BENTLEY Restaurant & Bar

Verdict: Worth Booking, Easier Than You'd Expect

For a restaurant that has appeared on La Liste's Leading Restaurants list two years running (83.5 points in 2025, 82 points in 2026) and repeatedly topped Star Wine List rankings, Bentley is surprisingly approachable to book. That's the first thing to know. The second is that if you care about wine as much as food, this is the strongest combination of both in the Sydney CBD. Chef Brent Savage leads one of the more coherent Australian Modern kitchens in the city, and the room it occupies — the grand dining space inside the Radisson Blu Hotel on O'Connell Street — gives the whole operation a confidence that its original neighbourhood wine bar format never quite had.

The Room and the Evolution

Bentley's move into the Radisson Blu Hotel was a genuine step-change. The restaurant went from a compact, beloved wine bar to a CBD dining room with scale and presence. Visually, that means high ceilings, considered lighting, and the kind of formal-but-not-stuffy setting that works for a business dinner on Tuesday and a celebratory table on Saturday. For the food-and-wine enthusiast specifically, the transition matters because it gave Savage and his team the physical space to run a more ambitious program without losing the wine-forward identity that built Bentley's reputation in the first place. The room reads serious. It earns it.

The Counter and Bar Experience

The bar and counter seating at Bentley is worth knowing about if you're visiting solo or as a pair with serious wine interest. Eating at the bar puts you closer to the floor team and gives you access to the full menu without the formality of a table booking. Given Bentley's consistent Star Wine List recognition , holding multiple leading rankings in 2021 and 2022, including two number-one positions , the bar is arguably where the wine program is leading appreciated. You can ask questions, work through the list with staff, and treat the meal as an extended tasting rather than a structured dinner. For explorers who want depth and context with their wine choices, bar seating here is a practical advantage, not a consolation option.

What Makes It the Right Call for Wine-Serious Diners

The Star Wine List performance is the clearest signal of where Bentley sits in the Sydney wine conversation. Multiple top-three and number-one rankings in a single year (2021) is not an accident , it reflects a wine program with genuine breadth and editorial intelligence. For diners who treat the wine list as part of the core decision about where to eat, Bentley competes with venues that charge significantly more per head. Combined with the Australian Modern cooking format under Savage, this is a strong choice when you want a full fine-dining experience without locking into a tasting menu format at a venue like Attica in Melbourne or Brae in Birregurra.

Practical Details

Reservations: Easy to book relative to its award profile , standard lead time of one to two weeks should be sufficient for most dates, though weekend evenings benefit from booking further ahead. Address: 27 O'Connell St, Sydney CBD, inside the Radisson Blu Hotel. Cuisine: Australian Modern under Chef Brent Savage. Awards: La Liste Leading Restaurants 2025 (83.5pts) and 2026 (82pts); multiple Star Wine List leading rankings including two number-one finishes in 2021. Google rating: 4.4 from 866 reviews. Dress: Smart casual to business dress fits the room; the hotel setting sets a tone without enforcing a strict code. Groups: The larger dining room format from the hotel move makes Bentley more viable for groups than its former venue , contact directly to discuss private or semi-private options. Bar seating: Available and recommended for solo diners and pairs with strong wine interest.

How It Fits the Sydney Dining Map

If you're building a Sydney trip around food and wine, Bentley belongs on the short list alongside Saint Peter for seafood-focused Australian cooking and Rockpool for a more classical fine-dining register. For Australian Modern elsewhere in the country, Cutler & Co. in Fitzroy and Provenance in Beechworth offer useful points of comparison. Sydney visitors with broader interests can find more in our full Sydney restaurants guide, Sydney bars guide, Sydney hotels guide, Sydney wineries guide, and Sydney experiences guide.

FAQ

• What are alternatives to Bentley in Sydney? For Australian Modern cooking in the CBD, Rockpool and 20 Chapel are the closest peers. If you want Australian seafood specifically, Saint Peter is the stronger choice. For a hotel-restaurant experience with a different register, AALIA is worth considering. Bentley's wine program depth is harder to match at a comparable price point in the CBD.
• Is Bentley good for a special occasion? Yes, with caveats. The room has the presence for a birthday or business celebration, and the La Liste recognition gives it the credibility for a meaningful dinner. It works better for occasions where wine is part of the event , if you want pure theatre and a set tasting menu experience, you may prefer Bennelong for the setting or a longer-format restaurant elsewhere. Bentley's strength is a more flexible, wine-led dinner that still feels considered.
• What should I order at Bentley? Specific dishes are not confirmed in available data, so take any suggestions with caution. What is reliable: the wine list is the standout feature, so ask your server for wine-led pairings rather than picking independently. The Australian Modern format under Brent Savage typically emphasises produce-driven plates, so seasonal specials are worth asking about when you arrive.
• Can Bentley accommodate groups? The move to the Radisson Blu Hotel significantly increased Bentley's capacity compared to its former venue, which makes group bookings more viable. For larger or private group arrangements, contact the venue directly , the hotel setting typically supports private dining options that a standalone restaurant cannot offer as flexibly.
• Can I eat at the bar at Bentley? Yes, and for solo diners or pairs with serious wine interest, bar seating is a genuine alternative to a table. You get access to the full menu and closer proximity to the floor team, which matters when you want to engage with a wine list that has held multiple Star Wine List leading rankings. It's a practical option, not a fallback.
• How far ahead should I book Bentley? Booking difficulty is rated easy relative to Bentley's award profile. One to two weeks out is typically sufficient for weekday dinners. For Friday and Saturday evenings, book two to three weeks ahead to have full choice of time slots. It does not require the advance planning of higher-demand venues like Saint Peter.
• What should a first-timer know about Bentley? Three things: the wine list is the main event, so engage with it rather than defaulting to a house pour; bar seating is a legitimate way to experience the full restaurant without a table; and the hotel location (Radisson Blu, 27 O'Connell St) sets a formal visual tone that the experience matches but doesn't overclaim. For broader Sydney context before your visit, the Pearl Sydney restaurants guide is useful for planning around it. Visitors interested in comparable Australian Modern programs elsewhere in Australia can look at Amaru in Armadale, Bacchus in Brisbane, and 2KW Bar & Restaurant in Adelaide.