Aru
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.
Hero ACMI
Melbourne doesn’t have a brilliant track record with restaurants in cultural institutions. Hero, at Fed Square’s ACMI, bucks that trend emphatically.
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Gray and Gray
Think excellent flatbread served with “lumpy” butter and pickled green tomatoes, or parsnip dumplings with caramelised onion and yoghurt.
The Corner Dairy
Surprise! Perth’s most polished bar food isn’t found in a wine bar, but in a lively neighbourhood hangout in upwardly mobile Doubleview.
Si Paradiso
Just how does one classify this Italianate house of cool?
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Millbrook
A day trip to this Instagram-ready cellar-door restaurant in the Perth Hills remains one of the west’s finest lunch dates.
Frui Momento
When it comes to more-is-more cooking, Frui Momento’s tightly composed plates are among the west’s best.
Arimia
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.
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Lulu La Delizia Italian
Lulu La Delizia is a neighbourhood restaurant brimming with confidence.
The Summertown Aristologist — CLOSED
This community-driven, philosophically minded Adelaide Hills restaurant plays an important role in the burgeoning natural wine scene.
Magill Estate Restaurant
The modern dining space is set against the legendary Penfolds winery and has all the trimmings of fine dining without unnecessary pomp.
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The Watervale Hotel
The word “epicurean” gets thrown around a lot, but the owners of this regional pub live and breathe it.
Ottelia
Recent renovations have enhanced the effortless charm of this family-run establishment, which is also home to Ottelia Wines.
Herringbone
There’s an instant sense of comfort about Herringbone, tucked in a calm, almost suburban city backstreet.
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Fugazzi
Energy pulsates through this New York-inspired Italian restaurant all seven days of the week.
Wilma
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
Corella might be the kind of sunny wine bar/restaurant hybrid that would feel at home anywhere in the country.
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Gerard’s Bistro
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.
GOMA Restaurant
Take a seat in this light-filled, gallery-like corner room, and prepare to have your senses stimulated by Matt Blackwell’s nuanced cooking.
Elska
Elska requires commitment. The simply furnished, dégustation-only venue has just 12 tables and opens three days a week.
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Porcine
It all comes to life on the upper level of a Paddington terrace crammed with Parisian curio.
Una Más
The menu spotlights Spanish-accented hits from Gildas, patatas bravas and croquetas through to a Basque cheesecake that rules them all.
Mr Wong
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.
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Eschalot
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 by Mabasa
Sáng’s mission is to present the breadth and depth of traditional Korean cuisine in a contemporary setting.
Shell House Dining Room and Terrace
A laneway lift takes you up to the Dining Room and Terrace, where serious cooking with share-plate generosity awaits
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Sixpenny
From start to finish, a meal at Sixpenny – complete with beautiful ceramics, smart service and imaginative beverage pairings – is a rare and exciting treat.
Pellegrino 2000
This is Dan Pepperell's kitchen, so of course there are twists on the seemingly straightforward menu.
Lucky Kwong
The food is simple, honest and made to nourish.
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Lana
What was initially billed as a Mediterranean fine-diner has become a far more intriguing proposition under head chef Alex Wong.
Restaurant Hubert
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.
Cafe Paci
The menu at Cafe Paci might feel familiar at first glance, but the thrills lie in the idiosyncrasies.
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Berowra Waters Inn
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.
Beach Byron Bay
Few dining rooms in Australia are as true to their name as Beach.
Gildas, a San Sebastián-inspired wine bar follow-up to Firedoor opens in Sydney
It's a tribute to the five years chef Lennox Hastie spent living and working in the Basque Country. There's Spanish wine, sherries and vermouths – served alongisde pintxos, share plates and other drinks-friendly snacks.
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Breaking: Hospitality legend Andrew McConnell to open his first interstate restaurant
Asian-inspired favourite Supernormal will open in Brisbane in late 2023.
Fire closes popular Surry Hills wine bar Poly in Sydney
The much loved Sydney wine bar will be closed until further notice.
Kabul Social delivers feel good food to Sydney CBD
The new casual restaurant is paying it forward by sharing tasty Afghan eats, creating employment for newly arrived migrants and providing meals for those facing food insecurity.
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The finalists in the Gourmet Traveller 2023 Restaurant Awards
The annual awards are back. Here's how to watch the announcement of the winners online, and a full run-down of the award finalists.
Kitchen experts reveal their must-have appliances
Head chefs, kitchen stylists and food writers weigh in.
First Look: You Beauty, a 70-seat corner bar and dining room awash in Australiana, opens in Byron
A new pub from chef Matt Stone and his partners brings great drinks and thoughtful, veg-heavy cooking to an emerging Northern Rivers hotspot.
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Cancel culture: how last-minute cancellations are hurting Australian restaurants
Following two years of lockdown trade and amid inflation and labour shortages, the hospitality industry is now facing a cancellation crisis: leaving seats empty, food wasted and restaurateurs on the edge.
Coming soon to Melbourne: March, Peter Gunn’s casual spinoff to Ides
Food by one of Victoria’s best chefs and drinks from one of Melbourne’s favourite wine lists. Ides’ new next-door neighbour is worth getting excited about.
The Patch, a family-friendly bar and restaurant, opens in Tomakin
The 226-seater is the latest in a long line of openings on New South Wales’ South Coast.
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Entrecôte’s new location is a winner
A move to Prahran has taken this Melbourne brasserie to glamorous new heights.
Meet the Melbourne man whose hot sauce shop is causing heat waves
Some like it hot. And they should be getting their fix from Mat Garthwaite’s sauce shop.
Coming soon to Byron Bay: Bar Heather, a natural wine bar with serious clout
From the co-owners behind Byron’s best new bottle shop and a chef who’s worked in some of Sydney’s best restaurants. This is an opening to put on your Northern Rivers radar.
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Sydney social enterprise Two Good takes on an ambitious new hospitality project
The enterprise, which focuses on empowering and employing women escaping trauma, has opened its own brick-and-mortar café at Yirranma Place: a new Sydney incubator for social enterprises and not-for-profits.
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Now open in Melbourne: beloved café Babajan opens a second location in the CBD
The Turkish eatery's latest spot continues the brand's new focus on takeaway – from pastries and salads to coffee and bottles of wine.
A year after it was gutted by a fire, Leonardo’s Pizza Palace is finally reopening in Melbourne
The Carlton favourite has been dearly missed. It’s celebrating its much-anticipated return with a big old pizza party this weekend.
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Acclaimed Sydney fine diner Automata is closing for good later this year
Clayton Wells' beloved Chippendale restaurant is the latest in a string of prominent restaurants to close.
Coming Soon to Melbourne: Bud of Love, an online wine store becomes a wine bar and bottle shop
What started as a lockdown side project is now graduating to IRL status. When it opens in Footscray, Bud of Love will be an intimate little wine bar, with bottles available to drink in or take away.
How the Kakadu plum industry is being shaped by Indigenous-led businesses
The Kakadu plum has been harvested by First Nations people for tens of thousands of years across northern Australia. Now the burgeoning industry is being shaped on country by people with knowledge and ownership of the prized fruit.
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Culture on the countertop
Aboriginal art on appliances? For the artists involved, this was a natural extension of what their ancestors have done for thousands of years.
Why vegetables are so expensive right now (and when we can expect prices to go down)
“I really, to be honest, cannot think of any vegetable I would say is cheap – anything that’s grown in the ground is expensive at the moment.”
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Fenton Food & Wine, a community-focused farm-to-table café and restaurant, opens in Melbourne
The meat comes from the family livestock farm and the produce comes from a plot of land the owners are learning to harvest. This neighbourhood bistro is out to prove that sustainable eating doesn’t have to be a special occasion.
Opening today: Manon, an opulent all-day brasserie for the Sydney CBD
6am croque madame? Late night steak frites? The dining room or the alfresco terrace? This opening – in one of Sydney’s marquee locations, at the base of the QVB – is one to get truly excited about.
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Cookbook of the week: Lanka Food
Learn about the diverse culture of Sri Lanka and its cuisine's foundational recipes, from the owner of Sydney's Lankan Filling Station.
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Rodd & Gunn’s new restaurant is one Brisbane’s biggest and most ambitious openings of the year so far
The Lodge Bar & Dining is in a beloved building on the busiest corner of Fortitude Valley, has a menu by one of New Zealand’s most venerated chefs and a wine list by New Zealand’s only Master Sommelier.
Two of the Melbourne wine world’s best have just opened a bottle shop in Newcastle
She’s a wine educator and the daughter of Gerald Diffey – the owner of the legendary Gerald’s Bar. He’s worked in some of Melbourne’s finest restaurants, bottle shops and wine bars. Together they own Vera, Newcastle’s most exciting new wine retailer.
Quickfire Catch-up: Toby Stansfield, a new chef for the Old Fitz
“Playing with nostalgia is really what I want to be doing … so there’ll be a shorter hands-friendly menu at the bar and then some fun, flirty stuff happening in the bistro.”
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Cookbook of the week: Yiayia Next Door
A heart-warming book about helping others and overcoming grief, packed with traditional Greek recipes.
Public Wine Shop
Part bottle shop, part bistro, Public Wine Shop has plenty to recommend it.
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Opening soon in Brisbane: Sushi Room, a luxe seafood showcase at the Calile Hotel
No prizes for guessing the focus of the latest addition to Simon Gloftis’ restaurant portfolio. Come for a sushi and a beer, or push the boat out with an 18-course omakase.
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Adam Liaw goes off-camera with his first podcast: How Taste Changed the World
The seven-part series explores the ways in which sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami tastes have influenced humans. And it features big names like Dan Barber, Fuchsia Dunlop and Yotam Ottolenghi.
Josh and Julie Niland launch Fish Butchery Delivered
Get some of the best fish in Sydney delivered, plus ready-made meals, condiments, and meal kits (including the Nilands' famous tuna cheeseburgers).
Di Stasio Carlton
Big flavours and attention to every detail make this new Italian in the neighbourhood a must-visit.
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Bennelong, Cutler & Co, Nomad and more are using their kitchens to cook for those in need – and you can join in
Gather a team of volunteers for OzHarvest’s new fundraiser and cook under the watchful eye of some of Australia’s best chefs.
First verdict: Topikós Dining Room and Bar, Sydney
Beachside Greek-ish eats dished out within a well curated dining room. Topikós will surely become a long lunch destination for many.
Connie’s, a retro Italian diner and rooftop by the Everleigh and Bar Margaux team, opens in Melbourne
The latest venue by Michael and Zara Madrusan is a celebration of Michael’s Italian upbringing. Come for alfresco spritzes, deep pan pizza, and plenty of pasta.
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Making a splash: why bottle shops are coming together with wine bars
It's a drinking hybrid we can all raise a glass to.
Reworking the classic Anzac biscuit
We take a fresh look at this old favourite that won the hearts of two nations.
Coming soon to Sydney: a Negroni aperitivo bar with food from a former sous chef at The Apollo
There are 12 Negronis on the menu and a sizeable roster of post-dinner digestivi – from Amaro Montenegro to Sorrento-style limoncello. The food line-up is all about Italian share-plates, plus free Negroni-infused salami sticks.
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Coming soon to Brisbane: Sunshine, an all-day, all-vegetarian Mediterranean restaurant from Simon Gloftis
It’s an entirely alfresco Mykonos-inspired neighbourhood buffet, with a whitewashed courtyard filled with olive trees. It’s the perfect setting for enjoying the hearty, all-veg Mediterranean fare.
Bar Rogue
Perth's favourite nouveau bistro unveils its wine bar spin-off that has eaters as well as drinkers in its sights.
First verdict: The Rover, Sydney
This old dog from the team behind Bistecca and The Gidley has picked up some new tricks, with a major spruce-up to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
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Now open: Chase Kojima mixes ramen and omakase at his fun new neon-lit diner
At night, it's a set-menu experience with ramen and snacks to try (with PS40-designed cocktails). At lunch, it's a classic ramen shop.
Parlar, a new Catalan restaurant from the Franca team, opens in Sydney’s Potts Point
Catalonia, the Spanish region that borders France, inspired the Spanish restaurant that borders Franca.
Da Orazio reopens at Bondi Beach, back where it all began
Chef Orazio D’Elia has returned to the restaurant that kickstarted his career. Classics like the pizza and porchetta are back, but the casual coastal restaurant has picked up some new tricks.
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A top Sydney chef has created an 11-course degustation with none other than KFC
A secret location, secret menu with a seasoned twist, and all profits being donated to charity. Can the iconic fast food brand be worthy of a degustation?
Italian Preserves
In Italy, safeguarding the season's harvest is a way of life. For Australia's Italian community, rituals of smoking, salting, drying and bottling are acts of connecting to the motherland.
Paski Vineria Popolare
In a city fuelled by chic wine bars, this Italian newcomer holds its own.
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Grill Americano, the latest restaurant from Chris Lucas, is now open in Melbourne’s CBD
It’s the latest in a string of openings for the renowned restaurateur. This time, it’s all about classic Italian cocktails, Tuscan bistecca and handmade pastas.
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First verdict: Aalia, Sydney
This beautiful Martin Place restaurant – by the team behind Nour – has a refined, shareable menu featuring an all-star cast of Middle Eastern dishes, ideas and flavours. It’s a new winner for Sydney’s CBD.
First verdict: Ante, Sydney
There’s an impressive menu by a former Billy Kwong and Lankan Filling Station chef. Plus, personalized sake flights and a vinyl collection that’s 2500 LPs strong. This is an opening to get jazzed about.
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One of New South Wales’ best regional restaurants is throwing a raffle for flood-relief
There are seven prize packages to win, which include vouchers for accommodation, drinking, dining and wellness. The cut-off for ticket purchase ends soon.
Now open: Matt Moran’s country pub, with a restaurant and boutique hotel to follow
The beloved chef has family ties to the small town of Rockley, and the pub’s reopening yesterday marks the first stage of his ambitious plan to revitalise the area.
The Australian hospitality industry rallies yet again, this time in support for Ukraine
Cook For Ukraine – a global food supper club, community and fundraiser – has an Australian arm, with a silent auction to raise funds for the cause. Hurry, bidding closes soon.
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The Continental Sorrento begins its long-awaited reopening this month
Following a $100 million refurbishment, the landmark Mornington Peninsula pub – with its multiple venues, new Intercontinental hotel and adjoined spa and wellness centre – is poised to become one of the biggest destinations in the region.
Some of Brisbane’s best chefs are banding together for a one-off fundraising dinner for flood-impacted farmers
The tremendous line-up of chefs is cooking at a special dinner at Gerard’s Bistro on March 30.
This Sunday: an online flood relief raffle with some great prizes
The fundraiser, organised by Sydney’s Bar Suze, has over 25 prizes – including a two-night stay at a retreat in the Byron hinterlands, original artwork, natural wine packs, coffee subscriptions, restaurant vouchers, and more.
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QT Sydney’s Gowings Bar and Grill reopens today, with a reinvigorated direction and a new menu
The evolution for the well-loved restaurant, presided over by chef Sean Connolly, is inspired by the steakhouses of New York’s Little Italy.
Kuti Shack
A beachside diner delivers top-notch pipis and a pitch-perfect coastal vibe, writes Katie Spain.
A late booker’s guide to Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2022
Plenty of great events are yet to sell out, here are our favourites.
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Supporting Sydney’s nurses: how Kylie Kwong and Addison Road Community Organisation are banding together to help
“It’s to say, we acknowledge what you’ve been through and what you’re going through now, and we really want to spoil you.”
Rickys in Noosa is bigger and better than ever
GT visits the stately Noosa stayer as it sails towards its second decade. It's in sparklingly good form.
OzHarvest is opening Refettorio, Massimo Bottura’s restaurant concept for those in need, in Sydney this month
“Food is really about sharing, it’s about gratitude and respect — there’s dignity in how you get given a plate of food.”
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Coming soon to Melbourne: a Paris-inspired bistro by Scott Pickett
From the menu through to the décor, Smith St Bistrot takes its cues from the city of light’s 1920s heyday.
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Victor Churchill, the globally renowned Sydney fine butcher, opens its first Melbourne location
The Armadale shop has all of the quality meats and special flourishes of the Sydney original, plus some Melbourne-specific tweaks.
