Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Inner West

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Inner West? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Chuck & Son's Brewing Co.

5.0

5 (48)

$40 and under

Brewery

St Peters

About the restaurant

When a brewing legend confesses to his son that his best brews are still within him, the son decides to change that. To develop a craft brewery. Where beers crafted by expert palates and perfected over decades can be shared right now. Pilsners and pale ales. Amber ales and radlers. Friends and family. Memories and moments. That legend is Chuck Hahn. This is that brewery. Chuck and Son’s Brewing Co.

Top review

kate

Dined 6 days ago

Family friendly, lovely staff, spacious. Great beer & food.

Belly Bao

4.7

4.7 (345)

$40 and under

Asian

Newtown

About the restaurant

Belly Bao is a located ion King Street, Newtown - Sydney's cultural hub.

Sydney's first dedicated home of Bao, we specialise in hand made Bao creativity. It's important to us that you enjoy our love for food paired with great drinks and friendly service in our fun, casual restaurant that offers a hint of old Chinese restaurant nostalgia.

Taking from the traditional chinese pork bun (pork bao), we pride ourselves on our hand made bao, and introducing our asian heritage to our Australian home.

We hope you enjoy our love for Bao as much as we do.

Top review

Gareth

Dined 6 days ago

Great food and service. Would definitely go back.

Burwood Rengaya Casual Dining

4.7

4.7 (326)

$41 to $100

Yakiniku

Burwood

About the restaurant

We are a Japanese Yakiniku restaurant in Burwood, serving high quality wagyu and sake.

We are located in a centre of Burwood. It is very close to bus stop and train station, and also this building has a 1 hour 30 minutes free parking. Easy access for the customers.

We have more than 25 years of experiences of Japanese Yakiniku in Sydney. We provide our customers with a great Wagyu experience and fun.

Top review

Rebecca

Dined on Apr 5, 2025

First time trying the Premium lunch buffet. Food was excellent. Service was great. Beef was very tasty. Can't wait to try it again.

MAIZ Mexican

4.7

4.7 (127)

$41 to $100

Mexican

Newtown

About the restaurant

Maíz is the word for corn in Spanish which is the backbone of the Mexican food scene. Maíz Mexican Food is a food and beverage concept that celebrates and integrates a wide range of corn preparations that most Mexican restaurants aren’t offering at the moment. Our menu draws on the bold and fresh flavours of Mexico, our traditions and culture to bring you a unique dining experience.

Top review

Sandy

Dined 7 days ago

Fresh, innovative dishes. Very tasty and excellent presentation. Staff were super efficient, yet relaxed and friendly. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

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4.6

4.6 (572)

$40 and under

Italian

Newtown

About the restaurant

Whether you like to play it safe with spaghetti or go crazy with casarecce, you'll find all your favourite pastas, fresh and homemade, at new Italian diner La Favola. Let the carb-loading begin.

So who's the master of pasta at La Favola? That would be Italian chef Fabio Stefanelli.
Stefanelli's recipe for success is simple — six pastas and six sauces, and patrons can mix and match as they please.

So La Favola's Family is committed to producing top quality Italian gastronomy, to the use of authentic ingredients, and to keeping the tradition of Italian culture and hospitality vibrant and passionate.

We look forward to serving you!

Top review

Gianpaolo

Dined on Apr 19, 2025

A gem in the heart of Newtown, in a complete class of its own. The homemade pasta is excellent, and the focaccia with truffle butter and nduja was excellent. Definitely recommend !

Shinmachi Newtown

4.6

4.6 (85)

$41 to $100

Japanese

Newtown

About the restaurant

Japanese small plates, sushi and ramen served in a modern, wood-lined space with tablets for menus.

Top review

Adam

Dined on Apr 14, 2025

Excellent food, fun friendly service, easy to recommend

Elements Bar and Grill Haberfield

4.5

4.5 (50)

$41 to $100

Steakhouse

Haberfield

About the restaurant

Welcome to Elements Bar and Grill Haberfield! We are excited to introduce our new local steakhouse menu, a celebration of the finest local flavours. Indulge in a selection of premium cuts, expertly grilled to perfection and served with a range of delicious sides. Our menu is crafted using the highest quality ingredients, showcasing the rich and robust flavours that make our steaks truly unforgettable. From juicy ribeyes to tender fillets, each dish is a tribute to the art of grilling. Join us for a remarkable dining experience and savour the taste of excellence in every bite.

Top review

Daniella

Dined 5 days ago

The food was great. Rib eye was cooked to liking. Service was a little slow. but I would go back again and pay cash, see notes below. Few notes: We put in the booking that we were there for our anniversary however that was not acknowledged. Also upon paying we were charged a cc fee and used partial payment with a restaurants gift voucher, they left 2cents on the card with the way they calculated the fees which is annoying as we won’t be able to use it but no offer to take 2cents off the remaining amount.

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Experience

All You Can Eat Steak $99 per person

Experience

Haberfield’s Ultimate Dinner Deal – Just $29

Experience

All You Can Eat Sunday Wagyu Roast $69 per person

The Grounds Coffee Factory

4.4

4.4 (188)

$40 and under

Australian

Eveleigh

About the restaurant

A story 10 years in the making, The Roastery is an experiential café unlike any other, a love letter to coffee and the memorable moments it creates. Housed within the historic Locomotive Workshops of South Eveleigh, The Roastery pays homage to its industrial past while providing an unforgettable experience for coffee lovers everywhere, letting you enjoy your brew amongst the very machinery that makes it possible.

Top review

Danielle

Dined 2 days ago

The coffee was amazing. I highly recommend trying an experamental or rare bean. It was a real treat. The design and ambiance of the venue is lovely. Would love to see more hearty vegetarian options on the lunch menu, though the heirloom tomato salad was delicious.

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The Roaster's Room High Coffee

Bare Witness

4.4

4.4 (38)

$40 and under

Café

Rhodes

About the restaurant

Bare Witness, where seasonal ingredients shine in our thoughtfully designed menus, paired with award-winning coffee, freshly baked bread, and handmade pasta, all enjoyed with a stunning water view.

Top review

Joanna

Dined on Apr 12, 2025

Beautiful spot, fabulous food and wonderful staff and service.

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Experience

Soulful live jazz band every sunday

Outback Steakhouse - North Strathfield

4.3

4.3 (627)

$40 and under

Steakhouse

North Strathfield

About the restaurant

We are a contemporary, casual dining steakhouse restaurant beloved worldwide. Currently with 6 restaurants in NSW and 2 in Queensland we are located on the George St in North Strathfield. We pride ourselves on serving up variety; our unbeatable steak cuts are complemented by delicious choices of chicken, ribs, seafood, and pasta at a price for everyone. Our strategy? We’re the leader of the pack by emphasizing consistently high quality delicious food delivering a warm, welcoming environment.

Top review

Shianna

Dined on Apr 1, 2025

Great service and great food we were taken very good care of and definitely with back soon🩷

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