The best restaurants in Sydney to visit during Melbourne Cup

Surry Hills’ biggest Melbourne Cup party plays out across three floors of The Dolphin Hotel, where the race that stops the nation is broadcast on multiple screens positioned throughout the venue — upstairs, downstairs, inside and out — so no seat is ever the wrong one. Executive chef Danny Corbett runs an extensive share-style platter menu built for the occasion: scallop crudo with pink grapefruit and fennel mignonette, beef tartare with white anchovy, wood-fired pizzas, and orecchiette alla nerano, among the highlights, rounded off with chocolate mousse and hazelnut praline. Free-flowing cocktails, wine, tap beers, and soft drinks are included throughout, and Delfino’s DJs keep the energy high long after the final furlong. Book early — this one fills fast.

A roaming party rather than a sit-down lunch, Hotel Harry’s Melbourne Cup takes over both levels of the Surry Hills pub for three hours of canapés, grazing, and free-flowing drinks. Wander between the public bar and Harry’s hi-fi downstairs and the level 1 lounge, bistro, and terrace upstairs, with roaming canapés — Sydney Rock oysters, taleggio and onion tart, prawn rolls, spiced merguez sausage rolls — wood-fired pizzas circling the room, and a grazing table of Australian and European cold cuts and cheeses. Wines, Aperol spritz, and tap beers are included throughout, with DJs keeping the energy up once the race is run. Multiple screens ensure you won’t miss a moment, wherever you’ve landed.

Few spots in Sydney can claim to be the city’s definitive Melbourne Cup venue quite as convincingly as Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. Set directly on the harbour’s edge in Watsons Bay, the hotel’s sprawling outdoor Beach Club opens onto the water, offering an unmistakably Sydney way to spend cup day — sea air, sparkling harbour views, and the race on the screen inside. The venue has built a loyal race-day following year on year, drawing a crowd that comes as much for the setting as the occasion. Boutique accommodation on-site means the festivities need never stop when the last race is called. This is a Melbourne Cup lunch that can comfortably stretch into an evening — which is precisely why it fills up well before race day. Book early to secure a spot on the waterfront.

For race-day groups with serious appetites, BRAZA Churrascaria in Darling Quarter is in a category of its own. This expansive Brazilian BBQ house operates on the traditional rodizio model: passadores — meat carvers — rotate continuously from table to table carrying more than 20 types of skewers alongside over 14 sides. The format suits group gatherings perfectly — no menus to deliberate over, no small plates to negotiate, no risk of anyone leaving short-changed. Head chef Andre Felicio oversees quality Australian meats cooked with traditional Brazilian technique, and the venue’s sheer scale makes it one of Sydney’s most capable options for larger race-day groups. Gather the crowd, call time on the small talk, and let the carvers do the work.

Woollahra’s most well-regarded gastro pub handles Melbourne Cup day with characteristic ease. The Light Brigade sits on the corner of Oxford Street — one of the Eastern Suburbs’ most recognisable thoroughfares — spreading across four distinct levels: the casual ground-floor Brigade Bar, the bookable Brigade Bistro on level one with city views and a menu of share plates and pub classics, the intimate Brigade Lounge on level two, and the Brigade Rooftop terrace sitting 83 metres above sea level. On race day, the energy builds across all four floors: screens come alive, fascinators multiply, and the leafy rooftop terrace becomes exactly where anyone with any sense in the Eastern Suburbs wants to be. Book the Bistro well ahead — this one is not a secret.

In Sydney’s northern suburbs, the Belrose Hotel is the well-liked local institution for race-day crowds who prefer watching the Cup in a convivial, community-minded setting without the trek into the city. Live sports screenings, daily specials, and function options sized for groups make this a reliable cup day destination for those in the north. It is the kind of venue where Melbourne Cup feels communal and unpretentious — a local crowd, a big screen, and a cold drink in hand. Easy to get to and easy to settle into, the Belrose Hotel is a comfortable neighbourhood option that does exactly what a well-run race-day pub should. 

A different kind of Melbourne Cup celebration awaits at THE DOLAR SHOP in Haymarket’s Market City precinct — the convivial, high-energy ritual of Chinese hot pot. The Sydney location of this well-established international group accommodates up to 50 guests, with three VIP rooms available for private groups seeking something more exclusive. Live seafood is a signature draw, and a set menu option makes it a practical and festive choice for those who prefer their race-day lunch to feel like a shared occasion built around the table rather than the track. Haymarket’s central position keeps the logistics simple, and the format keeps the energy high. For a cup day gathering that trades fascinators for chopsticks, THE DOLAR SHOP is worth booking.

Overlooking the Balmoral Beach promenade in Mosman, Bathers’ Bistro at Bathers Pavilion delivers the kind of coastal, unhurried lunch that race day in Sydney occasionally calls for. Executive chef Perry Hill leads a kitchen grounded in seasonal produce and fresh coastal flavour, served in a bright bistro of booth seating, cane chairs, and panoramic water views that make the room feel effortlessly of its place. The ambiance is deliberately relaxed — approachable without being perfunctory. The Sunroom provides a private dining option for groups of up to 24, making this a strong choice for a smaller cup day gathering that wants a little distance from the main floor. Book a table, settle in by the promenade, and let Balmoral take care of the mood.

Pellegrino 2000 has made a trattoria in Surry Hills feel like a genuine Sydney institution in a short space of time. The neighbourhood Italian formula here is simple and well-executed: a convivial room, a menu built around sharing, and an atmosphere that encourages lingering over a bottle rather than rushing the table. For a Melbourne Cup day lunch that opts out of the louder, more event-driven venues elsewhere in the city, Pellegrino 2000 offers a confident and considered alternative — Italian hospitality, a well-curated wine list, and a Surry Hills crowd that knows how to make a long afternoon feel entirely effortless. Tables are in high demand on race day.

Set on the waterfront at Lyne Park in Rose Bay with uninterrupted views across Sydney Harbour, CATALINA is one of the eastern suburbs’ most enduring and celebrated dining institutions. Owned and operated by the McMahon family for more than 30 years, the restaurant is led by executive chef Mark Axisa and head chef Alan O’Keeffe, whose menus blend modern Australian cuisine with Mediterranean-influenced seasonal produce, updated daily to reflect what is at its peak. Sustainably sourced seafood and an acclaimed wine list anchor a Melbourne Cup lunch offer that is polished, relaxed, and anchored by one of the finest waterfront settings in the city. This is among Sydney’s most sought-after cup day bookings — secure a table well in advance.

The world’s first dedicated Negroni bar has settled confidently into the Sydney CBD, and with it, Bar Conte has created something genuinely singular in the city’s cocktail and dining landscape. More than 40 evolving negroni variations sit alongside a refined collection of Italian vermouths, bitters, rare amari, and premium spirits — an ever-changing lineup that makes the bar as much a destination for drinking as for eating. The food menu earns its place too: aperitivo bites, handmade pasta, and seasonal shared plates are all designed to be ordered alongside and savoured slowly. For a Melbourne Cup afternoon that leans into Italian aperitivo culture and takes its time doing so, Bar Conte is a natural fit. Private dining rooms above the restaurant are available for group bookings — secure one and make the afternoon last.

Affectionately known to locals as The EVH, East Village Hotel in Balmain East carries more than 150 years of history alongside a clear set of values that set it apart from most Sydney pubs. Originally constructed in 1875 as the Commercial Hotel and now the last remaining hotel on the East Balmain peninsula, The EVH is proudly pokie-free and dog-friendly. The kitchen works with quality seasonal produce prepared in-house, the bar pours 13 taps of craft and mainstream beer, and the wine list spans boutique Australian producers alongside familiar favourites. Positioned just 100 metres from the East Balmain Ferry and a single ferry ride from Barangaroo, it is far better connected than its village feel might suggest. Cup day at The EVH is a properly local affair — one worth booking into.