Restaurant Reviews

REVIEW Three guys with fine-dining experience walk into a North Fitzroy pub. The punchline? A local with all its hospitality fundamentals in place, a cracker of a wine list and a menu that includes name-brand steak (Hopkins River, O’Connor) with chips and snags with barbecued onions alongside more complex dishes like superb blood pudding and […]

REVIEW Chef Dan Moss has learned a lot since moving to the Clare Valley in 2012 and opening this boutique bistro. His initial eagerness for experimenting meant dishes sometimes got confusing. But time has tempered the chef’s style and his understanding of regional ingredients has grown. So consider his locavore menu afresh, starting with haloumi, […]

REVIEW It’s no surprise that wine is the focal point here: the restaurant is surrounded by vineyards and a nearby cellar door showcases St Hugo’s collection. The multinational owner, Pernod Ricard, is also presenting the venue as a lavish extension of its prestige wine brand. An intimate dining room has been constructed within a restored […]

REVIEW Shadow by name and aesthetic, this restaurant cuts a sophisticated silhouette on Northbridge’s main artery. Clever use of light drapes the banquettes and open bar with a cocoon-like intimacy; it also accentuates the room’s industrial good looks. Chirpy service, a weighty wine offering and the freedom to drink, snack and dine makes the in-house […]

REVIEW What to choose on Rosa Mitchell’s ever-changing seasonal menu? The pasta alone can slay you – six types to pick from, perhaps rustic ravioli or a ripper Sicilian-style linguine with prawns and pistachio pesto? Antipasti? Crusty sourdough goes well with the creamy buffalo mozzarella and chopped green olive. But then there’s the grilled calamari […]

REVIEW As neighbours go, it’s hard to picture an odder couple than the State Buildings and its basement lodger Long Chim, a faux-grunge funhouse of brash music, graffiti and food. David Thompson, Australia’s culinary ambassador to Thailand, serves conventional and uncompromising street  food at this sharply styled diner that’s turned Perth dining on its head. […]

REVIEW Andrew McConnell strikes again at Ricky & Pinky, a Hong Kong-style diner inside the Builders Arms Hotel. Exposed gold pipes, pastel banquettes, and paper napkins project casual glam, and there’s a snacky, shareable menu to match. Using high-end ingredients, such as free-range meat from McConnell’s nearby Meatsmith butchery, his head chef ArChan Chan puts […]

REVIEW Project Forty Nine is a love letter to Beechworth. That’s where owners Rocco Esposito and Lisa Pidutti have a farm, make wine and own a food and wine store, also called Project Forty Nine. They’ve brought that region to this smartly converted warehouse space in Collingwood, showcasing its produce in dishes like mushroom and […]

REVIEW There’s much to admire at QT Melbourne. The parquetry ceilings in the foyer, the rooftop terrace (perfect for an apéritif), and a glass-cased book tower flanking the stairs to Pascale Bar & Grill. In a city rich with fine restaurants, Pascale’s calling cards are bold design and a Robert Marchetti menu of trendy share […]

REVIEW After wowing Melbourne with Tipo 00, chef Andreas Papadakis has opened a second restaurant right next door, proving that his prowess with Italian food extends beyond spaghettini and rigatoni. But don’t panic, there’s still pasta at Ilaria. Nettle and blue cheese gnocchi and paccheri with prawns, sorrel and perfectly pitched prawn oil are seriously […]

REVIEW There’s a relaxed swagger to Neptune, the kind you get in a place being run by people who know what they’re doing. The confidence and experience is clear the moment you step into this well-designed wine bar-bottleshop and scan the shelves: you’ll find a smart range leaning towards the natural without ignoring the classic. […]

REVIEW Check those preconceptions at the door. Sure, there are aspects of Ku De Ta Perth that recall the mothership in Bali (the waterside location, those clubby beats, Bintang for days) yet Ku De Ta’s first international spin-off is more than a giant sunlounge. The sprawling deck, for instance, serves breakfast and Italian comfort food […]

REVIEW When newly minted publican Rachael Niall reopened Wee Bar as Budburst in 2015, the neighbourhood venue fast made friends with its convivial staff, commitment to superior drinking (great wines, plus interesting spirits and beers in support) and ace French snacks (excellent charcuterie and croque-monsieur!). While this is all still true, chef Gwenael Lesle has […]

REVIEW Billie H’s proximity to fashion precinct Claremont Quarter could be hazardous to your financial health. Then again, owner Dan Goodsell’s mighty wine list at this smart-casual bar is packed with similar temptation, at least to those with a taste for bright, lively vino made by boutique  European and local vignerons. The kitchen keeps time […]

REVIEW Bare-bones dish descriptions are effective teasers for the menu at this European-inspired bistro. Sure, the stylish 30-seater run by owner-chef James Guldberg and wife, Erinn Jordan (who oversees the floor), has a steadfast local clientele. But it’s also a venue worth making a trip across town for, particularly for the bargain prix-fixe lunch. Try […]

REVIEW The transformation of this grand sandstone manor hotel atop Mount Lofty has been extensive, expensive and ambitious. And the result? Impressive – especially across all aspects of Hardy’s, its new restaurant. Former suites and a long enclosed veranda form an airy formal dining space and bar, with gorgeous views across Piccadilly Valley. Dégustations are […]

REVIEW Don’t be alarmed if you’re finding Bucci hard to resist. This well-liked Italian’s upbeat red-and-black fit-out, its lively diner buzz and slightly sunken dining space exert a powerful pull on passersby. The attraction is compounded by a pitch-perfect drink list, with its clever array of apéritifs and digestifs, and classic entrées like mussels boosted […]

REVIEW Chicken on sticks is the name of the game at Bird’s Nest, one of the country’s top yakitori bars. If curiosity gets the better of you, order the chicken hatsumoto (arteries), yagen nankotsu (cartilage) or bonjiri (tail). But if more conventional cuts seem like the safer bet, you’re not missing out. Chicken oysters have […]

REVIEW At the base of one of many modern apartment blocks dotting Brisbane’s skyline, Billykart is a welcome reminder of suburbia past. An upside-down picket fence becomes a feature wall, while trellis arches over a humming coffee machine. At breakfast, crisp potato waffles provide edge to eggs Benedict and corn fritters are enlivened by chilli. […]

REVIEW Consistent – no word sums up better the appeal of Beccofino’s blend of easy elegance, attention to detail and ability to deliver pizze, primi and secondi as good as the night, month or year before. Cheeky young waiters are attentive, alert to co-owner Paolo Biscaro’s commands. He runs the floor most nights and his […]

REVIEW This contemporary riverside venue sits on the first floor of a repurposed power station turned performance hub, and delivers much more than its nominal bar status might imply. Sure, there’s ample appeal for drinkers – the bar area floods with theatregoers at interval time and a clipped, aptly Italian-leaning wine list consistently engages. But […]

REVIEW Bacchus’s first trick was becoming a Brisbane hotel restaurant worth frequenting. Five years along, this multi-award winner has risen to far greater heights. While the luxurious design and chestnut colour palette from that late 2012 build might be showing the first signs of age, Bacchus is otherwise old-school in all the right ways. Service […]

REVIEW Fans of the Algerian chef Pierre Khodja will be thrilled to know he’s moved to town from The Flinders Hotel on the Mornington Peninsula, bringing his Turkish delight soufflé with him. It’s just one of many highlights at Camus. Diners are welcomed warmly by gracious black-clad staff and the chef beaming from his open […]

REVIEW With an elevated position and cinematic Story Bridge views, Alchemy offers some of Brisbane’s best riverfront dining. A popular spot for business lunches with nearby Eagle Street’s corporate set, by night it morphs into special-occasion territory, with experienced, amiable staff running the floor. Interiors are sophisticated, decorated in earthy and copper tones, with timber […]

Closing the door on Gastro Park, Grant King looks south for his new guiding star at The Antipodean. And, writes Pat Nourse, the results are most promising.

There’s drama in the look and on the plate at the new Kisumé, but does it all add up to good times? Michael Harden puts it through its paces.

REVIEW Hear that? That’s Bunbury buzzing about this high-paced diner. Cooking over fire might be decidedly trendy – as is the room’s bare brick, exposed timber and Edison-bulb aesthetic – but Market Eating House’s relaxed approach to hospitality is perfectly pitched for its locale. Middle Eastern flavours underscore much of the menu, so skewers of […]

REVIEW Many talented young chefs have cooked at Knee Deep, but there’s something about Baxter Newstead that marks this cellar-door restaurant as one to (re)watch. A CV that includes Noma Australia and Vue de Monde sets expectations high, and the dishes make good on that promise. Australian ingredients star, from marron enriched with a lime-sharpened brown […]

REVIEW Maha is Melbourne’s buzziest Middle Eastern restaurant: a cave-like space splashed in copper and gold that attracts celebrities and celebrating diners in equal measure. Underpinning the atmosphere is the excellent service (credit to the sommeliers for making great wine matches with labels from Chile to Israel) and Shane Delia’s modern take on Middle Eastern […]

Neil Perry’s osteria is a welcome addition to Sydney dining, delivering straight-up Italian food with plenty of sophistication.

Beechworth local Project Forty Nine brings a slice of Italy seasoned with regional Victoria to Collingwood, writes Michael Harden.

Bite for bite, Paper Bird might have the best strike rate of any restaurant to have opened in Sydney in 2017.

Are you looking for pioneering Australian fine dining in high-definition, served with low-key cool? Pat Nourse presents the case for Sixpenny.

The original Bodega line-up is back, rocking a tiny bar space in Surry Hills, writes Pat Nourse.

An Adelaide landmark has begun an exciting new chapter under Emma McCaskill.

Experience. Know-how. Old-school hospitality. The Recreation is a polished operation with a firm focus on flavour and style.

Vast new Barangaroo restaurant 12-Micron offers much to intrigue the discerning aesthete. And, writes Pat Nourse, some of it is very tasty indeed.

With a menu informed by the flavours of the Med and an unbeatable beachfront location, Captain Moonlite nails the seaside-dining brief, writes Michael Harden.

Atlas Dining transports diners to a new culinary destination every four months and pulls it off with aplomb.

Sasaki may be small, but it’s big on celebrating the traditions, culinary and otherwise of chef Yu Sasaki’s Japanese home.

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

Pino’s Vino e Cucina delivers on robust Italian flavours and a cracking drinks list with the dial set firmly to good times.

The kitchen crew ushers in a new era at Epocha with a European menu that’s big on flavour and crowd-pleasing comfort, says Michael Harden.

Precision cooking, killer wine list, polished service – all the ingredients add up to make Fred’s the hottest table in town.

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

Alessandro Pavoni’s northern beaches trattoria rolls out thoughtful dishes, a summery vibe and the best garlic bread in town.

Cirrus moves the Bentley team down to the water and into more lighthearted territory without sacrificing polish, writes Pat Nourse.

Our favourite bars in Melbourne, as seen in our 2017 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide.

Fun, flavour and sharp cooking are on the Chinese menu at the new Hong Kong-style diner at Fitzroy’s Builders Arms, says Michael Harden.

An Australian dining landmark rises from the ashes: the Stokehouse is back ready to please the crowds for at least another generation to come, writes Michael Harden.

There’s never a dull moment at ultra-glam, slightly mad Pascale, QT Melbourne’s dazzling flagship diner, writes Michael Harden.

REVIEW The Euro is a revered and versatile stalwart of the Brisbane scene. An imaginative yet unintimidating menu and relatively sober fittings are boosted by friendly, efficient service. Buckwheat risotto is typical of the clever bistro-with-a-twist dishes on offer, presented with edamame and Kalamata olives in a watercress sauce. Precisely cooked Paroo kangaroo striploin arrives […]

REVIEW The Merivale group’s homage to the French brasserie is well realised. The faithfully recreated room, which could so easily be a tired cliché, is full of energy and movement and has a lightness to match its urban surrounds. A friendly, enthusiastic floor team does a great job on the perennially busy floor. Classic dishes […]

REVIEW You can still order a schooner of Reschs with confidence, but The Four in Hand isn’t what you’d call a classic Sydney bloodhouse − its plasmas screen the netball as well as the rugby, and the look for most of the punters speaks of healthily diversified investment portfolios. And while the bar menu offers […]

REVIEW Here is a restaurant writ large in size, form and aspect – a heritage wharf building with views of harbour and bridge, the gardens of Barangaroo, a cruise ship or two, its two storeys decked in timber floors and beams, its white linen-clad tables lit by a cascade of tiny pendant lights. Flying Fish […]

REVIEW Sardinian warmth meets assured technique and an Italian-leaning wine list in this cosy South Yarra dining room. Pietro Porcu may not be in the kitchen full-time these days, but his mark is still on every meal. His farm at Yarck informs much of the menu, showcasing sweet Dorper lamb, suckling pig and kid goat. […]

REVIEW There’s romance aplenty in the Old-World grandeur of gilt-edged mirrors and stained-glass windows, and the genial Italian-accented waitstaff. Traditional Roman dishes are given a modern flourish, whether it’s lightly battered zucchini flowers yielding anchovy dotted mozzarella or saltimbocca alla Romana, elegant as it gets, the veal edged with fine prosciutto and scattered with fried […]

REVIEW Despite our extensive coastline, benchmark Australian seafood restaurants are rarer than Venus tuskfish, which puts 24-year-old Fins and its chef and proprietor Steven Snow into the fish hall of fame. Peerless seafood and constancy pervade his menu. The daily line-caught selection still comes three ways – mild chilli miso consommé, Moroccan tagine and Snow’s […]

REVIEW Tinkling chandeliers, heritage-listed surrounds, primped gardens – this Gatsby-esque Blue Mountains restaurant, set in Lilianfels Resort & Spa, might be the place that you and your great aunt agree on. Time your evening with the sunset; the colours that play out across the cliffs in Echo Point will leave you swooning. So too will […]

REVIEW Geoff Lindsay’s celebration of Vietnamese cuisine has been popular with Bayside locals since opening in 2011. The long, narrow space – exposed brick walls, light-well garden feature and polished concrete floors – is a regular hangout for wannabe yachties and young families, who graze through an extensive menu offering everything from pho five ways […]

REVIEW Regional Chinese food options have improved significantly over the past decade, yet Dainty Sichuan remains a red-chilli standard for things hot and numbing. And although the Dainty empire has expanded and diversified, its Toorak Road mothership remains a holy site for loyalists. This two-storey house of chilli and lacquered timber serves an exhaustive menu, […]

REVIEW At last count, Surry Hills had 42 trillion venues where you can peck at a nifty little salad or poke at a spicy smudge of Asian fusion on the end of a ceramic spoon. So if that’s what you’re looking for, look elsewhere. You’ll have plenty of options. It might be pretty, it might […]

REVIEW FermentAsian warrants the trip to the Barossa. The restaurant’s backstory is cute – charming owner taught to cook by husband, wins awards with elderly parents assisting in the kitchen – and the food embodies quality over quantity. Hanoi spring rolls, the only orthodox Vietnamese offering and Tuoi Do’s signature dish, are thickly wrapped and […]

REVIEW Esquire describes its adventurous dégustation approach as a commitment between kitchen and diner. Certainly, a visit to this riverside rule-breaker requires faith. Until you sit in the modernist-inspired dining room, you won’t know if you’ll be served 12 or 25 items, or be paying $90 or $150 for the privilege. Cynics could find their […]

REVIEW You can try and kid yourself by sticking to the raw and cured section of The Fish Shop’s menu, and while you’ll be rewarded with a knockout pickled octopus and white bean salad (speckled with punchy hits of dried olive), the real action is in the deep-fryer. Order a potato scallop before you even […]

REVIEW Five years after opening its doors, this spirited bar-restaurant remains Australia’s benchmark for Mexican food. Or should we say “Mexican” food? While opening chef Sam Ward made his name by championing a traditional approach, his successor Tommy Payne has put his own twist on the menu and he isn’t afraid to use poetic license […]

REVIEW For the past 18 years, any serious survey of Melbourne dining has included Ezard. In itself, that’s testament to Teage Ezard’s vision (Australian food with both eyes on Asia). That he’s now allowing head chef Jarrod Di Blasi more sway is further proof of his acuity. The food leans more to Japan than Thailand […]

REVIEW There are few Melbourne experiences more Melburnian than shouldering through the narrow doors of The European on a cold afternoon. The long, wood-lined “carriage on the Orient Express” feel of the bustling room, stocked with smart staff, a hissing coffee machine and Portuguese tarts on the curved bar has instant appeal. Same goes for […]

REVIEW “Easy” might be the best way to describe Donovans. Staff greet you like old friends on arrival at their beach house. Wines are poured with care and conviviality and there’s plenty to love by the glass. Go in the early evening. The curtains may be drawn – the reflection off the sand into the […]

REVIEW Ever wondered why friends who live in Bondi never leave? A few slices of pizza from Da Orazio might help you understand their predicament – fewer than three years after opening, it has locked itself in as one of Sydney’s top pizza joints, and probably the fanciest, too, the grey-and-white industrial fit-out attracting a […]

REVIEW Of course, they could just get by selling drinks. Dead Ringer is the second venue and the first restaurant from the good people who brought us Bulletin Place, the Sydney CBD bar that may very well be the benchmark for quality cocktails in the state. The libations here are as soigné and crisp as […]

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 […]