Sydney's Argentinian dining scene had one anchor in Surry Hills for the better part of a decade. In late 2025 a serious new player joined the map. El Corte opened at ICC Sydney on the Darling Harbour waterfront, brought a wood-fired parrilla, an Argentinian-born chef, and a menu that reads the way an Argentinian menu should read. Here is what to know before you go.
Quick answer
El Corte is at Shop 2 C08, Ground Floor, ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour, with waterfront tables. It opened in late 2025 and is led by Argentinian-born chef Juan de la Cruz. The kitchen centres on a wood-fired parrilla. Steaks range from $45 to $125, with an Express Lunch from $28 Monday to Friday. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Bookings run through the El Corte website and OpenTable.
The room and the chef
El Corte sits on the water at the front of ICC Sydney, a location that has always leaned toward big rooms, event traffic and generic menus. El Corte does not read like that. The dining room is built around the parrilla itself, with an open kitchen, timber and leather in the fitout, and a wine wall that reads Argentina first.
Chef Juan de la Cruz brings a proper Argentinian resume to the kitchen. His menu celebrates parrilla cooking, exceptional Australian beef and the traditions of eating around fire. It is not fusion. It is Argentinian food, cooked in Sydney, with Australian produce and a Sydney wine list to match.
The menu, in shape
Starters and shared plates
- Empanadas, house-made and served with chimichurri, from around $12.
- Provoleta, char-grilled provolone straight off the parrilla.
- House chimichurri to spoon over anything from the grill.
The grill
- Bife de chorizo, the Argentinian sirloin cut.
- Wagyu T-bone, a special-occasion cut for two.
- Prime Australian cuts cooked over wood, with steak prices ranging up to $125.
- Grilled vegetables from the parrilla, for the table.
Express Lunch, Monday to Friday
El Corte runs an Express Lunch offer weekdays from $28, which is one of the better-value ways to try the kitchen without committing to a full evening.
For non-red-meat diners
El Corte does not force a steakhouse-only menu. Grilled vegetables, empanadas and provoleta cheese are proper dishes in their own right and work as mains. This matters if you are a mixed group.
Wine and drinks
The wine list runs Argentinian first with Malbec front and centre, but the range is wider than that. Expect a solid Australian and European backup, and cocktails that reference Argentinian classics.
How to think about El Corte in the scene
Porteño in Surry Hills is still the anchor of Sydney's Argentinian dining, and it is a different room, a different vibe, and a different scale. El Corte is not trying to replace it. It is filling a gap: a large, comfortable Argentinian restaurant on the water, walking distance from the CBD, with lunch service that Porteño only offers on Fridays.
It is good news for the city. Two very good Argentinian restaurants in different parts of Sydney is exactly what a maturing scene should look like.
Best for
- CBD dinners without the drive to Surry Hills.
- Groups of six or more who want a shared parrilla feast.
- Weekday lunches on the waterfront.
- Pre-event dinners before ICC or Darling Harbour shows.
Bookings and price
Bookings run through the El Corte website and OpenTable. Weekend waterfront tables tend to go early. Weekday and mid-afternoon sittings are usually easier to get.
Plan for around $90 to $140 per person for a full meal with wine. A shared T-bone for two is the sweet spot for a first visit. The weekday Express Lunch from $28 is the low-commitment entry point.
Where El Corte sits in Sydney's Argentinian scene
- Porteño at Surry Hills is the anchor. Older, smaller, more intense.
- La Boca Bar & Grill at Mascot is the long-running Stamford Plaza Argentinian option, with an all-you-can-eat asado.
- WyNo x Bodega, next door to Porteño, is the wine-bar and tapas cousin.
- Achura Meat Market in Brookvale is the butcher for cooking asado at home.
For the full picture, see our 2026 guide to Sydney's Argentinian restaurants and the Sydney Argentinian food map.
The at-home complement
If you love El Corte, you will want empanadas at home too. Argentum delivers Sydney-wide from our Bondi kitchen. Five flavours frozen, or catering for events. The at-home complement to Sydney's Argentinian restaurant scene.
Start with the Carnivore or the Classic, or the Patagonia vegan.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is El Corte in Sydney?
- El Corte is at Shop 2 C08, Ground Floor, ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour, with waterfront tables. It is a short walk from the CBD.
- When did El Corte open?
- El Corte opened in late 2025, making it one of the newest Argentinian restaurants in Sydney.
- Who is the chef at El Corte?
- Argentinian-born chef Juan de la Cruz leads the kitchen. The menu is built around wood-fired parrilla cooking with Australian beef.
- How much is a steak at El Corte?
- Parrilla-grilled steaks range from $45 to $125. Plan for around $90 to $140 per person for a full meal with wine, or try the weekday Express Lunch from $28.
- Does El Corte serve empanadas?
- Yes, house-made empanadas are on the starter menu (from around $12), alongside provoleta and chimichurri. For empanadas to eat at home, Argentum Empanadas delivers Sydney-wide from our Bondi kitchen.
- How does El Corte compare to Porteño?
- They are different rooms with different strengths. Porteño is smaller, older, in Surry Hills, and famous for its whole-animal asado. El Corte is larger, newer, on the Darling Harbour waterfront, with lunch and dinner every day and easier bookings for larger groups.
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