RAFI North Sydney — Restaurant in Sydney

Came here for a celebration dinner. When we arrived, the staff were super friendly and seated us quickly. They explained everything to us and the guy who waited our table was also super patient, friendly and helpful.

I loved that the menu had such a wide range of food available. The menu was also uniquely folded and very nice. We tried: sourdough pita: very nice taste and texture, particularly with the hummus. It’s similar to the tottis bread but like a mini version hummus with chickpea and green chilli: the hummus was really nice, with the mixture of flavours and textures. It was a good balance and really complemented the bread. kingfish with avo, chalaquita & plum: quite nice and unique but there was not enough. They were just very small portions and you want to eat more but there isn’t any :( presentation was great! South Coast tuna with tomato, tahini and chilli oil: not the nicest presentation, but the taste and mix of flavours was actually very nice. Probably one of the nicest dishes here. Very refreshing and delicious. crispy eggplant with honey and herbs: quite nice; honestly, how can you go wrong with eggplant. I liked this a lot but I have had better eggplant elsewhere!! crispy potato with sour cream and chives: tbh these were just potatoes. They aren’t too interesting but I guess they were nice. fried calamari with aioli: can’t go wrong. Tasty, not too much salt or batter, and the aioli was very good the special Angus(?) beef that was cooked for some extreme amount of time with specific cooking techniques: this was very tender and soft but it was very expensive for not too large of a steak ($250) Mango with passionfruit curd, meringue, raspberries & matcha: nice mix of textures and flavours, and temperatures. It was unique and not too sweet. I’d recommend. Chocolate, salted caramel & hazelnut tart: a very smooth but rich tart. They gave us a candle for our birthdays and also had real hazelnut in the tart as well as...

RAFI – A Must-Visit Gem in Sydney

I stopped into RAFI for a solo weekday lunch and was so impressed I came back for dinner later that same week. That should tell you something.

The space is stunning. It’s open, modern, and beautifully designed but still feels warm and inviting. It’s the kind of place you want to linger, whether you’re alone or with a group.

Let’s talk about the food. The pita is an absolute must. It comes out steaming hot and is the perfect vehicle for all the delicious things to come. I started with the hummus, which was light, flavorful, and super fresh.

Both times I visited, I focused on seafood and vegetables and every dish was a knockout. The octopus and tomato was bright, fresh, and perfectly balanced. The charred cabbage was a surprise favorite, deeply savory and rich with miso and umami. Dessert was “The Double Chocolate,” which turned out to be a kind of deconstructed brownie with ice cream. Unexpected and absolutely delicious.

Dinner took it to another level. I finally tried the tuna dish, which I was told is a customer favorite, and I totally get why. The fatty tuna was beautifully complemented by a tart sauce and just the right amount of crunch. I also had fioretto for the first time, a cauliflower and broccolini hybrid, and I might be a superfan now. It was buttery, crisp, and paired beautifully with the rest of the seafood-forward dishes. The toothfish was a dream—flaky, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect.

And honestly, the food would’ve been enough to win me over, but the staff made the experience even better. They were friendly, thoughtful, and made me feel completely comfortable navigating the menu as a solo diner. It felt like they genuinely cared.

Highly recommended. If you’re in Sydney and love great food, beautiful spaces, and warm service, you need to make...

THE Lee (not) a Lee

I’ve only ever had cocktails and dreams at Rafi, but the people there (behind and in front of the bar) are generally awesome.

The bar staff are AMAZING, if I could suggest a cocktail it would 💯 be the Smoky Dave which ‘drinks’ much more bolder than it looks. It’s just a layered drink which deserves instructions to get into its TRUE potential. That one’s down to Josh (think that’s his name)

You could also try the Shio Martini 🍸, is a #GatewayMartini for those who’ve never learned to try one of the most classic cocktails of all time. Let its creator (Alex; maybe Alec I dunno) give you on your Martini path.

If you want to be looked after, the staff are BEYOND professional and Page will organise a work night out (I haven’t had one but I’m taking to the team this week).

The LAST thing I’d say is; I haven’t tried much food, but the Sourdough Wholemeal Pitta and Hummus is equivalent to Patatas Bravas in Spain (it’s FLYING out the door at $8 in Happy Hour)

If you don’t believe me, go any weekday between 3pm and 6pm (but drink the happy hour Aperol or Margaritas then for bargain prices). THEN try the Smoky Dave

If I have a gripe, frankly it’s that they increased the happy hour prices. It’s not necessary, they were ‘ok’ before, they don’t feel so’happy’ now and they didn’t tell me.

Page runs a tight ship but #Owners will always have their say

Give it a try; Weekday happy hour Aperol, Margarita, Smoky Dave and a Pitta with...