Simple, nostalgic, and Easter-ready: 15 of Sydney’s best fish burgers

Forget Macca’s Filet-O-Fish – the classic fish burger has been upgraded in Sydney, and it’s never been more popular.

It’s become the bestselling burger at Redfern’s Bat & Ball Hotel, the most consistently ordered dish at Ellen cafe in Alexandria, and a special-turned-staple at Fred’s Providore at Cronulla. The following list of 12 share many modern interpretations, and no two are the same – whether it’s the pan-fried whiting and herbaceous homemade tartare sauce at Tucker in Randwick, or the spicy kick of Nashville fried fish at Fish Fish in Penrith.

Fillet o’ fish burger at The Bat & Ball Hotel, $25
Redfern

It’s the kind of burger that reminds you of a summer day in a small coastal town, says hotel co-owner Zachary Godbolt: “It’s honest. No smoke and mirrors or trying to reinvent the wheel of what a fish burger should be.” But simple doesn’t mean boring − head chefs Joey Astorga and Tommy Taylor (who formerly worked at The Waratah and Chez Crix, respectively) amp up the flavour with a panko-dill crumb, house-made jalapeno tartare sauce (“heavy on the lemon”), and the hot-cold juxtaposition of melty American cheese and iceberg lettuce straight out of the fridge.

Good to know: The pub pours a standout drinks list, with minimal-intervention Australian wines, independent craft beers, and a hard cherry cola cocktail.

495 Cleveland Street, Redfern, batandballhotel.com

Martin’s fish burger at Fred’s Providore, Cronulla, $21

Head chef Kevin Abando makes a fancy fish burger − dry-brined fillets of hoki, a light and crunchy batter and house-made tartare sauce, sandwiched between a Martin’s potato bun. The one-time special became so popular it’s now a permanent fixture. “Most great fish burgers get ruined by packet-made tartare sauce,” says marketing manager Chloe Smith. “Having good quality fish and making the sauce in-house makes all the difference.”

Good to know: After 5.30pm, Fred’s Providore becomes Fred’s After Hours − a dimly lit wine bar serving Italian-ish dishes such as lobster and scallop ravioli and bistecca alla Fiorentina.

109 Cronulla Street, Cronulla, fredsprovidore.com.au

Double fish burger at End of King, Newtown, $28

Chef Ida Bagus, who co-owns Newtown cafe End of King with partner Cindy Liang, had no idea his best-selling double fish burger was doing the rounds on social media. “No time for TikTok,” he says. His burger is a beauty: two fillets of barramundi, battered and fried until crisp and golden (courtesy of sous chef Parvesh, a veteran of the fish and chips trade), then topped with melted American cheese, Liang’s house-made salmon egg tartare, iceberg lettuce and pickled onion. “I’ve been asked [what makes a good fish burger] a lot of times, and my answer is, ‘patience’,” Bagus says.

Good to know: Bagus would love you to try his new king breakfast dish with house-made hash browns and meatballs.

609-611 King Street, Newtown, endofking.com.au

Sizzle O Fish at Hot Luck Club, Eveleigh, $19

Consider this your reminder to visit Carriageworks Farmers’ Market this Saturday. You’ll find the Hot Luck Club stall selling condiments (including an excellent fermented hot sauce) by the back wall. Order the signature Sizzle O Fish, which has been on their little blackboard menu since day one. “It’s essentially a playful hybrid between a certain classic fast food fish burger and elements you’d find in Cantonese steamed fish,” says co-owner Gaspar Tse. It features a crumbed ling fillet, xuan cai (mustard greens) tartare, ginger scallion pesto, American cheese and a Sichuan chilli crisp.

Good to know: Keep an eye on their socials – Hot Luck Club is known for doing pop-ups across Sydney.

Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, hotluck.club

Japanese crumbed salmon patty burger at Fitchies, Neutral Bay, $16

This one is a little different: the burger patty is made from minced sashimi-grade salmon, panko-crumbed and fried until golden. It’s served on a soft milk bun with cabbage slaw, avocado, seaweed salad, pickled ginger and wasabi mayo. “It’s become a bit of a destination [menu] item,” says Fitchies co-founder Philip Lademann. “People come from [across Sydney] to try it because it’s something unique to [us].”

Good to know: Forget the side of chips − the salads at Fitchies actually look appetising. Try the curried cauliflower, with house-made curry paste, chickpeas, pickled chilli and mint.

75 Grosvenor Lane, Neutral Bay, fitchies.com

Crumbed fish sandwich at Angus, Marrickville, $24.90

Sure, it’s a sandwich. But it’s one you have to try. Everything, save for the slice of American cheese, is made in-house by head chef Sandu Samarasekera. It’s an intense three-day process of steaming fish, creating stock, making sauce and baking bread. “People gravitated to it immediately when we put it on the menu, which is unusual for new dishes,” says co-owner Christos Arsenis. “The familiarity enticed people to try it, and then we delivered on flavour ... there was a moment, just after it landed, that we were sending out about 350 fish sandwiches a week.”

Good to know: If you enjoy an iced strawberry matcha latte, try Angus’ version with poached rhubarb.

69 Meeks Road, Marrickville, angusmarrickville.com.au

Fish fillet sandwich at Self Raised, various locations, $18

If you can appreciate a Filet-O-Fish from Macca’s, you will love the fish burger at Self Raised. There’s a generous fillet of panko-crumbed hake served with house-made tartare, pickles and American-style cheese on a soft milk bun. “It’s a simple, well-executed fish sandwich,” says Self Raised co-owner Sal Senan. “Like any burger, it’s never [just] one thing: every part matters and nothing can be skimped on.”

Good to know: While you’re there, pick up a Boston cream doughnut. They’re a bestseller for a reason.

8/20 Sarsfield Circuit, Bexley North and Main Lane, Merrylands, selfraised.com.au

Fish bun at Kosta’s Takeaway, various locations, $20

Yes, we all know how good Kosta’s chicken schnitzel sandwich is. But have you tried the fish burger? It’s one of Sydney’s best − light batter, creamy tartare sauce, plenty of dill. Best eaten at the original Rockdale location, beside Ralph’s SmashMart, but now available at five locations across Sydney (plus a new store in Brisbane).

Good to know: The cinnamon scrolls are great, and if you want to recreate their fermented hot sauce at home, the recipe is here.

Various locations including 412 West Botany Street, Rockdale; kostastakeaway.com

Fish burger at Cool Mac, Kirribilli, $24

You’ll have to be fast to catch this fish burger − it’s set to come off the menu at Cool Mac (and Marrickville sister cafe Kurumac) within a few weeks, as the kitchen sharpens its focus on traditional Japanese dishes. It’s a shame. This one stood out for its oversized perch patty, fried in tempura egg batter, and the bonito butter, spread thickly on the Martin’s potato rolls.

Good to know: Does a whole burger sound like a bit much? Try the signature cod roe melt instead.

34 Burton Street, Kirribilli, instagram.com/coolmaccafe

Double yellowfin tuna and swordfish belly bacon cheeseburger at Saint Peter Bar, Paddington, $38

Did you know that you can eat at Paddington restaurant Saint Peter without spending $325 per person on a lengthy tasting menu? I mean, technically it’s the Saint Peter Bar, but the food comes out of the same kitchen. In this case, you’re going to order the double yellowfin tuna and swordfish belly bacon cheeseburger to experience that Josh Niland magic. How has he turned tuna into such a convincing cheeseburger? We may never know, but we can attempt to recreate it at home – the patties are sold, frozen, from Niland’s Fish Butchery in Waterloo.

Good to know: Downed a few too many oyster shell martinis? There’s boutique accommodation upstairs (with fish soap in the bathrooms).

Saint Peter at The Grand National Hotel, 161 Underwood Street, Paddington, saintpeter.com.au

Nashville fried fish burger at Fish Fish, Penrith, $14.90

It’s crumbed, deep-fried, and coated in a hot oil sauce for a spicy Southern kick. This is Fish Fish’s take on a Nashville hot fish sandwich, loaded with tangy pickles, melted cheese and shredded lettuce. They’ve swapped the traditional tartare sauce for American ranch, slathering it on a lightly toasted, buttered sesame bun.

Good to know: Fish Fish is a contemporary fish and chip shop with a fondness for deep-frying desserts, including Oreos, Mars Bars and Dubai chocolate bars. They also make their own old-fashioned lemonade.

167 Smith Street, Penrith, fishfishpenrith.com.au

Fish burger at Tucker, Randwick and Bellevue Hill, $22

“Our fish burger is a healthy-ish homage to my husband’s love of Macca’s Filet-O-Fish,” says Samantha Kern, who has owned and operated Randwick cafe staple Tucker with husband Michael Kern for the past 20 years. Their interpretation features pan-fried Australian whiting, homemade tartare sauce (featuring “loads of fresh herbs”) and cos lettuce on a Brasserie Bread milk bun (cheddar cheese optional). “It’s been on the menu for years, customers love it,” Kern says.

Good to know: Plan ahead and pick up a take-home meal for dinner. The kitchen makes small batch meals, including soups, curries and pies, on-site each day.

30 Clovelly Road, Randwick and 98G Bellevue Road, Bellevue Hill, tuckersydney.com

Tuna smash burger at Bronte Road Fish, Waverley, $19

“Trust us: It’s as good, if not better, than a beef cheeseburger,” says Bronte Road Fish co-owner Matt Barnett. The new fish and chip shop, housed in a little cottage in Charing Cross, uses southern bluefish tuna, barbecued onion and Aleppo pepper to make the patties, which are smashed against a hotplate to achieve those deliciously crispy edges. “We melt the American cheese on top, then serve it with shredded iceberg lettuce, Westmont pickles and smoky tomato relish,” says Barnett.

Good to know: This is not your average fish and chippery. Rather, it’s somewhere to lunch with friends, sharing a bottle of wine and fish and chips in a leafy courtyard.

280-282 Bronte Road, Waverley, bronteroadfish.com

Fish burger at Ellen, Alexandria, $19

It’s the best-selling menu item at Ellen, but head chef and co-owner Dingqi “Chris” Xin doesn’t really know why. Maybe it’s the ratio, he says: “A fluffy bun, crunchy and juicy fish ... and not so big that you can’t bite into it.” Hoki fillets are rolled in fresh white breadcrumbs, twice-fried and paired with house-pickled Lebanese cucumbers, house-made tartar sauce, American cheese, cos lettuce and a horseradish mayonnaise. “This is the fish burger I always dreamt of, before I brought it to life at Ellen,” he says.

Good to know: It’s dog-friendly, and you need to order the honeycomb espresso.

153/18 Huntley Street, Alexandria, instagram.com/ellen_cafe