Where to eat in Sydney, according to chef Josh Niland

Where would you head for a special meal in Sydney?

Sean’s in North Bondi. Sean [Moran] serves food like your grandmother would cook, if your grandmother was a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant. He once made a ravioli with beetroot all over it, so the pasta looked like a borlotti bean, and inside were little pureed dots of borlotti bean. It looked and felt like you were eating the whole bean — it blew my mind. It’s such creative, intellectual cooking in a humble setting — it’s the most profoundly special place.

And where do you go for a quick bite?

AP Bakery is wonderful. It’s got businesses popping up all over the city. I’ve been to the branch at Paramount House Hotel in Surry Hills, and it’s on the rooftop. You can get croissants and all the usual suspects, and the team really care about what flour they use and which butter they laminate into their products. Sitting on a rooftop in the city of Sydney eating beautiful bread, that’s pretty spesh.

Is there a food market in Sydney you’d recommend?

Carriageworks Farmers’ Market in Eveleigh is pretty broad. It’s been running religiously for a very long time and attracts growers from all over the state. It sets up very early on Saturdays: there’s bread bakers, coffee artisans, organic and biodynamic vegetable suppliers, meat purveyors, charcuterie specialists. It’s a really beautiful market and I think a lot of people wish it was on more than just once a week.

What’s the best place for coffee?

We’re spoiled for excellent coffee in Sydney, but there are two that come to mind. The first is Ona in Marrickville — everybody there is so geeky and takes the coffee so seriously, and it has so many filters from all reaches of the world. The second one is Only [in Crows Nest], called that because it only does coffee. It was recently ranked fourth in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops. It does amazing batch filters and its milk-based coffees are great, too.

Sydney’s known for its breakfasts. What’s your favourite?

It used to be Room 10 on Llankelly Place, which is a small laneway with a load of cool designer shops. It does incredible coffee and beautiful bread. But then the owners bought the space opposite and opened Piña, where they’ve gone full flight into a beautiful Australian breakfast: toast, avocados, tomatoes, chutney, relish and bacon. Whenever I have guests, I always tell them to go there.

And what’s the best bar in the city?

Maybe Sammy [in The Rocks district], which is arguably one of the best bars in the world. It’s pretty lively and theatrical — the guys behind the counter even have bubble guns. The hospitality, intelligence of the drink-making, execution and consistency place it head and shoulders above a lot of places. It’s dimly lit and everybody there looks like a million bucks. They have their dialled-up signature cocktails, but I’d go more old-school with a Martini or Negroni.