Bring a healthy appetite – and a sense of adventure – as you explore the multicultural suburbs of Western Sydney. You’ll discover one of the most diverse food scenes in the country, with diverse migrant communities cooking up a storm of tempting flavours and divine aromas. Here are some must-try dining destinations that are an easy train ride west of Sydney’s city centre.  

Devour delicious carbs in Cabramatta 

Delight in the delicate flavours of Vietnamese cuisine in Cabramatta, 50 minutes by train from Sydney’s city centre. Here one of Australia’s largest Vietnamese communities is fed by a swathe of restaurants offering up regional specialties from across their home country. (Note that some of these eateries don’t take credit cards, so make sure you have some cash with you to pay for your meal if asked.) 

Rub shoulders with locals at Pho Tau Bay on John Street, Cabramatta’s main thoroughfare – alongside the rice noodle pho, this no-frills restaurant offers egg and tapioca noodle options, as well as vermicelli and rice-based dishes. Head to Ha Noi Oi Restaurant for northern-style sticky rice, eel soup and steamed stuffed snails. Sit down to a sizzling seafood hotpot and savour oysters at Viet Hoa Oyster Bar and Restaurant. Or crunch your way through the crispy-skin chicken at Tan Viet Noodle House. 

Stroll through the colourful streets around the train station with a gelato with a difference – think banana and cashew nut; soursop and tamarind; or calamansi lime – from Kreamu Gelato, a scoop of black sesame or durian ice-cream from Café Nho, or the signature drink from Thu Phung N SugarCane Juice Bar, across the road from Cabramatta’s iconic Pai Lau Gate. 

Take your pick of cuisines in Parramatta 

Parramatta is the second-largest urban centre in Sydney, so it won’t come as a surprise that the historic city is home to a myriad of cuisines from around the world. Wander around the eat street along Church Street and feast on Indonesian, Filipino and Nepalese food, dig into Thai and Lao fusion dishes at the popular Holy Basil and vegan-friendly Indian at Itihaas, or take your pick of the many other tempting options lining the blocks radiating out from Parramatta River. 

Head to Parramatta Square, near the city’s heavy-rail train station, to bliss out with LilyMu’s pan-Asian fare, like XO fried rice and Inaniwa udon noodles with black beans, mushrooms and pickled ginger, or relish Ruse Bar & Brassierie’s upmarket contemporary Australian. Alternatively, follow slick cocktails at the nearby Heritage Lounge with high-end Japanese at its striking Oribu restaurant. After dinner, retire to the nearby 1920s-style rooftop bar Nick and Nora’s to enjoy the city views over a hand-crafted nightcap. 

Find more big flavours in Harris Park and Merrylands 

If you weren’t already feeling spoilt for choice of places to eat in Parramatta, two nearby suburbs may well overwhelm your senses. Make your first stop an immersion in Sydney’s Little India at Harris Park, a 10-minute walk or a two-minute train ride from central Parramatta.  

You won’t have to wander far from Harris Park station to choose from scores of authentic Indian street food dishes at Chatkazz, overlooking the train tracks. Or head one block back from the railway corridor to find the many eateries lining Wigram Street, from pan-Indian dishes at Billu’s Indian Eatery to the northern Mughlai cuisine of Ginger Indian Restaurant and the divine dosa crepes at Dosa Hut. If you have room, stop in for dessert at Jaipur Sweets, which also serves up vegetarian Jain fare, on your way back to the station.  

Alternatively, make your way to Merrylands, a 10-minute drive or a six-minute train ride from Parramatta, and scout out a burgeoning collection of central Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants near the station.  

In the mood for some amazing Afghan food? Go for a goat curry or steamed lamb-mince dumplings at Kabul House, or wash down a platter of mixed kebabs with a salty, tangy dogh yoghurt drink at Kebab Al Hojat. Savour some fine Syrian fare, such as a signature chicken dish marinated in garlic and lemon, at Al Shami. Sip a mocktail as you lap up Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes at the slick Iftar in the Mason & Main precinct. Then enjoy a taste of Persia as you pick out a dessert at Asal Sweet Patisserie or Shiraz Patisserie and Cafe.  

And then there’s all the other stops you could make on the train ride between Parramatta and central Sydney. Choose from a variety of regional Chinese cuisines as well as Thai, Malaysian, Korean and Japanese in Burwood’s Chinatown, just 16 minutes on the express from Central Station. Hop off the Parramatta-bound train to dive into Strathfield’s and Lidcombe’s Korean restaurant hubs, or stay on the train until you get to Auburn and its dizzying array of Turkish eateries.  

Dine by the river in Penrith 

Venture further west to Penrith and you can enjoy laidback riverside dining and an emerging craft brew scene at the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Work up an appetite by strolling along the Great River Walk, following the banks of the Nepean River from the Yandhai Nepean Crossing to the motorway bridge upstream. Break up the 6.6km loop with drinks at the Log Cabin, next to the Yandhai Nepean Crossing, or linger over modern Australian dishes at Sinclair’s, above the Log Cabin. Or end your river walk at The East Bank dining precinct near the motorway bridge, where you can indulge in Italian, Indian and more. 

Make your way into Penrith’s town centre for Mexican with a difference at Checho’s, where Sydney rock oysters with lime and jalapeno salsa, and wagyu Scotch fillet with chimichurri, shine in an eclectic menu. Graze on shared plates of global cuisine at nearby Mr Watkins, which transforms from café by day into a cosy restaurant/bar at night. Or salute the setting sun with a cocktail or a Lyre’s Spirit Co mocktail at Theo’s Rooftop Bar, a couple of minutes’ walk from Checho’s. 

Prefer a craft ale to a cocktail? You’ll have 24 taps to choose from at Rusty Penny Brewery in Penrith’s north – whichever pour you select, it’ll no doubt pair well with the brewery’s house-made smoky barbecue. Across the river from town, select an award-winning beers from the Mountain Culture Emu Plains Brewery bar’s 20 taps before grabbing a hearty meal from a rotating schedule of visiting food trucks.