Introduction
Sydney is a fabulously delicious place to be. Outstanding produce from the land and the sea is handled with love by chefs from across the world. The depth of Sydney's Asian culinary scene stands out. Other international flavours are also well represented. Our independent guide to eating in Sydney is focused on places easily accessed by travellers during a visit. We cover the food scene in the centre of Sydney and in the surrounding neighbourhoods - with a focus on the diversity on offer in the areas you're most likely to be during your Sydney visit.
International cuisine in Sydney - a short history.
Chinese cuisine might be Sydney’s most enduring international cuisine - dating back to the Gold Rush of the 1850s. Sydney's connection to China and its delicious and diverse cuisine has only deepened in recent decades. Sydney's Chinatown is one of the most vibrant outside of the Middle Kingdom. And there are pockets of delicious Chinese food throughout suburban Sydney too. Places like Chatswood and Ashfield offer excellent Chinese cuisine - if across few eateries than Chinatown.
The first wave of immigrants to hit Sydney after World War II livened up a pretty basic local scene with Italian, Greek and other European flavours. It took decades for Anglo - Australians, set in our dreary culinary ways, to wake up.
These days, international cuisine is embedded in the local diet. mainstream
The last 40 years have seen Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian and more arrive from across the regional neighbourhood. South Asian, Middle Eastern and African arrivals in Australia have also produced their own wonderful tasty culinary enclaves in Sydney.
Welcome to Rusty Compass’s guide to eating in Sydney. Over the coming months we’ll be heading to the city's most exciting food strips to give you tips on where you’ll find the most delicious bites.
Stay tuned as these pages evolve.
