Where To Eat Out In Parramatta

Parramnatta Lifestyle

With its cosmopolitan vibe, inventive chefs and ever-changing foodie landscape Parramatta is being hailed as global culinary hot spot.

Ask most locals where to eat out in Parramatta and they’ll point you in the direction of Church Street, the epicentre of the city’s dining scene for over a decade. Eat Street is home to some of Parramatta’s best-known restaurants, including Alex&Co, Mama and Papas, The Meat and Wine Co and Coco Cubano, plus a gaggle of small bars and cafes.

“Sydney’s geographic centre is also its gastronomic heart, where you can dine your way around the world from dawn to dark, through a gourmet greatest hits of international flavours,” says food writer Amy Cooper.

The 350-seat Alex&Co is a buzzy riverside destination – ideal for catching up with friends, family or colleagues. The menu is eclectic and affordable, ranging from tasty share plates to Aussie classic like burgers, steaks and buffalo wings. Don’t miss Happy Hour, 4pm to 6pm on weekdays.

“Bright and breezy, Alex & Co is the perfect setting to share a charcuterie platter filled with cured meats, marinated olives, cheese and a fruity cocktail served by the jug,” says online guide Broadsheet.

The Meat and Wine Co calls itself ‘Parramatta’s best steakhouse’, but is much more than that, sourcing the finest cuts of ethically-raised beef for its African-inspired menu. The set menu is excellent value for money.

For a convivial breakfast or lunch head to Misc. in Parramatta Park. The Sydney Morning Herald describes Misc. as one of the city’s (and indeed Sydney’s) finest restaurants with a menu that dances across both the Mediterranean and Middle East. “Go with a group and try to fill every bit of your table with plates of wood-fired bread, smoked labne, sujuk (spicy sausage), hot-smoked trout and saganaki cheese,” it suggests.

Explore Little India

Harris Park (‘Little India’) is a must-do for anyone who craves the flavours and spicy heat of the sub-continent, with a wide range of Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepalese restaurants plying their craft here. Stand-outs include Chatkazz which serves Indian vegetarian street food, such as pan puri and pav bhaji, and traditional Mumbai sweets, Dosa Hut, a popular North Indian diner celebrated for its spicy dosas, curries and biryanis and Ginger Indian Restaurant which serves homestyle Mughlai cuisine, including chicken tikka masala, butter chicken and goat champ masala, plus many vegetarian dishes. Billu’s, meanwhile, is a local institution famous for its Indian classics: butter chicken, rogan josh and Goan fish curry. “[But] the restaurant’s most famous dish is tandoori chicken, smoky and slightly charred from being cooked in a cylindrical wood-fired oven, but tender and juicy from a 24-hour yoghurt-and-spice marinade,” says Broadsheet. Can’t choose between Indian and Chinese cuisine? Momozz, on Wigram Street, serves dishes from Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. The menu includes dumplings, chow mein, butter chicken and biryani. Another popular Nepalese restaurant is Chulho, also on Wigram Street, which serves a wide range of meat and vegetarian dishes. Options include chicken tikka, dumplings, biryani and chow mein (Nepalese-style).

All Things Mediterranean

Parramatta is equally blessed with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian cuisine. The Italian Street Kitchen on George Street is a popular lunch joint, serving well-priced salads, pasta and pizza. Or come a bit later for an Italian cocktail, or a cold beer, and enjoy the sunset.

Further along Parramatta River you’ll find an exciting Lebanese eatery called Sahra By The River which is celebrated for its North African dishes such as lamb shawarma, samke harra and garlic lemon chicken. Willo Restaurant & Bar on Smith Street is a more recent arrival, blending Mediterranean cuisines and Australian ingredients, with impressive results. “Their menu is designed to be shared, so bring your partner/bestie/parents and get ready for a night of decadence,” says Time Out. “Start with the stuffed zucchini flowers, dive into the house made ravioli with blue swimmer crab and end on a high, with the signature Willo Espresso Martini. Delish.” Looking for a Lebanese banquet? All roads lead to Bayti, a popular family-run operation on Macquarie Street famous for its authentic flavours and welcoming atmosphere. Kuouzina Greco, on Phillip Street, serves classic Greek cuisine such as souvlaki and kleftiko but is famous for its $20 claypot lunches. “They serve Greek classics done well like fresh figs and grilled halloumi and prawn saganaki. The star of the show is Kleftiko, a divine four-hour slow cooked lamb shoulder served with lemon potatoes,” says food blogger Lorraine Elliott (Not Quite Nigella). Ruse Bar & Brasserie on Parramatta Square is another local favourite, serving up-market European fare. “Kick off your evening in the laid-back bar with a glass of French Champagne or Italian vino, before surrendering to the relaxed charm of their outdoor space,” says Time Out’s Melissa Woodley. “Here, you can savour a sensational dinner prepared over an open-fire grill including Ruse’s signature juicy minute steak with all the trimmings; half-roasted snapper cooked over charcoal; and handmade pappardelle with milk-braised lamb ragu.”

Flavours of the Orient

Parramatta’s Asian contingent includes LILYMU, Pho Pasteur, Temasek, The Zungle Korean Marinade BBQ, Holy Basil and Oribu. Pan-Asian diner LILYMU, in Parramatta Square, generated rave reviews when it opened in 2020 and has since gathered a loyal local following. “It’s a very polished offering that knits good hospitality with outrageously good cooking to create a destination diner for a brand-new destination,” says The Sydney Morning Herald’s Terry Durack. Equally impressive is Oribu, a Japanese fine diner on Church Street, headed up by ex-Nobu chef Harry Cho. “Peruse the menu and you’ll find highlights like popcorn prawns paired with creamy spicy sauce and a splash of yuzu juice; lamb cutlets with saikyo miso, custard crumbs and grilled cherry tomatoes; and a selection of premium caviar if you’re ready to splurge,” wrote Concrete Playground. Fans of Malaysian cuisine will want to sample the famously aromatic laksa at Temasek Restaurant on George Street. One of Parramatta’s longest running eateries, it also serves Singapore chilli crab, beef rendang, Hainanese chicken rice and balacaan fish. “The laksa is genuinely thrilling; the pastel-toned coconut milk broth flecked and speckled with fluorescent orange oil, with a high tide of all the pounded aromatics that form the base paste,” says food critic Terry Durack. Other stand-outs are Estelita’s Filipino Kusina, The Zungle Korean Marinade BBQ and Holy Basil, which serves Thai and Lao dishes. “On the menu, classic Thai and Lao noodles and curries live next to signature offerings such as the crispy snapper and mango salad, roast duck in Holy Basil’s homemade plum sauce and the surf and turf platter,” says Concrete Playground. Lovers of Indonesian food should check out Ria Ayam Penyet, on Church Street, which has been serving Javanese street food since 1998. “Ria is the place for faithfully authentic Indonesian street food, with Sydney’s best Javanese ayam penyet – tender smashed chicken (or beef, prawns or ribs) fried and crumbed with fiery chilli sauce,” says The Sydney Morning Herald’s Amy Cooper.