REVIEW A year after opening, The Summertown Aristologist has expanded beyond radiating good vibes as an on-trend hangout to place Adelaide Hills provenance at the centre of every plate. The kitchen’s hands-on commitment is serious, from making smallgoods to pulling vegetables from local plots hours before service. Robust saucisson with Hafod cheddar is a smart […]

REVIEW It’s nearly a decade since Urbane revealed its minimalist look, but the polished gallery-like setting remains crisp. So to the technique-driven dishes, now being conjured by a fresh team following the departure of Alejandro Cancino. Herbivore options have lost dazzle with the changing of the guard, but an array of intriguing snacks kick off […]

REVIEW No need to beware the Ides of March 2018, when the restaurant whipped back the curtains on the makeover it deserved. A sign of commitment to the fine-dining-with-a-difference cause, the formerly austere shopfront was anointed with sleek timber-slatted cladding and artworks injecting a hint of a retro sensibility. The more relaxed approach is another […]

REVIEW Lûmé has put its provocative adolescent past behind it, maturing into one of Melbourne’s most interesting dining experiences. Innovation remains integral to its DNA, starting with cocktails at the superbly tended bar where distilling, dehydration and carbonation come into play. It’s there in the flatteringly lit dining room that silky olive oil and mandarin […]

REVIEW There are people who, somewhere along the way, got the idea that “produce-driven” meant “boring”. Luckily, Bent Street is here to quietly explode any such ideas with blasts of flavour conjured from seasonal bounty. Blood plums provide the acid flash that animates grilled hand-pressed tofu, while vivid tomato and cardamom frame deeply flavoursome grilled […]

REVIEW This place pumps. In full flow it’s more akin to The Apollo where James Brown sweated out his hottest performances than the Apollo of the tunics and lyres. But for all the darkness, din and hustle, the attention to detail from the kitchen is splendid. Would you look at the flaky delicacy of that […]

REVIEW Remarkable views of the southern Grampians are given full cinematic treatment in the new building housing chef Robin Wickens’ flagship restaurant at the Royal Mail Hotel. Captured by floor-to-ceiling glass, the vista anchors the sense of place Wickens expresses on the plate through produce grown in the hotel’s gardens and meat raised on nearby […]

REVIEW An evening at Acme is like kicking on at your mate’s place after a big night out. There’s Drake and Cardi B on the stereo. Staff greet you like the party couldn’t start until you got there. And the best part? Your mate’s a banging cook whose combinations blow your mind. On the menu, […]

REVIEW Luxury takes many forms. While the walls of this solid, two-storey villa all but groan under the weight of owner Armando Percuoco’s collection of fine art, you get the feeling that he is personally moved just as much by the ratio of tomato, bread and oil on the bruschetta as he is by the […]

REVIEW What if the ultimate hangover cure wasn’t greasy bacon or burgers? Meet some of the most vibrant, flavour-first Chinese in the city. It’s fresh and fast and you’ll find it at a revamped pub. The menu steers clear of oil and gloppy sauces. Oversized xiao long bao are way better than they need to […]

REVIEW Nowhere is the connection between Kylie Kwong’s Chinese-Australian heritage and her understanding of place more clear than in her dishes fusing native ingredients with Cantonese cuisine. They’re no gimmick. The tartness of Davidson’s plum balances crisp-skinned duck with orange; the acid-pop of finger lime plays crucial foil to the XO sauce and lardons of […]

REVIEW Brisbane’s flagship French destination is now bigger, brighter and better. A relocation has added grandeur, without diluting Montrachet’s Old World ambience. Aged timber flooring, gilt-framed mirrors and burgundy leather banquettes are all present, but the handsome marble-topped comptoir is now bordered by a glassed-in cellar, as befits a list loaded with namesake chardonnay and […]

REVIEW The beachy jet-set fantasy conjured by the boutique likes of Halcyon House often comes undone at the table. But Paper Daisy doubles down on the magic, perfectly in tune with the blend of poolside ease and inspiration that makes this hotel such an intoxicating treat. At breakfast, pancakes are leavened with kefir, and whole-wheat […]

REVIEW There’s a frog on our table. No, our uninvited visitor isn’t on the menu, but plenty of other items from this rural restaurant’s multi-acre garden are: kipfler potatoes (roasted), heirloom tomatoes (fried), just-picked green leaves (lightly dressed with horseradish). Using local produce isn’t novel, but Alex Delly’s way with flavours and textures is deft. […]

REVIEW The city’s best ’80s playlist and fluent floor staff lend an undeniable sense of fun to this 40-seater, where supple leather booths and sculptured copper bring a sense of occasion. Ponder the premium wine list then opt for a five- or eight-course dégustation or go à la carte at lunch and weekday dinners. Chef […]

REVIEW Ishizuka brings the Tokyo vibe from the start with a bamboozling location involving unmarked entrances, buzzers and an elevator ride to the basement. There’s payoff for the navigation angst. Tomotaka Ishizuka’s serene 16-seater, its scene set with a paper-lantern room divider and textured concrete walls, offers a sublime 11-course kaiseki experience complete with thrillingly […]

REVIEW Spice Temple is the glam Chinese diner for all occasions, from yum cha to gala banquets or zodiac-themed cocktails in the bar. An upbeat playlist sets the scene in a Sino-accented space split between a refined dining room overlooking Southbank and a basement with ample mood. Menus are typically expansive but the wine card […]

REVIEW Whoa! What a piece of fish. When was the last time you saw wild barramundi on a menu? Here it’s free of the muddiness of the farmed stuff, its texture firm, a garnish of muntries and anchovyflecked grilled broccoli giving it a winning indigenous agrodolce vibe. But what’s with this shallow saucer smeared with […]

REVIEW Marion is the kind of place where a casual night out requires a week’s planning. Securing a table is the only pain you’ll have, however. There’ll be no head-scratching over the love for Andrew McConnell’s little wine bar that rose to the top of his Gertrude Street pops. Take a space with a patina […]

REVIEW Clinton McIver’s four- and eight-course dégustations are ready for their close-ups. Arriving on hand-shaped crockery, combinations like smoked duck ham curled along a length of crisp fermented carrot or slivers of shiitake and chawanmushi drifting in a sparkling broth are as good-looking as they are well balanced. Sourdough bread is a course in itself, […]

REVIEW “Dining hall” has something of an undergraduate vibe, but rare is the cafeteria that offers wallaby, let alone served cured, rolled up in pickled vine leaves with dollops of burnt-onion purée. The bones of this diner still reflect the room’s former Belgian-Beer-Café life; service is more friendly than professional, and the drinks list is […]

REVIEW Woodland House is a quiet champion of finer Melbourne dining. The service is witty and warm, and its two chefs have made a restaurant they took over from their mentor, Jacques Reymond, their own. The grey-walled dining rooms of the Victorian mansion are cosseting and contemporary. Shelves heave with decanters for a wine list […]

REVIEW There’s a hint of Alice in Wonderland about Oscillate Wildly: the narrow dining room, the black-and-white tiled floor, the sense of falling down an inner-west rabbit hole and meeting brilliant minds – from kitchen talent to front of house – along the way. Karl Firla’s dégustations are pure imagination. Creamy avocado with bergamot dressing […]

REVIEW Rockpool is the go-to for serious steakhouse action. There’s a reliable sense of occasion from the vast room’s leather-and-timber musculature and the kitchen’s wood grill that echoes the casino’s riverside fireball show in miniature. The 15-cut steak list is similarly impressive, name-dropping some of the best in beef – Blackmore, Cape Grim, Gunner – […]

Rosetta Melbourne is a restaurant in the same way that Ferrari is a car.

REVIEW Dinner and a show? You’ve come to the right place. The bling fest starts with your ascent skywards in a gilded mirror-walled elevator and it’s amplified when you disembark in the plush dining room with its wraparound triple-height glass walls, infinity pool and impressive two-storey wine cellar. Theatricality extends to both the food and […]

REVIEW At one end of the long, elegant room, a table of silks roars at a joke from the senior partner. At the other end, the arts maven and the former premier collude on the banquette at half the volume and twice the intensity. This is a place for machers who like their dining fine, […]

After winning fans with sandwiches and pop-ups, Joey Astorga puts down roots and branches out at Paperbark.

Time to open your wine cellar and grab that special bottle: we've narrowed down Sydney's best BYO restaurants.

From the city's reliable stalwarts to the contemporary takes on Chinese cuisine from up-and-coming chefs, there's a Chinese restaurant just right for you in Melbourne. Let us show you the way.

The Acme team tries its hand at Cambodian food on the former Mr Liquor site; good times, ace value and great booze follow.

Whether city or suburbs, late-night or lunchtime, Melbourne's pizza offering covers all bases. These are the best spots to find Neapolitan-style, Italo-American or something in-between.

With retro style and riffs on classics, Capitano, from the team behind Bar Liberty, isn’t your typical red-sauce joint.

A talented chef makes a convincing case that native Australian ingredients have a place within Southeast Asian tradition.

Handmade, hand-crafted and following the principle of "taste of hand", Sáng by Mabasa has an assured touch, and expands the definition of Korean dining in Sydney.

REVIEW The Fish House could coast by on the view alone: its front windows, usually open, overlook the sweep of the Gold Coast; in the distance the skyscrapers of Suerfers Paradise rise from the blue water like Emerald City. Burgers and watered-down soft drinks would make a killing. Instead, chef Damien Styles doubles down on […]

With a newly refreshed look and an updated menu, Bentley consolidates its position as the rare restaurant where wine and food meet on an equal footing.

The boys from Embla have levelled up their offering. The wine bar’s first-floor sister restaurant, Lesa, is gathering fans fast – and for good reason.

A Carlton local gets a winning revamp with the right team in the right place at the right time.

O Tama Carey finally has a permanent site to show off her own brand of Sri Lankan food, and the result is all killer, no filler.

Phil Wood's talents are front and centre at his new fine diner, Laura, part of the impressive Pt Leo Estate sculpture park, cellar door and winery on the Mornington Peninsula.