17 Excellent Restaurants Open On Monday Night In Sydney (2024)

Mondays in Sydney get a bad rap. The pointy start of the working week features long to-do lists, crowded trains, and, much to our dismay, many restaurants are closed after thebusy weekend.

That said, once the band-aid has been ripped off and the day is almost done, Monday can be one of the best nights to go out for dinner. It takes the edge off the Sunday scaries with something to look forward to. You just need to know where to go and what's open on a Monday—and that's where we come in. Keep scrolling for Urban List's favourite Sydney restaurants open on a Monday.

Ho Jiak

125 York St, Sydney CBD

If the sheer range, creativity, and quality of Junda Khoo’s menu aren’t enough to draw you into Ho Jiak any night of the week, perhaps you’ll be enticed with $7 Margaritas every Monday. In a time where paying $13 for a schooner (let alone a co*cktail) is becoming scarily commonplace, this is an absolute steal.

If Margaritas don’t move you, though, come to this epic “playground” of modern Malaysian cuisine at its most luxurious. You could come here after work for a simple dinner of char kway teow, but even that is laced with sweet chunks of swimmer crab. Shake off the Monday blues with their exciting takes on Malaysian favourites like their beef rendang “pot pie” which comes encased in a buttery, flakey roti. Their live seafood menu, featuring mud crab, lobster, pipis, and coral trout is exactly what you deserve after making it through Monday.

Bar Louise

135 Enmore Rd, Enmore

Image credit: Bar Louise | Instagram

So long as the Enmore Theatre keeps scheduling shows for Monday nights, we will keep walking through Bar Louise’s bubblegum pink facade. This cosy, stylish tapas bar is doing Spanish like no other in Sydney, and hallelujah, it’s open on Monday.

There is a robust selection of tapas served on the prettiest plates straight out of your grandma’s house (in the best way). The main clique of gildas, piquillo peppers, Olasagasti anchovies, and Serrano ham will satisfy traditionalists, but their menu remains dynamic, with the seasons dictating many more of their substantial specials. At $55 per person, their pre-theatre menu is the perfect way to stay boujee on a (somewhat) budget. Highlights include their extra crisp fried tapioca with honey and manchego and their rich roast lamb with sherry vinegar and labneh.

Pellegrino 2000

80 Campbell St, Surry Hills

Image credit: Pellegrino 2000 | Instagram

If this moody Surry Hills Italian joint is good enough for the start of Taylor Swift’s week, it’s certainly good enough to kick off yours. Its popularity since that fateful night has skyrocketed, so your best bet for nabbing its soonest table is trying for a Monday, when it’s open until midnight.

There is no bad seat at this restaurant, brought to you by the trio behindBistro 916 and Clam Bar. Perch upstairs and be lit by candles and Venetian blinds like you’re in a murder mystery, or follow the red neon lights down into their wine cellar. Their concise menu keeps Italian tradition alive with artichokes alla Romana and spaghetti alle vongole. Dan Pepperell also injects some creativity in places with ravioli made with silky wonton wrappers, and a banana crema caramel that will turn even the most staunch banana haters.

Sunset Sabi

26/28 Pittwater Rd, Manly

Image credit: Sunset Sabi | Instagram

Up in Manly, every day is a dreamy Saturday with sunrises over the beach, sunsets over the harbour, relaxed locals, and starry-eyed tourists who have lost track of what day it is. Sunset Sabi wraps this magic up in their electric Japanese pocket of Manly.

The Good Good group, who also own Manly icon Chica Bonita and Italian neighbour Busta, know how to maximise fun and be bold. Food here is small and perfect for sharing with mates, but the flavours are anything but. Loud dishes like their cheeseburger-inspired wagyu beef gyoza, and their sunset roll with kingfish and seared salmon loaded with salmon “crackling” and spicy mayo will have a party going in your mouth. With energetic, friendly waitstaff and a party playlist every day of the week, Sunset Sabi is the best party you’ll ever go to on a Monday.

Ragazzi

1 Angel Pl, Sydney CBD

The demand for this elegant Italian wine bar far outstrips the 38 seats squeezed into the space. Ragazzi is open until midnight on Mondays, and is the best night to book if you want their anchovy toast in your mouth ASAP.

The Love Tilly Group’s Scott Williams has a roster of well-conceived snacks and pastas that support their 250 bottle-strong wine list. Their rich, creamy (without a drop of cream in sight, of course) cacio e pepe is snowed with bitey parmesan and black pepper, and will never lead you astray. Their $80 per person set menu takes you through all the well-loved classics, and is a good excuse to try multiple expertly recommended Italian wines.

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Restaurant Hubert

15 Bligh St, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Restaurant Hubert | Instagram

Queues for what is surely Sydney’s most popular happy hour at this French institution, go out the door every day of the week. On a Monday, though, it doesn’t stretch quite as far down the street. Visiting Restaurant Hubert on a Monday will get you enjoying their famous dry-aged cheeseburger with gruyere, pickles, and the magical “sauce Hubert'' faster.

If the last thing you want to do on a Monday is stand in any sort of queue, though, book a table for later, and make a night of the buzzing atmosphere and top-class French fare. Soundtracked every night of the week by Sydney’s best jazz talents, dine on new Head Chef Brendan Fong’s menu, which will take you to Paris via East Asia. Saucisse de canard marries beautifully with wasabi, prune nori, and caramel-y tarte tatin, for dessert, is spiked with umami miso.

An Restaurant Bankstown

27 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown

Nothing will ever beat the Monday blues quite like a steaming hot bowl of Phở. And why not treat yourself to the best in Sydney? This family-owned phở institution has seen long queues (they don’t take bookings) since opening in 1987. It’s easy to see and taste why.

There are 14 different bowls to choose from, ranging from the classic rare beef to phở with brisket beef, tendon, tripe, or the works. Their chicken options are just as satisfying too, both in clear, aromatic broths. Their extensive sides menu also makes your phở completely customisable. You can choose between medium or large bowls, but with phở this good, you’ll have smashed a large bowl before you have time to think.

Bistro George

Level 1/176 George St, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Bistro George | Instagram

Ease yourself into the week by dining amongst the starched, white tablecloths at this elegant modern Mediterranean bistro, open on Mondays for lunch and dinner. Their menu is nothing short of opulent with a selection of caviar available, as well as some hefty dishes from their wood-fire grill, like rock lobster, whole chicken with truffle jus, or an 800g salt-crusted rib eye.

The space and the food is smart enough for an impressive business lunch or a romantic rendezvous dinner after work. If splashing out on extravagant mains isn’t what you’re looking for, Bistro George offers an excellent value prix fixe menu on Mondays, too. Two courses for $60 or three courses for $75 will offer dishes like their elevated take on rigatoni alla vodka, instead with gin and fermented chilli sauce.

Mr. Wong

3 Bridge Ln, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Mr Wong | Instagram

Mr. Wong is the perfect restaurant to visit when a celebration is in order, even when the celebration awkwardly falls on a Monday. One of the jewels in Merivale’s crown, this Cantonese stalwart is the place to splash out. Order the lobster (perhaps fried with XO sauce, or maybe with Hua Dieu wine and chicken fat), as well as their famous roast duck, for which they have a dedicated kitchen.

You could even say to hell with home ownership and get a 1.5L bottle of Romanée-Conti Grand Cru for $180,000. Thankfully, the 48-page wine list and towering, glass-encased wine storage room will have a quality bottle to suit more modest budgets. Indulge your inner child with their swish take on deep-fried ice cream with butterscotch sauce.

RAFI

99 Mount St, North Sydney

Image credit: RAFI | Instagram

If you worked in North Sydney a few years ago, you’d be forgiven for B-Lining it straight home after work on a Monday night. RAFI will give you a reason to stick around for dinner. Its award-winning interiors touched with soft fabrics and pops of olive green will instantly transport you from Monday to holiday, and its menu will back that up.

Hit up their 3-6pm happy hour for a killer $15 cheeseburger with $10 Aperol spritzes. Happy hours aside, RAFI’s menu transverses the Mediterranean with style, like their creamy dreamy hummus and fluffy sourdough pita, or south coast tuna with Tahini sauce. Head Chef Matias Cilloniz’s Peruvian heritage graces the menu, with Rangers Valley Wagyu flank cooked on their charcoal and ironbark grill served with a bright chimichurri, or raw trevally with buzzy green apple, jalapeño and avocado. We’ve forgotten it’s Monday.

Penelope’s

Quay Quarter Tower, Level 1/50 Bridge St, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Penelope's | Instagram

We’ve all heard about modern Australian cuisine, but Penelope’s shining a light on our beloved city and pioneering modern Sydney cuisine. Open for both lunch and dinner on Mondays, the Penelope's menu showcases the diversity of Sydney's population.

Fresh seafood, flavours that represent haunts like Haymarket and Lakemba are across their menu, steamed market fish with ginger and shallot, and hearty Lakemba spiced lamb. Executive Chef Cuong Nguyeno reinvents Sydney memories with a beautified version of Pizza Hut’s hot fudge sundae. With the added bonus of a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge, Penelope’s is a quintessential Sydney restaurant that will enliven your Monday mood.

Martina

51-55 O'Sullivan Rd, Rose Bay

Image credit: Martina | Supplied

Sister venue to the romantic Roman restaurant Marta, Martina is injecting vibrant new energy into Rose Bay's harbourside dining scene, and is open on Monday nights. Rome's rich culinary traditions are on full display here, with thick Roman-style pizzas made with their special Pinsa Romana-style dough blistered in their woodfire oven.

If you don’t order a pizza, ordering their fluffy house focaccia should be your first port of call before moving on to their luxurious pasta dishes. Roman pasta classics like cacio e pepe and carbonara are also the perfect comfort food for your Monday woes. Martina’s outdoor seating also offers postcard views of Sydney Harbour, which is a sight for sore Monday eyes.

Armorica

Shop 1 & 2/490 Crown St, Surry Hills

Image credit: Armorica | Supplied

This handsome French brasserie is now open seven days a week, which is great news for anyone with something special to celebrate on a Monday. Slide in early for their 5pm to 6pm happy hour, with their juicy wagyu burger from their lunch menu available for $18 (normally $26), and $12 Campari co*cktails.

Settle in after 6pm for a seriously special meal. Their Josper grill produces dishes that stand up to the brasseries of Paris with top Australian produce like whole WA rock lobster or barramundi with Grenobloise sauce. No trip to Armorica would be complete without their signature chocolate bar, filled with Valrhona chocolate mousse, salted caramel, and choc chip cookie, which you’ll be thinking about for the rest of the week

a'Mare

Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo

Image credit: a'Mare | Instagram

We know it’s the start of the week, but don’t reach for that sad jarpesto. Get it crushed for you tableside instead, at this suave Italian restaurant in the sparkling Crown complex. Things are done the serious, proper way here.

Their veal alla Milanese and MBS 5 lamb parmigiana is a far cry from what you may encounter at the pub. Dishes are cooked with the finest ingredients and attention to detail which makes it one of Sydney’s best Italian restaurants. If you’re not looking for bells and whistles, though, pop by their “cucinetta” for a simple condensed rendition of their menu. Start with their moorish deep-fried gnoccho fritto, and move on to the best spaghetti Bolognese you’ll ever have in your life. It was slow-cooked for 12 hours, but thankfully, you can enjoy it on your lunch break.

Malay Chinese Noodle Bar

Shop CQT06/33 Pitt St, Sydney CBD

Malay Chinese has been improving Mondays with their Laksa since 1987. Open for lunch from 11 am to 4:30 pm, their new space in Circular Quay has queues out the door just as their previous locations have. Buzzing with warm spices, and a buttery richness their Laksa is undefeatable as Sydney’s best.

Keep it simple with a classic chicken laksa, or treat yourself (it’s Monday, you deserve it) to a king prawn laksa. Bring a bib to work so you can get into it on your lunch break. While laksa is the main event, it’s worth working your way through the whole menu of Malaysian classics, like their smokey, salty, spicy char kway teow.

Martinez

Ground Lobby/50 Bridge St, Sydney CBD

Image credit: Martinez | Instagram

Every Monday can be improved by pretending you’re in the South of France, and Martinez will help you do just that. The elegant, breezy restaurant and the rooftop bar is all about sunshiney French dishes with a Mediterranean flair.

Addictive gruyere croquettes are the perfect bite before getting into their specialties like their luxurious bouillabaisse tortelli. Enjoy the harbour breeze on the Martinez rooftop terrace with their $20 plate of the day every Monday. Classic European dishes are on offer for a boujee, but excellent value lunch. Choose between minute steak “au poivre” with pepper sauce and fries, or barramundi fillet with tomato, fennel, chickpeas, and grilled bread.

XOPP

Level M, Shop 31/1 Little Pier St, Haymarket

The legacy of the iconic Sydney Chinese restaurant, Golden Century, lives on at XOPP. Nestled (quite literally in the nest-like building) within the Darling Exchange building, XOPP offers its smart, modern Cantonese menu for lunch and dinner on Mondays.

Named after the iconic and much-loved dish, XO pippies wok fried in XO sauce, their menu pays homage to the traditional Cantonese ingredients and flavours that Golden Century was so known for, whilst also offering its own unique twist. Their eponymous XO pippies are a must-order showstopper that will have you licking your fingers, and more playful modern dishes like kung pao cod or roasted beef short rib with Laoganma are gems you won’t find anywhere else. Paired with a seriously killer wine selection featuring top French and Aussie bottles, you’ll be sure to start the week on a high.

Header image credit: Penelope's | Supplied