Lavana Restaurant

Lavana Restaurant settles into Walsh Bay with the assurance of a seasoned host, its chic interiors opening to a sweep of harbour that catches the light from midday to dusk. Rooted in Sydney’s coastal larder and filtered through a Mediterranean lens, the kitchen favours purity of flavour and a relaxed, sun-drenched rhythm.

Sharing begins the story: bright, briny morsels and playful textures that nod to seaside afternoons. Freshly shucked oysters meet burnt maple and finger lime, dotted with Yarra Valley Caviar; a warm lobster roll on brioche is lifted with Chardonnay aioli and citrus. It is cooking that respects provenance while letting the sea speak first.

From there, richness deepens. A slow-cooked Junee lamb ragout clings to Garofalo rigatoni, perfumed with confit garlic and lemon thyme. Lobster ravioli brings blue swimmer crab and king prawns into a tomato sugo glossed with clotted cream. For carnivores, premium marbled cuts — from Wagyu tenderloin to a barley-fed ribeye — arrive with classic accents like Moutarde de Meaux Pommery and a silken bordelaise.

Service is unhurried, the mood easy, the harbour ever-present. Lavana is a place to linger, to share, to watch sails slip past as conversation stretches. Reserve a seat by the water and let the Mediterranean drift into Sydney — one delicious wave at a time.