These under-the-radar restaurants might not score a hat, but the critics can’t get enough of them

When the new Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide is released on October 24, it will contain almost 500 unique reviews. It’s not all sirloin and shellfish that you need an instalment plan to afford, though. Certainly, many restaurants have been awarded a hat (or two, or three) in the new edition of the Guide, but there are also plenty of suburban favourites, food-court heroes, bars, pubs and cafes.

This year, we’ve also introduced our new Critics’ Pick tick for places that don’t quite reach the score for a hat – perhaps it’s a counter-service pizzeria, or a hole-in-the-wall without tables – but our reviewers are big fans of regardless. These venues (identified by a tick symbol) may be noteworthy and essential for many reasons, such as the excellent food, atmosphere and people in charge. The definition of an enjoyable dining experience is broader than it’s ever been, and the tick symbol, which replaces the heart symbol we used last year, reflects that.

In advance of the Good Food Guide 2024 launch, here are 15 of our favourite Critics’ Picks, including the five finalists for a brand-new award, the Critics’ Pick of the Year.

Charcoal Fish, Rose Bay

At Josh Niland’s slick takeaway joint, sustainably farmed Murray cod stands in for the charcoal whirly bird. It’s dry-aged in house and rotisserie-grilled to perfection, the skin reminiscent of pork crackling. Grab a fillet or half-side, or fully embrace the concept by getting that cod on a roll with gravy and “stuffing”, both made from leftover fish bits in Niland’s signature tip-to-tail style. Other favourite orders include the renowned tuna cheeseburger, and crisp-battered fish and chips. Behold, too, the superb line-up of salads with inspired team-ups such as artichoke with chickpeas, and crisp, cold cucumber with wakame and avocado.

670 New South Head Road, Rose Bay, charcoalfish.com

City Oltra, Haymarket

Oltra’s pizzas come in blockbuster sizes. The flavours are massive and so are the party vibes. DJ Ben Fester and chef Drew Huston run the semi-permanent spot, a spin-off from their pop-ups at Poor Toms Gin Hall in Marrickville. Their gin-sauce topping name checks that origin, while flaunting the duo’s signature tradition-flipping flexes. Why settle on a classic vodka sauce when the gin charged version is better? Nothing is strictly by the book: tangy ranch dressing is drizzled over pepperoni; roast garlic cream levels up a mushroom topping; and a square pizza marries Detroit-style pies with Pizza Hut – who remembers The Bigfoot?

11/1 Eddy Avenue, Haymarket, oltra.pizza

Emma’s Snackbar, Newtown

It’s hard to miss this family-run diner in Enmore – the footpath outside is almost always packed with those waiting for takeaway. The fresh Lebanese food, however, is undoubtedly at its best when enjoyed inside. The zingy fattoush doesn’t travel well, for one, and the sensationally flaky ladies’ fingers should certainly be eaten while still piping hot. The controlled chaos of the noisy dining room is nearly always busy with students and regulars of all ages sharing dishes that cater for omnivores and vegans alike. Moorish chicken has a well-deserved place as a menu classic, but cumin-laden shawarma is a worthy go-to dish too, not to mention the punchy arak-flamed prawns. And, yes, you can and should BYO wine.

59 Liberty Street, Enmore, emmassnackbar.com.au

The Iron Yampi, Port Kembla

Before you ask, the Iron Yampi was the first freighter to enter Port Kembla’s trade harbour, sometime around 1960. Its namesake bar and restaurant, meanwhile, is a highly enjoyable place to spend a few hours in the Illawarra. The order-at-the-bar dining room is smartly decorated with photographs of the town in its prime, and the cocktails are straight-up terrific (hand-cut ice, how good!). Expect a menu of elevated pub classics, such as honey carrots and potato dauphinoise sharing plate space with rich and ruddy scotch fillet. Salt-and-pepper squid is squiggled with yuzu aioli, and market fish comes with garlicky skordalia and toasted pine nuts.

18/96-106 Wentworth Street, Port Kembla, theironyampi.com

Quarterdeck, Narooma

Arriving by seaplane is up there with cruffins and the lambada as things to experience at least once in a lifetime. If you’re going to splash out on the service, you might as well splash out at this former boatshed on the South Coast, where aircraft taxi guests right up to the back door. Inside is dolled up like a tiki hut, with a thatched grass bar serving slushie-style pina coladas that should come with a spoon. A Mexican-inspired menu suits the festive feel, featuring fish tacos topped with colourful pico de gallo salsa, and fried squash flowers with crumbled queso fresco and pickled onion rings. Ruby-red tuna tostadas topped with spicy salsa matcha are perfect for the setting, and cider-splashed mussels are made for sunsets by the open windows. When the view’s this good, who cares if the return flight is delayed?

13 Riverside Drive, Narooma, merivale.com/venues/quarterdeck-narooma

Rocs and Rolls, Wiley Park

You don’t see many signs warning guests against bringing their own bread to mop up leftovers. However, once you’ve tried this diner’s addictive sauces – tamarind, garlic butter and salted egg, to name a few – with fresh seafood, it all begins to make sense. Located just past the pokie lounge inside Wiley Park Hotel, Rocs and Rolls’ menu has more in common with beachside Vietnamese food stalls than a pub bistro. There are the usual suspects such as crab, oysters and octopus, but most of the diners motor through sea snails, periwinkles and clams. Razor clams, especially, are expertly wok-fried with buttered corn and Vietnamese coriander, while crab claws with salted egg are heavy on the sweet and umami. Balmain bugs in tamarind sauce is the Vietnamese-Australian mash-up we all need, while vermicelli stir-fried with prawns and XO is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

67 King Georges Road, Wiley Park

Sekka Dining, St Leonards

Expect comfort cuisine from Japan’s Akita prefecture at Sekka, where chef Hideto Suzuki balances traditional and experimental cooking, with a big focus on umami. Start with creative small-plate offerings such as okra, steamed and served with a lip-smacking ponzu and waves of katsuobushi, before moving on to sashimi, gyoza and yakitori (the wagyu skewers are particularly rich and charred, but it’s hard to go past the sticks of juicy skin-on chicken thigh). A signature hojicha green tea-smoked duck ramen rides the irresistible line of depth and fragrance in its aged-chicken chintan broth, while the tonkotsu offering is classically bold.

1/480 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, sekkadining.com.au

TBC by Grape Garden, Potts Point

For almost 25 years, Beijing expats Gao Lun and Jie Zhang cooked some of Sydney’s best northern Chinese food in their tiny food court kitchen at Chatswood. Gao would thwack hand-pulled noodles on his ferociously clean counter, while Jie rolled flaky shallot pancakes to be fried in duck fat. Now the couple can be found at an equally modest site in Kings Cross, with son Ecca running the floor with aplomb. Dumplings are a major focus, available poached or pan-fried with lacy bottoms, and stuffed with one-two combinations such as pork and chives, and lamb and zucchini. Meanwhile, the dan-dan soup is boldly spiced with chilli paste and Sichuan pepper – and the roast duck with house-made tianmian sauce is certainly worth bringing a good bottle of pinot for.

Shop 3, 2-14 Bayswater Road, Potts Point

Western Legend Barbecue, Mascot

Barbecue. Lamb. Beer. Western Legend BBQ has all the traits of a traditional Aussie backyard barbie, but doused with cumin, chilli and spices from north-west China instead of tomato sauce. Since emerging with Xinjiang-inspired skewers at an Eastwood food stall and then to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, the owners have expanded into shiny new south-east digs. Signature cumin lamb skewers are disarmingly tender, with charcoal-rendered fat that bursts in the mouth, and multiple tables order the huge Sichuan-spiced fish hot pot featuring whole barramundi in a broth topped with bean sprouts, tofu and mushrooms. Spicy crawfish noodles with delicate flecks of shellfish and chilli oil, throb with flavour while cold milk tea is on hand if you need to extinguish the heat. The Legend lives on.

1/256 Coward Street, Mascot, westernlegendbbq.com.au

Woy Woy Fishermen’s Wharf, Woy Woy

Central Coast folk, Sydney visitors and hungry pelicans all flock here for fresh local seafood enjoyed at various stages of preparation. Established four decades ago by Pat and Anne Cregan, the Wharf boasts a fishmonger and a takeaway selling crisp-battered fish and crunchy, fluffy chips, but for a real treat, try the beautiful dining room built over sparkling water. Service is order-at-the-bar and mostly minimal, but you don’t need anything more when the sun is glinting off the high ceiling, and whole Sichuan salt-and-pepper fried snapper is audibly crunchy. Specials range from pipis in XO to fried red gurnard, while regular favourites include barbecued slipper lobster tacos and wonderfully savoury tempura prawn cutlets. At least twice a day, when fishmongers share the day’s offcuts, the pelicans eat alongside. Gold standard bird-watching with a margarita in hand.

The Boulevarde, Woy Woy, woywoyfishermenswharf.com.au

FINALISTS FOR CRITICS’ PICK OF THE YEAR

Birds of Paradise Rotisserie, Brunswick Heads

FINALIST

While we wait for the grand reopening of Brunswick Heads’ much-loved Fleet (date still to be confirmed), co-owners Astrid McCormack and Josh Lewis are keeping Northern Rivers locals well fed with rotisserie chicken and caramelised banana ice-cream. The chooks have golden-brown skin and flesh juicy enough to compete with any French bistro, and a few stools in the smart, yellow tiled shop provide the option to eat in. Of course, what you really want to do is take your lunch down to the nearby park and eat chips-and-gravy with your toes in Brunswick River. Get that chook in a roll with coleslaw (or quartered with a choice of choice salads) and keep an eye out for any weekly specials. A right-timed run could see you leaving with crunchy chicken-skin topped mac-and-cheese, too.

2/19 Booyun Street, Brunswick Heads, boprotisserie.com.au

Flyover Fritterie and Chai Bar, Redfern

FINALIST

There is genuine pride in the food at smart-casual Flyover, where greetings are warm and every question is answered with thorough knowledge. Although it’s not the longest Indian menu in town, it’s certainly one of the more unique, drawing inspiration from Mumbai and Delhi street stalls. Chilli fritters are addictively crunchy; aloo tikki stops conversation with its coupling of a spiced potato-dal fritter and piquant yoghurt with tamarind sauce. The black dhal, meanwhile, is so intensely savoury that we’re surprised it is cooked only in water, albeit for 48 hours so the flavour doubles over on itself.

88 Regent Street, Redfern, flyoverfritterie.com.au

Gursha Ethiopian, Blacktown

FINALIST

This much-loved eatery, the handiwork of Yibeltal Tsegaw and Rahel Woldearegay, is also a living room for Blacktown’s East African community. The space, adorned with photographs and mesob baskets, draws a stream of diners who swap anecdotes over cups of strong, Ethiopian coffee. Or they might convene amid tendrils of incense over injera – a fermented flatbread that’s spongy, slightly sour and deeply satisfying. Ethiopian favourites like this are recreated tenderly. The foule is simple but full of flavour thanks to feta and fresh tomatoes. The yedoro wot, a succulent chicken stew simmered in niter kibbeh (herbed clarified butter) and berbere. This fiery spice plays a starring role in shifinfin too, a combination of beef and injera. Comfort cooking and a sensory assault at the same time.

3/115 Main Street, Blacktown, gurshaethiopian.au

Malay Chinese Noodle Bar, Circular Quay

FINALIST

The sparkling new location of this lunchtime icon launched in April, sporting jade green tiles, neon lights and a few seats. (Bring a friend and draw straws for who pounces on one of the under-cover tables, and who orders the food.) Most people are here for laksa lemak (protein options include chicken drumstick and seafood) and the broth is balanced, rich and slightly sweet. Add a glob of chilli sambal if you want to achieve lift off. There’s smoky char kwai teow and juicy Hainanese chicken too, but the real treat happens every Tuesday and Friday when har mee makes an appearance. Built on a foundation of prawn heads simmered for as long as it takes to unlock their powerful umami, the soup teems with pork, whole prawns and a hard-boiled egg, plus a textural two-step of hokkien noodles and rice vermicelli. Magic.

33 Pitt Street, Circular Quay, malaychinese.com.au

Ommi Don, Ultimo

FINALIST

Omar Hsu’s Taiwanese rice-bowl sets do more than represent the chef’s birthplace – they also flex the skills he picked up at Matt Moran’s Aria. At the two-hatted restaurant, Hsu spent six months on mashed potato duty. At his just-off-Broadway food court diner, those spuds are reimagined as cold Asian potato salad with seaweed crisps. Meanwhile, the teppanyaki pepper sauce lapping pork katsu draws on French technique and Hsu’s memories of Taiwanese night markets. The menu also showcases golden kimchi, homeland staples and festive specials (including bubble-tea mooncakes) from Ommi Foods, the business Hsu runs with wife Josie Yuan. Go-to dishes at the student-friendly hole-in-the-wall include fried chicken so crunchy you hear it rustling in the bowl, braised wagyu rib curry and grilled pork sausage on rice.

7/185-211 Broadway, Ultimo, ommidon.com.au

The winners of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 Awards will be announced on October 23, presented by Vittoria Coffee and Oceania Cruises. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 will be on sale from October 24, featuring more than 450 NSW and ACT venues, from three-hatted fine-diners, to suburban wine bars, regional chicken shops and food-court icons. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.