Sixpenny

Since Quay’s February closure made Sixpenny Sydney’s most senior three-hatter, this fine-diner in sleepy Stanmore has seemingly resolved to meet the moment. An August refresh saw them renovate the kitchen and knock through a wall, topping the remaining counter with spotted gum and opening the pass to the public. In the dining room, they actually reduced capacity to give guests more space to breathe. And there’s fresh art on the walls too, from local artists including Jonny Niesche and Rodney Evans.

On the floor, restaurant manager Ruby Maddison and sommelier Vincent Griffiths have continued to raise a bar set by general manager George Papaioannou. And then there’s the cooking, where owner Dan Puskas has progressively handed control to head chef Tony Schifilliti, whose fermentation odyssey has unlocked previously unseen layers of flavour.

On their own, the depth of the coral-trout paste brushed onto marron or the brightness of raw scallops in a dressing of fermented green tomato and almond milk are striking. But the trick is in how the team builds natural peaks into the tasting menu.

Here’s a pretty plate of vegetables – puntarelle, reindeer kale, crystal ice plant – each piece brushed or smeared or stuffed with a delicious fermented cream, paste or oil. There’s a soft milk bun alongside the marron, set to stuff with the shellfish. With the Cowra lamb rump? A plate of ribs finished with a sticky oyster glaze. Even the signature raspberry and mead custard dessert has gotten a glow-up. Suburban up-and-comer? That’s so 2012. The Sixpenny of today has come of age, and with it, a whole generation.

Best for: Special occasions in one of Sydney’s most soothing dining rooms.

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Last visited: September 2026