Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Exterior - The East Chinese Restaurant, Sydney, AU-NSW

The East Chinese Restaurant

4.4 (188)
$41 to $100
Chinese
1 Macquarie St, Sydney, AU-NSW 2000

Make a booking

A photo of The East Chinese Restaurant restaurant

The East Chinese Restaurant

4.4
$41 to $100
Chinese
Circular Quay

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 17 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for scenic views
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
The East is Sydney’s leading fine dining Chinese restaurant by the Opera House, Circular Quay. With both indoor and outdoor seating with a view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, we proudly serve authentic Chinese cuisine, offering a diverse and delicious menu inspired by rich Chinese history.

Our menu is very extensive, with dishes that are hot and powerful to those that are more mild and subtle. Whether you’re craving sweet and sour flavors, or steamed natural aromas, or perhaps exotic herbs and spices, The East has dishes that will tantalize your taste buds.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Seafood, Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Thu 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Fri–Sun 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri–Sun 5:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Area
    Circular Quay
  • Cross street
    8/1A Macquarie Street
  • Parking Details
    Public Parking
  • Public transport
    Circular Quay
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

All Experiences

  • A Standard Booking

    1 - 20 people

    3 Nov 2026 - 30 Nov 2026
    A Standard Booking
    A Standard Booking photo
  • GET 30% OFF FOOD! (THIS NOVEMBER!)

    2 - 6 people

    3 Nov 2026 - 30 Nov 2026
    We are offering 30% OFF FOOD FOR LUNCH AND DINNER THIS NOVEMBER. Conditions: For parties up of 2-6 people. Excludes live seafood, banquets and drinks. Each person must order 1 full price drink. Must book with this OpenTable Experience in order to redeem this deal (normal bookings made on OpenTable without selecting this Experience, or bookings made via our website or phone, will not be able to redeem this deal).
    GET 30% OFF FOOD! (THIS NOVEMBER!) photo

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at The East Chinese Restaurant.

4.4

4.4
(188)
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Sydney

    Great for scenic views

  • Sydney City

    Kid-friendly

  • Sydney City

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Sydney City

    Great for scenic views

  • Sydney City

    Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The East Chinese Restaurant offers "exceptionally good Chinese food" with a spectacular Circular Quay location near the Sydney Opera House. Guests praise the "friendly service," "fresh and perfectly prepared" dishes, and overall "wonderful" dining experiences. It's a top choice for pre-theatre meals, with "generous servings" and a "great atmosphere."
188 Reviews
  1. Rob

    Melbourne2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had the pleasure of taking my Texan guests for dinner here and introduced them to Kangaroo and crocodile which was magnificent and our guests were so impressed and thoroughly enjoyed the food as we did also.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Keith

    Sydney2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 18 October 2026

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food poor wine complex discount offering. Overpriced

    Is this helpful?

  3. Phin

    Sydney2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 17 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great location and vibes, right in front of the most beautiful Sydney Harbour Bridge view, with the renowned Sydney Opera House just round the corner. The food was excellent, fresh and deliciously cooked to authentic Cantonese style cuisines. Will definitely return with another OpenTable offer.

    Is this helpful?

  4. MJ

    Sydney1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 14 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The East is our “ go to”. The food is consistently very good, and the service never disappoints. I do wish they would stop offering live seafood, which I consider barbaric and unnecessarily cruel.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Tony

    Sydney6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 13 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been patrons for years and the quality of the food and friendly service has remained consistently high. It remains one of our favourites and a great place to eat before an Opera House performance.

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    Sydney1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 11 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a great Chinese restaurant. Always was. Even in the busiest of times. Food is excellent of course. Can’t recommend it enough. It may seem a little expensive but you’re paying for the spectacle that is Circular Quay and the harbour - to say nothing of the passing parade.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Ngo

    Sydney2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 4 October 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We had dinner on a very busy long weekend Sunday. The service was friendly and fast. The Cantonese dishes were very good and we did not have to wait too long. With the 30% food discount, it was an excellent, good value dinner. We will definitely be back.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Linda

    Sydney28 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always the good and service was great! So glad we had an inside table as the night we dined a huge storm hit Sydney causing chaos and flooding! The staff coped well given the circumstances as they tried to clear the outdoor seating and look after guests inside. Thanks to all.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Kam

    Sydney1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 1 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The prices are similar to other restaurants in the CBD, so you don’t feel like you’re overpaying for the food, which is nice. If you sit outside, though, you’ll be surrounded by tourists and a lot of foot traffic, so I’d recommend choosing an indoor seat if you prefer a quieter dining experience.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Meredith

    Sydney7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 27 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I've lost count of the number of times i've eaten at East but I can say I've never had anything less than fabulous meals here. The food is delicious - my favourites are the toothfish, various prawn dishes (how they cook the prawns to such perfection i don't know!), wagyu beef. b The service is friendly and low key -always helpful. I do recommend this wonderful restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Seafood, Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Thu 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Fri–Sun 12:00 pm–5:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri–Sun 5:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Area
    Circular Quay
  • Cross street
    8/1A Macquarie Street
  • Parking Details
    Public Parking
  • Public transport
    Circular Quay
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

FAQs

The East is especially lovely as a pre‑show or pre‑Opera House dinner, guests repeatedly recommend visiting before performances for a convenient, well-timed meal.

Yes, The East regularly welcomes families: reviewers describe visits with young grandchildren, whole-family meals, and staff happily adjusting spice levels so children (an 8‑year‑old) could enjoy the dishes.

Weekends are the pick, guests specifically recommend booking on a weekend for the outdoor tables and several reviewers single out Sunday evenings for a lovely late dinner after shows at the Opera House.

The East feels stylish and warmly inviting, with world‑class harbour views and a pre‑theatre buzz, guests describe it as comfortable, well‑presented and lively on busy nights.

Smart casual, aim for polished but relaxed attire; many guests note people dress up a little for pre‑theatre nights and special occasions.

Private dining is part of the offering at The East, the restaurant accepts private parties.

Portions are generous, multiple guests describe generous servings and note that serving sizes are quite large.

Yes, The East is well suited to a special evening, with waterside harbour and Harbour Bridge views and several guests reporting romantic dinners and five-star evening experiences.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. Australia
  3. Sydney
  4. Sydney City
  5. Circular Quay

Make a booking

A photo of The East Chinese Restaurant restaurant

The East Chinese Restaurant

4.4
$41 to $100
Chinese
Circular Quay

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 17 times today
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Booking Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2026 OpenTable Australia Level 22, 357 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo