Clerkenwell

Clerkenwell
Boy is the anonymous food critic that communicates
in square photos and hashtags. With 125k followers on Instagram,
every new restaurant opening wants the Clerkenwell Boy stamp of
approval (see his guide to London here). Although London is his
stomping ground, he’s an Aussie native, and recently returned home
to check out the best of Sydney‘s
food scene. Here he gives us his insider guide:

Breakfast

Bills: probably some of the best scrambled eggs
in town – though if you’re feeling indulgent the iconic ricotta
hotcakes with banana, maple syrup and honeycomb butter are not to
be missed.

Edition Roasters: Nordic cool meets Japanese
flavours… order the bircher or matcha pancakes. Brilliant coffee
too.

Axil Coffee Co: for something off the beaten
track, head to Axil for the Arabian eggs and views of the harbour
and incoming ferries.

Views

Icebergs: head to the iconic Icebergs for THOSE
views of
Bondi beach and THAT pool. If you can’t get a table at the
Dining Room, check out the Terrace (café) and enjoy a stroll along
the path towards Bronte Beach.

Bennelong: housed inside the stunning Sydney
Opera House, you can choose between the main dining room or the
more casual ‘cured and cultured’ menu from the bar section – save
room for the famous cherry lamington dessert and irresistible
chocolate cake (from sister restaurant across the harbour,
Quay).

Bathers’ Pavilion: take a break from the sun
and head to this beautiful café with all the beautiful people of
Balmoral Beach for a spot of lunch and a healthy smoothie.

Fire

Ester: You’ll find wood-fired perfection at
this casual eatery. The roasted prawns with butter and fried capers
will have you asking for more bread to wipe the plate clean.

Firedoor: This bustling new restaurant focuses
on super fresh ingredients cooked over wood coal. The quail I
ordered was perfectly cooked and the cocktails pack a punch.

Hotel chic

Silvereye: housed within the stylish new Old
Clare Hotel, ex-Noma chef Sam Miller recently launched his first
solo venture with an extensive degustation tasting menu (choose
between 11 or 17 courses). The snacks alone are worth a visit. Go
there for intriguing flavours and fantastic service within an
elegant dining room.

Automata: also housed within the Old Clare
Hotel, ex Momofuku chef Clayton Wells rocks this urban concrete
dining room with a great playlist and some serious umami-rich
flavours.

Kensington Street Social: the latest venture
from star chef Jason Atherton – go here for the brilliant cocktails
(make sure you try the ‘cereal killer’ cocktail) and tasty food to
share with friends.

Asian

Billy Kwong: traditional Chinese meets Native
Australian cuisine. I have regular cravings for *THOSE* steamed
pork buns and the legendary ‘home-style fried eggs’.

Din Tai Fung: join the queue and order a few
steamed baskets full of piping hot XLB ‘soup’ dumplings… remember
to poke a hole in each dumpling to let the steam out before you eat
them.

Spice Alley: in the trendy neighbourhood of
Chippendale, just off Kensington Street you’ll find several busy
hawker style stalls offering a range of tasty dishes for under AUD
$10. Favourites include the freshly made roti canai, Hainanese
chicken rice and spicy char kway teow noodles.

ChoChoSan: cool Japanese aesthetics backed up
by even better food and cocktails… try the fluffy steamed buns with
crispy panko bread crumbed pork belly washed down by several rounds
of sake.

Golden Century: for late night Chinatown hunger
pangs, head here for the XO pippies on a bed of crispy rice noodles
and some of the freshest seafood in town.

Wine & Dine

10 William Street: possibly my favourite wine
bar in Sydney with amazing food. Don’t miss their freshly made
pasta.

Pop-up

Noma: Rene Redzepi has transported the entire
team from Copenhagen
to Sydney for 10 special weeks. Tickets sold out within 5 minutes
and there are thousands of people on the waitlist… so beg, borrow
or steal your way in. Otherwise follow their adventures down under
using the hashtag #NomaAustralia.

Belles Hot Chicken: Belle’s from Melbourne
has opened at the Wulugul pop-up in Barangaroo for a 9 month-long
residency (until August 2016) – go there for super spicy fried
chicken and fun harbour-side vibes.

For more ideas on where to eat and travel follow Clerkenwell
Boy here.