Sydney is Australia's largest city and home to the country's biggest Chinese population, which means it also has the country's most diverse Chinese food scene. From the historic Chinatown in Haymarket to the booming Asian food hubs of Chatswood, Burwood, and Hurstville, Sydney offers a range of Chinese regional cuisines that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.
Chatswood, on the North Shore, is the undisputed capital of authentic Chinese food in Sydney. The area around the train station has exploded with Chinese restaurants in recent years, driven by immigration from mainland China and a large international student population. This is where you will find the most authentic Sichuan restaurants, many run by chefs who trained in Chengdu. The quality can genuinely rival what you would find in a second-tier Chinese city.
While dedicated Hunan restaurants are still relatively rare in Sydney, the Sichuan scene is strong and growing. Many Sichuan restaurants also serve Hunan-influenced dishes like chopped chili fish head and dry pot, reflecting the natural overlap between these two spicy cuisines. The city's dining scene is constantly evolving, with new restaurants opening every month.
Sydney has dozens of Sichuan and Hunan-style restaurants. We narrowed down the best using these criteria:
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Take the train to Chatswood and hit Sichuan Dynasty and Hunan Garden — the closest you'll get to Chengdu and Changsha in Australia.
Modern Sichuan in the CBD for stylish decor, good cocktails, and polished Sichuan food that is impressive but not intimidating.
Mala Hot Pot House in Chatswood for an interactive hot pot experience that is perfect for groups, birthdays, and celebrations.
Dry Pot Kitchen in Burwood for a build-your-own dry pot or mala tang that is ready in minutes and easy on the wallet.
Spicy City in Chinatown for solid Sichuan food without the trip to the suburbs. Great for a quick city lunch.
Hurstville Sichuan for cheap, honest Sichuan home cooking. Take the train south and eat like a local for under $20.
Chatswood on the North Shore has the highest concentration of authentic Chinese restaurants in Sydney, including excellent Sichuan options. The Haymarket Chinatown area near Central Station also has many good options, though they tend to be more tourist-oriented. Burwood and Hurstville also have strong Chinese food scenes.
Yes, Sydney has a strong and growing Sichuan food scene. Chatswood is the main hub, with several authentic Sichuan restaurants run by chefs from Chengdu. The quality has improved dramatically in recent years as more Chinese students and immigrants have settled in Sydney. Learn more about Sichuan and Hunan cuisines on our site.
Hunan-specific restaurants are relatively rare in Sydney compared to Sichuan restaurants, but there are a few options in Chatswood and the city. Most Chinese restaurants that serve spicy food focus on Sichuan cuisine, though many also offer a few Hunan specialties like chopped chili fish head and red-braised pork.
Chatswood on Sydney's North Shore is known for having one of Australia's best Asian food scenes. The area around the Chatswood train station is packed with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian restaurants, including some of the country's best Sichuan and Shanghainese restaurants. It is easily accessible by train from the city.
At Sichuan restaurants in Sydney, be sure to try: mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, water-boiled fish or beef, dry pot dishes, dan dan noodles, spicy wontons, mouth-watering chicken, and tea-smoked duck. Many restaurants also offer Sichuan-style hot pot.
Absolutely. If you are serious about authentic Sichuan food, Chatswood is well worth the 20-minute train ride from Central Station. The quality and authenticity of the Chinese food there is significantly better than most restaurants in the city or Chinatown.
Sydney has a growing hot pot scene, with the best options concentrated in Chatswood and Burwood. Look for all-you-can-eat or a la carte hot pot places that offer Sichuan-style mala (numbing-spicy) broth. Many offer a split pot with both spicy and mild broths.
The spice level varies by restaurant, but at authentic Sichuan places in Chatswood, the "mild" is still noticeably spicy and "medium" is quite hot. Australian Sichuan restaurants tend to be slightly less aggressive than their North American counterparts, but the good ones still deliver real heat. Always start mild and work your way up.
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