A Foodie's Guide to Neutral Bay

A buzzing hub, Neutral Bay is brimming with hole-in-the-wall eateries, destination restaurants and deliciously good cafes. With a showing from every corner of the globe, this lower north shore suburb is spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out. 

Grind & Dose is devoted to serving the best coffee this side of the bridge, Grind & Dose’s brews delivers a full-bodied roast and their all-day breakfast makes for an irresistible pit stop on Military Road.

Wild Basket offers café classics created with a homemade fee. Wild Basket is where you can also indulge in their Pablo & Rusty’s java and peruse the curated range of artisan products and pantry fillers.

Maisy’s is a 24hour café and a Military Road mainstay. Regardless of the hour, Maisy’s is always there to offer a comforting serve of French toast or a hearty bowl of penne with cauliflower, chorizo, celery and Parmesan.

Bourke Street Bakery. A stroll past this fragrant bakery is enough to have you loading up on every pastry, tart, quiche, pie or artisan bread your heart desires. Their soups, salads and sandwiches make the bakery perfect for a quick lunch.

Bay Coffee is a boutique coffee roaster and café, and a must visit for those looking to take a bag of house blend or single origin beans home with them. After indulging in a faultless flat white you’ll have a tricky time turning down one of their legendary cheeseburgers.

57 Coffee Bar is another local micro-roaster, this petite little café sits just back from Military Road meaning you can enjoy your piccolo with the added bonus of hearing yourself think. They also boast a range of noteworthy herbal Chinese teas.

Yok Thai is an upmarket Thai fare served in a Tapas style that’s begging to be shared, every dish on the menu from the spicy scallop and pork wontons to the famous betel leaf prawns reflects the playful yet refined ambience of the venue.

Woodland Kitchen & Bar. Modern Australian dining is the order of the day at Woodland, with an elegantly earthy dining room playing host to the delights of a crisp confit duck to the prawn and clam tagliatelle.

Tobikiri is a much-loved Japanese Kitchen and well worth a visit if top shelf sashimi is your weakness. The fried scallop skewers and wagyu tataki do not disappoint, and be sure to sample a freshly made soft shell crab roll.

Hayes Street Wharf Bistro. This cherished Neutral Bay mainstay does modern French and Italian cuisine well, Classics including boeuf bourguignon, seafood spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, olives, and fresh basil and naturally a caramelised banana tarte-tatin.

Jugumu & Shimbashi is another Japanese contender. It’s the jugemu teppanyaki dishes teamed with astonishingly fresh, handmade soba noodles that keep the venue buzzing at all times.

Ezzellinos Pizzeria. Everyone remembers an evening spent at Ezzelinos. The same familia who established the place in 1982 are still manning the helm, delivering authentic gnocci gorgonzola and penne amatriciana to devoted locals every evening.

The Colonial. You can be sure that every dish packs a veritable punch at this Indian restaurant. Using clay tandoors to ensure succulent and tender meat you’ll be lapping up every last skerrick of lamb Madras on your plate.

Grolla. This Italian Smokehouse offers an innovative take on Italian flavours; the smoked pork ribs or the smoked duck breast lead into their selection of pizze and curated wine list perfectly.

Ginger & Spice. Classic Singaporean and Malaysian fare is impeccably executed, with squid kechap mani, nasi lemak and Singapore chilli prawns acting as consistent crowd pleasers, while the house laksa is a must on frigid wintery evenings.

Tellicherry offers standout Southern Indian dishes from the mangalorean green chicken, the fish biryani with unbelievably fragrant star anise and the adored slow cooked goat khurma with fennel, pepper and coconut.

Kyushu Japanese. This old-school Japanese eatery is a Neutral Bay institution, with every popular favourite from gyoza to salmon teriyaki, sashimi, and karaage. Kyushu is the perfect place for group dinners as there is something for every palate.

Italian Street Kitchen. Ultra-relaxed and cleverly designed, head up to the counter to order your Neapolitan style wood fire pizza, pasta al forno and antipasti for an astonishingly reasonable price.

Izakaya Samurai. If you’re in a hurry, Izakaya’s offers authentic Japanese with ultra-efficient tablets for ordering. Installed on every table, you can be assured that you can sit, order and eat with unparalleled speed.  

Sven’s Viking Pizza is created on a thin, crisp base. This Swedish pizza lets the toppings do all the convincing necessary to get you to order Sven’s tonight. The takeaway joint offers unique creations that are well worth exploring.

Tanpopo. Another one of Neutral Bay’s leading Japanese haunts, Tanpopo’s volcano roll and ramen are the stuff of foodie legend, while their daily specials (always creatively displayed) include delicious options for the more adventurous among us.

The Oaks. This beloved venue and its charming beer garden has long been the go-to for Lower North Shore locals keen to spend a Sunday relaxing beneath the oak tree’s foliage and fairy lights. The bar and grill offers every pub classic.

Tonic Lane. This café-come-ginoteria delivers delicious cocktails with a strong focus on high quality gin; the Naughty Sally with Archie Rose gin, pineapple juice, bitter, Maraschino, rosemary and blue mandarin liqueur will start you off nicely.

SoCal is the best place to head if you’re pining for a margarita. SoCal’s laid-back California vibe translates flawlessly into their creative cocktail list and American inspired menu with their very own smokehouse churning out moreish plates.