Restaurant Guide

Patience. You'll need it to land one of six seats at chef Jung Eun Chae's Cockatoo home, where the seasonal, medicinal, ferment-heavy Korean menu unfolds.

Chauncy only opens four lunch services each week but rest assured that any planning involved is well worth it.

You have to hand it to Ronnie Di Stasio and Mallory Wall: when they commit, they really commit.

A visit to Flower Drum will convince anyone that Cantonese cuisine is the world’s finest.

It appears that Andrew McConnell has done it again, and Melbourne has a new institution.

Perhaps it's the glowy backlighting, moody as all get-out. Or maybe it's the genuine sense of hospitality, instantly evident in the bright-eyed welcome.

Her Bar keeps feet on the ground with a swanky fit-out and a menu delivering greatest hits in the key of France.

Crisp and refreshing, with a thrillingly sour backbeat, the hot and sour shredded potato at Lagoon Dining should be awarded some kind of medal for services to Australian tastebuds.

Few restaurants achieve – and retain – icon status like Alla Wolf-Tasker's refined slice of country style.

Surprises and contrasts underpin this urbane modern Chinese restaurant from Victor Liong.

The dining room at Manzé is as breezy and charming as the service and drinks list – a short, sharp collection with a penchant for vin naturel and Mauritian rum.

A maverick bistro blessed with both an affinity for classic cookery and the confidence to know when to ditch Larousse.

When it comes to cooking seafood out west, Adam Rees is in a school of his own.

On paper, it sounds almost unworkable. But tiny Joy – a dégustation-only 10-seater – remains one of Queensland's hottest bookings.

Andrew Davies, much loved for his work at Osteria Oggi and Press Food and Wine, recently took over a cottage-style building in Stirling – and, of course, diners have followed.

Old-school, theatrical hospitality is where Omnia shines.

At Restaurant Botanic, the line between the kitchen and the surrounding Adelaide Botanic Garden is all but invisible.

It's a rare and impressive feat for a restaurant to both rock a theme and look cool doing it.

Fabian Lehmann’s tenure at Maxwell, and the German chef’s love for McLaren Vale has never been clearer.

There are few things you can rely on in life, but the stellar snacks at Magill Estate Restaurant are a constant.

Chefs momentarily down tools to welcome guests and lead them to the dining room, where views over the gum-lined creek and single estate vineyard delight.

Of course there's (very good) steak at a restaurant focused on cooking with fire, but the joys of Arkhé are in the unconventional.

Expect course after course of inimitable produce sourced from such close proximity that the map of suppliers is practically walkable.

Hubert's power to transport you to another lifetime never wanes.

The dramatic transformation that occurs as you step from hectic Lygon Street into the upholstered serenity of Kazuki's is one of Melbourne's great dining overtures.

Serai feels like instant fun – of the fire-fuelled, Filipino-flavoured kind.

The soul of The Little Rickshaw in Aldinga is Vietnamese, but the beautifully presented banquet menu roams more freely. Prepare to be surprised and delighted.

The flora-packed Newman’s Nursery grounds provide a fitting backdrop for Topiary.

Who says natural wine (bars) don’t age well?

The title of “cool new kids on the block” looks good on team Yiamas.

Old William “Aussie” McDonald had a farm: grandson Ben and his wife Sasha turned it into a verdant cellar-door restaurant worth travelling for.

Morks may no longer be the well-kept secret it was when the brothers Ratanakosol took over their parents’ restaurant back in 2013, but its relevance and fandom have not waned.

You could argue that Fico is the quintessential, box-ticking Hobart restaurant.

Van Bone exemplifies destination dining, with every mouthful as uniquely Tasmanian as the stunning coastal views.

The Tasman hotel’s signature restaurant, Peppina, lives large – in both scale and ambition.

Michael Ryan continues his journey of reinvention at his 14-year-old destination diner in gold rush country.

Where many modern meat-free restaurants exist to highlight the verisimilitude of their mock meats and faux cheeses, Patsy’s can seem almost radical in its approach.

It's hard to fathom that O.My is 10, given the level of enthusiasm the Bertoncello brothers bring to their dark-hued, city-edge diner.

A little smoke goes a long way at Brisbane's woodfired Agnes.

There’s an appropriate seafood skew at Brisbane’s top Chinese fine-diner, named after Hong Kong’s Stanley Bay.

In addition to meticulously sourced steaks at suitably heady prices, the sprawling menu provides ample opportunities to live large.

Looking for the roots of Melbourne’s current wine-bar craze? All roads lead to Embla.

The nugget of rosemary-skewered kangaroo that opens your Bentley voyage might look simple, but a bite detonates a flavour-packed core.

In a region often associated with doing the opposite, this comfortable European-style bistro nails the “underpromise and overdeliver” brief.

Even those averse to fussy fine dining can relax at RDA.

Same Same's main room provides dining drama aplenty: flames flashing, woks hissing in the central open kitchen, bustling communal tables channelling Thailand's streets through a glamorous lens.

Pilloni's crack team knows just how to celebrate Sardinia in all its glory.

Don’t let the location – in the heart of Maroochydore’s new CBD, surrounded by construction – put you off.

Eating coral trout mere kilometres from one of the world's most impressive reefs is a sensible choice.

Few spots compare to Hellenika’s terrace, with its trailing greenery, cushioned garden seats, the glitter of the hotel pool and promise of what could be Australia’s finest Greek cooking.

Mind-blowingly complex snacks launch the high-kicking, overachieving culinary performance that takes place in this moody 24-seat basement diner.

You'd be crazy to forgo the flavour-forward $75 prix fixe menu at this bastion of fair pricing, but be sure to add a turnip cake or two.

Queensland’s inland scene is finally beginning to blossom.

This pint-sized, chef-run venue isn't quite a portal to Shibuya, but it does leave the Gold Coast behind.

From its panoramic urban views to chef Mitch Orr's smoke-kissed menu, Kiln brings a fresh perspective to Sydney's dining landscape, proving hotel dining need not be rigid, dull, or overlooking the Harbour.

If Ho Jiak's neon-punctuated walls and joyously unfussy service don't transport you to a cobbled Penang laneway, a forkful of the char koay kak will.

At this Paddington bistro, Nik Hill employs classic French technique and charges the cooking with fun and theatre.

Livi’s bright dining room, in Murwillumbah’s colourful arts precinct about an hour from Byron Bay, is a celebration of textures.

Wine first. That's the philosophy in this dim but rollicking Parisian-style joint on the south side of Byron Bay.

In bringing their interpretation of a Japanese listening bar to life, Ante’s co-owners may have also inadvertently opened one of Sydney’s most exciting restaurants.

The signature restaurant at the swish new Capella Sydney nails the five-star hotel restaurant brief.

"All of it is fun, not all of it is serious," reads the preface to Such and Such's on-the-pulse drinks list. "Also, all of it yum."

Chef-owner Frank Fawkner makes fearless moves at EXP.

At Canberra's Pilot, there's boatloads of ambition at every turn.

Bar Rochford may have started as a wine bar with humble ambitions, but it has evolved into what many would call the capital's defining hangout.

Nothing appears to work too hard at this handsome 30-seater.

Details matter here in this split-level dining room, with its swish marble bar and hard-working wood-fired grill.

Don't be deceived by the name. Wildflower is a class act, but would you expect anything less from the debonair rooftop fine-diner atop COMO The Treasury?

Mi casa, su casa. And if your idea of a happy home is a sharply designed space, dialled-in waitstaff and fridges teeming with organic wine, so much the better.

Caves Road – arguably the cradle of the Margaret River wine region – is rich in history, yet also plays home to forward-thinkers aplenty.

It’s impossible to imagine Perth’s dining scene without Lulu.

When this intimate spot opened late in 2021, the natural wine and sake offering challenged some McLaren Vale locals, but the adventurous 11-course menu quickly solidified Muni as a destination.

Is it possible to improve on alt-bistro perfection?

As far as last meals go, you'd be hard pressed to go out with a more satisfying bang than Fino's Basque cheesecake and a nip of Seppeltsfield Para Vintage Tawny.

An elegant and exceptional experience, housed in a discreet corner of Sydney's inner-west suburbs.

Every restaurant seems to be "produce-driven" these days, but Neil Perry's Double Bay flagship delivers on the promise with conviction.

Even if you're well versed in Peter Gilmore's leitmotifs, his cooking at Quay always holds you in its thrall.

What keeps Pasi Petänen’s border-crossing bistro top of mind year on year?

Aalia’s signature waraq simsim could well be Sydney’s most photographed dish.

Some restaurants like to surprise. Bar Vincent prefers to delight.

Ester has remained at the forefront of Sydney dining for more than a decade. How? In large part to Mat Lindsay's career-defining snacks.

Megalong looks well on its way to cementing itself as a marquee player in Australia’s destination dining stakes.

Josh and Julie Niland’s fifth and latest venture might just be their most ambitious offering to date.

Lunch at Millbrook is saddled with considerable expectations, which only seem to build as you make the hour-long drive to this seachanger's fantasy in the Perth Hills.

Porkfat's larb tells you a lot about why this CBD newcomer is being touted as Sydney's most impressive Thai opening in several years.

It shouldn't be so surprising that the food in Promenade's Dining Room is this good.

In a city so packed with New York-style chophouses it's starting to feel like Manhattan Lite, Clam Bar's edgier riff on the genre is a welcome relief.

At $350 per head, Yoshii's Omakase might just be the most expensive of its kind in the whole country.

Exemplary service, outstanding food and the thoughtful renovation of an historic mill with Tamar River frontage have made Stillwater one of Tasmania’s best restaurants for more than 20 years.

Our team has travelled wide and far.

Whether dining à deux, or in a larger group, these are the places that draw a vibrant crowd in Sydney and Melbourne.

Quite simply, this is one of Melbourne’s best places to be: a stylish bar-cum-casual-diner livened by wood fire and fermentation, curing and smoking, spotted gum and sandstone.

Melbourne doesn’t have a brilliant track record with restaurants in cultural institutions. Hero, at Fed Square’s ACMI, bucks that trend emphatically.

Think excellent flatbread served with “lumpy” butter and pickled green tomatoes, or parsnip dumplings with caramelised onion and yoghurt.

The view? Spectacular day or night, of course. The wine list? As impressive as it is expensive.

Surprise! Perth’s most polished bar food isn’t found in a wine bar, but in a lively neighbourhood hangout in upwardly mobile Doubleview.

Just how does one classify this Italianate house of cool?

A day trip to this Instagram-ready cellar-door restaurant in the Perth Hills remains one of the west’s finest lunch dates.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more unerring celebration of Western Australia than Hearth Restaurant.

When it comes to more-is-more cooking, Frui Momento’s tightly composed plates are among the west’s best.

Space is integral to the work of this organically certified, off-grid farm – and Arimia really is best considered as a farm with a restaurant rather than vice versa.

Lulu La Delizia is a neighbourhood restaurant brimming with confidence.

This community-driven, philosophically minded Adelaide Hills restaurant plays an important role in the burgeoning natural wine scene.

The modern dining space is set against the legendary Penfolds winery and has all the trimmings of fine dining without unnecessary pomp.

The word “epicurean” gets thrown around a lot, but the owners of this regional pub live and breathe it.

Recent renovations have enhanced the effortless charm of this family-run establishment, which is also home to Ottelia Wines.

The Fino story began in Willunga more than 16 years ago and has grown to encompass their (excellent as ever) flagship restaurant at Seppeltsfield as well as this bustling CBD haunt.

There’s an instant sense of comfort about Herringbone, tucked in a calm, almost suburban city backstreet.

Energy pulsates through this New York-inspired Italian restaurant all seven days of the week.

Canberra’s appetite for contemporary Asian-inspired food seems unquenchable, with glitzy Wilma joining the ranks of established hotspots plying updates on classic Chinese dishes and familiar flavours from the rest of the continent.

Corella might be the kind of sunny wine bar/restaurant hybrid that would feel at home anywhere in the country.

Bring an open mind to this benchmark for innovative Levantine cooking. You’ll experience familiar flavours in novel ways and encounter ingredients not found elsewhere, thanks to tireless chef Adam Wolfers.

Take a seat in this light-filled, gallery-like corner room, and prepare to have your senses stimulated by Matt Blackwell’s nuanced cooking.

Surrender your credit card, this is A-list luxury.

Elska requires commitment. The simply furnished, dégustation-only venue has just 12 tables and opens three days a week.

It all comes to life on the upper level of a Paddington terrace crammed with Parisian curio.

The menu spotlights Spanish-accented hits from Gildas, patatas bravas and croquetas through to a Basque cheesecake that rules them all.

The fact that Mr Wong – a walloping 240-seater offering 70-plus dishes and 40-odd pages worth of wine – continues to fire on all cylinders is a downright masterstroke.

From the hearths in the dining rooms to the heart on the plates, Eschalot offers the kind of home-style dining experience you just can’t get at home.

Sáng’s mission is to present the breadth and depth of traditional Korean cuisine in a contemporary setting.

A laneway lift takes you up to the Dining Room and Terrace, where serious cooking with share-plate generosity awaits

From start to finish, a meal at Sixpenny – complete with beautiful ceramics, smart service and imaginative beverage pairings – is a rare and exciting treat.

How refreshing to find a new Sydney restaurant that isn’t trying too hard to be sexy or hip.

This is Dan Pepperell's kitchen, so of course there are twists on the seemingly straightforward menu.

The food is simple, honest and made to nourish.

What was initially billed as a Mediterranean fine-diner has become a far more intriguing proposition under head chef Alex Wong.

How easy is it to love Hubert? It all begins the second you step from an ordinary city street into this parallel universe heaving with life and laughter.

The menu at Cafe Paci might feel familiar at first glance, but the thrills lie in the idiosyncrasies.

Accessible only by boat or seaplane, Berowra Waters Inn is as close as you can get to dégustation dining on the water without getting wet.

Few dining rooms in Australia are as true to their name as Beach.

Pairing sublime wine with fresh produce to create a culinary sense of place.

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.

The shining jewel in Crown Sydney's dining portfolio, a'Mare promises a polished night out without the pretence.

A menu shift to more plants has only amped up the sense of exploration.

Besides the thrilling, original cooking, the most exciting thing about this modern Vietnamese-Australian restaurant is its constant evolution.

Ben Shewry recognises the expense of his world-famous 10-ish course meal and strives to honour Indigenous culture and ingredients. He succeeds, completely and beautifully.

Chef-owner Ben Willis continues to refine a menu that effortlessly drifts with the seasons.

Aurora is more than just a fabulous newcomer to the Adelaide restaurant scene – it's also a registered charity. Eat well and do good in one sitting.

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.

Sure it's a scene, but this Fortitude Valley diner is also approachable.

Brae is one of Australia's great food offerings, bringing an experience that's unforgettable, educational and unmissable.

A Hobart restaurant that embraces and interprets local produce with flair.

There's a lot more to Firedoor than just meat. Ignore the hype, trust the chef and enjoy the show.

A thoughtful experience from beginning to end, peppered with creative surprises.

Restaurant? Bakery? This carefully restored 1898 heritage-listed building is both.

Uncomplicated, unruffled, and very, very fun.

An utterly familiar menu of Italian perfection right in Melbourne's CBD.

Expect magnificent flavours to emerge from this Hobart restaurant.

If you ever think the quirkiness will overwhelm, just trust the chef and know it'll all work out for the best.

Since opening five years ago, Embla has offered one of Melbourne's quintessential dining experiences: eating at its kitchen bar.

An elegant take on progressive dining.

Fleet, the exceptional Brunswick Heads fine-diner, is getting ready to welcome diners back in January 2022.

Whether celebrating life's milestones or simply treating yourself, dining at the Drum is the ultimate expression of self-care.

A rich, multi-layered menu that draws from Lebanese, Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions, and is boosted with an arsenal of techniques.

With escape from reality at a premium, Gimlet's gorgeously renovated, high-ceilinged space is the perfect bolthole.

Forget what you know about gallery restaurants. Brisbane's GOMA is a cut above the rest.

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.

Malaysian favourites, bold takes and neon lights – expect these and more at Junda Khoo's playground.

Featuring a mysterious six-course dégustation menu that's the best thing to happen to Geelong since the Cats won the flag in 2011.

A Gold Coast diner that deftly balances the old-school and the on-trend.

Lake House provides many applause-worthy moments and deserves every ovation.

The aroma of fried curry leaves, mustard seed and cardamom lures diners to O Tama Carey's hot-to-trot Sri Lankan eatery.

For fans of new-wave French cuisine.

Victor Liong's new-style Chinese food takes its cues from the lilting elegance of Cantonese, but heads off in its own unique direction.

Set in an ultra contemporary yet cosy glass "box" on Pyrmont Bay, LuMi is unlike anything else in Sydney.

The Japanese notion of "ichigyo zammai" – doing one thing excessively well – is on vivid display at this backstreet Richmond sushi temple.

After nine years, Merivale's answer to Cantonese cuisine is still a CBD favourite.

New riverfront lodgings means Otto is an even more alluring prospect for diners keen to push the boat out.

Always bustling, but rarely raucous, this bright, buzzing place hasn't faltered for a second since opening in 2013.

This Canberra restaurant is soaring: confident, playful and polished.

Don't let the café-esque aesthetic fool you. Propeller is an operation of substance.

The elegantly refreshed Provenance has never shone brighter, promising diners a riot of colour, slow food and ceramics.

Post-lockdown, Peter Gilmore is back, and he's unveiled a new signature tasting menu that's as ingenious as ever.

Come for the tasting menu, stay for the snacks.

It would be easy for this Byron mainstay to rely purely on its good looks, but chef Jason Saxby brings genuine substance to the table.

An extensive drinks offering and clockwork service equals a leisurely dining experience at this Japanese diner.

The restaurant in Adelaide's tranquil Botanic Gardens has always been perfectly situated, and has now been injected with wild new life.

A pub, a French floral name, a modern Japanese menu. It just works.

The elevator pitch might be elegant share-style street food, but expect more.

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.

Perth is crushing hard on this fantasy of '60s Roman cool.

Surf, turf and a touch of glamour.

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.

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.

From a softly glowing shopfront on the fringe of the CBD, Templo serves Hobart's best Italian food.

Slick service, killer cocktails and the best steak in Sydney –
you'll find yourself back at The Gidley again and again.

Refreshingly modern takes on traditional dishes, Turkish wine, pretty cocktails and well-versed staff shine through at Tulum. Clever delicious.

Breezy Mediterranean plates and spectacular beachfront views, Una Más easily takes the crown for cool, casual dining in the harbour city.