Sydney Luxury Travel Blog Sydney New Year’s Eve Dining

Sydney New Year’s Eve Dining.

The best Sydney New Year’s Eve family-friendly dining options to see the fireworks on Sydney Harbour and ring in 2026.

At Your Sydney Guide, we’ve been asked two main questions by families heading from overseas for a Sydney vacation during our New Year’s Eve celebrations: 1. Where should we eat and how much will it cost? 2. Where is the best place to watch the fireworks from?

To dine at restaurants with the very best Sydney Harbour views of the fireworks, expect to pay a premium price. Most will have a set menu, with a price range of approximately $AUD 650-2,000+ per adult and $AUD 250-500+ per child, generally 12 years and under (prices may also depend on proximity to the waterfront, whether you’re sitting inside or outside, or at a window table). If you are happy to pay that then you can book any number of excellent restaurants with sweeping views of the fireworks which occur at 9pm and midnight.

One prime harbourside vantage point is Campbells Cove in the historic Rocks precinct, looking straight at the Sydney Opera House and with a great view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Here, you’ll find family-friendly restaurants in a row of beautiful sandstone heritage buildings (situated between the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay and The Park Hyatt Sydney), such as Luna Lu for contemporary Asian cuisine at approximately $AUD 950-1,250 per adult and $AUD 400-550 per child, and Harbourfront Seafood, approximately $AUD 750-950 per adult and $AUD 350 per child.

Restaurants along the East Circular Quay promenade, en route to the Opera House, are a great option for an excellent view of the Harbour Bridge, though the drawback here is that you can’t see the Opera House from most of these eateries but will still pay premium prices. A seat at Searock Grill, for example, is $AUD 1,050 per person.

For an amazing aerial view of the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks, you can ascend over 80 levels in Sydney Tower where two restaurants are on offer. SkyFeast offers a buffet with packages from approximately $AUD 650-850 per adult and $AUD 250 per child, while Infinity has a set menu with packages from approximately $AUD 790-990 per adult and $AUD 250 per child. And both restaurants revolve slowly for 360-degree views.

In general, the most expensive restaurants are some of Sydney’s best and also have some of the most spectacular views, their fine cuisine set menus better suited to adults (and some may also be 18+ events). These include Café Sydney on the top floor of Customs House in Circular Quay at $AUD 1,450 per person, and Quay Restaurant located in the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay (Sydney’s primary international cruise ship terminal), at approximately $AUD 1,400-2,100 per person. Situated right near the Opera House is Aria at approximately $AUD 1,800 per person, and a seat at Altitude Restaurant on the pinnacle 36^th floor of the Shangri-La Sydney hotel in The Rocks, will cost $AUD 1,650-2,350 per person.

But if you choose to dine a little further away from the action, you can potentially still have a decent view and may pay considerably less than restaurants in prime harbourside positions. Doltone House on Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, for example, offers a good vantage point to see the Harbour Bridge from the eastern side, with a family-friendly set menu priced at $AUD 368 per adult and $AUD 69-134 per child.

And there’s always the option to dine at quality, family-friendly restaurants that may not have a harbour view but are still within walking distance, and they’ll also be more affordable. Brasserie 1930 at the 5-star Capella Sydney Hotel, for example, is located in the historic Sandstone District only a 5-minute walk to Circular Quay, another key vantage point for the New Year’s Eve fireworks. They have a set menu costing approximately $AUD 210 per adult and $AUD 70 per child.

Some restaurants also offer two seatings, the earliest perhaps best suited to those with younger children and cost less than later seatings. At Café Mix at Shangri-La in the Rocks, the gourmet buffet has a 5:30-7:30 pm seating at $AUD 179 per adult and $AUD 89.50 per child, and a second at 8:30 pm-10:30 pm at $AUD 209 per adult and $AUD 109 per child (infants 0-3 years dine for free). As it’s located on Level 1, you won’t have an optimal view but you’re also only a short walk to the harbourside.

We strongly recommend booking your restaurant of choice well in advance to secure a table as they can be in high demand on New Year’s Eve, particularly those in prime positions.

There’s also plenty of choice for restaurants with regular (rather than set) menus, though these may be in locations without views. One such area is the Darling Harbour and adjacent Darling Square precincts, just a short walk from the CBD, offering a wide range of family-friendly restaurants for casual dining. You can eat here and then walk around to the main harbour area to view the 9pm and midnight fireworks.

Even if you’ve booked a table at a restaurant around the harbour, we recommend arriving considerably earlier as the most popular vantage points such as The Rocks may reach capacity before your booking time. So you’ll want to be there before gates close and you can use that extra time to take in the harbour and soak up the lively atmosphere.

New Year’s Eve in our sparkling city is also an amazing time to get out there for some Sydney night photography which you can learn more about in our blog post.

We’ve also got lots of helpful advice on our blog for those planning a Sydney vacation, such as the best family activities, best private day trips from Sydney, best luxury hotels, and the best time of year to visit.

We’d love to show you our spectacular city on our private, custom Sydney day tours led by our expert local Sydney tour guides. You’ll find more information and pricing here.

See you in Sydney soon to celebrate!

The YSG Team.

Top photo credit: Hamilton Lund; Destination NSW

Updated June 2025