Originally Posted by bensyd

There's a pretty good dining thread for Sydney here...

SYDNEY where to eat?

Dining is much more California than Britain. I'd suggest a trip to Watsons Bay and dinner at Doyles or the Watsons Bay Hotel watching the sun set over the city. Also, it's hard to beat fish and chips sitting in the park at Bondi or Coogee beach. Closer to the CBD I really like the rooftop bar at the Pallisade Hotel. (NB pubs are called hotels because they originally started as hotels, but few still have accomodation)

I'll give you the heads up, avoid the "popular" beaches on Christmas Day (Bondi, Manly, Coogee). They will be filled with drunk backpackers enjoying their first summer Christmas. Without looking, I'd say most Christmas lunches will be targeted toward tourists and have price tags to match. Expect limited options and set menus. Christmas in Australia usually involves a lot more seafood than in the Northern Hemisphere, because of the climate (the fish market stays open for 36 hours straight leading into Christmas Eve). So expect menus to be heavy on prawns and oysters and light on turkey and ham.

Re accomodation, it's going to be expensive if you're anywhere with a view.

Here's a recent thread on NYE in Sydney...

New Years Eve in Sydney

It seems every year we get people visiting Sydney for NYE who are shocked at the hotel prices.