Modern Australian

With a big menu, big venue and big-name development, the expectations for Robert Marchetti at Gowings Bar & Grill, writes Pat Nourse, aren’t small.

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 […]

REVIEW It’s such a pleasure to wander through the unassuming downstairs café to discover this wonderful restaurant. The room is similarly low-key and the service understated, placing the focus firmly on the food. Chefs Karl and Katrina Kanetani, whose résumés include Est, Quay and Tetsuya’s, present an impressive seven-course dégustation that draws heavily on local […]

REVIEW The heritage building is key to Circa’s charm, and its tiny lounge is the place to sit and have dessert as you contemplate history – apple pie ice-cream with granola-style toffee crumb, say, with a Hunter Valley sticky to draw out the apple flavour. The food at Circa is diligently sourced from its kitchen […]

REVIEW Chef Douglas Elder’s penchant for gels, crumbs and creative plating will impress out-of-towners seeking an affordable taste of fine dining in an approachable, family-friendly space. And at $96 for three courses and matching wines, it really is affordable. Lightly battered quail with rich terrine, yuzu mayonnaise, tangy apple kimchi and slaw is an upmarket […]

REVIEW It’s within cooee of Queen Street Mall, but this laneway bolthole feels coolly out of step with it. Moodily lit with an industrial-chic interior featuring brick, leather hides and brass, there are nooks aplenty to dally in, including a quirky courtyard behind. Even the wine list is character-filled – a “reserve, vintage and obscure” […]

REVIEW If you’re not averse to ants with your salmon or roasted mealworm clinging to stir-fried water spinach, you’ll get plenty of love at Public: big flavours, adventurous pairings and seriously good cooking are top of the menu. An emu tartare with cured egg yolk, served atop lavosh, stands out for its unique taste and […]

REVIEW Diners and drinkers are in confident hands at this buzzy wine bar and bistro. The wood-fired grill keeps regulars happy, offal lovers are cheered by the menu, and the wine list is ever evolving, with sherries currently in favour. Downstairs is all high tables and bar stools, timber walls and industrial heritage. Upstairs has […]

At the Estelle, two chefs with disparate talents defy expectations of boho Northcote to deliver a dégustation that’s skilful, generous and unpretentious, writes Michael Harden.

The Fish Shop is about seafood made fun and accessible via a mash-up of Aussie milk-bar and British chippy tropes, with a dash of Americana to season it, writes Pat Nourse.

Forget the intercity rivalry, writes Michael Harden. In Pei Modern, Sydney chef Mark Best has brought something unique and original to Melbourne’s buzzing food scene.

It’s in Stanmore. It’s tiny. It’s dégustation-only. It’s Sixpenny, the most ambitious restaurant to have opened in Sydney this year. Pat Nourse recommends adding it to your must-eat list.

Philippa Sibley’s restrained, flavour-packed dishes run the gamut from breakfast to nightcap at her new digs, a former bank building rebranded as Albert St Food & Wine.

This will be the year of small things done well, writes Pat Nourse, and both Wilbur’s Place and Reuben Hills are on trend.