Bennelong Restaurant & Bar

Bennelong Restaurant & Bar, contemporary Australian cuisine at the Sydney Opera House

Bennelong Restaurant & Bar is a restaurant and bar located inside the Sydney Opera House, at Bennelong Point (Sydney, New South Wales). Its offering is built around contemporary Australian cuisine, with a menu the house itself describes as an expression of place, season and story, and in which Australian produce and wine play a central role.

Three ways to dine at Bennelong

The establishment offers three styles of service. In the Restaurant, a three-course choice menu is served; at The Counter, guests can dine à la carte on side-by-side bar-style seating; and in the Bennelong Bar, a selection of bites and signature cocktails is offered.

Five spaces across three levels

The venue is spread over three floors housing five distinct areas:

• The Main Dining Room, on the ground floor, with sweeping views of Circular Quay and service of the three-course menu.
• The Counter, on the middle level, with bar-style seating alongside a brass bar and an à la carte menu.
• The Table, also on the middle level, a semi-private space for up to 12 guests beneath the eastern end of the building's sail.
• The Dress Circle, on the upper level, an extension of the Main Dining Room with tables offering clear views of the Sydney Opera House sails and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the same three-course menu.
• The Bennelong Bar, on the upper level, with bar-style seating and low sofas for a drink, a bite or a final drink after the meal.

Events and weddings in a World Heritage-listed building

Bennelong presents itself as a space for events and celebrations. The building's interior architecture, Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Gardens serve as a backdrop for events with harbour views. In the weddings section, the house highlights its location within the Sydney Opera House, a World Heritage-listed site, and the views that span from the building's architecture to Circular Quay and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Seasonal offerings and collaborations

The site lists specific initiatives: a New Year's Eve dinner on Thursday 31 December 2026, a Christmas Day lunch beneath the building's sails, a limited-time collaboration with Hibiki that the house describes as a meeting of Japan and Australia, and a new cocktail menu titled Sip the Canvas, available from May to September 2026. The Bennelong In 45 Minutes experience is also announced, presented as a refined ritual before or after a show.

Team and business group

Bennelong is part of Fink, an Australian hospitality group that also includes Beach Byron Bay, Otto Sydney and Otto Brisbane. The house notes that both Bennelong and Fink have a longstanding team of executives and staff, and that service is organised with different roles in the kitchen and front of house. The group presents itself as one of Australia's leading groups and states its dedication to innovation, service and sustainability.

History of the site

The restaurant occupies a site with history: more than two hundred years ago, Bennelong Point was a rocky tidal island on Gadigal land, and the shell midden found there is recorded as the largest ever found in Australia. According to the house's account, those shells were burned and crushed after British settlement to make the lime used to build Government House. The place takes its name from Bennelong, a member of the Wangal clan from south of the Parramatta River, married to Barangaroo, who was the first First Nations person to live voluntarily in the settlement and who lived in a house built at this point on the harbour. The restaurant presents itself as continuing that tradition of shared food and stories.

Opening hours and access

The restaurant serves lunch from Friday to Sunday, with reservations from 12pm to 2pm. Dinner is offered Sunday to Thursday with reservations from 5.30pm to 8.45pm, and Friday and Saturday from 5.30pm to 9.15pm. The Bennelong Bar opens Monday to Thursday from 5.30pm until late and Friday to Sunday from 12pm until late, with walk-ins welcome subject to availability. The venue is located on level one of the Sydney Opera House, a six-minute walk from Circular Quay, served by buses, trains and ferries; the Opera House car park, operated by Wilson Parking, is located underneath the building with access via 2A Macquarie St and operates 24 hours.

Location and contact

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, NSW 2000 · Phone: 02 9240 8000 · Email: reservations@bennelong.com.au