Where to stay

The Chelsea
Posted by yanna
Boutique B&B in the heart of Sydney. Affordable, in traditional terraced house in Darlinghurst. Nice walk to the centre. Wonderful renovation job and great courtyard for breakfast.

· 49 Womerah Avenue, Darlinghurst; + 61 2 9380 5994; chelsea.citysearch.com.au

The Wool Brokers
Posted by Chasingsunsets
This is a great value, B&B-style, 19th-century budget hotel. You can get rooms for less than A$100, which is especially good value as it is short walking distance from Darling Harbour. Good option for families. Book in advance.

· 22 Allen Street, Pyrmont; + 61 2 9552 4773; woolbrokershotel.com.au

Serviced Apartments
Posted by fenflyer
Serviced apartments often work better than hotels for families or couples travelling together. They are more spacious than a hotel room and usually include a kitchen, dining and sitting areas, plus bedrooms. Medina's deals - especially outside of the school holidays - can be very economical. I particularly like the Medina at Coogee and the Grand near Darling Harbour. Both have swimming pools. The Macleay at Potts Point is also good - it is worth paying extra for a harbour view.

· medinaapartments.com.au; themacleay.com

Where to eat

Bills
Posted by chrisinhk

Bills is something of an Australian institution, part of the culinary empire of Bill Grainger. The Darlinghurst cafe (there are two others in Surrey Hills and Woolahra) is simply and brightly decorated with a large central communal table where solo diners can read the papers or chat. I was there for breakfast and from the relatively short menu went for the scrambled eggs with apple cured bacon. The eggs had clearly been whisked by angels and scrambled by a genius. They were simply divine, buttery, creamy, of perfect consistency. When I told the waitress how good they were, she said they had been voted the world's greatest scrambled eggs. I can see why. Seek out and enjoy. You will not be disappointed.

· 433 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst; 359 Crown Street, Surry Hills; Queen's Court, 118 Queen Street, Woollahra; bills.com.au

Fish markets
Posted by loveoftravel

A quintessential Sydney experience are the Sydney fish markets in Pyrmont. If you're there over the weekend go for lunch and have a look around the markets. Either you can buy a seafood platter there, including a dozen oysters for A$12, and a bottle of young Semillon and eat on the harbour side (beer battered snapper is ace), or buy some green king prawns and whatever else takes your fancy and head to a beach (Bondi or Coogee are good) spark up one of the barbies there and make you own seafood feast.

· Bank Street, Pyrmont; +61 2 9004 1143; sydneyfishmarket.com.au

Amazing Pizza - Koko's Pizza
Posted by Robielvis
I've been around the world and have had a lot of pizza, and this pizza was something else. The slice didn't sag, it was sort of in between pan and thin base. The crust was mildly crunchy with a scent of oregano and basil wafting through each crunch. The sauce was just right. The cheese was thick and plentiful, and the pizza had the "right" amount of garlic (don't you hate overdone or underdone garlic on a pizza?). It's a small shop in Harbord (behind Freshwater beach). Was staying with friends in Manly, and they specifically took me there (even though Manly has a million pizza joints).

· Shop 15, 1-3 Moore Road, Harbord; + 61 2 9938 2199; kokospizza.com.au

Where to go out

YU-Bar
Posted by richardGill
Kick off in the many watering holes off Kings Cross. (The better, quirkier bars, are down the side streets, off Darlinghurst Rd) before making your way down to YU-Bar. House music is what it's all about at YU, where you can hear the cream of Sydney's local DJs. A must for all clubbers.

· 171 Victoria St , Potts Point; yu.com.au

Libertine restaurant and bar
Posted by siarah
Modern Vietnamese restaurant and bar. The bar is great if you want a cocktail/beer and some nibbles - try the crispy squid. The restaurant has a outdoor terrace filled with Chinese lanterns and has very reasonable, beautifully presented food. Try the sticky ribs or scallops on papaya salad.

· 1 Kellet St, Kings Cross; libertine.net.au

The Establishment
Posted by HenC
There is an amazing, high-ceilinged bar called The Establishment on George Street, which has massive cast-iron pillars and a 42-metre white marble bar. This is a bit on the big size, so if you want a more intimate feel, head upstairs to The Hemmesphere. It's pricier, but is there's much more lounging going on.

· George Street, City; + 61 2 9240 3000; merivale.com

What to do

Shelly Beach
Posted by jinbad
Got kids? Need to relax but keep an eye on them? Get on the Manly Ferry - so easy to use, and great fun as well as a super view of Sydney. When you get to Manly, get off and turn left and keep walking until you can go no further on the beach and you'll be at a cove called Shelly Beach. This little horseshoe is for parents and kids - the water is crystal clear and about 8-12 inches deep for a good 100 yards, so ideal for little ones with no menace, unlike the big surf further along.

Then, when you are all famished, wander 25 yards to The Kiosk, the misleadingly named and wonderful restaurant on the front there, and eat your fill of Morton Bay Bugs, sushi, etc. for buttons.

· The ferry leaves from Sydney harbour every hour.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair
Posted by surreyben
The chair offers surely the most beautiful view in any city in the world. In order to reach it, you stroll through the Botanical Gardens, where you are invited to "hug the trees". Walk through paths lined with stunning coloured plants and trees with birds and other wildlife wandering free. When you reach Mrs Macquarie's Chair, the view of the Opera House framed by the Harbour Bridge with the glistening waters of the harbour is directly in front of you.

· Royal Botanical Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road; +61 2 9231 8111; rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

The Sydney Pylon Lookout
Posted by pb52
Everyone wants to complete the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, but at A$189 a pop (around £73) each, plus paying for their photographs (you are not allowed to take a camera with you), not everyone can afford it.

An equally good option, but one which is little advertised, is the Sydney Pylon Lookout. This involves climbing the interior of the concrete tower of the Harbour Bridge and is the tower nearest the Opera House.

It has three floors of exhibits and a film show but, best of all, the view from the open top is only a few feet below the top of the bridge and is equally as stunning.

You can stay as long as you like and take your own photographs. And it is only A$9.50 each - under a fiver!

· South East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Use the 'Bridge Stairs' from Cumberland Street in The Rocks for access. pylonlookout.com.au