A sassy laneway restaurant brings the magic of modern Peruvian cuisine to Melburnians, writes Michael Harden.

Chef Luke Powell has trained his exacting skills on platters of wood-fired goodness at LP’s Quality Meats, writes Pat Nourse. Bring a posse.

Named for his favourite children’s author, Ryan Flaherty’s new restaurant, Mister Jennings, mixes nostalgia and fun, writes Michael Harden.

Guillaume Brahimi’s move from the Opera House hasn’t taken the wind out of his sails and his clientele have much to sing about, writes Pat Nourse.

REVIEW Dining at this McLaren Vale restaurant can take longer than expected, but it’s not that service is tardy – quite the opposite. Approachable waitstaff, led by Sarah Hollway, pay close attention to detail. It’s the 230-plus gins and rich wine offering that can cause delays. Fortunately if you linger too long in the cellar, […]

REVIEW Maximilian’s shares lodge-like hilltop premises – and a happy symbiotic relationship – with the reputable Sidewood Estate cellar door. Fittingly, the menu has Sidewood shiraz in the jus of the carefully cooked Coonawarra sirloin, which feels like something north-side from Game of Thrones. The meat is grilled and served with charred cos, a purée […]

A humble McLaren Vale gem.

REVIEW “This restaurant is very Italian,” says our very Italian waiter. So Italian, in fact, that she accidentally announces the price of one of the dishes in euros. It all adds to the charm of this offshoot of star chef Alessandro Pavoni’s more formal Ormeggio. Via Alta means “high street” (check the address), and here […]

REVIEW “Sagra” is Italian for festival, and owner-chef Nigel Ward ensures that every day is a celebration of flavour. An easy-going atmosphere encourages grazing, and the kitchen puts its focus on carefully sourced produce rather than overwrought technique. Surrender to zucchini flowers stuffed with grated zucchini, pecorino, mint and honey. Or, better still, fresh figs, […]

REVIEW It’s right on the water, it’s infectious fun, and it serves top-notch food and drinks. What’s not to like? Attention to detail can waver (you might want to bring your own packet of Wet Ones, for instance), and it may be a little too casual for real comfort in some areas, but the boisterous […]

REVIEW You’d swear the owners of One Penny Red opened a restaurant just so they could put a wine list together. Ask a question about an organic or biodynamic bottle on their 16-page list and an owner will sprint out and convince you to spend double what you’d planned to drop in a restaurant that […]

REVIEW Club sandwiches. Hushed, clubby surrounds. Mature waiters. Tablecloths. Monster isn’t having a bar of it. This is an entirely new kind of lobby restaurant. Just as Hotel Hotel celebrates Canberra at its most creative, with wild design and a vigorous engagement with the arts scene, Monster puts a spotlight on the region’s produce. Three […]

REVIEW This is the local Italian that you wish was around the corner – buzzy, fast and fun. We’re here for the pizza. It’s good. Very good. Thin, blistered crust, classic Neapolitan style judiciously topped with quality ingredients. The Diavola, for example, eschews the standard sliced salami for splashes of hot ‘nduja floating on tomato […]

REVIEW Even if you don’t book a seaplane, or arrive by yacht, the trek needed to reach this secluded Hawkesbury River boatshed turned historic restaurant reaps unexpected rewards. Where else can one savour pitch-perfect entrées such as figs served with burrata and pea juice, or Moreton Bay bugs napped with lemon hollandaise, under the gaze […]

REVIEW The words “charcoal chicken, sesame yoghurt” don’t really scream izakaya, but this is Cho Cho San, that charcoal is binchotan and the chicken in question – flesh juicy, skin crackled – is rounded out with pickled ginger and splashes of soy. Sit at the concrete bar with a mix of inner-city types and locals, […]

REVIEW There are few more magical approaches to a restaurant in Australia than the short, sweet ride across the Hawkesbury to berth at this river-locked landmark. As the water laps and sucks at the stones beneath the louvred windows running the length of the long, airy room, diners poke and prod at the small arrangements […]

REVIEW Alpha is a modern sort of Greek restaurant, make no mistake, but the Hellenic references in the look (not least the formidable fresco-andcolumns touches) make it very clear which end of the Med you’re visiting. Though staff stumble a little, the greetings are warm and there’s cheer  when hot pita and taramasalata hit the […]

REVIEW Quirky Moga is the Japanese version of the neighbourhood bistro everyone wants to find at the end of their street. There’s a sushi conveyor in a wood-panelled backroom with posters of 1920s moga (modern girls), but the garden terrace, with paper lanterns and timber screens, is an even more congenial spot to raise a […]

REVIEW Pork cheek pressé, duck rillettes, duck ballotine and a chunky rustic pork terrine – all presented simply with buttery house brioche, croûtons, cornichons and fig chutney for an entrée. Add in a glass of Provençal rosé, say, or a bottle from Alsace-born chef Romain Bapst’s homeland (the French-leaning list fields a strong selection of […]

REVIEW Zanzibar might not possess a panoramic view of the relaxed coastal town of Merimbula, but diners feel the breezy vibe nonetheless. It could come courtesy of pristine local ingredients, many of them plucked from nearby waters, or simply via the charm of hostess Renée Loftus. On the plate, though, it’s more about big-city polish, […]

REVIEW There’s a touch of garden-shed chic about Tomah Gardens restaurant, but that’s half the charm of a rustic space that’s furnished with upcycled tables and chairs and a pot-bellied fireplace. It’s comfortable, which is just as well, because after the drive you’ll want to settle in and enjoy the view and a menu of […]

REVIEW There are admirable people who embrace farm-to-fork dining to reduce the emissions created by transporting foodstuffs. Chef Andy Crestani adopts farm-to-fork principles to ensure his dishes are fresher, more nutritious and infinitely more flavoursome. Conveniently, much of his produce comes from the Robert Stein vineyard estate on which the restaurant sits. Old World pigs […]

REVIEW Take a seat on the covered outdoor balcony or in the Eastern-inspired dining room and enjoy the cooling sea breeze, perhaps with a chilled glass of sake or a spice-friendly wine from a succinct, well-considered list. You may need a refreshing beverage or two, as Spice Bar lives up to its name. It specialises […]

REVIEW Don’t let the laid-back vibe of this coastal restaurant fool you. It delivers great food, a compelling wine list offering drops from Australia and beyond as well as outstanding service from switched-on, likeable staff. A table on the footpath captures sea breezes, while inside, the open kitchen and bearded bartenders shaking cocktails create buzz […]

REVIEW There’s lots going on at Saint Crispin. The interior is straightforward – the timber-floored room has dark tones, brass finishes and a glossy bar – but the kitchen works hard for its money. Its menu, by executive chef Scott Pickett, includes multiple-course options, plus “little bites” such as Moonlight Flat oysters or pork scratchings […]

Still packing the house after almost 20 years, it’s not so much longevity for which Il Bàcaro should be commended, writes Michael Harden, but more its unfailing class.

REVIEW Locally sourced goat, storied wines from a cellar that holds up to 30,000 bottles, and a kitchen plot bigger than most market gardens. This is the culinary toybox available to chef Robin Wickens. There can be few shorter distances from paddock to plate than at this upmarket country pub in Victoria’s pastoral Western District. […]

REVIEW With a graphic-design degree tucked up the sleeve of his chef’s whites, Julian Hills brings an artist’s sensibility to the kitchen, balancing flavours, texture and pops of colour. And thanks to a smart revamp, Paringa’s interiors now match that contemporary aesthetic. Rich timbers, a black leather banquette and charcoal carpet bring a fresh level […]

REVIEW Hotel restaurants must cater to all tastes and often the result is a menu that neither offends nor delights. The Argus is not such a restaurant, yet it offers the pluses of 1930s hotel dining – the grand entrance, the sense of occasion. Chef David Willcocks reboots expectations from the get-go with a raw […]

REVIEW In a town where reliable beachside eats are still thin on the sand, this bustling multi-tasker manages to do everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner to all-day coffee and wine. Like the airy yellow-splashed interior, the menu is fresh, fun and unashamedly Italian in spirit. Bowls of clams strewn with prosciutto lardons and garlic […]

REVIEW Chicken pâté sushi. It’s not exactly textbook Japanese cooking, doubly so when deep-fried and accented with spicy moro miso. But that’s precisely the kind of open-mindedness that defines Miki’s Open Kitchen, a dedicated – yet decidedly relaxed – tempura restaurant in the wine and surfie hamlet of Margaret River. Tempura parcels of nori-wrapped garfish […]

Monster has the requisite wow-factor but, more than that, it has charm and ambition matched only by its performance, writes Pat Nourse.