There is a particular kind of restaurant that earns its reputation not through a loud marketing campaign or celebrity backing, but through something far harder to manufacture: consistency. Walk through the doors of Anason at Barangaroo on any given afternoon and you will understand immediately what that means. The harbour glitters just beyond the terrace. The scent of fresh bread mingling with warm spices drifts from the kitchen. Somewhere behind the bar, a bottle of raki is being opened. This is a place that has been doing things its own way since it first opened at Barangaroo, and the dining public of Sydney has rewarded that confidence with something approaching devotion.
More than two thousand Google reviews and a rating that sits among the city’s finest restaurants are not achieved by accident. They are earned, table by table, dish by dish, over years of getting it right. So what is it about Anason that keeps Sydney diners coming back, and why does this particular corner of Barangaroo feel unlike anywhere else in the city?
What Is Anason? Understanding the Concept
The word anason is Turkish for anise — the flowering herb whose seeds carry that distinctive, slightly sweet, liquorice-adjacent flavour that runs through so much of the Anatolian kitchen. It is also the defining botanical in raki, the anise-spirit that has accompanied Turkish mezze for centuries. So the name itself is a clue: this restaurant is rooted in something genuine.
Anason is built on the model of a meyhane — the traditional Turkish tavern where people gather not to eat quickly and leave, but to linger. A meyhane is a social institution. Dishes arrive steadily across the table, cold mezze first, then hot, then something more substantial. Conversation slows, raki glasses are refilled, and hours pass without anyone feeling the need to rush. Anason has transplanted this entire philosophy into a harbourside setting on the New South Wales coast, and remarkably, it works.
Chef Somer Sivrioglu, who established his reputation with Efendy in Balmain, built Anason around what he calls Modern Ottoman cooking — a culinary tradition that stretches across Anatolia, the Levant, the Aegean coast, and the islands of the eastern Mediterranean. The menu changes with the seasons, reflecting produce availability and the natural rhythms of good cooking. There is nothing frozen in time here. Each visit carries the possibility of encountering something you have never tasted before.
The Location: Why Barangaroo Is the Right Home for This Restaurant
Barangaroo is one of those rare urban developments that has actually improved the life of a city. Before the precinct opened, this stretch of Sydney’s western harbour foreshore was inaccessible to the public. Now it is a lively, walkable neighbourhood of restaurants, bars, parks, and waterfront promenades — and Anason sits in a particularly enviable position within it.
The restaurant occupies the ground floor of a modern building at 5/23 Barangaroo Avenue, with a terrace that extends toward the water. On a clear Sydney afternoon, you can sit outside with a glass of something cold and watch ferries crossing the harbour, the Harbour Bridge visible in the distance, and the city skyline reflected in the water. Even the interior, chic and considered without being cold, makes good use of natural light and a warm colour palette that echoes the earthy tones of a Turkish kitchen.
Getting there is straightforward. Wynyard Station is a ten-minute walk. The Barangaroo Ferry Wharf is even closer. The precinct itself is pedestrian-friendly, so arriving on foot from the CBD is genuinely pleasant. There is also paid parking nearby if you are driving in from the suburbs.
The Food: A Menu Built Around Sharing
The Anason menu is not a list of dishes so much as a journey through the flavour landscape of Turkey and the broader Anatolian region. The philosophy is one of abundance and generosity: order several things, share them across the table, and let the meal unfold at whatever pace suits you.
Cold Mezze
This is where every meal at Anason should begin. The cold mezze selection includes some of the most thoughtfully prepared small dishes you will encounter in Sydney. The atom hummus — a bold, chilli-spiked version of the classic — has accumulated its own following among regular diners. The tarama is silky and delicate. Grilled olives, vine-ripened tomatoes dressed simply with good olive oil, and the signature house bread served alongside vine-leaf cultured butter have become must-orders for anyone who has eaten here more than once.
The coban salad deserves particular mention. This shepherd’s salad — cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley, dressed cleanly and without excess — is an exercise in restraint that makes its point through exceptional ingredient quality rather than complexity. It is the kind of thing that seems simple until you try to recreate it at home and realise that the difference is entirely in the produce.
Hot Mezze
The hot mezze course is where Anason’s kitchen shows a bit more flair. Halloumi with lavender honey is a combination that sounds improbable and tastes inevitable — the saltiness of the cheese, the floral sweetness of the honey, and the slight char from the grill creating something genuinely memorable. The cauliflower dish, which shifts in preparation across the seasons, has been a consistent talking point among diners. The cig kofta, a traditional hand-rolled bulgur dish served raw in the Turkish style and presented with beautiful precision, is not something you encounter often in Australian restaurants.
Torched sardines, when they appear on the menu, are worth ordering without hesitation. The fish arrives just kissed by heat, firm and fresh, dressed with something acidic to cut through the natural richness. It is an honest piece of cooking.
Mains and Something More Substantial
The manti deserves its reputation as one of the standout dishes on the menu. These small, folded pasta parcels — the Turkish cousin of the dumpling — are filled with seasoned meat and served with confit garlic yoghurt, a scattering of crumbled sujuk (the spiced Turkish sausage), and crispy dried mint. Each element would be fine on its own; together they form something that regular diners return specifically to eat. More than one Google review has mentioned the manti without prompting, which is the sincerest form of culinary endorsement.
The yoghurt kebab is another dish that rewards those willing to look beyond the familiar. A tender portion of lamb served over cool, thick yoghurt with a warm butter sauce poured at the table, it is simultaneously rich and bright — the dairy tempering the fat of the meat in a way that feels effortlessly balanced.
The Anason take on the Bosphorus fish sandwich — sourdough bread layered with rocket pesto, pickles, and a freshly cooked fish fillet — is the kind of dish that reminds you how satisfying simple things can be when every component is done well.
The Drinks List: More Than Just Good Wine
Anason takes its drinks program seriously, and given the restaurant’s philosophical roots in the Turkish meyhane tradition, it would be strange if it did not. Raki is the star of the show. The restaurant stocks a solid selection of anise-flavoured rakis — the Turkish national spirit, typically served in tall glasses with cold water and ice on the side, which transforms the clear liquid into a milky, opaque drink known colloquially as lion’s milk.
For those less drawn to spirits, the wine list is well-curated and includes a considered selection of Turkish wines, many of which are genuinely unfamiliar to Australian diners but which complement the food beautifully. Indigenous varieties like Narince, Kalecik Karasi, and Bogazkere bring a different flavour profile to the table and pair with the mezze in ways that conventional European varietals sometimes cannot.
The cocktail program is inventive without being overworked. The drinks are described in Google reviews as great — not merely adequate — and the bar team clearly knows its way around both classic technique and Turkish flavour profiles. For non-drinkers, the salgam — a traditional fermented black carrot juice that is tart, bold, and deeply savoury — is a revelation. It sounds unusual. It is excellent.
Service: What Separates Good Restaurants from Great Ones
A kitchen can produce extraordinary food, but if the service falls short, the overall experience suffers. Anason understands this. Across thousands of diner reviews, the consistency of positive comments about the front-of-house team is striking. Staff are described repeatedly as knowledgeable, warm, attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely enthusiastic about the menu.
The knowledge piece matters particularly in a restaurant like this. When a menu includes dishes and ingredients that many Australian diners have never encountered — sujuk, salgam, manti, cig kofta — the ability of the serving staff to explain context and guide choices becomes part of the dining experience itself. At Anason, waitstaff consistently receive praise for exactly this: the capacity to make unfamiliar food feel accessible without dumbing it down or being condescending about it.
Reservations are required, and given the restaurant’s popularity, this is not a formality. Book ahead, especially for weekend lunches and evening sittings.
Anason Barangaroo: Quick Reference Guide
| Detail | Information |
| Restaurant Name | Anason |
| Address | 5/23 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000 |
| Phone | +61 2 9188 1581 |
| Website | anason.com.au |
| Cuisine | Turkish / Modern Ottoman / Anatolian |
| Price Range | $40 – $140 per person |
| Opening Hours | Monday to Sunday: 12 pm – 10 pm |
| Reservations | Required — book in advance |
| Outdoor Seating | Yes — harbourside terrace available |
| Google Rating | 4.5 stars (2,000+ reviews) |
| Nearest Train | Wynyard Station (~10 min walk) |
| Nearest Ferry | Barangaroo Wharf (~2 min walk) |
| Best Dishes | Manti, atom hummus, halloumi, yoghurt kebab, cig kofta |
| Must-Try Drink | Raki or salgam (fermented black carrot juice) |
Who Is Anason For?
One of the more interesting things about Anason is how broad its appeal is. This is not a restaurant that serves a narrow demographic. The combination of excellent food, a genuinely special location, and a format built around sharing makes it work for an unusually wide range of occasions.
Couples come for the romance of the harbour terrace and the intimacy of a long, unhurried meal. Groups of friends come for the shared table format and the cocktails. Business lunches happen here regularly, drawn by the private dining options and the fact that the food is interesting enough to make the meal feel like an occasion. Families with older children find the menu accessible without being dumbed down. Vegetarians and those with dietary considerations are catered for thoughtfully — several reviewers have singled out the vegetarian options specifically.
The price point — roughly $40 to $140 per person depending on how extensively you eat and drink — sits in the mid-to-upper range for Sydney dining, which reflects both the quality of the produce and the harbourside location. For a special occasion it represents strong value. For a casual midweek lunch, the mezze sharing plates allow you to calibrate spending to suit the occasion.
What Diners Are Saying: Real Reviews, Real Experiences
The pattern that emerges across hundreds of reviews of Anason is consistent: diners arrive with reasonable expectations and leave having exceeded them. There is a recurring quality to the comments that is worth noting — not just positivity, but specificity. People name dishes. They name staff members. They describe particular flavours and moments that stayed with them.
One diner described the manti as something that transported them directly to the flavour memory of a Turkish grandmother’s kitchen. Another wrote about the vine-leaf cultured butter on the house bread as the kind of detail that separates a truly considered restaurant from one merely going through the motions. A third mentioned returning after a multi-year gap and finding the food just as good as they remembered — which, in the restaurant industry, is a more meaningful compliment than most people realise.
The service team receives individual mentions in a way that reflects genuine attachment rather than generic praise. When customers remember the name of their waiter and include it in a public review, it speaks to an interaction that went beyond the transactional. This is the marker of hospitality done properly.
Tips for Getting the Most from Your Visit
- Book well in advance for weekend sittings, especially dinner. Anason is consistently busy, and walk-ins are not guaranteed.
- Order more than you think you need. The mezze format rewards generosity — plates are designed for sharing, and the best meals here involve four to six cold mezze, two or three hot mezze, and a main or two between the table.
- Ask your waiter for guidance on the raki selection. The range includes different producers and styles, and a knowledgeable recommendation can make the difference between a good match and a great one.
- Sit on the terrace if the weather allows. The harbourside setting is genuinely beautiful and adds to the overall experience in a way that is difficult to replicate indoors.
- Try the salgam even if it sounds unfamiliar. The fermented black carrot juice is not universally loved on first sip, but it is authentic, interesting, and unlike anything else on the drinks menu.
- If you are vegetarian or have specific dietary requirements, mention this when booking. The kitchen is experienced at accommodating various needs, and advance notice allows them to ensure you have excellent options.
- Allow at least two to two-and-a-half hours for a full experience. Anason is not a restaurant for eating quickly. The meyhane tradition it draws from is built around time and conversation.
The Broader Significance: Turkish Cuisine in Sydney
It is worth pausing to consider what Anason represents in the context of Sydney’s dining landscape. Turkish food, in its authentic Anatolian form, remains one of the less understood culinary traditions in Australia. The popular image of Turkish cuisine — kebabs, doner, flat bread — is real but partial. It is the equivalent of judging Italian food by pizza alone, or Thai food by pad thai.
The kitchen at Anason offers something more expansive and more historically layered: a cuisine that absorbed influences from Persia, Arabia, the Byzantine Empire, the Levant, and the Aegean, and produced something that is genuinely its own. Ottoman palace cooking, Anatolian village traditions, Aegean coastal seafood, the mezze culture of the eastern Mediterranean — all of these threads run through a meal at Anason if you are paying attention.
In that sense, the restaurant is doing something valuable beyond just feeding people well. It is functioning as a point of connection between Sydney diners and a culinary tradition they may not have encountered in its full form before. That is the kind of work that good restaurants do quietly, without announcing it.
A Final Thought
There is something worth saying about restaurants that last. In an industry where turnover is relentless and the next new thing is always opening somewhere nearby, the places that endure are the ones that have worked out what they are and committed to it without compromise. Anason has been doing exactly this at Barangaroo since the precinct opened, and the result is a restaurant that feels, unusually, like it belongs precisely where it is.
The combination of a genuinely beautiful location, a kitchen that draws on one of the world’s great culinary traditions with skill and seasonal awareness, a drinks program that reflects the culture the food comes from, and a front-of-house team that makes guests feel attended to rather than processed — this is what makes a restaurant worth writing about and worth visiting.
If you have not been to Anason, make the reservation. If you have been, you already know.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anason Barangaroo
Do I need to make a reservation at Anason?
Yes. Reservations are required at Anason, and given its ongoing popularity, this is not merely a formality. Particularly for weekend dinners and lunches, bookings are essential. Walk-in availability is limited and not guaranteed. You can make a reservation via the restaurant’s website at anason.com.au or by calling +61 2 9188 1581.
What type of cuisine does Anason serve?
Anason serves Modern Ottoman and Anatolian cuisine — a seasonal Turkish menu that draws on the rich culinary traditions of Turkey, the Aegean coast, and the broader eastern Mediterranean. The format is based on the meyhane style of dining, where multiple mezze dishes are shared across the table rather than ordered as individual courses.
Is Anason good for vegetarians?
Yes. Anason has consistently received positive feedback from vegetarian diners. The cold and hot mezze selections include a wide range of plant-based dishes, including the atom hummus, coban salad, cauliflower dishes, cig kofta, grilled olives, and various seasonal vegetable preparations. If you have specific dietary requirements, it is worth mentioning them when you book.
How much does it cost to eat at Anason?
The price range at Anason is approximately $40 to $140 per person, depending on how many dishes you order and how extensively you use the drinks menu. A moderate mezze meal with a couple of drinks per person will generally fall in the mid-range of this window. The food is priced to reflect the quality of ingredients and the harbourside location.
What are the opening hours at Anason Barangaroo?
Anason is open seven days a week from 12 pm to 10 pm. This includes both lunch and dinner service. The restaurant does not close between lunch and dinner, so an early afternoon arrival is perfectly fine.
What is raki, and should I try it at Anason?
Raki is the traditional Turkish anise spirit and the signature drink of the meyhane culture on which Anason is modelled. It is typically served in tall glasses alongside cold water and ice, which is added separately to turn the clear liquid milky white. The flavour is assertive and anise-forward — think of a drier, more complex ouzo. The staff at Anason are experienced at guiding first-time drinkers, and yes, it is worth trying.
Is the manti at Anason worth ordering?
The manti is widely considered one of the signature dishes at Anason and appears in a significant number of diner reviews with specific, enthusiastic mentions. The dish — small Turkish dumplings served with confit garlic yoghurt, crumbled sujuk, and crispy dried mint — is a strong reflection of the kitchen’s approach to traditional flavours handled with care. If you are deciding what to order, it belongs on the table.
What is the best way to get to Anason Barangaroo?
The most straightforward public transport options are Wynyard Station (approximately ten minutes on foot through the Barangaroo precinct) and the Barangaroo Ferry Wharf, which is a very short walk from the restaurant. The surrounding streets are pedestrian-friendly and easy to navigate. Paid parking is available nearby for those arriving by car.
Does Anason have outdoor seating?
Yes. Anason has a harbourside terrace with outdoor seating. When the weather is suitable — and in Sydney that covers a large portion of the year — this is the preferred option for many diners. The view of the water and the ambient experience of sitting outdoors at Barangaroo contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere of a meal.
Has Anason won any awards or recognition?
Anason and chef Somer Sivrioglu have received sustained recognition within the Sydney dining scene. The restaurant holds a strong reputation as one of the city’s finest Turkish and Mediterranean restaurants, supported by its Google rating of 4.5 stars from over two thousand reviews — a figure that reflects consistent performance across a very large number of dining experiences rather than a spike of early enthusiasm.
At OzKiwilife, Debashrita Majhi contributes fresh perspectives on lifestyle, technology, entertainment, and online culture. His writing style combines clarity, creativity, and real-world insights to connect with readers from different backgrounds. He is passionate about digital media, content marketing, and building valuable online resources that help people stay informed in a fast-changing world.
