The food is only part of the appeal; the lively crush of bodies yelling for picks from one of the edgiest wine lists in town gives the place permanent buzz.
The game plan here has always been top-dollar cosseting, and with a splendid wine list and largely accommodating service to match, that's what you get.
A crisp Negroni Blanc on the patio is a refreshing way to ease into the four-course offering at this Barossa favourite – especially when the weather is fine.
Changing cuisine every four months could lead to gimmickry. Not so at Atlas where Charlie Carrington's approach – a focus on essence over tradition – keeps things fresh and exciting.
The dining revolution will not be televised. Mindful eaters need to drive down an unsealed road in Margaret River scrub to see (and taste) it for themselves.
This large gorgeous restaurant atop the former Newport Arms owes more than a dash of its sunny elegance and Med-luxe vibe to Merivale's Paddington flagship.
Bar Lourinhã's emphatic 15-year influence on Melbourne's dining scene DNA has it nudging institution status, even if its fresh, modern energy makes that label seem odd.
James Viles takes Mother Nature seriously. At Biota Dining, the kitchen and the environment are closely connected, with a focus on locally gathered and grown produce.
A string of bright young things may have recently arrived on the southside dining scene, but the prized tables at France-Soir are as hotly contested as ever.
Think of Fratelli Paradiso as a stage, its diners and staff all actors working together daily to produce a play dedicated to the joys of a peculiarly inner-city brand of Sydney-Italianness.
It's the professionalism of the service, honed over a lifetime, and the opulent setting of 85-year-old murals and chandeliers, that makes Florentino something special.
This agrarian fantasy is manifested in the diminutive town of Gundaroo, where comforting dishes are constructed under the historic tin roof of the 1865 Royal Hotel.
Nature and vineyards surround the atrium dining space at this Barossa Valley winery restaurant, where everything is inspired by Mother Nature's bounty.
The menu at Liberté includes nods to owner Amy Hamilton’s French training (comforting steak frites, chicken liver parfait), much of the cooking is notable for its effortless use of Vietnamese flavours.
Can anything be less Spanish than 6pm dinner? The popularity of this tapas bar means that may be the only sitting you get unless you're a forward-planning booker.
It could be one of the darkest dining rooms in town, but nine years in the ideas on the plate and in the glass at Monopole are brighter and sharper than ever.
How does a kitchen compete with the finest ocean views on Australia’s east coast? An impressive raft of inventive, meticulously finessed share dishes, that's how.
Restaurant Hubert has always been a good time, but in a post-lockdown world the underground bistro fizzes with excitement, sparked by diners desperate for a little escapism.
At Sáng, spicy, sweet and fermented flavours are combined with truckloads of texture and a refined touch, expanding the definition of Korean dining in Australia.
Khanh Nguyen, Melbourne's latest chef hero, deftly mixes a grab-bag of Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese traditions with native ingredients to deliver something shockingly new.
You don't need to particularly like seafood to enjoy Josh Niland's cooking, such is his ability to transform all manner of fish bits into flavoursome bites.
Underlined by the laidback service and the single seating policy, Tedesca Osteria has a dinner at a friend's place vibe. With faultless attention to detail, it's a must.
Yes, The Agrarian Kitchen cooking school has a restaurant spin-off - and you can find it in the Instagram-friendly surrounds of the former New Norfolk asylum.
Vue de Monde impresses not just with the views that come with its lofty 55th-floor perch, but for holding its position in Melbourne's premier restaurant league for so long.
Rolling vineyards before you. A thoroughly modern cellar door around you. In your glass, wine from one of the region’s rising stars: life in this scenic corner of Margaret River ain’t half bad.