NOW EXPERIENCING:The International

Read time 2 Mins

Posted 07 Jul 2025

By
David Matthews


One of the outdoor areas at the three-level venue, The International

Sydney’s CBD is having a renaissance, and The International, a stack of three venues in Martin Place, is leading the way with a polished wine bar, breezy rooftop and luxury grill.

Inside The International in Sydney's CBD
Why you goThe metro stop at the top of Martin Place means the buzz and energy around Sydney’s CBD is at an all-time high, and the food and drink options have never been better. Lines snake around the corner at the swish new Lune Croissanterie. Locally made chocolate is on the menu at a freshly opened flagship Messina. But perhaps the biggest draw is The International, a three-tiered, three-venue behemoth pitching a rooftop bar, wine bar and international-standard bar and grill. All floors run full-service restaurants – there’s yakitori up top, pizzette and pasta down the bottom, steaks and seafood in the middle – and each level also has its own distinct drinks offer, meaning flexibility is built in, whatever your thirst. Come 5:00pm, it feels like everyone in the CBD makes their way down, pulling up chairs at clothed tables, sprawling on mustard-coloured banquettes under shady umbrellas, or riding the lift to bend an elbow at The Panorama Bar as the sun goes down.
What drink to orderSuch is the scope at The International that pretty much all bases are covered. Better, then, to match the occasion. The sun’s sinking slowly and you’re craving something refreshing and spritzy? Take an outdoor table at The Wine Bar and go for a Redcurrant and Rhubarb Sbagliato, which throws native-plum apéritif into the mix along with wild redcurrant and a splash of sparkling. Looking to ramp things up before a night out? Head to the rooftop and the slushie machines are churning fresh batches of Piña Coladas, while the Jumbo Largarita, a spin on a Tommy’s with a dash of lager and a chilli-salt rim, leads the way on the cocktail menu. Stick around and the move is to snake deeper into The Wine Bar’s lounge, which takes design cues from the ’70s and ’80s. On the list? Around 250 bottles covering classics and more forward-thinking releases, many available by the carafe, plus the odd feature on distinct drops – 2022 German riesling, say.
One of many cocktails served at The International
Pizza and wine served at The International
What to eatWhat’s your flavour? If it’s things on sticks, then The Panorama Bar with a kitchen helmed by former Chaco Bar chef Kazu Matsumoto has your number. Tick the boxes on the paper menu for  pork belly finished with a char siu glaze, or crisp-edged lamb hit with harissa, or share a couple of taco shells heaped with raw tuna and roe. If you’re looking to keep things more Euro, The Wine Bar offers cured meats, Italo snacks, pasta and pizzette to share. Of those petite pizzas, the puffy-edged ricotta and hen’s-yolk version is the standout, with bitter friarielli greens bringing edge. If it’s pasta, fat prawn cannelloni with fermented chilli steals the show. We’re here for drinks, but if you want to level up, The Grill offers top-notch steaks and seafood with big-city energy.
Don’t leave withoutSeeing if you can nab a bar seat on the middle floor. The Grill is all about big-ticket dining, but there’s a couple of options for drinks worth keeping an eye on. The first is a four-seat holding bar at the entrance specialising in frozen cocktails and Champagne, while the back packs a teensy mirrored wine bar showing off the stellar list along with Madeira vintages and a signature MLC Manhattan. Ask nicely.
The striking bar at The Grill on one of the levels of The International