Destination dining, grand hotel openings and hot ticket events. These are the 25 restaurants, hotels and events dialling up the excitement for 2025.
From high-octane new hotel builds (hello Melbourne’s Hannah Street Hotel and Lake Como’s Edition) to cooling off the summer heat resort-style at The Sira in Lombok or Mondrian on the Gold Coast or if recreating a White Lotus dream scene is on the agenda, the ritzy new Aman Nai Lert Bangkok. These are the high-end openings we’ll be checking into this new year.
As for swish new restaurant openings to look forward to, Sydney CBD will see the Bentley Group’s cool plaza-style grill, Lucas Restaurants’ is set to open a French Bistro in Canberra, and Josh and Julie Niland are bringing supernova seafood to The Sundays boutique hotel restaurant on Hamilton Island.
1
The team behind Sydney newcomer The Eve will turn their sights on Melbourne’s inner city next, opening the 188-room Hannah Street Hotel. Expect an urban oasis with a neighbourhood bar, restaurant and rooftop bar, plus a lush poolside area.
2
Hobart will get extra decadent, delirious and delicious when Dark Mofo returns in June. Scaled back in 2024, the mid-winter festival is back in full force.
3
A new contemporary grill from The Bentley Group is headed to Sydney’s CBD. “We’ve been trying to secure the site at 11 Barrack Street ever since the closure of Seta, as we believe it has the bones to become one of Sydney’s great restaurants,” says co-owner Nick Hildebrandt. The space will house a huge 100-seat main dining room and a bar with seating for 40. Outdoor seating will spill into Barrack Street’s pedestrian zone, giving it a piazza-like feel.
4
Australia’s capital will welcome a second offering from restaurateur Chris Lucas. Hot off opening Melbourne’s Maison Bâtard and Canberra’s Mediterranean-inspired Carlotta in 2024, Lucas Restaurants’ yet-to-be-named French bistro will take over the old Botswana Butchery site mid-year.
5
Melbourne’s Conferre Group (known for cult primo pasta spot Tipo 00) will expand into Sydney with a modern Italian restaurant in Double Bay.
6
Farm-to-table dining isn’t going anywhere, but chef and farmer Simone Watts will up the stakes when she opens Barragunda Dining on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. A seed-to-service circular ethos will prevail through regeneratively reared and grown cattle, orchards, and vegetables.
7
Recharging will be the name of the game when Six Senses makes its Australian debut in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. The luxury hotel group (and IHG’s flagship brand) will restore Burnham Beeches, a heritage art deco mansion and 22-hectare estate to create a regenerative escape.
8
South Australian winery Bird In Hand is sowing new seeds in Tasmania, overseeing the hospitality offering at The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Expect a wine-tasting room, restaurant and kiosk, following in the acclaimed footsteps of Bird in Hand’s LVN Restaurant in South Australia.
9
Josh and Julie Niland are bringing their whole-fish ethos to Hamilton Island in the form of an elevated, family-friendly seafood diner. Located along Catseye Beach at new boutique hotel, The Sundays, the yet-to-be-named restaurant is set to open in April 2025.
10
In Sydney’s inner east, Jean-Paul El Tom of Baba’s Place and Sixpenny’s Daniel Puskas will join forces to explore Hungarian heritage through food. The exciting culinary collaboration is earmarked for a Randwick opening.
11
Expanding accommodation options on WA’s pristine Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), The Lodge Wadjemup will house 109 serene guest rooms. Explore white-sand bays and spy quokkas from the lighthouse-adjacent stay.
12
McLaren Vale’s Salopian Inn has had a kitchen garden since it opened in 2014, but 2025 will see it bloom into abundance, with a lush new garden that wraps around the entire venue.
13
Anyday Hospitality (Agnes, Same Same et al.) continues to up the ante in Brisbane, taking over the heritage Coal Board Building in the CBD. Phase one will see a Middle Eastern restaurant spread over an outdoor terrace, with a brasserie to follow later. Meanwhile, Agnes Bakery will move to neighbouring New Farm under a new name, Idle.
14
This year, chef Paul Wilson (ex-Geranium in Copenhagen) will arrive at Wildflower at COMO The Treasury. This comes as Perth’s State Buildings – and by extension the prestigious hotel – turns 10, setting the tone for a year of celebrations.
15
The Gold Coast will follow in the footsteps of Cannes, Ibiza, Mexico City and Seoul when it welcomes the country’s first Mondrian. Expect high-octane glamour at the two-tower hotel in Burleigh Heads.
16
Alba Hot Springs on the Mornington Peninsula is introducing accommodation. The Sanctuary comprises villas and studios, all carefully integrated into the native bushland site. Peninsula views, Aesop amenities, a complimentary minibar stocked with wines from Ten Minutes by Tractor, and a custom pillow menu will dial up the serenity.
17
Members clubs may be 2025’s most exclusive ticket. The Pillars is a new members-only club targeting tech industries (with catering by The Bentley Group) opening in Sydney’s CBD; 67 Pall Mall is a wine-focused member’s club in Melbourne; Perth’s already-opened Lawson Flats continues to garner memberships; while Soho House courts Sydney; and Singapore’s Mandala Club is expanding its footprint across Asia-Pacific.
18
The long-awaited new Sydney Fish Markets will transform the foreshore of Blackwattle Bay this year. Operators will include Luke Nguyen with Doltone Hospitality Group, Cow and the Moon gelateria, and another outpost of Ho Jiak, which will join a slate of leading fishmongers, florists and cafés at the waterfront promenade in Sydney’s Pyrmont.
19
Alpine and cold weather adventures are on the up. According to luxury travel specialists Virtuoso, affluent Australians are seeking out more cold-weather destinations to escape the rising temperatures and avoid crowds. In Europe, Norway ranked in the top five destinations on the rise for the first time. In the USA, One&Only Moonlight Basin Montana will be the luxury brand’s first alpine resort. Meanwhile, Antarctica remains a perennial bucket list destination.
20
Venturing beyond Bali is the choice of discerning travellers, who still want to explore Indonesia but go beyond the buzz. Already loved by surfers and outdoor enthusiasts, Lombok has welcomed The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa with 446 suites and 14 pool villas, fusing local furnishings with modern amenities.
21
In New York, Old Mates Pub is an expansive three-level venue, complete with a quintessential Aussie beer garden overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge – and rumoured to be backed by some A-list Aussie celebs. Featuring frosty cold ones on tap, nostalgic Aussie decor, and lively music, it’s set to be the perfect hangout for Aussies abroad and locals alike. With authentic bites, cheeky Aussie spirit, and incredible views, it’s
a true slice of Australia in NYC.
22
The White Lotus effect will have all eyes on Thailand in 2025 and there’s a raft of high-end hotels to watch. While the show is filmed at the Four Seasons Koh Samui, Bangkok is the place to be for ritzy new openings. Find tranquillity at Aman Nai Lert Bangkok or dial up the glamour at the new Ritz-Carlton Bangkok. The Standard will also open two locations, with Pattaya and Phuket both on the radar.
23
In spring the Lake Como Edition will introduce a lively new edge to Lake Como’s historic Italian luxury. Expect 145 guest rooms, two penthouse suites, a buzzing lobby bar, and a floating pool, all housed in a 19th-century building located on the western lake shore.
24
Japan continues to be a hot destination for food lovers and culture vultures alike. After an extensive refurbishment, the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo (also known as the hotel from Lost In Translation) will reopen. In Kyoto, Capella will pay homage to the town’s rich artisan heritage while bringing all the finesse and refinement the prestige brand is renowned for.
25
Luxury cruising will sail onwards and upwards, with Europe still being the destination du jour for Australian travellers according to Travel Associates. Almost half of all cruises booked for 2025 are European sailings, with the Mediterranean making up 26 per cent of total bookings, followed by Northern Europe and Scandinavia at 14 per cent.
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