Sydney's Hot Tables

Like the city itself, Sydney's dining circuit is youthful, buzzy and in constant change. Snazzy developments—such as those around Darling Harbour and the revamped wharf district of Woolloomooloo—have become home to a plethora of fashionable new dining options. Older suburbs have also benefited from a new wave of establishments providing what Australian restaurateurs are fast winning an international reputation for: fantastically fresh food prepared with a cosmopolitan twist. Heading Down Under? Impress clients or friends by making reservations at any of these restaurants du jour:

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CHERRIJAM The chandelier-lit, Moroccan-style interior of this bar and supper club, tel: (61-2) 9363 0555, makes it good for intimate get-togethers and flamboyant parties alike, while the Double Bay location attracts Sydney's shovers and makers by the score. Mediterranean-influenced mains are priced from about $25. Afterward, find postprandial bliss in the hot pink cigar lounge.

MU SHU This pan-Asian restaurant, tel: (61-2) 9130 5400, lies on Bondi Beach's famed Campbell Parade and heaves with beautiful people. Chef Jo Ward trained under Australia's leading exponent of Asian cuisine, Cheong Liew, traveling with him to Malaysia and Japan to study traditional cooking techniques. Sample the eclectic results while reclining on one of the restaurant's Balinese day beds. Mains from a very reasonable $16.

MANTA Chef Stefano Manfredi offers top-draw Sydney dining with an infusion of Italian flavor at this waterside haven, pictured above. Seafood, fresh from the morning's auctions at Sydney Fish Market, is the specialty, while the location—on Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf—is a sun-dappled gem, with millionaires' yachts gliding by and views of the city's botanical gardens. A main course starts at around $20; tel: (61-2) 9332 3822.