Modern Australian

The city’s beautiful people are rushing to experience the dazzling new hotel, bar and restaurant complex that’s home to Mad Cow and Teppanyaki.

The reopening of Berowra Waters Inn under the watch of Dietmar Sawyere has resurrected the pleasures of fine dining in a sublime setting.

The Royal Mail Hotel could well be Australia’s most exciting regional restaurant. Book a room, it’s well worth the trip.

It’s not for everyone, but Ray Capaldi’s new-wave molecular gastronomy at Fenix is brave, inspired and often brilliant. Go with an open mind and prepare to be awed.

REVIEW Residents of the what’s known locally as the People’s Republic of Ainslie don’t take kindly to regime change. Fortunately Pulp Kitchen’s new owner Gus Armstrong maintains bistro doctrine, keeping classic steak frites with bearnaise and a lemon tart with perfectly pitched acidity and exceptional pastry on the menu. Chef Josh Lundy pushes Pulp beyond […]

REVIEW For the already impressive Ten Minutes by Tractor, 2017 was a year of deep investment – and exquisite return. The decade-old dining room, reopened in April in sleek, urbane style: a vision in Japanese marble and heather-grey velvet. The upgrade is everywhere, from service through to Zalto glassware that does justice to the 88-page, […]

REVIEW If you’re not up for trawling the length and breadth of the Yarra Valley in search of its many vinous and culinary gems, Healesville’s Edwardian-era hotel is a good Plan B. Built in 1910, this exceptionally hospitable pub has long paid homage to the valley’s brilliant wine and produce in ways that are anything […]

REVIEW Look around you in the middle of a busy service at Matteo’s and you’d swear you were in a smart Italian restaurant. It sounds Italian, from the name of the place (a Melbourne dining landmark for more than 20 years) to the group of well-dressed Carlton signori enjoying a bottle of Chianti from the […]

REVIEW Courgette is a nice break from the noisy, bustling style of many restaurants. The clientele is mainly business guests, there’s plush coffee-toned carpet instead of typically unforgiving industrial concrete surfaces and there’s barely any Instagramming going on despite James Mussillon’s classic French technique creating plenty of clickbait. Bug tails are added to seared scallops […]

REVIEW Sails is quintessential Noosa beachfront dining, with an exclusive position, killer view, staggering wine listand waitstaff whose service style is almost as sunny as the weather. The menu is aptly seafood-focused, with smart yet simple dishes like crisp bite-sized tostaditas laden with Mooloolaba tuna, avocado, lime and a fresh green tomato relish. If your […]

REVIEW With its warm service, posh kids’ menu and contemporary interior, it’s no wonder this restaurant is a favourite for multigenerational celebrations. Owner-chef Daran Glasgow’s seasonal fare frequently dips into the surrounding coastal waters to propose something new, such as whiting fillets coated with flavoursome parmesan, a novel take on fish and chips. Char-grilled king […]

REVIEW Done exploring the Museum of Old and New Art’s subterranean treasures? Head to The Source – its glass-walled dining room features impressive views over the Derwent River and its chef Vince Trim takes inspiration from Tasmanian produce. He arranges an impressive collection of local ingredients in interesting combinations that deftly stop short of complicated. […]

REVIEW Lebrina has been doing its Old-World French/Italian-inspired thing for more than 20 years. And while every city’s got a place where the linen is pressed, the service formal and slightly aloof, the wine list leans classic and glazes burnish meals more often seen in an Evelyn Waugh novel than a new-millennium menu, there’s a […]

REVIEW The water wheel still slowly turns, but the appeal of this 1860s Adelaide Hills landmark goes beyond its old flour mill. Seppeltsfield Winery’s Warren Randall bought the property from Petaluma winery in 2015, reinvented the venue’s dining options and, in 2017, the space itself – renovations include a deck and glass-walled top level. Chef […]

REVIEW Tranquil and relaxed, Jolleys Boathouse takes its cues from the Torrens River at its doorstep. Beneath lofty white beams, diners watch hopeful anglers and earnest joggers as the day’s final rays dapple the water. Polite, unhurried staff present menus highlighting South Australian wines, beers and spirits, plus the best of the state’s produce – […]

REVIEW This style of dining is becoming a rarity in an age when share plates and bistronomy are de rigueur. Restaurant Two has stood the test of time for 17 years, remaining quietly committed to fine dining in contemporary surrounds, devoid of pomp and ceremony. Service has finesse without being finicky, and menus skip trends […]

REVIEW Simonn Hawke expresses the spirit and essence of her dishes rather than engaging in food fashion. Hers is food with cultural cred – there’s Italian passion in the brio and boldness of flavours, and French precision in the intensity of reductions and the intricate presentation. Regulars ponder what they’ll have after the exquisite twice-baked […]

REVIEW Suburban standout Cinco keeps its loyal clientele returning for more by offering generous portions and familiar-sounding dishes, albeit often with an adventurous twist. A deftly balanced entrée of prawn gnocchi with brown butter and goat’s curd arrives studded with raisins, adding an unexpected yet welcome sweetness. Pork belly braised in master stock shares a […]

REVIEW If we’re brutally honest, Glebe Point Road’s status as an eat street rests more on the quantity of its outlets rather than the quality. But Glebe Point Diner stands tall among the handful of exceptions to the rule, a bistro with the sort of local charm that has near-universal appeal. The mild eccentricity of […]

REVIEW The cavernous glass and steel-framed space bustles with business folk hepped up on one of Sydney’s most voluminous and finely wrought wine lists, dipping into the broad menu that skitters from raw to grilled while touching on tapas and leaning heavily on seafood. For an entrée, try grilled sardines, crunchy and lightly charred, finished […]

REVIEW One could assume that a restaurant so well located might rely on its good looks to get by. Not so. The views of Rose Bay may be seductive, but the food is equally commanding. Seafood is the star, as an entrée of seared scallops with a tiger prawn and snapper brandade, leek purée, seaweed […]

The team at Catalina proves that there’s much more to this Sydney dining icon than its harbourside location.

Neil Perry’s foray into the Melbourne market with Rockpool Bar & Grill is a powerhouse.

If three stars weren’t enough, Peter Gilmore’s food at Quay has risen higher yet with a new degustation menu – and the views still rock.

Yarra Valley’s newest addition, the Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander Winery, is more than the sum of its café, pizzeria and cellar door parts, thanks to a passionate and savvy wine entrepreneur.

We raise a glass to chef John Evans, who has crossed the Harbour Bridge to take over the kitchen at Rozelle’s Three Weeds, cooking the kind of assured food the city’s better pub bistros are built on.

Oscillate Wildly in Newtown is pushing the envelope, but that thankfully doesn’t apply to the bill – so go wild.