Sydney’s best long lunches are worth planning a whole afternoon around. The CBD, The Rocks, and Circular Quay hold the venues that deliver — a regional Chinese banquet, a harbour-view set menu, or a slow-roasted weekend centrepiece. These are spots worth settling into.
Spice Temple
Spice Temple at 10 Bligh Street suits a long afternoon for reasons that go beyond the menu. The low-lit, intimate dining room creates a setting that encourages staying, and the banquet-style format does the rest. Dishes progress from dim sum through stir-fries, whole fish, and braised meats without interruption. Private dining rooms make it easy for groups to commit to the full experience.
Bar Patrón
The Long Lunch at Bar Patrón runs daily from 12 to 2:30 pm, structured from start to finish. Wagyu cheek, pork barbacoa tacos, and churros with spiced hot chocolate arrive alongside 90 minutes of Patrón cocktails. The Sydney Harbour Bridge stays in view the entire time. For a long lunch in Sydney with no decisions required, this is the address.
The Cut Bar & Grill
Weekends at The Cut Bar & Grill are built around the Cut Roast. Slow-cooked Cape Grim prime rib with Yorkshire pudding, beef-fat potatoes, roast onions, and horseradish cream – served Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 3 pm. For weekdays, a new lunch set menu is also available 12-3pm, Monday to Friday. Start with your choice of entrée, followed by a main of your choosing from three curated dishes, served with a green salad and seasoned shoestring fries. It’s the ideal option for a swift and seamless team lunch, bringing efficiency without compromising on flavour.
Saké Restaurant & Bar
Saké Restaurant & Bar operates from two Sydney locations, The Rocks and Double Bay, and suits those who prefer to set their own tempo. The open sushi counter and kitchen theatre give the meal its own momentum as the afternoon unfolds. Saké also presents a refined interpretation of ramen – the house-made broths are slow-simmered and delicately balanced with kombu and vegetables to create natural depth and umami. Dine in or take away at Double Bay, or bring your colleagues for lunch in The Rocks.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Rockpool Bar & Grill at 66 Hunter Street brings a 3,000-label cellar and sommelier team to the long lunch, with the adjoining bar available for drinks before or after the meal. Rangers Valley Wagyu scotch fillet and wood-fired seafood anchor the menu. Ranked #12 among the world’s best steakhouses in 2025, it’s among the best places for lunch in Sydney CBD for an afternoon built around the wine list.
24 York
24 York on York Street isn’t designed for long lunches but earns a place for shorter afternoons. One dish: premium grass-fed scotch fillet with tallow-fried frites and house sauces, followed by Happy Hour from 3:30 to 5:30 pm with Martinis, Negronis, and Espresso Martinis. It’s the kind of hour that easily turns into two.
Sahtein
Sahtein structures the long lunch the Lebanese way. Mezze builds across the table – Moutabbal, Sawda Djej with white mulberry molasses – before charcoal and wood-fired grills arrive. The House Banquet and Grand Banquet remove the ordering entirely. Now open on Argyle Street, it’s a strong addition to lunch places in Sydney in The Rocks.
Choosing the Pace That Suits You
A structured banquet, a fully curated set menu, or a kitchen that lets the afternoon unfold naturally – the best long lunch Sydney offers is the one where the format was considered from the start. Book ahead and plan the day around it.
Reserve at Spice Temple and let the regional Chinese kitchen set the pace.
*Spice Temple practices the responsible service of alcohol. Drink responsibly.
