Where wood fire, coastal generosity and the warmth of shared dining redefine modern Sydney elegance.

There are restaurants that introduce themselves quietly, and then there are those that arrive with a sense of place, purpose and story. Watermans Sydney belongs firmly to the latter. Created by the acclaimed Bentley Restaurant Group, Watermans stands at the edge of Barangaroo with a view that opens wide across the harbour, offering diners not only proximity to water but a feeling of being gently carried by its rhythm.

Here, the Eastern Mediterranean meets Australian coastal produce in a way that feels both ancient and new. It is a restaurant built on the idea of nourishment through generosity: dishes placed at the centre of the table, flavours drawn from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Lebanon, and a spirit rooted in the shared joy of long lunches and softly lit dinners.

A New Voice on the Harbour

Sydney has no shortage of waterfront restaurants, yet Watermans finds distinction through restraint and authenticity. While many pursue spectacle, Watermans is guided by craft. Its story begins with a simple yet powerful declaration: a celebration of the flavours and traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean, elevated by the beauty of Australian produce.

This philosophy is most evident in its kitchen, where a wood fired grill and oven form the beating heart of the restaurant. Flames flicker against stone as seafood, vegetables and meats meet heat, smoke and time. The fire is not used theatrically but reverently, echoing ancient cooking traditions from across the Levant. The technique creates dishes that feel honest, elemental and deeply rooted in culinary memory.

Harbourfront dining often lends itself to breezy informality, yet Watermans shapes something more considered. It is relaxed but polished, generous yet precise. It carries the DNA of the Bentley Restaurant Group, known for its devotion to detail, flavour structure and a distinctly Sydney style of contemporary elegance.

A Kitchen Led by Fire and Craft

Across cultures, a hearth has always been a gathering point, a place for story, comfort and shared experience. Watermans honours that lineage by placing its wood fired grill and oven at the centre of its identity. From here the menu unfolds with clarity of purpose.

Warm hummus arrives first, rich and velvety, finished with green zhoug that brings freshness and lift. It is accompanied by pickled watermelon paired with raw tuna, a combination that surprises with its brightness and balance. These opening dishes set the tone: simple compositions touched by spice, acidity and the careful layering of texture.

Seafood is treated with rare gentleness. The whole roasted John Dory, one of the signatures of the menu, emerges from the grill delicately charred, its flesh perfumed with chermoula. Each bite carries a whisper of smoke against the tang of herbs and citrus. Lamb shoulder glazed with pomegranate brings depth and resonance, its sweetness cut by the fire that has shaped it.

The menu draws inspiration from a region known for breadth and generosity, yet Watermans refines each dish with an Australian touch. The produce is local, seasonal and chosen with intention. Flavour is allowed to lead the experience, its complexity achieved through balance rather than excess.

A Space for Long Lunches and Late Evenings

The dining room reflects the same quiet confidence that defines the food. Large windows invite the harbour inward, creating a gentle interplay between light, water and architecture. The room feels open yet intimate, the kind of place where conversations linger and dishes arrive with an unhurried rhythm.

The interiors lean toward timeless coastal elegance. Natural textures, warm earth tones and subtle maritime references shape a setting that feels grounded rather than staged. The view is ever present but does not overwhelm. Instead it frames the experience, a reminder of the city’s relationship with sea and sky.

Watermans is designed for atmosphere: late afternoons that stretch into twilight, glasses lifted against a warm glow, plates shared among friends. There is romance in its pace and refinement in its approach. It is a harbour restaurant, but not one driven by spectacle. It is driven by feeling.

The Spirit of Eastern Mediterranean Hospitality

There is a reason the cuisines of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Lebanon have endured. They are shaped by community, by a belief that food belongs at the middle of the table and that meals are experiences meant to be shared.

Watermans channels this philosophy with respect rather than replication. Its dishes do not mimic tradition; they interpret it. They evoke the generosity of the Eastern Mediterranean without compromising the clarity of Australian produce. Warmth becomes a guiding principle, warmth of spice, warmth of fire, warmth of atmosphere.

The result is a dining style that feels deeply human. Plates arrive as invitations rather than statements. They encourage conversation, connection and the collective joy of eating together. A table at Watermans is not defined by formality but by a sense of belonging.

The Bentley Signature

Behind every detail lies the influence of the Bentley Restaurant Group, whose portfolio has shaped Sydney’s modern dining landscape. Watermans may appear simpler than its siblings, but the precision of the group is unmistakable. Balancing approachability with craftsmanship is a delicate art, and Watermans performs it with assurance.

It is evident in the way dishes are plated, in the way flavours are constructed, in the pacing of the menu and the confidence of the service. Even in its openness, the restaurant maintains control over detail. There is no pretension, only purpose.

A Place to Return To

Watermans feels like a restaurant that will not simply be visited, but returned to. Its combination of harbour light, fire led cooking and Eastern Mediterranean generosity creates a resonance that lingers.

It suits celebration as easily as it suits stillness. It invites families, friends, travellers and locals alike. It promises familiarity even on a first visit, as though the traditions it references belong to all who gather around its tables.

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Watermans positions itself not as a destination for special occasions alone but as part of the rhythm of the city. It offers the simplicity of good food crafted with care, the sophistication of thoughtful design, and the charm of a view that never loses its beauty.

The Future of Sydney Dining

In a culinary landscape increasingly shaped by innovation, global influence and shifting expectations, Watermans stands as a reminder of something enduring: that great dining is not defined by spectacle, but by flavour, intimacy and connection.

It captures what makes Sydney unique, a meeting point between land and sea, heritage and modernity, culture and lifestyle. It celebrates the Mediterranean not as a trend but as a timeless source of inspiration, reframed through the lens of Australian produce and sensibility.

Watermans is an arrival and a promise. A promise of meals shared in good company, of produce treated with respect, of stories exchanged across plates. In the glow of the harbour and the heat of its fire, a new chapter in Sydney dining quietly takes shape.

Written by: Linh Giang Nguyen
Published on: 26th November 2025