Restaurant Reviews

REVIEW A fragrant half-shoulder of lamb is brought to your table by a smiling waiter, the interior hums with instrumental Levantine music and your bill arrives in a 1980s Turkish comic book. Efendy does Turkish well, and it gets the details right. The menu starts with hot and cold meze: pastirma and hummus speckled with […]

REVIEW At the restaurant for Maxwell Wines, a new pass cut into the limestone dining room wall allows the buzz from the kitchen to filter into a previously austere dining space overlooking vineyards. Eager staff are enthusiastic about chef Fabian Lehmann’s bold flavours, with good reason. He embraces the vitality of local produce – from […]

REVIEW “You’re not going to finish that?” a waiter asks in mock horror about the fragment of fillo-framed custard with berries left on a diner’s plate. After being assured the dish was fabulous, he shrugs: “We’re a Greek restaurant, no one goes home hungry.” Elyros, from the team behind Carlton’s Epocha, is actually Cretan, hence […]

REVIEW If you want to start a fight with an Italian, strike up a conversation about spaghetti Bolognese. At this charming laneway trattoria, scores can be settled over a bowl of tagliatelle ragù – the hand-cut pasta ribbons in a lusty pork and beef sauce leave no room for debate. Not that you’ll want to […]

REVIEW There have always been plenty of reasons to go to Epocha. Housed in a beautiful terrace across from the Carlton Gardens, run by two of Melbourne’s most experienced hospitality players and sporting an atmospheric upstairs bar, an all-European wine list and trolleys for both cheese and dessert, it knows how to show you a […]

REVIEW You could say ESP goes its own way. A swirling Christopher Boots chandelier, darkly glamorous room and showcase open kitchen all swim against the tide of casualisation; so does Scott Pickett’s dégustation menu, which grows more theatrical and experimental without ever stooping to twee, or losing sight of flavour. Even the salvo of snacks […]

REVIEW There’s a sense of mystery to Etsu Izakaya. A barn door devoid of signage is all that can be seen from the road, but slide it open and an Aladdin’s cave awaits. The long, dimly lit space is moody, almost whimsical, featuring floor-to-ceiling Japanese-inspired murals, a curved timber wall blending into the ceiling and […]

REVIEW The steel-and-glass parabola studded with barrel-shaped booths, the busy helipad and art-strewn grounds mark Levantine Hill as Yarra Valley’s most aspirational vineyard restaurant. Owners Colleen and Elias Jreissati engaged chef Teage Ezard to steer the kitchen, which divides its energies between truffled mac ‘n’ cheese croquettes and slow-cooked lamb in the all-day diner, and […]

REVIEW A rural restaurant within 10 minutes of Parliament House isn’t a difficult concept for occupants of the bush capital to grasp. The farmhouse digs at Pialligo Estate offer rustic charm and the ambience is suitably refined, even if it’s at times marred by wedding-party commotion drifting from outdoor marquees. A deep cellar may be […]

REVIEW Smolt’s younger funkier sibling is all about the share. The open converted office foyer space offers multiple configurations for socialising and a festive mood, so bag some friends for best results. Start with a vibrant cocktail or let the knowledgeable bartender recommend a wine from the South American and Tasmanian selection. Small plates, like a […]

REVIEW There is no shame in popping into The Dolphin Hotel for a postwork snack and a glass of wine at the bar to help you wind down. Pizze champion the toppings without crowding them, and boast a 48-hour ferment on the dough. Or you could sneak into the wine room, which takes influence from […]

It may be a magnet for destination diners the world over but Attica circa 2016 is more firmly planted in Australia than ever.

At Momofuku Seiobo the food of Barbados has been given a new voice in the most articulate way, writes Pat Nourse, and it’s performing on song.

Another reason to head to the beach this summer: Sean’s is open for breakfast.

In this year's shuffle, 40 chefs from 16 countries swapped restaurants for one night. Here's what went down when Brazilian chef Alex Atala took over Sydney's Momofuku Seiobo.

Pontoon, the second part of St Kilda's relaunched Stokehouse Precinct, opens tomorrow. Here's what to expect.

Guillaume will serve its last soufflé at the end of this year.

The elements that make dining fine are present and correct at Eleven Bridge, the new incarnation of Neil Perry’s flagship.

On the eve of the second outing of one of the world’s stranger restaurant events, The Grand Gelinaz Shuffle, we attempt to answer some of your questions.

Our favourite cafes in Sydney, as seen in our 2017 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide.

As Neil Perry announces the sale of his Rockpool Group to the private equity-backed Urban Purveyor Group, Australia’s most recognisable chef reflects on more than three decades in the industry - and what the future might hold.

Balancing the new with the traditional, Tulum offers a turbo-charged, thoroughly modern take on Turkish food, writes Michael Harden.

Maurice Terzini’s reboot of the Dolphin Hotel is bold and playful, with fiendish attention to detail. Meet the new pub circa 2016.

Chef extraordinaire Philippe Mouchel returns with a new, finely tuned bistro delivering food of remarkable finesse, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW Legendary French chef Philippe Mouchel’s career trajectory in Melbourne may appear progressively more casual (from Bocuse to the bistro-y PM24 and Deja Vue), but the sub-title at his latest venture – “Un restaurant par Philippe Mouchel” – represents a reversal of sorts, a declaration of serious culinary intent. An early clue lies in the […]

REVIEW It’s a serious restaurant disguised in party clothes; a third-floor loft cloaking its pretensions with the frippery of a DJ, pool table and retro wallpaper. But once you’ve oohed over the vast warehouse space with arched windows looking over Smith Street, the menu reveals its surprises. A two-speed approach tacks from jazzed-up drinking food […]

REVIEW True to its name, Ôter (“remove” in French) operates in a stripped-back basement space, its central open kitchen the focal point of the room. It has, after a change of chef, also discarded some of the more fancy, sometimes annoying, modern moves of previous menus. You wouldn’t label it traditional French, given the presence […]

This restaurant is now closed.

REVIEW This likeable wine bar has been pleasing Novocastrians for a few years now, but things have stepped up in the food department with the arrival of Cory Campbell, a chef fresh from running the kitchen of the three-starred Vue de Monde in Melbourne. He has turned the bar menu on its head, the fried […]

REVIEW After winning fans at Canberra’s A Baker and cooking at Temporada, chef Adam Bantock has escaped to the country with some grand designs for regional cuisine. He’s taken to heart the concept of home-grown hospitality, transforming part of his family cottage into a 50-seat eatery. The cooking is fittingly accessible, eschewing culinary chicanery in […]

REVIEW Like the love-child of a Hamptons beach house and a Cotswolds garden manor, Bells at Killcare offers the kind of setting that demands long lunches and languorous dining experiences. A sprawling veranda and an interior of cream and blue with lots of timber frame expansive views across Bells’ manicured lawns and gardens. In true […]

REVIEW The cavernous, gorgeously restored Art Deco lobby of the Primus Hotel is an impressive setting for its signature restaurant. With an open kitchen, carpeted floors and blue and Burgundy banquettes, the dining space nails the grand hotel vibe, even if the well-meaning but slightly shaky service doesn’t. Chef Ryan Hong’s continent-hopping menu might be […]

REVIEW Schooners of Reschs, a pie-warmer, AC/DC blaring from the speakers and a pool table. The Unicorn’s new handlers, the guys from Mary’s and Porteño, aren’t out to modernise the classic Aussie pub so much as reboot it. Out go the poker machines, in comes a renovation sympathetic to the glories of the site’s timeless […]

REVIEW For decades this hallowed site was Claude’s, first French, then not French, then even less French again. Then it was something else. Now it’s St Claude’s, and if the name (and the offer of a twice-baked Gruyère soufflé) is intended as some sort of doff of the hat to the history of this two-storey […]

REVIEW Tiny drunk Japanese men. They’re everywhere: on the business cards, the menu. They make such a rich graphic statement that you almost wish there was a corresponding eatery back in Tokyo named for wasted Australian businessmen. The crowd packing the bar and tables, though, is young, hip and very Surry Hills, throwing down Salaryman […]

REVIEW No one would ever accuse Pablo Tordesillas of pulling his punches. In his days at Otto and at Brisbane favourite Ortiga, even at his most technical, flavour remained paramount. And so it is here on Hyde Park. The room and service might lean to the anodyne side of polished, and the name is the […]

REVIEW Regatta not only pokes out onto the waters of Rose Bay, it’s also culturallyofRose Bay. Boats bob gently on the swell outside the glass of the pretty, gently maritime-leaning space, just as the room rustles with pressed linen and grown women address their fathers as “Daddy”. (Well, we assume that was her father.) Damien […]

REVIEW After being given the full Merivale treatment, overhauled, opened up and with plenty of built-in patina, The Paddington is abuzz again. It serves what is essentially a pub menu, albeit one conceived by Ben Greeno, a chef whose brilliance earned Momofuku Seiobo three stars from this guide. Almost every table is laden with the […]

REVIEW Like Mario Testino working with Kate Moss, a certain magic happens when Stefano Manfredi meets flour and water. Hand-rolled pasta, be it trad ravioli (bouncy with burrata and basil) or experimental maccheroncini (earthy from kamut flour and salty with ricotta salata), is consistently excellent, and comforting (eyes on you, veal ragù). Yamba prawns, smoky […]

REVIEW Every neighbourhood needs a place like One Ford Street. Not too fancy, not too plain, it’s as welcoming and comfortable as a friend’s kitchen with an easy-to-love menu and a wine list with depth and surprises. In an annexe behind the Cricketers Arms Hotel, in an indoor-outdoor room with pickles on the shelves and […]

REVIEW “Eating elegance” encapsulates the mood of this oh-so slightly Parisienne side-street addition to the Potts Point dining scene. Poised members of an almost all-female floor team detail the plats du jour and compliment your choice of Provençal rosé. This Miss exudes Gallic tradition, executed with care over flair. The signature Pithiviers (aka pie) may […]

REVIEW Have the sandwich. There’s no arguing with slivers of pan-golden brioche bookending thin layers of smoked wagyu tongue, Gruyère and pickled green tomato. And this being a Nathan Sasi restaurant, the bread, meat and tomato are baked, cured and pickled in-house, and it wouldn’t be remiss to wonder if he hadn’t made the cheese […]

REVIEW Surry Hills swagger permeates this modern Chinese newcomer. Friendly, confident staff move through the whitewashed, two-storey space to the booming sounds of Metallica and Biggie, and tables are filled equally by the hospitality crew and the CBD crowd. The volume’s been dialled up on the menu, too. Puffed beef tendons dusted with kombu salt […]

REVIEW An apartment-block courtyard might not seem like the most soigné setting for a restaurant, but this complex is called the Casba, and you don’t have to squint too hard before the palms and pond seem simpático with a menu rich in dates and cumin. Israel is the inspiration for Michael Rantissi’s cooking both here […]

REVIEW Kensington Street bears the hallmarks of a restaurant rolled out by a chef with a lot of other restaurants. That chef is Jason Atherton, the most successful of Gordon Ramsay’s protégés, captivating diners with gleaming fit-outs, smart-casual dining and big, inclusive menus in London, Hong Kong, Manhattan and now Chippendale. Some attempts at local […]

REVIEW “DINE DRINK DANCE” reads the motto on the Harpoon Harry website, just in case the name didn’t already alert would-be customers to the fact that this probably isn’t the place to bring nonagenarian relatives or the otherwise infirm. If James Brown’s design for this glammed-up pub dining room, bold of tile and capital of […]

REVIEW What’s a restaurant like you doing in a place like this? Not to besmirch the good name of Pakenham, but the Mill is an oasis of finely tuned restaurant values in a ‘hood where pizza joints and chicken shops rule the roost. The upmarket breakfast/brunch zone goes haute at night, when a menu from […]

REVIEW It’s a Fitzroy dining landmark, but Ladro still pushes a welcome combination of tradition and surprise. A pancetta and pear bruschetta is an inspired entrée, polenta chips with Gorgonzola sauce hit all the right spots and precision-charred Black Angus scotch fillet with horseradish and  Volcanic salt is even better with triple-cooked potatoes. But Ladro’s […]

REVIEW Behind the red front door, there’s a deli brimming with cured meats, cheese and tinned seafood. You’ll be perfectly content poised at the counter here, hefty mortadella sandwich in one hand, house-canned Martini in the other; however, it’s only one of your options. Climb the stairs and you’ll find the bistro, where Allie Webb […]

REVIEW What was once Café Nice is now owned by the group that owns Ananas, the brasserie that’s currently moving from The Rocks to Darling Harbour, so pineapple lamps have been added to the bright, bold Riviera-inspired décor and the menu isn’t so strictly Provençale. Bistro classics such as buttery escargots and mussels in white […]

REVIEW Over two decades, team Boathouse has built an enviable stable of suppliers to ensure that its sourcing of seafood is second to none. Nowhere is that more obvious than in sparkling plate of rock and Pacific oysters plucked from around the country, shucked to order, set on ice, paired with impeccable mignonette, lemon, rye […]

REVIEW At Woollahra’s favourite luxed-up French canteen, the classics never fall out of fashion. Twenty years and more than a few steak frites down the track, the Thonet bentwood chairs, Michael Fitzjames mural and linen-dressed tables are as magnetic as ever, and service remains a drawcard. The signature dishes, a little more Larousse than Passard,  […]

REVIEW Is it a bar? Is it a bird? A restaurant? An aeroplane? The lighting, the volume of the ’80s pop, the focus on booze and indeed the name say bar, but the quality of the cooking, the attentive and intelligent table service  and the presence of one Analiese Gregory in the kitchen place it […]

REVIEW The Apo is settling into a pleasant groove. This heritage-listed former apothecary is as striking as ever, ancient brick walls offset by cool cement floors, moody lighting and flashes of royal blue, but the service is now pinpoint sharp. That personable touch is needed when negotiating a share-plate menu that reads like Morse code, […]

REVIEW From its neo-teahouse aesthetic to a menu marshalling ideas from across South East Asia, Mamasan is a restaurant in tune with the zeitgeist. Outdoor tables might be perfect for observing Broadbeach’s human circus, yet pride of place is by the pass, where eaters are treated to close-ups of the bustling kitchen. You can almost […]

With the opening of Saint Peter, Sydney chef Josh Niland secures his place among the nation’s finest seafood cooks.

REVIEW On a sunny day, the marquee blinds at the lakeside Terrace Restaurant roll all the way up, which can mean the odd leaf or six-legged visitor landing in your marsanne. No disaster – the smiling, attentive staff will crack a joke about cheeky swimmers before bringing a fresh glass. It’s the way the Terrace […]

REVIEW Escoffier would surely applaud Mayflower’s “classic hotel fare” – lobster bisque, chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce, chicken Kiev – just as he’d commend the plush velvet chairs and large gilt mirrors that transform this hotel basement into an elegant, welcoming dining space. White tablecloths, silver napkin rings and monogrammed aprons echo scenes at the Savoy, […]

REVIEW It might be a simple shack perched atop Port Willunga’s dramatic sandstone cliffs, but the Star of Greece offers more than just flash fish and chips against an idyllic coastal backdrop. Seafood is the core of the menu, with pan-fried calamari strips and beer-battered King George whiting fillets remaining longtime favourites. Barramundi fillet gets […]

REVIEW After negotiating lanes that wind through apple and cherry orchards, you’ll reach a simple-looking shed – inside there’s a handsome, rustic tasting room with jarrah floors and large picture windows. And the big reveal is outside: a steep vine-covered valley, flanked by several decks for dining. Beautiful in summer, the venue is equally enticing […]

REVIEW The ingredients on every one of Aløft’s dishes, Tasmanian treats spanning from woodear mushroom to koji beef, are expertly prepared and married with unexpected Asian flavours in skilful, delightful combinations. Tender sweetbreads are pitch perfect with a bright bouquet of Vietnamese herbs and fried shallot, sharpened by an intense Thai relish. Yellow fish curry […]

REVIEW Technically speaking, Post is a hotel restaurant. But when the hotel in question, Como The Treasury, is a recent Gourmet Traveller Hotel of The Year, expectations are suitably heightened. Post, thankfully, delivers. Based in the space that once housed Perth’s first general post office, this cool room of blond timber, white walls and black […]

REVIEW Meet Petition, a set of three licensed venues within the State Buildings that patrons are free to move between, beverage in hand. While drinkers will want to make camp at the prosaically named Beer Corner and Wine Bar and Merchant, diners are best served at Kitchen, an all-day diner patrolled by upbeat staff that […]

REVIEW In an old limestone building in Fremantle, Kenny McHardy is quietly yet confidently serving some of Perth’s most satisfying food. At the heart of the Manuka Woodfire Kitchen playbook: a fierce commitment to local produce and the use of a wood-fired oven to bring out the best in each ingredient. Roasted celeriac is served […]

REVIEW Assertively flavoured Thai food can be hard to find in Melbourne, which is why the arrival of David Thompson’s street-food chain, in a theatrically decorated riverfront space at Crown, has been embraced with enthusiastic gratitude. The chicken Chiang Mai larp is unapologetically fiery but it’s also balanced, nuanced and served with a side of […]

Not all is as it seems at Nora as it shifts from café to restaurant, but thanks to joyful sleight of hand and the fun factor it works.

With No 1 Bent Street, Mike McEnearney brings his grown-up, produce-driven food to the heart of the city, writes Pat Nourse.

Savoir-faire in the kitchen, savvy service and a seductive free-form take on the French label keep the offering at Ôter en pointe, writes Michael Harden.

At Mercado, Nathan Sasi and his team like to do things the hard way, putting the focus on the craft of the chef, writes Pat Nourse, and the art of flavour.

From sold-out pop-up to permanent digs, Peter Gunn’s Collingwood restaurant has landed fully formed, writes Michael Harden.

The much-anticipated Hubert delivers on the hype. Meet your new favourite fun-filled French-ish bistro-bar extraordinaire.

The new restaurant from team Acme is not a French restaurant, writes Pat Nourse, but there’s beaucoup Gallic inspiration nevertheless.

Grossi Florentino Grill bids arrivederci to tablecloths while turning up the heat on its authentic Italian cuisine, writes Michael Harden.

Potts Point favourite Yellow has boldly gone where no Sydney restaurant has gone before, writes Pat Nourse. Is this the year vegetarian food gets its due?

Aaron Turner has made a triumphant return to the restaurant world and his cooking, at Igni in Geelong, is better than ever.

Nathan Sasi's Mercado has opened in Sydney's CBD, packed with the flavours of the Mediterranean.

Wine takes centrestage at two new Melbourne bars but the finely tuned menus by no means play second fiddle, writes Michael Harden.

There’s no shortage of Heston Blumenthal’s sorcery at his historically inspired Dinner, but the package is all class, writes Michael Harden.

A poster boy for ethical food concepts, at Oakridge winery chef Matt Stone serves dishes that speak deliciously of the cause, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW An idyllic lime orchard and vineyard setting that stretches beyond the galvo pavilion’s windows and dining patio establishes an easy mood. It follows through to a relaxed yet serious regional menu, with chef Dioni Flanagan confidently pursuing exciting combinations. There’s pan-fried tommy ruff fillets on almond purée with a smoked eel crisp, for instance. […]

REVIEW The name may sound a little pretentious, yet this buzzy venue is anything but. A merging of the Cavalier Supper Club and Justin Lane has created a rambling, eclectic space, which includes a hip rooftop bar offering ocean glimpses, savvy bartenders and mist sprays to keep things super-chilled in summer. It delivers on many […]

Elvis Abrahanowicz’s new and improved rendering of the deli puts the tin in Latin and Martinis in tins. The bistro’s not bad either, writes Pat Nourse.

REVIEW Transformer. More than meets the eye. To wit: an all-vegetarian, occasionally vegan, restaurant eschewing the mock-meat roulette. This refined spin-off to the casual fun times of the 30-year-old Vegie Bar boasts a kitchen intent on creating its own oeuvre of plant-based cuisine. It’s a winner in the aesthetic stakes, the striking old factory smartly […]

REVIEW Start revving your tastebuds as you navigate the cobblestones of ACDC Lane – Pastuso will put them into overdrive, from the first cloud-like Pisco Sour to the last spiced pumpkin and sweet potato doughnut. It’s a smart (and sometimes noisy) space: the neon art, fire in the open kitchen and separate ceviche bar all […]

REVIEW Don’t read this review. It’s best to approach Nora with no expectations, eyes (and mouth) wide open. There is no menu. Diners are told there will be 12 courses and some snacks, best appreciated with Nora’s hand-picked – and sometimes hand-pickled – drinks, or try your luck with the natural wine list. The food […]

REVIEW At the beginning of your multi-course omakase meal at Kappo, a waiter will bring a tray of chopsticks, each pair a different style, and ask you to pick which you’d like to use. A similar choice of ceramic sake cup will be offered if you’ve chosen to match sake with some of the dishes […]

Anchovy has hit its stride and, writes Michael Harden, there’s promise of more exciting times ahead. Blood pudding ahoy.

REVIEW Nunam is a restaurant on the up. Renovations a year or two ago haven’t just brought a fresh décor and soft furnishings, but a new lease on life. Those that haven’t been back since the restaurant’s Nahm Thai days are in for a pleasant surprise, both in terms of aesthetics (Brighter! Sparser! More fun […]

REVIEW Malt offers a modern take on fine dining, with old-school charms like a piano player and soft lighting paired with timber tables and rustic décor. The three-storey building, once a 19th-century produce market, adds a sense of history to the dining experience. Begin with half a dozen oysters, served with a dash of apple […]

REVIEW There are half-bows to Korea – kimchi accompanies fried pork hock and stir-fried mushrooms are braised in a rich soy-based sauce – but Madame Wu mostly looks to China for inspiration. And, in the case of toasty, rice-crusted wagyu brisket, that’s no bad thing. The beef arrives scented with anise in parcels scattered with […]

REVIEW Longtime works its modern Thai brief with verve and vigour. The room is warehouse glam, nicely detailed, right down to the vintage tools strung along one brick wall, and the clusters of large globes hanging among vine tendrils from the ceiling. Among the bar snacks you’ll find a soft-shell crab bao and a fried […]

REVIEW Warning: visiting Julius may prove highly addictive. It’s not just the team’s crisp-based, wood-fired pizze, which always emerge from the wood-fired oven all puffy-edged and nicely charry. It’s also the flirty drinks list – the snappy yet smiling service – and the theatre of Italian dining in a space that skips clichés in favour […]

REVIEW The laneway location, roller-door entry, concrete floors and brick walls all scream hipster hangout – but there’s more than just cool kids at these tables. Service levels can be patchy, ranging from remote to attentive, but razor-sharp pricing and pitch-perfect provincial Chinese fare exert a powerful pull on tribes of all stripes. Note the […]

REVIEW A clean, slightly stark room and neat plywood furnishings are clues to the thinking at Three Japanese. Fussy and complicated? Not here. Instead, an assured kitchen serves food that speaks of clarity and simplicity. Start with the tsukemono plate, a varied collection of Japanese pickles that leads with stepping-stone certainty through a range of […]

REVIEW Source mixes sophistication with simplicity – that’s the impression that strikes you upon entering the restaurant’s stripped-back room. There’s a smart selection of art on the exposed-brick walls, a mix of modern Scandinavian furniture and, out the back, a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers. The staff are welcoming, as are the local […]

REVIEW Pull up to Port Phillip Estate and you’re met with a building worthy of a Bond villain. A stark rammed-earth wall with an automated door lures you in, revealing the most stunning coastal view that Red Hill has to offer: vineyard in the foreground, Phillip Island in the distance. The menu is well executed […]

REVIEW Thanks to its sun-drenched deck and chic dining room with views over grapevines, Polperro’s daytime charms are undeniable. But this Red Hill winery’s appeal as an evening destination shouldn’t be overlooked. Come nightfall, the open fire is stoked, tapered candles flicker on every table, and spotlights illuminate the ancient gums that shade the vineyard. […]

REVIEW Driving to Gembrook, you might expect home-spun country dining options until – like a mirage – The Independent appears. Suddenly, inspired Argentine food is a possibility. Hell, there’s even a small vegan menu. Housed in a refurbished garage with a kitchen garden, The Independent throws down share plates perfect for both a convivial family […]

REVIEW Candles and Edison bulbs provide an inviting glow throughout this former mill, softening its old stone and painted tin walls. Tall tables inside and out are taken by wine bar patrons, while the mismatched chairs at timber tables are reserved for diners in the rear area and mezzanine. Seed’s menu is listed from lightest […]

REVIEW Expect a warm welcome at the restored 170-year-old flour mill, where you can sit on the lawn, expansive deck or inside the three-level venue. Food is drawn from Kangaroo Island and the Fleurieu, supported by a considered South Australian wine list. Paper-thin kingfish sashimi works well with the bitter flavour and crunch of radish, […]