Everywhere good to eat in Surry Hills

Not many restaurants can claim to be featured on an Emmy Award-winning Netflix series, and this is just one of the reasons Firedoor stands out. Everything you’ll eat here is cooked with smoky wood fire and this hatted restaurant serves up dishes that focus on letting the ingredients shine.

200-day aged rib-eye steak here gets minimal seasoning and is served seared and almost primal in style. Firedoor combines simplistic cooking with a masterful chef’s hand and results in delectably charred Murray cod, rye bread, and fall-off-the-fork pork steaks.

What should you order at Firedoor? Dish Cult recommends the $155 Five-course menu.

Inspired by European summers and warm nights in Barcelona, La Salut is a Catalan-style wine bar from the same team behind Love Tilly Devine and Ragazzi. Capitalising on Sydney’s coastal locale, on the menu, you’ll find plenty of maritime-based dishes and a broad wine list that features Spanish and Australian drops.

Sharing plates here aren’t the usual fare and you can indulge in a leisurely drinks night out over tapas bites of Paletilla Iberico, Pork belly & kimchi croquettes, and mussels & chips.

What should you order at La Salut? Dish Cult recommends the $13 Mussels & Chips.

As authentic as they come, Cicerone is a cosy neighbourhood spot that brings massive flavour to the table. Promising Roman street-style palates and classic Italian dishes that prove all roads do in fact lead to Rome, this intimate joint is the perfect romantic rendezvous.

To start, there’s locally-made Burrata with herb oil and beef carciofata, and for heavier plates, their fresh pasta is a must-try with the likes of rigatoni alla Vodka, tonnarelli carbonara, and pork sausage bucatini. There’s pizza on offer here too, and their sides round off a simple, classic Italian meal.

Wondering what to order at Cicerone? Dish Cult recommends the $26 Tonnarelli Carbonara.

Hailing from our sister shores of Melbourne, Chin Chin describes their eclectic cuisine as “Australian with a shot of South-East Asian” and while that may be the case, we like to describe it as “dangerously addictive”.

This neon-lit joint is the king of dishes that stretch the boundaries, and you’ll find a delicious adventure somewhere on their menu of over 60 dishes. There’s kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut & Thai basil for starters, chargrilled wagyu in sweet soy glaze to follow and rendang beef curry to finish. For drinks, head to their GoGo bar for signature cocktails that hit the spot.

What should you in your order at Chin Chin? Dish Cult recommends the $38.5 Twice Cooked Beef Short Rib.

One of Surry Hill’s buzziest spots, Butter may be a premium sneak shop and champagne bar, but its ultimate identity has to be home to some of Sydney’s best fried chicken and ramen. Host to Butter Ramen Club, this spot is known for their addictive ramen concoctions and the bold creativity that goes into them.

Making waves with their sinful guilty-pleasure dishes of fried chicken sandwiched in buttery buns or sitting atop their famous hot cinnamon doughnuts, this hip spot is vibey and amongst some of the best hideouts where you can grab a greasy food coma.

What should you order at Butter? Dish Cult recommends the Fried Chicken & Donut.

Don’t Tell Aunty is Indian-fusion at its finest and the menu here is proudly “unauthentic Indian”. This doesn’t make it any less remarkable, though, and their signature butter chicken dish featuring roasted chicken, tomato, ginger and garlic fenugreek curry will knock your socks off. Other dishes here are equally flavour bombs and be sure to look out for their Tandoori chicken, Aussie lamb chops and Colonel Tso’s Cauliflower.

The restaurant itself is upscale and contemporary, and there’s beer and a deep wine list where you can knock back a couple of glasses over leisurely long dinners with the family.

What should you try at Don’t Tell Aunty? Dish Cult recommends the $30 Unauthentic Butter Chicken.

A Japanese pub-style bar right in the heart of Surry Hills, Izakaya Fujiyama is a taste of Tokyo on the streets of Sydney and they serve up quality sushi hand rolls and wagyu beef cheek buns.

Food and drink here are both excellent and while sake rules the drinks court, you’ll be left with the head-scratching decision of which dishes to pick. The menu is filled with options that are fresh-tasting and flavour-rich and you’ll be hard-pressed between the Chef’s assorted sashimi plate, wagyu beef tataki, and tuna belly karaage.

Izakaya Fujiyama’s $22 Wagyu beef cheek buns comes with Dish Cult’s high recommendation!