I'd say takeaway fish & chips eaten at the tables at the beach or Thai food but they would both be out with a fish allergy (fish sauce in Thai?). Plus my idea of cheap has been warped by living in Sydney too long...

The best thing to do is to stay away from the places lining the beach and harbour and aim for the quieter streets in between, or get fast food on the Corso (that links the two sides). Try Chica Bonita (Mexican) near the public library for mains under $15 but it won't be a huge feed. Only other trouble is it is popular with limited seating. Also the other small cafes along the same pedestrianised back lane by the library may also be a bit cheaper than the main drag. The pub food is quite good at the Steyne (on the beach) but it's not overly cheap. The Manly Mexican (Belgrave St, not by the beach) is cheap but not very nice.

Macquarie Park - well there is the mall for food court options, and generally speaking you're going to find neighbourhood restaurants are cheaper there than Manly or the City.

Enjoy Sydney! It is cool but sunny right now, perfect time to visit.

[Fresh Bread]

I just remembered Jipang Japanese Noodle House which is good and cheap near the library. Would need to ask them about fish inclusions there as there's a fair bit on the menu.

My go to in the City is laksa at a restaurant rather than in a food court (under $10 and incredibly filling). Laksa is fish based but I'm thinking the other menu options could be a go.

[Cyanne]

Thank you for the suggestions! I appreciate them. We are planning a day trips up towards Port Stephens, the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains. Does anyone have any recommendations or favorites in those areas? Limeandpepper I am off to read your blog now.