Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Inner South

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Inner South? 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!

BART Jr.

4.8

4.8 (147)

$40 and under

Australian

Redfern

About the restaurant

About Bart Jr.
Bart Jr. is the love child of local lethario and legend Bart, a frisky ginger tomcat, it's also your new favourite neighbourhood bar.

We are passionate about good booze, good food and good times.

TUESDAY - Bart FAMILY Night.
A Pasta & Glass of Wine for $35/hd

WEDNESDAY - Bart CHEF's Menu.
A carefully selected $45/hd menu of all our Fave things.
Our usual delicious Menu also available to order as you like!

THURSDAY - Steak Frites!
Our usual delicious Menu also available to order as you like.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY - Lunch & Dinner.
Good vibes all weekend, regular menu and specials!

SEATING
Standard seating is inside the venue on a stool or chair, Outside seating is under cover on the 'Bart Patio'.
We are a small bar and require flexibility in seating arrangements.

GROUPS
Groups of 7+ Attract a 10% Service Charge and are required to go on a $69/head Set Menu.

Top review

David

Dined 7 days ago

Great service. Felt a little unwelcome at the end without a dialogue about end of meal.

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Experience

WEDNESDAY's at Bart.

Experience

TUESDAY @ Bart - Family Night

Fontana - Redfern

4.8

4.8 (131)

$41 to $100

Italian

Redfern

About the restaurant

A bustling, independent restaurant located upstairs on Redfern Street.
Fontana serves Italian food from a frequently changing menu, wines made with care, a small selection of cocktails, and plenty of good times.
We have a small bar where walk-ins are always welcome.

Top review

Katherine

Dined on Apr 26, 2025

Fantastic restaurant. Food was top notch, atmosphere and service also excellent. That garlic bread though!!!

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Experience

3 course $75 set menu for large groups

Experience

4 course $85 set menu for large groups

La Piazzetta

4.8

4.8 (19)

$41 to $100

Italian

Waterloo

About the restaurant

La Piazzetta brings the warmth of Italy to Waterloo with its modern-rustic atmosphere. Savour authentic pizzas cooked in a traditional Italian Masonry Stone oven, and fresh house-made pasta dishes. This vibrant Italian restaurant offers a true taste of Italy and a unique dining experience.

Top review

Logesh

Dined on Apr 27, 2025

Brilliant up scale trattoria. Felt like Naples. 10/10.

Mezepotamia Restaurant & Bar

4.8

4.8 (96)

$41 to $100

Middle Eastern

Redfern

About the restaurant

At Mezepotamia, we take you on a delicious journey through Turkey and the Middle East with a spread of vibrant mezzes, perfectly paired with wines and crafted cocktails. Our mezzes are packed with rich flavours and a nod to tradition, all served with a warm smile in the heart of Redfern. So grab your friends, bring your appetite, and join us for a laid-back, unforgettable experience!

Top review

Volker

Dined 1 day ago

Food is very delicious and is nicely flavored. The staff is very friendly and takes care of the guests.

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4.6

4.6 (457)

$41 to $100

International

Chippendale

About the restaurant

A mythical island oasis containing a magical hybrid of different influences from India, the Middle East & South East Asia. SAGA brings together the best of all things beautiful and delicious about these regions and combines them all in one unforgettable establishment. Let SAGA whisk you away to a haven where you can enjoy the world’s finest and most exclusive wines, unique and mouth-watering cocktails, and a perfectly seasoned and matching food menu to tie it all together.

Top review

Greg

Dined 7 days ago

Service here is first class in a wonderful ambience

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Experience

Saga Bottomless Brunch

Andiamo Trattoria Chippendale

4.7

4.7 (67)

$41 to $100

Italian

Chippendale

About the restaurant

Welcome to Andiamo Trattoria, the best Italian in Sydney CBD! Gather at our Table for an authentic experience of delicious Italian flavours, friendly service and an intimate environment. Our menu features classic dishes like homemade pasta, award-winning stonebaked pizza and fresh seafood using local and imported Italian ingredients. Signature dishes such as chilli crab linguine, lamb ragu and Margherita Pizza are popular with locals as is our special vegan menu, giving many options for special dietary requirements. Our cozy, rustic ambiance is the best restaurant for gatherings - perfect for romantic dinners, family dining and special celebrations or events. We also offer a well-curated Italian wine menu, along with handcrafted cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. For celebrating special events, we offer customisable function menus and drinks' packages to make your event unforgettable. Andiamo is a popular local trattoria, great for long lunch or amazing dinners - Join us!

Top review

Tina

Dined 5 days ago

Always had a good time at this restaurant. Shout-out to the manager on the night who made sure that my friend’s birthday celebration was special and lovely :)

Gavroche Chippendale

4.7

4.7 (308)

$41 to $100

French

Chippendale

About the restaurant

Gavroche Chippendale is your little corner of Paris in the heart of Sydney. It brings not only classic French cuisine to Sydney, but also an accoutrement from the culinary epicentre of the country – like an imposing oakwood entrance from Lyon’s venerable Brasserie Georges, brass-railed banquette seating, oversized carved wooden bar and hand-painted tiled walls for an authentic Parisian experience.

Taste your way through our classic Parisian menu by French-born Chef Batiste Gouraud and his team, from escargots de bourgogne, steak frites and canard confit to the classic crème brûlée. With an array of classic dishes that capture the Parisian spirit, and a wine list with a mix of hand-selected French and Australian wines, you’ve got the buzz of Paris in the heart of Sydney!

Located inside the heritage-listed historic Old Rum Store located on the bustling Kensington Street in Chippendale. In close proximity to Sydney's Central Station and University of Technology.

Top review

Katherin

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

The resturant is beatiful, a very intimate and elegant space, the food was amazing too, we tried the Le Petit Degustation and every plate was full of flavour, the portions were right for a degustation menu, the wine was very good as well. The waiters were very elegant and friendly. Overall a great experience, I recommend it 100%

Holy Duck!

4.5

4.5 (128)

$41 to $100

Contemporary Asian

Chippendale

About the restaurant

Located smack-bang between Central and Broadway, you’ll find Holy Duck! on Sydney’s favourite foodie laneway, Kensington Street. This is modern-Chinese cuisine at its ducking best. You’ll be saying “duck me!” when you taste how they transform traditional dishes into exciting new favourites. With a diverse menu of casual eats and next-level Chinese BBQ, Holy Duck! is a nod to the joys of Chinese street food.

Watch as the chefs expertly prepare crispy, succulent ducks from the huge, traditional hanging gallery. They’re delicious! Not in the mood to duck? No worries. There’s plenty of other meat and vegetarian options. Love hot and spicy? Just ask your friendly waiter for more chilli; that’ll really set off some firecrackers.

Top review

Jasmine

Dined 3 days ago

Very good service, food was delicious, refills were fresh , ambience was lovely and since it was a birthday dinner, the staff organised a special dessert! How sweet!

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Popular dish

CRISPY HOLY DUCK (W PANCAKES)

4.3

4.3 (3918)

$40 and under

Modern Australian

Alexandria

About the restaurant

The Potting Shed is a place to meet, eat, drink, relax and chat your day and night away – where hanging plants, terracotta pots and timber beams meet brass, brick and iron. Where you can plant yourself down on the swing seat, bench or at the bar and feel like you are on your family’s porch.

It’s a lively place where you can hoe into fresh, locally harvested produce, delivered by our shed-hands. The same hands that will deliver you good-natured banter, craft beers on tap, great tasting wines and unique cocktails.

The menu offers cozy share options for groups, three course substantial meal choices for those wanting to make an evening of it and a fun selection of nibbles for people wanting a light after-work snack with their cocktails or a share jug amongst friends.

Plus, enjoy exclusive after-dark access to The Grounds of Alexandria's latest laneway attractions when you dine in!

Top review

Gary

Dined 6 days ago

Here is what we love: - The setting is lovely - Our kids love the decorated laneways - The chips were excellent and the aioli was great - The schnitzel steak was excellent and so too was the accompanying sauce - Sitting near Fluffy - Thank you for turning down the overhead heaters that were burning the side of my head Here is what could be improved: - The Poison Apple special dessert. What to say? I can hear the Masterchef judges saying it is visually spectacular, 10 out of 10 for presentation. It is certainly very impressive. But the flavour lets it down. The apple itself was very pleasant, but the accompanying earth, soil and moss components were bland and lacked any distinct flavour. The chocolate shards were good but would have preferred milk chocolate. The honeycomb was nice. Everything else, which made up the bulk of the plate was pretty flavourless. Could have done with a raspberry or passionfruit coulis to sharpen it up. Or just something else. Perhaps a caramel would have gone well with the apple flavour. - The salad with the schnitzel steak was not appealing. Just some lettuce hearts plonked on a plate with some radish garnish and a not particularly nice dressing. You could definitely do better. - We needed to get going but after serving our food, our table server kind of disappeared. We found him at one stage and asked for the bill, which seems to have been forgotten for another 15-20 minutes. Concerning for us, as we still had to drive home to Newcastle. It was past my daughter's bedtime and we had had a big day, so I was becoming tired. Would have been nice, once finished, to quickly collect the bill and get out of there. - We were disappointed that you denied my daughters request to keep the teddy bear drink jog. OK fair enough it was an unusual request, and why should you? They might be difficult to find. But we still felt it was a little mean spirited. - There was a lot of ice taking up my virgin mojito, so I didn't actually get very much to drink.

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Experience

Dine In The Potter's Corner

Experience

Group Menu

Experience

Premium Private Dining in The Lock-In

Eastside Bar & Grill

4.4

4.4 (163)

$41 to $100

Grill

Chippendale

About the restaurant

Eastside Bar & Grill pays homage to the upmarket dining experiences of New York, nestled within a heritage listed warehouse, evoking the atmosphere of New York’s famed meatpacking district.

At Eastside you'll find incredible seafood and the finest cuts of meat that have been dry-aged in-house and prepared on the beautiful custom-built Parrilla wood-fire grill by Head Chef Sebastian Plazas and team.

Dark, sexy and theatrical, the restaurant features a leather paneled bar with bronze back bar display. A custom brass light fixture, a runway of herringbone flooring and an assortment of steel and leather chairs, marrying the existing raw structure of this 100-year-old building.

Top review

FianVIP

Dined on Apr 23, 2025

Great food and ambiance. Also, their cocktails are amazing.

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Popular dish

Tomahawk MBS 7+

Experience

Mother's Day Celebration!

Experience

Eastside Smash Wagyu Burger

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