Sydney’s Best Set Menus Under $69

Packing in nine items, Colombo Social's set menu is an indulgent Sri Lankan feast that also provides a feast. Part of the Plate it Forward initiative, every meal you order here helps fund meals for others. On the menu you'll find beetroot bhaji, snapper ceviche, chicken curry and plenty of sambol. Price: $65 per person.

An Inner West go-to for Lebanese share plates, Emma's is the ultimate neighbourhood restaurant tucked on a corner away from Enmore Road's hustle. The generous banquet menu serves long-time favourites like Middle Eastern dips, salads, falafel and kafta, with a veggie option swapping meats for fried cauliflower. Price: $67 per person.

With a fantastic beer garden and Mexican fiesta vibe, El Loco at the Slip Inn has long been a go-to for parties and after-work drinks. The affordable set menu is packed with tuna ceviche, mushroom quesadillas and DIY fajitas, finishing with indulgent churros. $49pp, pre-order 48 hours ahead. (Also available at El Loco at Excelsior…

From the team behind Maybe Sammy comes El Primo Sanchez, a lively, Mexican-inspired bar that's quickly become one of the city's hottest bookings. The menu is made for sharing, featuring tacos, prawn sliders, kingfish ceviche and more. Price: $69 per person.

The former pub turned chic eatery is serving up a delicious six-course lunch every Friday through Sunday. Complete with stracciatella salads, lobster-stuffed pasta and a brie ice cream, this is one you'll want to put on your radar. Price: $55 per person, Friday to Sunday.

Pasta at lunchtime, that's the brief. Every Tuesday, Gowings' Midday Edit drops the week's pasta on Instagram — you don't choose, they do. One week it's rich and silky, the next bright and punchy, from $25pp, Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-3pm.

Lunch Expresso gets you the piccolo antipasto della casa plus your choice of one special main for $25pp — ask the team what's on that day. Add an aperitivo if you're thirsty and want to stretch the break. Available Tuesday to Friday, 12pm-2pm.

Giovanni Pilu brings portside Italy to Circular Quay with Pranzo Veloce, a two-course lunch built for business, client meetings or a well-earned break, for $65pp. Share focaccia pugliese or prawns alla catalana, then paccheri allo scoglio or braised lamb shoulder. Tuesday to Friday, lunchtime.

Brasserie dining in the heart of the CBD for $59pp, three courses, no deliberation. Start with cracked wheat sourdough, choose market fish with lobster butter or 220g rump cap, finished with The Charles' Russian honey cake. Monday to Friday, 12-1pm or 5-6pm, 75-minute sitting.

For a Mediterranean feast under $50, Mordeo's shared banquet is a standout: house-made focaccia, creamy stracciatella, Margherita pizza, forest mushroom risotto and char-grilled Bannockburn chicken, generous enough for long lunches and group catch-ups. The Mordeo Spread, $49pp, available in the CBD.

The Weekly Chef's Menu returns for a second season, with a new three-course menu drawn from Rick's recipes each week for eight weeks, from Copenhagen to Kerala. Twenty seats a sitting, $69pp, signed off by Rick himself. Tuesday to Thursday evenings, plus Friday lunch, from 4 August.

Jane is offering a weekend lunch Friday lunch set menu showcasing its best seasonal dishes, but you'll get things like stracciatella with fig and native pepper caramel, kangaroo tartare and lamb dumplings. Price: $65 per person, Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunch only.

The authentic Fiesta Menu at Don Pedro's Bondi starts with fresh options like raw tuna tostadas and ceviche, followed by cheese and spicy rice-stuffed jalapeño poppers. You'll also get fish tacos with charred corn and a satisfying chicken quesadilla. Price: $55 per person.

Everything at this Mexican spot is vegan, and you certainly won't miss the meat or dairy in these dishes. From guacamole to tacos, street corn to quesadillas, you'll be stuffed after this affordable feast. Price: $44 per person.

If you needed an excuse or a mid-week night out, this is it. Pino's is serving up Sicilian and Ligurian olives, wagyu roast beef, fresh pastas, and, of course, tiramisu plus a glass of wine as a mid-week special. Price: $65 per person, Tuesday to Thursday nights.

South-east Asian inspired menu with a Merivale twist, MuMu's chefs were inspired by a whirlwind trip to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong Taiwan and Vietnam. And the set lunch menu shows it: crispy eggplant, nasi goreng and charsiu chicken followed by refreshing halo halo. Price: $69 per person, Monday to Friday 12pm-3pm only.

There's multiple set menus at Sydney's best Thai restaurant for four years running, each sounding better than the last. Staples like fish cakes, spring rolls, green curry, cashew nut chicken are included in the basic, or upgrade (and still stay in budget!) to get satay, BBQ pork or choo chee prawns. Price: $43 per person.

Enjoy a two-course express menu of Tilda restaurant favourites for $59pp. Start with a ploughman's spread of A.P Bakery sourdough, buffalo ricotta and Section 28 Monforte, before blue-eye trevalla, chilli spaghetti or Lockyer Valley bavette. Monday to Friday, 12-3pm, for groups up to 7.

The Flynn serves one of Sydney CBD's best-value bottomless brunches: 1.5 hours of free-flowing spirits, beer, wine, Aperol Spritzes and margaritas, paired with a shared feast of stracciatella, mushroom arancini, salt and pepper squid and spicy vodka rigatoni. $69pp, Saturdays from 12pm.

Social Dining offers two ways to eat well for less: Fine Dine for $49 pairs a weekly changing dish with wine or a mocktail, while One Course Wonder pairs a curated course with a welcome drink for $55pp (groups of 6+). Both run weekdays, 12-3pm, in a stylish, relaxed CBD setting.