Modern Australian

From wood-fired to dry-aged, salt-crusted to sharing-style, we've rounded up the definitive list of top steaks across the city so you'll never have to eat a bad one again.

REVIEW By day, in its café incarnation, Močan (they pronounce it ‘mochan’) pumps, locals lining up outside and packing onto outdoor seats. By night, it’s quieter, which gives you some elbow room to mix the egg yolk into your Crookwell steak tartare. Raw scallop is served as is with lightly charred chorizo, and Narooma oysters […]

REVIEW Five years on, Eightysix continues to impose its disruptive and noisy self on Canberra’s dining scene. The youthful ebullience of floor staff hasn’t waned and it’s still difficult for walk-ins to get a seat. The menu – chalked up on a blackboard spanning the elongated space – has also proven a touch too resistant […]

REVIEW A peaceful lakeside setting, a decorous welcome; this wedding conference- restaurant destination emanates Old World charm. But it’s in the hushed, spacious dining room with clinking cutlery and low voices that you get the big reveal: a bold menu and extensive wine list showcase the region’s best in a modern way. Cowra pork belly […]

REVIEW An aria calls for a stand-out soloist – but there are no histrionic prime donne here. In its tenth year, Brisbane’s premier riverfront fine-diner presents as a harmonious group performance, from deft floor staff to the polished interior with its panoramic curve of glass. All up, it’s an agreeably adult affair, which includes Danny’s […]

REVIEW A year after opening, The Summertown Aristologist has expanded beyond radiating good vibes as an on-trend hangout to place Adelaide Hills provenance at the centre of every plate. The kitchen’s hands-on commitment is serious, from making smallgoods to pulling vegetables from local plots hours before service. Robust saucisson with Hafod cheddar is a smart […]

REVIEW It’s nearly a decade since Urbane revealed its minimalist look, but the polished gallery-like setting remains crisp. So to the technique-driven dishes, now being conjured by a fresh team following the departure of Alejandro Cancino. Herbivore options have lost dazzle with the changing of the guard, but an array of intriguing snacks kick off […]

REVIEW No need to beware the Ides of March 2018, when the restaurant whipped back the curtains on the makeover it deserved. A sign of commitment to the fine-dining-with-a-difference cause, the formerly austere shopfront was anointed with sleek timber-slatted cladding and artworks injecting a hint of a retro sensibility. The more relaxed approach is another […]

REVIEW Lûmé has put its provocative adolescent past behind it, maturing into one of Melbourne’s most interesting dining experiences. Innovation remains integral to its DNA, starting with cocktails at the superbly tended bar where distilling, dehydration and carbonation come into play. It’s there in the flatteringly lit dining room that silky olive oil and mandarin […]

REVIEW There are people who, somewhere along the way, got the idea that “produce-driven” meant “boring”. Luckily, Bent Street is here to quietly explode any such ideas with blasts of flavour conjured from seasonal bounty. Blood plums provide the acid flash that animates grilled hand-pressed tofu, while vivid tomato and cardamom frame deeply flavoursome grilled […]

REVIEW The beachy jet-set fantasy conjured by the boutique likes of Halcyon House often comes undone at the table. But Paper Daisy doubles down on the magic, perfectly in tune with the blend of poolside ease and inspiration that makes this hotel such an intoxicating treat. At breakfast, pancakes are leavened with kefir, and whole-wheat […]

REVIEW Marion is the kind of place where a casual night out requires a week’s planning. Securing a table is the only pain you’ll have, however. There’ll be no head-scratching over the love for Andrew McConnell’s little wine bar that rose to the top of his Gertrude Street pops. Take a space with a patina […]

REVIEW Clinton McIver’s four- and eight-course dégustations are ready for their close-ups. Arriving on hand-shaped crockery, combinations like smoked duck ham curled along a length of crisp fermented carrot or slivers of shiitake and chawanmushi drifting in a sparkling broth are as good-looking as they are well balanced. Sourdough bread is a course in itself, […]

REVIEW “Dining hall” has something of an undergraduate vibe, but rare is the cafeteria that offers wallaby, let alone served cured, rolled up in pickled vine leaves with dollops of burnt-onion purée. The bones of this diner still reflect the room’s former Belgian-Beer-Café life; service is more friendly than professional, and the drinks list is […]

REVIEW Woodland House is a quiet champion of finer Melbourne dining. The service is witty and warm, and its two chefs have made a restaurant they took over from their mentor, Jacques Reymond, their own. The grey-walled dining rooms of the Victorian mansion are cosseting and contemporary. Shelves heave with decanters for a wine list […]

REVIEW There’s a hint of Alice in Wonderland about Oscillate Wildly: the narrow dining room, the black-and-white tiled floor, the sense of falling down an inner-west rabbit hole and meeting brilliant minds – from kitchen talent to front of house – along the way. Karl Firla’s dégustations are pure imagination. Creamy avocado with bergamot dressing […]

REVIEW Rockpool is the go-to for serious steakhouse action. There’s a reliable sense of occasion from the vast room’s leather-and-timber musculature and the kitchen’s wood grill that echoes the casino’s riverside fireball show in miniature. The 15-cut steak list is similarly impressive, name-dropping some of the best in beef – Blackmore, Cape Grim, Gunner – […]

A Carlton local gets a winning revamp with the right team in the right place at the right time.

REVIEW Sean’s Kitchen is celebration city, embracing the ethos of an eclectic New York-style brasserie. Its high vaulted ceiling, hanging jamon and impressive kitchen flames erupting from the charcoal station create exuberance soaked up by an eager crowd of diners. The casual downstairs bistro space pulls off its amalgam of railway diner-meets-butcher shop chic; upstairs […]

REVIEW The long drive at All Saints makes a stately impression, flanked by old elms, manicured gardens and the 19th-century castle housing All Saints’ historic winery and cellar door. Its restaurant, however, is a thoroughly modern space offering a warm welcome, charming service and food as unpretentious as the charcuterie plate of house-made terrine, cured […]

REVIEW Don’t let the silly name fool you. Doot Doot Doot, the marquee restaurant at Jackalope, Gourmet Traveller’s 2017 Hotel of the Year, is a must-do when on the Mornington Peninsula. For starters, there’s the 10,000-bulb chandelier pulsing above the dark-hued dining room. Then there’s a wine focus that embraces the estate’s Willow Creek repertoire […]

REVIEW Chef Quentin Whittle cleverly rethinks suburban bistro style by borrowing boldly from many cultures and producing a variety of share plates with generosity and flair. Salmon sashimi with tahini yoghurt sets the mood – its strong salt levels met with a robust mix of chilli, sumac, candied walnuts, chopped herbs and salmon roe. A […]

REVIEW Visiting Magill Estate is like travelling in time: past Dr Penfold’s 1840s cottage, up to bluestone cellars housing Australia’s most famous wine. Back to the future, Magill Estate Kitchen is a sleek daytime dining space to complement the wine tasting room, contained in contemporary pavilions overlooking vines down to the city. The casual lunch […]

REVIEW Simplicity is Timbre Kitchen’s spirit animal. It’s present in the room, an airy space furnished with rush-seated chairs and bare timber tables, set among vines with the Tamar River somewhere off in the distance. It’s also there in the breezy but competent service and in the drinks list that mixes Velo wines (from the […]

REVIEW In a chic space designed by Hecker Guthrie, Piermont Retreat’s restaurant makes a luxury out of seasonality – using a small pool of ingredients in rigorously inventive ways. While those who need a menu may struggle, true bliss comes from letting go and seeing what lands. It might be a pork terrine animated by […]

REVIEW Here’s a fresh concept: two wineries (Mr. Riggs Wine Co & Zonte’s Footstep) develop a joint cellar door in McLaren Flat as a bar, sales outlet and kitchen, encouraging customers to taste their expansive ranges. Consequently, the nimble kitchen caters for a variety of appetites, but has an unconventional way of creating a two-to-four […]

REVIEW When the wine list comes with a table of contents and the waitress acts out the backstory of your dinner’s cooking fuel, it’s fair to expect a lot of words with your food. Luckily, the meal speaks for itself. The marquee dishes are meat plus smoke. A bell jar adds theatre to an elegant […]

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 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 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 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 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 […]

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.

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 […]

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.

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

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 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 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 “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 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 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 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 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 […]