Or perhaps ...

30 Something Restaurant (02) 9240 1261, 31st Fl Intercontinental Hotel, Macquarie St, Sydney

Apartment (02) 9241 1488, 155 Macquarie St, Sydney

Australian Wine Centre (02) 9247 2755, Shops 1 & 3, Goldfields House, 3 Alfred St, Sydney - With a lot of attention paid to Australian wine, the Wine Bar here this is a great spot to enjoy a glass or buy a bottle.

Avenue on Chifley (02) 9221 7599, , Forecourt, 2 Chifley Sq, Sydney - If you can handle paying serious money for a sandwich, this offers the chance to get out of air-conditioning for an hour while you watch the world go by on this delightful plaza.

Bistro Lilly (02) 9252 1116, , Shop 6, Observatory Tower, 168 Kent Street, Sydney

Bistroteque (02) 9241 3123, , Shop mg 14 Metcentre, 23 Jamison Street, Sydney

Blue Stone (02) 9221 1841, 28 O'Connell St, Sydney

Bond Cafe (02) 9223 9332, Martin Place, 111 Phillip St, Sydney - Lawyers and bankers that lunch meet to eat here in the rather 'hotel foyer' decor.

Boomerang Rooftop (02) 9290 2420, Rooftop Gowings Building Wynard Station, 319 George St, Sydney - Outdoor terrace in the heart of the CBD, a light and bright oasis in high rise Sydney

Botanica Brasserie (02) 9286 6650, Level One Sheraton on the Park, 161 Elizabeth St, Sydney

Cafe Chicane (02) 9232 4456, 2/10 Bond St, Sydney

Caffe Cino (02) 9266 2000, Ground Floor, Hilton Hotel, 488 George St, Sydney

Capital Grill (02) 9247 4445, , NULL, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney

Civic Dining (02) 8080 7040, Civic Hotel, 388 Pitt St cnr Goulburn St, Sydney

Eastbank (02) 9241 6722, Level 1, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney - East Bank hums quite late, and the service in this frantic pace is to be highly recommended.

Eat 15 (02) 9252 4760, Shop 15, 2 East Circular Quay, Sydney - Eat 15 spills out toward the water and offers a fine vantage point to take in another essential Sydney view.

Eleven Kitchen & Cellar (02) 9290 3500, , 11 Lime Street, Sydney

Etch 9247 4777, 62 Bridge St, Sydney

Field House Restaurant & Bar (02) 9218 2832, , 169-179 Thomas Street, Sydney

Fix St James 9232 2767, , Shop 21, 111 Elizabeth St, Sydney

Fort Denison Cafe And Restaurant 9358 1999, Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour, Sydney

Foyer Cafe (02) 9252 9556, Maratime Towers, 207 Kent St, Sydney

Garden Court Restaurant 9228 9179, , Sofitel Wentworth, 61-101 Phillip Street, Sydney

Globe Bar (02) 9256 2222, , The Observatory Hotel, 89-113 Kent Street, Sydney

Hemmesphere at Establishment (02) 9240 3040, Establishment Hotel, 252 George St, Sydney

Hyde Park Barracks Cafe (02) 9222 1815, , Queens Square, Macquarie St, Sydney - Tucked away inside one of Sydney's earliest remaining architectural treasures this lovely cafe has good food and flower-filled decor.

Infusion at 333 9290 3333, 333 George St, Sydney - A very smart pan-Asian restaurant on the mezzanine of a glass box serving surprisingly good food to an Aussie business clientele.

JPB (02) 9238 7088, , Swissotel Sydney, 8/ 68 Market St, Sydney - Reasonably priced menu, good food and wine list. Suffers from being a hotel dining room.

Le Chifley (02) 9233 3603, Chifley Arcade, 6 Castlereagh St, Sydney - Buy drinks at the bar, order food from the kitchen and sit and wait for it to be brought to your table.

Level Three (02) 9279 2030, Blacket Hotel, 70 King St, Sydney

Lime Bar & Cafe (02) 9299 6006, , King St Wharf, 60 Lime Street, Sydney

Macchiato Cafe Bar (02) 9262 9525, , 338 Pitt St, Sydney - The entire culinary world seems represented on the massive menu of this cool, minimal and slick Sydney eatery.

Mirabelle (02) 9252 3553, AMP Building, 33 Alfred St, Sydney

Nick's Seafood (02) 9264 1212, The Promenade, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney - An impressive kitchen plates up lots of food very fast and cleanly.

Opera Bar (02) 9247 1666, Lower Concourse Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney - One of the most famous views in the world with casual al fresco dining for a pre-theatre snack, or simply to while away a few hours on a sunny afternoon.

Parkside Restaurant 9299 1000, , The Menzies, 14 Carrington Street, Sydney

The Pavilion (02) 9232 1322, The Botanical Gardens, 1 Art Gallery Rd, Sydney - The slick interior replaces the old style and is in sharp contrast to the bucolic surroundings.

Plan B 9283 3450, 204 Clarence St, Sydney

Pumphouse Restaurant (02) 8217 4000, , All Seasons Darling Harbour, 17 Little Pier St, Sydney

Quayside Cafe (02) 9251 0122, , Shop 1, 2 East Circular Quay, Sydney

Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe (02) 9262 3303, 201 Clarence St, Sydney

Seasons Cafe (02) 9383 7222, , Lvl 1, Bayview Boulevard Sydney, 90 William St, Sydney

Silks Coffee Lounge (02) 9222 1011, Ground Floor, 170 Phillip St, Sydney

Soup Plus (02) 9299 7728, Shop 1, 1 Margaret St, Sydney - Claiming to be Australia's longest established jazz club, Soup Plus has been providing cheap hearty fare and good music for ever.

Spuntini (02) 9233 3110, Shop 6, 50 Bridge St, Sydney - The mainstay is reliable, tasty pasta and other Italian grub at cafe prices.

Sumac (02) 9281 2700, The Promenade, Harbourside Shopping Centre, Darling Harbour

The Grace Cafe 9272 6888, , NULL, 77 York Street, Sydney

Vivo Cafe & Restaurant (02) 9221 1169, , 388 George St, Sydney - In the forecourt of the NRMA building, the all-glass fronted area blends well with the tastefully contemporary interior.

Waterfront Grill (02) 9280 4994, , Darling Harbour, Sydney