Crystaltipps

Hello,

Anyone recommend a restaurant / hotel for Christmas day lunch in Sydney ? We have a 2 year old, so nothing too refined (!) and will be new to the city.

Many thanks.

mulben

I love fish so Doyles for me

http://www.doyles.com.au/

Crystaltipps

Thanks Mulben,

It looks fab (I love fish too!) but the website says they're not open on Christmas day

LisaIan

I think they're closed Christmas Day. My OH and I looked to go last year.

Lisa

Swerv-o

You may well struggle - Sydney is like a ghost town on Christmas day. Pretty much everything is closed, with a skeleton public transport service.

There were a couple of pubs open last year, but not many. I think the casino at Star City is open though


S

LisaIan

Really?

We were in Sydney last Christmas, we went to Bondi and it was packed!! All the water front restaurants were open (we had fish & chips by the sea lol) and I'd never seen so much public transport!! They had extra staff on to sell tickets before you got on the bus to avoid the congestion!

Restaurants were open at Bronte too. Maybe it's just particular suburbs

Swerv-o

I must admit that I have never done the beach thing, but the rest of the city is pretty much closed down. The inner west suburbs become like a scene from the Omega Man or Dawn of the Dead, only without Charlton Heston or zombies. That's interesting to know that there is some life down on the beaches.


S

LisaIan

Yeh, it was a very strange experience going to Bondi.....I'm used to the cold, dead streets of England on a Christmas day, barely a car in sight let alone public transport so when I went to Bondi (Bronte was packed too) it was like any other day of the week....but busier! Didn't feel like Christmas at all! Everywhere was absolutely packed, pubs, cafes, shops, internet cafes (!). Will be in Brisbane for this Christmas so will have to see what it's like here. I'll be working in a department store though so I'll probably be over it all by mid-November!

Crystaltipps

Thanks all,

I guess if there are a lot of backpackers in Bondi they're likely to be out and about rather than sitting in hostels. Sounds like we should head down there. Although we'll be in Chatswood so Manly will be nearer. Anyone any experience of the northern beaches on the big day ?

Ron the Pom

We went to Balmoral beach last year on Christmas Day, pretty busy but great, it is close to Chatswood.

TiddlyPom

Don't go to Bondi, CT. Full of pissed English yobs in Union flag shorts. Unless you like that kind of thing...

Balmoral beach is a good rec if you have littlies. There's no surf ... just a nice flat swimming area, with shark nets. (There's a really good fish and chip shop there...It's called 'Bottom of the Harbour' and it does divine food but it won't be open on Christmas Day. Go another time for the food.)

Northern Beaches are good. Palm beach might be nice for you... It's where they shoot Home and Away if that means anything to you. Lovely long beach.

Restaurants at Bondi etc are open, but they'll be packed. Just take along a fab picnic... Grab some goodies from DJ's food hall, or some nice deli.
Take wine.

And try to get a little beach tent/sun shade for your little one because it can get really hot. You need shade.

paddyo

Its going to be a barbie on Shelly Beach in Manly for us, plenty of seafood and shellfish, swim and snorkel then drinks at another ex pats place later in the afternoon! Ho ho ho!!!

seang

alot of rsl's are open on christmas day doing food. ok not great but not bad either

Kooky.

Last year was our first Christmas here (as residents, at least) and we went to Milson's at Milsons Point. It's a hatted restaurant and was ok, but just ok. Best thing being it's in staggering distance of home.

With a youngster I would perhaps look at hotel brunches, as they should have entertainment laid on, but at this stage you might have to go on a waiting list.

Wol

We're going to Le Kiosk on Shelley Beach for lunch - they are open from eleven.