Is it serving the greatest pizza you’re likely to find in Sydney? Perhaps not. But it’s the greatest pizza you’ll find so close to the Opera House steps.
There’s only one bar with a perfect view of Sydney Harbour, under the shadow of the Opera House overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and that’s here at this sprawling, 1800-customer-strong harbourside icon.
This is prime real estate, keeping fans of postcard views fed and watered for just shy of a quarter of a century. Walk along the perimeter of the bar on the edge of the water, and you’ll see people perched on every available resting spot, whether it’s along the seawall or on the lower concourse.
It’s a real scene here on the harbour, where endless trays of cocktails and beers are being delivered almost as swiftly as it takes to order them from the table-mounted QR codes. There’s live music seven days a week (a mix of DJs and acoustic sets). A timed water haze puffs from the outdoor umbrellas keeping everything cool, creating pretty little rainbows when hit by the afternoon sun.
My favourite touch? Dedicated working dogs who patrol the bar daily, keeping seagulls from pilfering hot chips off the tables. They even have their own social media (@maddogsseagullpatrol on Instagram, for any kelpie and collie lovers out there.)
Opera Bar is one of the few drinking and dining options within walking distance of the Opera House, so it plays an important role within the entertainment community. Not to mention the tourist trade, considering the 11 million people who visit the Opera House annually. For the past 24 years, the food and drink offering has been under the command of chef Matt Moran and the Solotel Group.
This year, however, Applejack Hospitality (The Butler, Bopp & Tone, Taphouse, among many others) won the tender, after a 12-month campaign. The group will keep everything ticking along as is this summer, but come 2026 expect a significant refurb. They’re calling it “the biggest overhaul to the lower concourse venues in the last 20 years”.
As for this summer though? On the drinks, the menu has a strong Australian focus from spirits to non-alcs to wines, with a few French and New Zealand exceptions. Cocktails tend towards fruity and fizzy, which is pretty much exactly what you want on a sunny day on the harbour. The rhubarb Paloma is the Mexican classic of tequila and grapefruit soda mixed with rhubarb syrup, served in a gently salted tall glass. Sweet, light, smashable, and comes by the carafe, too.
The Fragola Fizz mixes vodka, Aperol and strawberry with a tiny amount of heat from Sichuan pepper, garnished with a lime leaf. Want something a little more savoury? Look to the Applejacker: dry gin, pineapple liqueur and spiced apple. Definitely one to chase with a crisp Hawke’s lager, fresh out of Marrickville.
Snackwise, culinary director Patrick Friesen has put the focus on NSW produce, placing Kogarah locals Pino’s salami on a pizza with sweet tomato sugo, fior di latte, and strips of roast capsicum, finished with fresh basil leaves. Is it the greatest pizza you’re likely to find in Sydney? Perhaps not. But it’s the greatest pizza you’ll find so close to the Opera House steps. The squishy cheeseburger with all the trimmings (lettuce, tomato, Westmont pickles, fries) is my pick for a pre-or-post-show dinner.
Speaking of post-show, there’s a late-night menu too, starting at 10pm and offering cured meat boards, a selection of pizza, spring rolls, squid, wedges … all the fatty treats to keep you honest. Just keen to pick and share? Try the Vietnamese-style crisp-fried pork and prawn spring rolls with a thicket of herbs, or the extra-salt-and-peppery fried squid. From the raw bar, try a proper old-school prawn cocktail with Marie Rose and house-made hot sauce, done in collaboration with local hot sauciers, the Fermentalists.
If you’re hoping to get a table, be prepared to arrive early. And to share. At some point, you might get some space to yourselves, but it won’t last. You will, invariably, end up with some other lost souls keen to soak up the atmosphere with a cold drink. Keep cool – it’s all about table karma. You might even make some friends.
Three more to waterside bars to try
Watsons Bay Hotel
This has been an eastern beach favourite since 1937, right on the shore of Watsons Bay. A perfect place for a staycation (there are comfy, light-filled rooms upstairs) or a long, casual sunny lunch. Starting in early December, the hotel is kicking off a monthly ticketed beach party, Club Amalfi, but any day is a good day for an Aperol spritz and some prosciutto-wrapped rockmelon.
10 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay
Harbord Hotel
Ocean views, tasty snacks, crisp beers and a beautiful space to enjoy it all. A real local’s local, regular entertainment featuring trivia, comedy and live music. They’ve also hosted panel discussions with the likes of Grace Tame and bands such as Lime Cordiale and Peking Duk. All of that, and a very good lobster roll.
29 Moore Road, Freshwater
The Boathouse, Shelly Beach
A venue built on the same beach that offers excellent snorkeling and ocean swims? Bring it on. Casual enough that you can turn up post-dip for a schnitzel and beer but special enough to make a day of it with fancy crab toast and a Boathouse Bloody Mary.
1 Marine Parade, Manly
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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Myffy Rigby is the former editor of the Good Food Guide.
