‘Where should I go for lunch when I’m in Sydney?’: 10 budget-friendly spots to take every visitor

“Where should I go for lunch when I’m in Sydney?” has to be one of the most frequently asked questions as Good Food writer. It’s a tricky one: What’s your budget? Who are you going with? What’s the vibe?

Here, you’ll find 10 budget-conscious options in and around central Sydney, including a few new openings you might not have tried. There’s something for almost every person in your life, from your mum who’s always wanted to try making cheese (Norcino) to your out-of-town bestie who insists on a killer view (Kiln).

Ama, Surry Hills

Best for:Your budget-conscious colleague

Low on price, big on flavour, Ama is the much-anticipated restaurant from the Ickle Coffee team. Owners (and sisters) Rowena and Kate Chansiri serve Thai-Chinese street food using family recipes in a small shopfront emulating the lantern-lit cosiness of their mother’s childhood home. The beef noodle soup is a must-order (“Damn good,” according to Sydney Morning Herald chief critic Terry Durack), and there’s Ickle Coffee for a midday pick-me-up (available as es yen, or Thai iced coffee, if you prefer).

Open daily for lunch

47 Cooper Street, Surry Hills, instagram.com/ama.surryhills

Joji, CBD

Best for: Your stylish, seen-it-all friend

Joji is one of Sydney’s most exciting new restaurants, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the city, warmly illuminated wabi-sabi interiors and food from Esca executive chef Paul Farag (Aalia, Nour). Small plates dominate the three-part menu, allowing diners to snack their way through a long lunch of quail and pork jowl tsukune (grilled meatball skewers, $18), salt and vinegar lotus chips ($10) and beef tartare (with potato hash and nashi pear, $12).

Open for lunch Wednesday to Friday

Level 5, 388 George Street, Sydney, jojisydney.com

Norcino, Pyrmont

Best for:Pleasing the foodie parents

It’s not every day you find a cafe which cures its own meats, fills its own sausages and stretches its own balls of creamy buffalo mozzarella. But many of the small goods are made from scratch at Norcino, and that’s what makes this unassuming Roman eatery so special. Lunch is the best time to come, when you can enjoy the sunlit courtyard with a bowl of spaghetti amatriciana (using their signature product, the guanciale, or cured pork jowl) and a glass of Italian red.

Open daily for lunch

1 Saunders Street, Pyrmont, norcino.com.au

Kiln, Surry Hills

Best for:Your cool interstate bestie

Rooftop restaurant Kiln checks every box for the low-key tourist – the kind who wants lunch with a view without having to fight their way through harbourside crowds. There are 360-degree views of the city, that quintessentially cool Ace Hotel aesthetic and a lunchtime Feed Me set menu from $65 per person. Kick off with a light yuzushu spritz and the signature Jatz crackers, decorated with smoked butter and anchovies.

Open for lunch Thursday to Saturday

53 Foy Lane, Sydney, kilnsydney.com

Tacos Tacos Tacos, Potts Point

Best for:A quick bite with your busiest mate

Tacos Tacos Tacos is a tiny, no-frills taqueria led by Guadalajaran-born chef Joe Valero, from the team behind neighbouring wine bar Caravin. This is fast, fun and delicious fare served in one of Potts Point’s busiest laneways. Choose from six corn tortilla tacos scrawled on the blackboard, each just $8, with fillings such as beef suadero with salsa morita, or cactus and frijoles. Come early to score a table; seating is limited and walk-in only.

Open Saturday

for lunch

46 Llankelly Place, Potts Point, instagram.com/tacostacostacospottspoint

Bar by Saint Peter, Paddington

Best for: A (comparatively) frugal outing for fine dining enthusiasts

Chef Josh Niland’s three-hatted fine-dining restaurant Saint Peter has an adjoining bar, where he applies his whole-fish philosophy to a decidedly more casual but no less delicious a la carte menu. Pair an oyster shell martini (made with long spine sea urchin and oyster shell acid) with a yellowfin tuna and swordfish belly bacon cheeseburger ($30) before heading out into the streets of Paddington for shopping.

Open for lunch Thursday to Sunday

161 Underwood Street, Paddington, saintpeter.com.au

TheEca, Darlinghurst

Best for:Group hangs on the Instagram grid

Score a table outdoors beneath the leafy plane trees for a brunch-time gathering with friends. The easy-to-love menu is made for sharing and there’s a selection of coffee, matcha or light spritzy cocktails. Book the bottomless brunch on Sundays for an $80 per person feast of pistachio pesto pasta, roast chicken and natural wines, or inquire about their long table bookings with optional tablescaping (think colourful flowers and tapered candles) for events.

Open daily for lunch

1 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, theeca.com.au

Haven, Darling Point

Best for: Bagels and bubs

Haven’s Rosebery outpost made it onto the Good Food Guide’s list of top cafes in Sydney, and while Darling Quarter might have a smaller menu, it does have one big advantage: an outdoor playground with giant slides and water features just around the corner. Order your avo and cucumber bagel and specialty coffee to go and enjoy a few hours in the sunshine with friends and family.

Open for lunch Monday to Friday

25 Harbour Street, Haymarket, havencoffee.com.au

Teta’s Deli, Potts Point

Best for: That friend you can sit quietly with after a big night out

Teta means grandmother in Arabic and, like a grandmother, there’s something familiar and warm about this lo-fi Lebanese deli-cafe. The menu is handwritten on a roll of butcher paper, jars of house-made pickles stack the shelves and the food is simple but delicious. Order a toasted za’atar pliage on housemade dough with fresh labneh and enjoy it on a stool outside with a pot of coffee.

Open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday

4B Roslyn Street, Potts Point, instagram.com/tetas.kingscross

Spicy Joint, Haymarket

Best for: Beers with a big group

Tsingtao beers, a fast QR-code ordering system and intimidatingly large portions – this popular Sichuan restaurant, direct from Shanghai, has just about everything a group needs. Which is just as well, because you’ll need all hands on deck if you want to try all the tongue-tingling dishes such as dan dan noodles (from $4.90) and the must-order fish fillet with sichuan pepper and hot chilli oil($28.90). Book ahead or be prepared for a wait.

Open for lunch every day

Level 4/25-29 Dixon Street, Haymarket, spicyjoint.com.au