People have 2 common misconceptions. 1) a Personal Concierge is expensive. 2) eating and drinking out in Sydney is expensive. Concierge Connections is here to prove you wrong on both accounts.

Of course, Sydney can be an expensive city, whether it’s for restaurants, bars or pubs. You’ve all read the stories about how it’s rated number seven in the world (higher than London and New York, Economist Intelligence Unit 2012) for living expenses. For tourists it is even worse according to The TripAdvisor TripIndex 2013; Sydney is ranked number six in the world (again, higher than London and New York). But this is not the full story, we are here to fill in the gaps.

A gourmet weekend in Sydney for under $200!

Friday

Most people coming to Sydney for a weekend will land Friday night or Saturday morning. This is the first rookie mistake, as the best $45 you will ever spend on food is unfortunately only available for Friday lunch. Marque, the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2012 Restaurant of the Year located in Surry Hills, offers a prix fixe 3-course lunch for just $45. Actually, they say three courses, but I found it to be more like five, what with the amuse bouche and surprise dessert! Wine will of course add to the bill quite quickly if you are not careful and they do charge $5 now for their water, but it is still amazing value for money. For more details, see:

Hopefully you had an early lunch, so that you still have room for a lavish 4-course dinner at The Dining Room (The Park Hyatt at Circular Quay). Normally it costs $117 per person, but if you book through Concierge Connections it is just $69 each. This includes amuse bouche, options for your entrée, main and desert plus petit fours and tea or coffee. This is steal, especially when you consider that it also includes complimentary valet parking which is normally $45 alone. And did we mention the harbour views are stunning! The hotel itself was listed on the Condé Nast Traveler 2013 Hot List after a $70m refurbishment last year. For more details, see:http://sydney.park.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

Saturday

After all that delicious food yesterday, what better way to set yourself up for more gourmet goodness tonight, than a walk from Coogee to Bondi Beach. In summer, I would allow at least four hours to give you time for a snorkel at Clovelly, the best place to snorkel this side of the Great Barrier Reef, before continuing the walk. In winter, you will find two hours plenty of time to allow time for photo stops and water breaks. Of course, if you go in October/November (24/10-10/11/13), you can incorporate the brilliant Sculpture by the Sea, although you will need to allow at least three hours due to the crowds.

The Owl House is one of my favourite secrets in Sydney. It is located in Darlinghurst, at the Kings Cross end. Until 6pm, they have a selection of bargain $10 cocktails. After drinks, I recommend that you try their 5-course tasting dinner. Normally it is $69 per person, but if you book through Concierge Connections it is only $49 each. For more details, see: http://www.theowlhouse.com.au

Sunday

If you are in Sydney the first Sunday of the month, you should head to LL Wine & Dine for their all-you-can-eat Yum Cha for just $30 from 12-4pm. If you go on the second, third of fourth Sunday of the month, you can still enjoy $10 Tsing Tao long necks, $25 cocktail jugs and live music, but the yum cha is a la carte (prices start at $5). It’s located near Kings Cross station, so you can easily catch the train from here to the airport for your journey home. For more details, see: http://www.llwineanddine.com.au

Please note, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We have plenty more ideas where these came from. If you liked this article, you will love our complimentary ebook, which is due out later this month. It will be our guide to Sydney’s best food and drink promotions.

Please note, all reservations are subject to availability.