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Eleven Bridge, Sydney review

Eleven Bridge, Sydney review

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

Neil Perry: My plans for the Rockpool Group

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.
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Tulum, Melbourne review

Tulum, Melbourne review

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

The Dolphin, Sydney review

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

Philippe, Melbourne review

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

Philippe

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 […]
Panama Dining Room

Panama Dining Room

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 […]
Ôter

Ôter

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 […]
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Reserve Wine Bar

Reserve Wine Bar

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 […]
Clementine

Clementine

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 […]
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Bells at Killcare

Bells at Killcare

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 […]
The Wilmot

The Wilmot

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 […]
The Unicorn Hotel

The Unicorn Hotel

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 […]
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St Claude's

St Claude’s

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 […]
Salaryman

Salaryman

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 […]
The Resident

The Resident

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 […]
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Regatta

Regatta

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 […]
The Paddington

The Paddington

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 […]
Osteria Balla Manfredi

Osteria Balla Manfredi

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 […]
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One Ford Street

One Ford Street

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 […]
Missy French

Missy French

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 […]
Mercado

Mercado

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 […]
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Master

Master

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 […]
Kepos & Co

Kepos & Co

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 […]
Kensington Street Social

Kensington Street Social

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 […]
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Harpoon Harry

Harpoon Harry

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 […]
The Lakeside Mill

The Lakeside Mill

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 […]
Ladro

Ladro

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 […]
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Continental

Continental

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 […]

Café Ananas

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 […]
The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay

The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay

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 […]
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Bistro Moncur

Bistro Moncur

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,  […]
Bar Brosé

Bar Brosé

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 […]
The Apo

The Apo

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, […]
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Mamasan

Mamasan

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 […]
Terrace Restaurant

Terrace Restaurant

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 […]
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Mayflower Restaurant & Bar

Mayflower Restaurant & Bar

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, […]
Star of Greece

Star of Greece

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 […]
Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard

Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard

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 […]
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Aløft

Aløft

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 […]
Post

Post

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 […]
Petition Kitchen

Petition Kitchen

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 […]
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Manuka Woodfire Kitchen

Manuka Woodfire Kitchen

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 […]
Long Chim

Long Chim

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 […]
Nora, Melbourne Review

Nora, Melbourne Review

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.
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Restaurant Ôter, Melbourne Review

Restaurant Ôter, Melbourne Review

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.
Mercado, Sydney Review

Mercado, Sydney Review

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.
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Ides, Melbourne Review

Ides, Melbourne Review

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

Bar Brosé, Sydney Review

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

Yellow, Sydney Review

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?
Igni, Melbourne Review

Igni, Melbourne Review

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

Mercado, Sydney

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

Oakridge restaurant review

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

The Currant Shed

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. […]
Justin Lane Establishment

Justin Lane Establishment

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 […]
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Transformer

Transformer

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 […]
Pastuso

Pastuso

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 […]
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Nora

Nora

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 […]
Kappo

Kappo

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 […]
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Nunam

Nunam

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 […]
Malt Dining

Malt Dining

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 […]
Madame Wu

Madame Wu

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 […]
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Longtime

Longtime

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 […]
Julius Pizzeria

Julius Pizzeria

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 […]
Happy Boy

Happy Boy

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 […]
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Three Japanese

Three Japanese

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 […]
Source Dining

Source Dining

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 […]
Port Phillip Estate

Port Phillip Estate

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 […]
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Polperro Bistro

Polperro Bistro

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. […]
The Independent

The Independent

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 […]
Seed Winehouse Kitchen

Seed Winehouse Kitchen

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 […]
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Leonards Mill

Leonards Mill

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, […]
Noosa Beach House

Noosa Beach House

REVIEW Cossetted away from the Hastings Street crowds, just above the street-level bar in the Sheraton complex, Noosa Beach House has all the trappings of a superior resort hotel – cluey, courteous staff, soaring white interiors, pared-back timber furnishings and a wine list that holds its own. And then there’s the drawcard of chef Peter […]
Kiyomi

Kiyomi

REVIEW The contented diners vying for tempura-battered Moreton Bay bugs and juicy chicken thighs with yuzu honey and slivers of radish may have stumbled up from the casino below. But, truth be told, most are here expressly to dine at Kiyomi. The buzzy venture, sibling to Sydney’s Sokyo, is headed by Nobu alumnus Chase Kojima. […]
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The Gantry

The Gantry

REVIEW “Ingredient – dash – ingredient.” For some reason, this style of menuwriting often goes hand-in-glove with a particular school of cooking where the natural tastes and textures of said ingredients are subjugated to whichever fiddly technique happens to fascinate the kitchen at a given moment. Maybe all that dehydrating, puréeing and cooking things for […]
Pei Modern

Pei Modern

REVIEW Behold, a hotel restaurant that cares. From the house-baked sourdough to the understated interior, the whole package at the Sydney branch of Pei is impressively polished. It’s a level of finesse you’d expect with the culinary genius of Mark Best at the helm. His ethos is clearly delineated: the produce shines, the flavours are […]
Cullen

Cullen

REVIEW Few Margaret River cellar doors feel as connected to the land as Cullen. It doesn’t hurt that the Cullen family was one of the region’s winemaking pioneers. Or that the building is a warm timber and granite site that sparks nostalgia. While matriarch Vanya Cullen oversees all things vinous (pro tip: arrive early for […]
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Leeuwin Estate

Leeuwin Estate

REVIEW World-renowned wines. A 32-year-long (and counting) run of concerts. A grand two-storey cellar door deep in Margaret River karri country. Leeuwin Estate is every bit the regional showpiece that its international reputation suggests. What this also means, of course, is that it attracts everyone from tourists in tracksuits to minted bons vivants who come […]
Nel Restaurant

Nel Restaurant

REVIEW Why aren’t more people talking about Nel? In a glam basement off grimy Wentworth Avenue, this restaurant has flown largely under the radar. Chef Nelly Robinson’s eight-course set menu changes monthly and is as eclectic as it is inventive, including everything from Indian and South East Asian flavours to Eccles cakes. You might start […]
Three Blue Ducks

Three Blue Ducks

REVIEW Chickens and children are as much part of the experience as the food here: there’s a playground for kids, while cows, pigs and chooks are star attractions at The Farm, the restaurant’s grand agricultural, ecological and educational project. Embraced by locals and mobbed by visitors, things can get chaotic, but the floor staff keep […]
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Cobblestone Lane

Cobblestone Lane

REVIEW Despite the name, no one comes away from Cobblestone Lane thinking “quaint”. The food here is masterful and mature – the work of the skilled Heath Smith. The historic emporium in which the restaurant resides has become a temple to both expansive vision and local pride. Bathurst’s high-lifers come here to be wowed, and […]
South on Albany

South on Albany

REVIEW If you can judge the quality of a chef by their terrine, then John Evans is worth knowing. His jamón-wrapped example, studded with Thirlmere chicken and quail, is Impressionist art – a still life with a small loaf of brioche, chutney and tarragon butter. So, too, a salad of beetroot and fig with Binnorie […]
Moxhe

Moxhe

REVIEW There’s a running gag in Agatha Christie novels with characters mistaking her most famous detective for a Frenchman. “Belgian,” says Hercule Poirot, correcting everyone. The same misconception could apply to chef David Coumont, a Belgian native who takes cues from both Australia and Europe for his seafood-rich menu. This elegant restaurant, named after his […]
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LP's Quality Meats

LP’s Quality Meats

REVIEW Pity the couples who come alone instead of with a posse. One glance at the wood-burning beast of a smoker and they’ll regret their decision. Pitboss Luke Powell applies exacting technique to deliver down-home barbecued fare meant for a clan. Beef short rib is cooked low (85C, then at 77C) and slow (15 hours). […]
Kent Street Kitchen

Kent Street Kitchen

REVIEW Kent Street Kitchen is all about dreamy styling – luscious soft furnishings, generous padded chairs with armrests and magnificent slabs of unclothed white marble tables. It has photo shoot written all over it. Service, too, is polished, and food presentation highly curated, with irregular shapes, petals, flowers, leaves, droplets and foams providing interesting surfaces […]
Jonah's

Jonah’s

REVIEW While the front bar of this clifftop restaurant and retreat evokes the property’s history, the terrace is more northern-beaches bling, perfect for savouring the tang of the Pacific. Chef Logan Campbell’s time at Italian landmark Lucio’s shows in a rustic black linguine, rich with prawn oil and cherry tomatoes, and flecked with New Zealand […]
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Coogee Pavilion

Coogee Pavilion

REVIEW With its big-box design – eatery meets funhouse, bar, florist, ice-creamery and café – and popularity with families, the Pavilion can sometimes seem a bit like a restaurant-Ikea by the beach. But the diversity of spaces and dining options, sprawled over three big floors, keeps interest high and appetites piqued. For casual bites, snag […]