A good-times dining room in Surry Hills joins a charcoal grill with a perpetual crowd, an outstanding lasagne in the suburbs and a spot for punchy Bengali plates from a Firedoor alum.
The Sydney restaurant scene’s been a big old mixed bag in the first half of the year. New addresses and new owners for long-loved venues; Greek dining rooms hit their stride; familiar teams opened their biggest, most ambitious dining spaces; and more than a few did the restaurant-or-bar dance.
Through the sea of newness, these 10 restaurants cut through. Among them is a sensational lasagne in the suburbs and an old Saint Peter head chef’s genuinely exciting, snacky seafood. Some dining rooms go big on vibe and some keep it simple.
Kolkata Social, Newtown
Some people pull more than their weight making the world a better place. Take Shaun Christie-David’s Plate It Forward restaurants, social enterprises that employ mostly female refugees and migrants. That’s simply one good reason to visit his latest Newtown restaurant, Kolkata Social, but it’s not the only one. Firedoor alum Ahana Dutt is on the pans, cooking the Bengali recipes she learned from her mum Sharmila Basu Thakur.
The flavours delight, especially a barramundi in an silky, fragrant broth of smoked yoghurt and mustard oil. During opening week, Thakur worked the dining room, spreading her vivacious energy. Although she’s gone home to Kolkata, her spirit remains throughout the menu – and on the vibrant mural on the wall. – Pilar Mitchell, contributor
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This article is from www.broadsheet.com.au
Words by Grace MacKenzie·Tuesday 24 June 2025
Kolkata Social, Newtown. Photo: Yusuke Oba
