Fun Things To Do in Sydney for Couples 2019

Did you know that Australia and the continental United States are about the same size? Most people don’t realize this because Australia is an island, and well, islands can’t be that big, right? Well, it is. Our here in Perth we are actually closer to the international space station when it flies over Australia than we are to our closest neighboring city. Sydney is about 4000 km (about 2500 mi) across a vast outback from our beautiful little home in Western Australia. It’s actually faster for us to fly to Bali than it is for us to fly to Australia’s east coast cities. Picture flying from LA/SF to DC, and that’s about what our trip is like from Perth to any other Australian city, save Adelaide. Sydney and Perth are quite distant relatives with completely different vibes. Perth is quiet, sleepy, and void of tourists. Sydney is a large city with a plethora of tourists throughout the year. In fact, 1 in 5 Australians lives in Sydney. There are myriad fun things to do in Sydney for couples and it is a great place for a romantic getaway.

In April we had the chance to spend 2 weeks in Sydney we had a date night virtually every night. As you might imagine, we discovered the best restaurants in Sydney and have a number of suggestions for your and your partner. Solo travelers, you’ll love these places as well. I returned to Sydney without Alex last week and went to eat at a number of places by myself.

Plan a Date Night at the Best Restaurants in Sydney

Not going to lie here…the food in Sydney is good, but not great. For a price to quality ratio, it skews high on the price and lower on the quality. But, rather than sorting through Yelp or Trip Advisor, here are our recommendations on where to eat in Sydney:

Sydney CBD:

• Zahil – Delicious Middle Eastern restaurant with great mezze plates, kebabs, and more. Definitely one of our favorite spots in the city. Also, it wasn’t crowded either time we went and we were there right in the dinner rush hour.

Pizza & Italian

• Bistecca – Now, Alex wouldn’t be a fan of this place, so I went here when I was just in Sydney alone for a few days. However, this place is perfect for a date night because bistecca Fiorentina is best enjoyed by 2 or more people and all the sides are great to share. This is my personal favorite restaurant in Sydney. For 2 people, be sure to get 1KG or more of bistecca and then add on sides like the Brussel sprouts and the radicchio/pear/gorgonzola salad. You’ll ALMOST feel like you’re in Florence.
• Lucio Pizzeria – We found Lucio because they’re part of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), meaning they make an authentic Neapolitan pizza! The servers and pizzaioli are all Italian and the quality is fantastic.
• Intermezzo – Italian restaurant with delicious breakfast and good homemade pasta. I got the bistecca here and it sucked. The server was from Florence and admitted it was frozen and not nearly as good as Florence, but I wanted a steak. So, skip the steak and eat the pasta instead.
• Gigis Pizza – Vegan pizza that doesn’t taste like vegan pizza. Do it. You won’t regret it.

Vegan/Vegetarian

• Gigis Pizza – Same as above ^
• Bodhi – Great vegan option
• Lentil as Anything – Completely vegan restaurant where the menu changes every day but the prices don’t. In fact, there are no prices, the “workers” are all volunteers, and every meal is donation based. Give $1 or $100, but probably don’t be a stingy ass…we recommend giving at least $15-20/person as that’s what a typical plate will cost in Sydney at a similar restaurant. A really cool concept here.
• Yulis – We got take out from this vegetarian spot and had a date night in our room. Hey, that’s always an option, right ;)?

Asian

• Mr. Wong – Delicious and very popular Cantonese style restaurant
• Sokyo – One of the better sushi options in Sydney. The prices are comparable to Katsuya in LA but the quality isn’t quite there. It was good and it was a nice spot for a date night, but don’t expect Nobu quality fish. We would honestly take Sugar Fish over this spot, but hey, sushi options in Sydney aren’t as vast.

Cafes and Gelaterie

• Three Williams – Probably the best breakfast cafe we found. Their avocado toast is next level and they have delicious coffee and pastries.
• Rivareno Gelato – When we look for gelaterie around the world, we search for the ones that have Italians working at them. Rivareno’s gelato isn’t just good for Australia, it would be good in Italy as well. Definitely the best in Sydney and possibly Australia as a whole.
• Up South Bondi – So, this place is up on a hill at the south end of Bondi. They have great acai bowls!

North Sydney:

• The Boathouse – Our good friend Pierce grew up in Sydney and one of the first things he recommended for us to for ANZAC Day was to take a ferry to Manly and eat fish and chips at The Boathouse. Honestly, the fish and chips were one of the best meals we had in Sydney. Don’t sleep on this place.
• Malabar – Delicious, authentic, Indian restaurant in North Sydney with friendly staff
• Charlie and Franks – Great spot for healthy breakfast and lunch
• Hunter Gatherer – Meat, fish, and delicious sides. Great spot for lunch or dinner.
• Bacino Bar – Probably the best coffee we found in Sydney. The baristas here are super friendly and love to joke around with locals

Walk (or Run) Bondi to Coogee

The stretch between Bondi and Coggee beaches is one of the most gorgeous stretches of coastline in Sydney. We chose to Uber to Coogee and start our walk here. From this side, you’ll walk past the most gorgeous graveyard you have ever seen, Bronte Beach, a number of pools on the beach, and breathtaking cliffs. You can, of course, walk round trip, or do like we did and then Uber back. The walk isn’t arduous, but we spent a lot of time taking photos and enjoying the beaches, so we chose to just make it a one-way walk.

Rent a Car and Explore Royal National Park

Our day in Royal National Park was by far the best part of our trip to Sydney. The park is only about an hour from the city center and is 100% a breath of fresh air from the city. In the park, you’ll certainly want to hike down to the Figure 8 Pools, explore the semi-private beaches, and just enjoy the natural beauty that makes you feel like you’re nowhere near a city.

Cruise on the Ferry to Manly

From Circular Quay in the city, you can take a cheap ferry to Manly Beach where you can enjoy some time laying in the sun, hiking, surfing, or even just chilling and eating fish and chips at The Boathouse. We went out there for ANZAC Day and had an awesome time! The ferry is typically faster than driving from Sydney and is probably 5 times cheaper than taking an Uber. You’ll pass gorgeous coastline and enjoy a nice view of the city as well, so it’s worth the ride just for the views.

Walk Over the Harbor Bridge (Or Climb It)

There’s something about bridges that people seem to love. Back in the 1990s I saw a Travel Channel show that was touring Sydney and the host went up and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I always thought it would be so cool, but then I got to Sydney and Alex and I realized it costs a couple hundred dollars per person. Sooooo, yeah, maybe just walk over the bridge instead. We weren’t keen on paying that much.

Watch Sunset at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair

One of the best spots in Sydney to get a panoramic view of the city, Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge all in one view. There is a botanic garden here that is super nice to walk through. We watched the sunset here and absolutely loved it. It does get a bit crowded as it’s one of the most popular places in the city to watch the sunset.

Go to the Opera

Hey, the opera house isn’t just meant for posting photos on your Instagram. Believe it or not, they actually have opera there! Get dressed up and go have a nice date night.

Comment below with other fun things to do in Sydney for couples!