Chilli lovers should try this place - definitely one of the better Sichuan restaurants around. The cooking is authentically oily and spicy with lots of earthy and mouth numbing flavours and gamey, fatty cuts of meat. Stately decor is over the top in traditional Chinese form, giving the place a bit of atmosphere and class. Not everything on the menu is great, but the sesame noodles, lamb ribs and smoked pork belly are great, and the cold eggplant dish is just INCREDIBLE. The best eggplant I have ever eaten. Very filling food making for great value.

Approximate cost: $24

I really do love this place. Its laidback and funky without being pretentious, and it has a wonderful, lively communal feel. Everyone is squished together pretty tightly in the downstairs bar, but thats part of the charm. Upstairs is a little more subdued, with a nifty collection of old lounge chairs to loll around on. When they have live music, the atmosphere is brilliant. Its just the food that kind of bothers me. It's decent, with some standouts (the mussels are usually really good) but it could be so much more interesting and refined. The food just seems secondary to the drinks and the atmosphere and I don't think it needs to be. So many of the dishes just seem to lack oomph... if they can perfect the food, this place would be amazing.

Fantastic, authentic Indian and Sri Lankan food. Ridiculously good value. I come all the way from the eastern suburbs to eat here because they have the best non-vegetarian dosa in Sydney. Lamb mince masala dosa, yum yum! They're also one of the only restaurants in Sydney to serve Sri Lankan style stringhoppers (rice noodles). Good biryani and chicken dishes and even a crab curry special for about $14! They also have a good selection of Indian sweets and dried and frozen snacks, drinks and desserts. Really busy takeaway section, restaurant area is usually pretty dead except for weekends.

Approximate cost: $12

All you can eat, Brazilian style barbecued meats for $35. Potentially very good value as long as you're a reasonably big eater. Vegetarians, don't bother! There are some vegetables available but not enough to make a proper meal out of. The waiters o around with different varieties of freshly grilled meats and you choose whatever you like. The quality of some of the meats is questionable - some are quite tough with not much flavour. It would be good if there was a bigger variety of sauces to accompany the meats. There are some really nice cuts though - good pork/ham and beef ribs. Cute South American waiters/waitresses too, but services doesn't always run smoothly. All in all, a fun dining experience for meat lovers only!

Approximate cost: $35

If you live in the Randwick area and are looking for a real local to call your own, Duke's is a pretty good pick. The staff are extremely friendly and the owner is a motorcycle nut so you can always go in and talk bike over a cappucino. If you take your coffee seriously you'll be glad to know the baristas here do as well. They serve homemade muffins and cakes and all usual cafe fare for breakfast and lunch, all pretty delish. They're open for dinner as well and serve Thai food but I don't know what this is like.

This is the most upmarket of the cafes opposite Bronte Beach, with a slightly more elaborate menu, better produce, better service and higher prices than the others. Still is and always will be the best spot in Sydney to sip a peach bellini and watch the passing parade.

Approximate cost: $26

This chicken shop rocks, the best I've tried in the area by far. The Lilydale chicken is ultra tasty and they have a pretty good range of salads and snacks. They're really generous too - for example the chicken salads have loads of chicken in them. Really good value overall.

Approximate cost: $7

Grim "decor", no service, poor and not very competitively priced drinks selection and a song list that should be much more expansive. It's cheap though, and hey, you'll still have a good time!

What can I say? It's not the best Chinese restaurant in the city, but if you want to eat prawns, lobster and abalone at 3 in the morning, this is the place you go.
Thank god for Chinatown.

Approximate cost: $23

I can't quite figure out why this place has been so hyped. It's good, but seriously, there are lots of better, more authentic Malaysian restaurants in and around the city. You have to queue for ages to get a table here, they're way overpriced for the food, service and ambience you get, and their "famous" roti sucks! Every time I've had it it's been soggy - nothing like the amazing blend of greasy, crispy, flaky, fluffy and doughy goodness like you get in Malaysia/Thailand... or in certain restaurants in the Kingsford/Kensington area!
The fried chicken is really, really good though!