Rafi North Sydney

Rafi is a sprawling, 300-seat oasis under the North Sydney skyscraper canopy. Outside, bright orange umbrellas point to a courtyard decorated with succulents and the promise of a cocktail. Inside, find a dining room with lush banquettes, bold artworks and timber table tops hosting luxurious plates of elegant seafood, saucy vegetables and marbled steaks with chimichurri. The menu, by Peruvian fine dining chef Matias Cillóniz, is that modern, uncategorisable but very Australian mix of cuisines based on premium produce and what the season delivers, but with an extra focus on sustainable New South Wales seafood and local vegetables. On Saturdays, the Applejack Hospitality (Taphouse, The Botanist, SoCal) restaurant runs a specialised program called Rafi Records, where the kitchen produces a set menu designed around a theme with a local DJ spinning a playlist to match.