The rising of Cronulla

Step aside Surry Hills and Redfern, Cronulla is shaping up as the new contender in the Sydney restaurant stakes.

Giro Osteria is up and firing in the suburb, garnering 15/20 reviews, and the Sibella Court-designed Old Joe's opened recently.

Milton-based Pilgrims Wholefoods is making its long-awaited Sydney move, opening a branch next month on Gerrale Street in Cronulla.

And Andrew Prasad, a chef with several central Sydney ventures on his CV, is joining the traffic heading down the Kingsway. He has nabbed the catering licence at the Royal Motor Yacht Club, just a short drive from Cronulla Beach.

"I will be ditching the burgers and chips," Prasad says. In its place he'll serve river trout with sorrel and griche sauce, buttermilk fried chicken and a bar snack of sweet baked ricotta.