Long lunches and family feasts are back in Sydney for Mother's Day 2022

• Jump down to the list

Mother's Day is fast approaching and restaurant bookings are filling fast. After two long years of on-off lockdowns, families are foregoing the time-honoured tradition of breakfast in bed in favour of fully-catered feasts at their favourite Sydney hot spots.

"With everything open now, people are frothing to get out there and celebrate their mums," says Taylor Cullen, head chef of Chiswick in Woollahra.

It's a particularly special service for the "plant to plate" restaurant co-run by celebrity chef Matt Moran – this will be its 10th year as the city's reigning (albeit unofficial) Mother's Day champion.

The gleaming glasshouse, tucked away at the back of the well-groomed Chiswick Gardens, is largely considered to be "the most beautiful venue in the city for Mother's Day", Cullen says, admitting he may hold some bias.

But bookings don't lie. The Chiswick pavilion is often booked out months in advance of the big day, as families anticipate the most luxurious of long lunches.

In Sydney, Mother's Day restaurant reservations are up 15 per cent over last year, according to hospitality technology platform SevenRooms.

Cullen says, while Mother's Day bookings began to roll in later this year "because people didn't know what was happening with COVID", Chiswick's Sunday lunch service has now booked out. Tables remain available for dinner.

"It's the Mother's Day destination," Cullen says.

"We do champagne on arrival, and the restaurant will be decked out with lots of flowers. From the second you walk in, you feel special."

Never more so than on Chiswick's 10th birthday, when renowned Sydney floral design studios, Wilder and Hermetica, erect large-scale floral and produce installations throughout the venue.

At Icebergs Dining Room and Bar the bookings are flowing in, though some tables remain. Mother's Day will be the Bondi Beach institution's final service before it closes for renovations.

The restaurant has long been a drawcard for its ocean views and abundance of fresh-caught seafood, but head chef Alex Prichard says it's that "unique feeling of being looked after and cared for" that sets the restaurant apart.

"Our bookings started filling up straight away because every single person wants to be out enjoying themselves after being stuck inside the house for so long," Prichard says.

"I think this year in particular we're seeing people starting to come back in greater numbers. Things are going back to normal, and with the borders opening people can finally spend time with their families in NSW."

Prichard says his wife, Angie, was instrumental in creating their Mother's Day set menu, which features the first Jerusalem artichokes of the season, alongside a main course of charcoal-roasted Murray cod.

"It's her first Mother's Day – we had our son [Atticus] in October, so I went to Angie first to ask what she would want to eat. She sat down with me and critiqued my menu," Prichard says.

Some mums, however, like to keep things a little more laid back. At 150-year-old Woolloomooloo pub, The Old Fitzroy, head chef Anna Ugarte-Carral has created a set menu filled with big share plates and comforting classics.

"There's nothing fancy here", Ugarte-Carral says, of her plan to serve prawn salads, whole roast chickens and fresh fig tarts in the light-filled dining room of the upstairs brasserie.

"There can be competition between venues, but I feel like you just need to stick with the vibe of the venue and stay true to what you do best," she says.

"On Mother's Day you can go out and spend heaps of money and experience something truly extravagant, but we've gone for a relaxed vibe.

"I think, realistically, that's what most mums want. Just quality time spent with family, not having to stress about anything."

The mother of all Mother's Day lunch lists

Whether you like to celebrate your mum with a glass of champagne overlooking the Pacific Ocean, or a shared pub feed at your local, there are options available for all budgets this Mother's Day.

Three Blue Ducks, $16-38 per Mother's Day special

Mum can keep things casual at the Three Blue Ducks in Rosebery. The converted factory space is warm and welcoming, with a series of al la carte Mother's Day specials that won't break the bank. Highlights include an 18-hour slow-cooked, coffee-rubbed beef short rib, served with sumac soubise and bagna cauda, and a spiced apple and pear crumble with rum and raisin ice-cream. Add a bottomless brunch if you want to dial up the party.

1/85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery, 02 7251 8662, threeblueducks.com/rosebery

The Old Fitzroy, $60 per person

Book in for a family feed at The Old Fitz, where the brasserie will be serving up a set menu of share plates for $60 per person. Head chef Anna Ugarte-Carral describes the dining room as "very relaxed and very beautiful, up high in the trees".

129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo, 02 8317 3057, oddculture.group

Bodhi, $75 per person

The lush courtyard at Bodhi is the perfect choice for anyone seeking a relaxed and plant-based dining experience. For Mother's Day, the restaurant is offering its signature vegan yum cha menu for $75 per person, which includes a glass of sparkling rosé upon arrival. Children are catered for, too, at just $35 a head.

2/4 College Street, Sydney, 02 9360 2523, bodhirestaurant.com.au

Chin Chin, $88-135 per person

Keep mum entertained with lunch at this high-energy Surry Hills restaurant, where neon lights illuminate the 100-year-old, heritage-listed Griffiths Teas building. Two set menus are available, priced at $88 and $135 per person, and either option will score mum a complimentary gift from Frank Body and $11 glasses of Piper-Heidsieck champagne. Cheers!

69 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, 02 9281 3322, chinchin.sydney

No 92, $90 per person

As she steps inside the sunlit dining rooms of No 92's beautifully restored Victorian terrace, mum will be greeted with a glass of bubbles and an intriguing, Mexican-inspired menu. The eight-course feast boasts dishes such as Oaxaca cheese quesadillas, charred kingfish and Mexican fried duck, with a guava and hibiscus tres leches cake to finish.

92 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, 02 9571 9292, no92gpr.com.au

Osteria, $99 per person

A special tasting menu has been created at Coogee's bright, Italian restaurant, Osteria. For $99 per person, the family can feast on a six-course set menu featuring grilled ocean trout, pacheri napoletana and pepperone bruschetta. Children are catered for, with their own $25 set menu, and every mum receives a little extra treat: a glass of bubbles upon arrival.

31 Alfreda Street, Coogee, 0424 925 396, osteriacoogee.com

Dear Sainte Eloise, $100 per person

Does your mum love to drink wine? Is that a silly question? Dear Sainte Eloise has an extensive wine list showcasing sustainable winemakers from around the world. Stand-out dishes on the Mother's Day menu include pecorino and rosemary croquettes with hot honey.

5/29 Orwell Street, Potts Point, 02 9326 9745, dearsainteeloise.com

Ragazzi Wine & Pasta, $100 per person

The house-made pasta at Ragazzi is a stand-out will take centre stage on Mother's Day with a set menu featuring cacio e pepe and duck agnolotti. Sommelier Luigi Celiento offers a wine pairing for an additional cost.

1 Angel Place, Sydney, 02 8964 3062, ragazziwineandpasta.com​

Nomad, $105 per person

This stylish Surry Hills restaurant has gone all-out for mum this year, offering a luxurious caviar course in addition to its $105 Mother's Day set menu. The optional extra includes buttery Polanco grand reserve oscietra caviar, creme fraiche, a hash brown and a glass of Michel Gonet champagne for $100. Still not sold? Every mum will also receive a $50 voucher for future use at the restaurant.

16 Foster Street, Surry Hills, 02 9280 3395, nomad.sydney

Nour, $129 per person

The pretty pastels and rose-pink tubular chairs of Nour, in Surry Hills, provide the perfect backdrop for a memorable Mother's Day. Head chef Gianluca Lonati has developed a one-off Middle Eastern banquet menu featuring duck sambusak and barberry-glazed lamb shoulder.

Shop 3, 490 Crown Street, Surry Hills, 02 9331 3413, noursydney.com

North Bondi Fish, $140 per person

Salty sea air, a glass of fizz on arrival and a plate of fresh, spanner crab risotto awaits mum at North Bondi Fish. For $140 per person, the family will be treated to a three-course meal featuring seafood favourites such as sashimi and yellowfin tuna tartare. Children are welcome, too, with a special $40 menu of their own.

120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi, 02 9130 2155, northbondifish.com.au

Loulou Bistro, $150 per person

This new Parisienne addition just north of the Bridge is offering a three-course lunch menu boasting generous share plates with grilled whole fish and flat iron steak for $150 per adult and $50 per child. Consider upgrading to Loulou's champagne and caviar package for bonus wow factor.

61 Lavender Street, Milsons Point, 02 8000 7800, loulou.sydney

Chophouse, $150 per person

Steak out a table at Matt Moran's Chophouse for a carnivorous four-course family feast priced at $150 per adult, and $50 per child. Head chef Scott Kim has curated an autumnal menu featuring steak tartare, dry-aged T-bone steak and a beautiful fig and pomegranate pavlova to finish. Wash it all down with a glass of Chandon Brut.

25 Bligh Street, Sydney, 02 9231 5516, chophousesydney.com.au

Chiswick, $150 per person

The leafy restaurant is celebrating a decade of decadent, long lunches with a $150 set menu designed to be shared. It features old Chiswick favourites, such as a spectacular bombe Alaska, alongside fresh seasonal dishes including tuna carpaccio with tomato sofrito and foraged bronze fennel. Mum will be treated to a glass of champagne on arrival, while children have their own, three-course menu at $50 a head.

65 Ocean Street, Woollahra, 02 8388 8688, chiswickwoollahra.com.au

Otto, $160 per person

Book early to secure a table on Otto's waterfront terrace, where mum can dine on three courses of high-level Italian cooking for $160 per person. If the glittering harbour views weren't enough of a selling point, the restaurant has sweetened the deal with a take-home bottle of Otto prosecco with every booking.

Area 8, 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, 02 9368 7488, ottoristorante.com.au

Bennelong, $180 per person

Treat mum to lunch beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera House at Bennelong, where executive chef Peter Gilmore is serving a three-course a la carte menu. The price includes a glass of sparkling on arrival, to be enjoyed as the sounds of a live jazz band fill the glowing, cathedral-like space.

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, 02 9240 8000, bennelong.com.au

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, $100-$200 per person

Nigella Lawson tweeted that Icebergs was her "favourite restaurant in the world", so it's a fair bet that your Mum will love it, too. There are two bespoke menus this year. The first is a special brunch for $100 a head, which includes a three-course set menu and bellini upon arrival. The second option is a little grander, with a four-course set lunch menu, petit fours, and a welcome drink for $200 per person. A children's menu is available from $25 per child.

1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach, 02 9130 3120, icebergs.com.au

Aria, $260 per person

Comfort and class are on offer at Aria's Mother's Day lunch where, for a cool $260 per head, the family can be treated to a five-course tasting menu. As Mum steps inside the curvaceous, harbourside restaurant she'll be greeted with a glass of champagne and a stunning view of the Sydney Opera House. Executive chef Tom Gorridge has designed a bespoke menu for the special day, featuring Abrolhos Islands scallops and glazed Maremma duck. Children are catered for with a three-course menu for $70 a head.

1 Macquarie Street, Sydney, 02 9240 2255, ariasydney.com.au