Restaurant Review

Khanh Nguyen, Melbourne's latest chef hero, deftly mixes a grab-bag of Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese traditions with native ingredients to deliver something shockingly new.

A pub, a French floral name, a modern Japanese menu. It just works.

For fans of new-wave French cuisine.

Perth is crushing hard on this fantasy of '60s Roman cool.

This Margaret River pioneer has found another gear of late.

Celebrating the immediacy of the land and sea, the entire Van Bone experience is uniquely Tasmanian.

Uncomplicated, unruffled, and very, very fun.

An extensive drinks offering and clockwork service equals a leisurely dining experience at this Japanese diner.

The shining jewel in Crown Sydney's dining portfolio, a'Mare promises a polished night out without the pretence.

This agrarian fantasy is manifested in the diminutive town of Gundaroo, where comforting dishes are constructed under the historic tin roof of the 1865 Royal Hotel.

Malaysian favourites, bold takes and neon lights – expect these and more at Junda Khoo's playground.

At Sáng, spicy, sweet and fermented flavours are combined with truckloads of texture and a refined touch, expanding the definition of Korean dining in Australia.

Slick service, killer cocktails and the best steak in Sydney – you'll find yourself back at The Gidley again and again.

Breezy Mediterranean plates and spectacular beachfront views, Una Más easily takes the crown for cool, casual dining in the harbour city.

Underlined by the laidback service and the single seating policy, Tedesca Osteria has a dinner at a friend's place vibe. With faultless attention to detail, it's a must.

With escape from reality at a premium, Gimlet's gorgeously renovated, high-ceilinged space is the perfect bolthole.

Open just two days a week, Underbar plays a great game of hard-to-get. The room is minimalist, the service warm, the encounter unforgettable.

The restaurant in Adelaide's tranquil Botanic Gardens has always been perfectly situated, and has now been injected with wild new life.

Aurora is more than just a fabulous newcomer to the Adelaide restaurant scene – it's also a registered charity. Eat well and do good in one sitting.

If you ever think the quirkiness will overwhelm, just trust the chef and know it'll all work out for the best.

Sure it's a scene, but this Fortitude Valley diner is also approachable.

An elegant take on progressive dining.

The elevator pitch might be elegant share-style street food, but expect more.

Surf, turf and a touch of glamour.

A hotel-restaurant-spa from a hospitality veteran, a Japanese-leaning fine diner and GT's Restaurant of the Year. These restaurants are worth the road trip.

At Amaru's fun new sibling, it's the snacks that steal the show. Words of advice? Come hungry.

A recent arrival in the nation's capital takes flight with a fun-forward blend of native ingredients and Oz nostalgia.

A changing of the kitchen guard takes a Perth CBD favourite in an unexpected but welcome new direction.

We go in search of the hottest new slices to be found across the country.

At Scott Pickett’s smooth new clubhouse expect old-school French flavours, reworked for the modern day.

With new-look dining rooms and some of Perth's best pizza, there's no denying the allure of this inner-city tavern. And you really, really should order the Il Capo.

With a broad menu, an all-star cast and Karen Martini overseeing the show, the all-day restaurant at ACMI is a drawcard.

Located 15 minutes from the Adelaide CBD, the restaurant lives up to the hype with impressive dishes to match its wine and views.

A new waterfront home for the Italian fine-dining restaurant proves a winning combination in Brisbane. And how about that $70 pasta?

Kokis, hoppers and a thali you won't forget any time soon. This Sri Lankan-inspired bistro and bar is spicing things up in regional Victoria.

With a focus on top-quality produce, the sum is greater than its parts at this Burleigh gem.

An off-the-grid property powered by solar energy, organic certification, plus a farm and winery. Arimia walks the sustainability talk.

The room's design might channel a big-city American version of a Parisian bistro but the menu is quintessentially Melburnian. Come for the bistro classics and high-detail cocktails; stay for dessert.

Bee Satongun has won accolades for her Paste restaurants in Bankgok and Luang Prabang, and the Mittagong iteration is worth hitting the road for.

Backed by serial restaurateur Scott Pickett and manned by long-time head chef Arté Assavakavinvong, the Melbourne Thai restaurant has had a few tweaks, but it still hits the mark.

It hasn't been an easy ride for this Victorian fine-dining restaurant. But judging by the food, service and polished dining room, you wouldn't know it.

The Perth institution might have old-school ideals, but this polished dining room also has an eye on the now.

With Lee Ho Fook and Longrain alumni running the show, expect delights of the earthly and culinary kind.

Clever cooking, a pescatarian menu plus a refreshed dining room equals a Sydney diner that's less drab and more fab.

If there's anywhere you want to trust with a "feed me" option, it's here.

With impeccable service, a mastery of Cantonese cooking and one of the greatest restaurant entrances in Australia, the Melbourne institution does all the classics without the stasis.

Chef Ben Williamson is heating up the city's dining scene once again, with flame- and smoke-kissed dishes that are innovative without being intimidating.

At this Red Hill spot it feels less restaurant, writes Michael Harden, and more like lunch at a friend's house, in the best way possible.

The latest eatery on Carlton's main drag may not be Italian, but its fine service, bold chefs and a must-order potato dish tells a story of change, charm and new culinary directions.

They've moved up the road sans wood-fire oven, but that hasn't stopped the Sydney restaurant from serving good, honest food backed up with a commitment to sustainability.

From the folks behind Neighbourhood Wine comes a fine local bistro with wood-fired dishes that reference the chef's South African heritage, and a sweet and smoky pork chop that just won't quit.

Elektra’s pan-European approach is a shift in the right direction, writes Michael Harden. And let's talk about that potato snack.

XOPP, the next step for Sydney's Golden Century, strikes a balance between old and new, writes David Matthews.

Sure, Pasi Petänen can spin Pacojets with the best of them. But with his new, permanent home in Sydney's Inner West, the chef and serial pop-up artist shows he can still win at the basics.

It may be located in the Melbourne CBD, but French bistro Bar Margaux takes its inspiration from the city that never sleeps.

Your cheat sheet to the best slices in the country.

Our favourite places to grab a bargain bite, according to our 2020 Restaurant Guide.

With our growing familiarity with wattleseed and finger limes, some would say that the quest to bring Australian ingredients into the national vocabulary is over. Over 22 courses at Orana, it’s clear that we’re just getting started.

There's plenty of eating and drinking to do in the Top End.

A crisp Negroni Blanc on the patio is a refreshing way to ease into the four-course offering at this Barossa favourite – especially when the weather is fine.

The game plan here has always been top-dollar cosseting, and with a splendid wine list and largely accommodating service to match, that's what you get.

Clayton Wells pulls it off time and time again.

The go-to joint for gonzo libations and none-too-serious snackage.

Nowhere else captures Canberra's special blend of the parochial and the worldly like Rochford.

Service here is confident and charming, ensuring any occasion at Bennelong is just that little bit extra.

James Viles takes Mother Nature seriously. At Biota Dining, the kitchen and the environment are closely connected, with a focus on locally gathered and grown produce.

When a restaurant's very name references diversions, you'd expect it to eschew the straight and narrow.

Double-clothed tables, a capacious, sumptuously appointed room, discreetly eager staff in crisp uniforms - welcome to Est.

Think of Fratelli Paradiso as a stage, its diners and staff all actors working together daily to produce a play dedicated to the joys of a peculiarly inner-city brand of Sydney-Italianness.

Landing a table can be very challenging, but once you're in it's a life of ease.

Golden Century isn't fine dining and it’s hard to do the menu justice without at least six people - but for what it is, there is no peer in Sydney.

The menu at Liberté includes nods to owner Amy Hamilton’s French training (comforting steak frites, chicken liver parfait), much of the cooking is notable for its effortless use of Vietnamese flavours.

Paul Carmichael keeps refining his sound at the Sydney outpost of David Chang's restaurant empire.

A meathouse that's a vegetarian's paradise? Tell your plant-based friends.

Lunch at Sean's couldn't be more Bondi if a surf lifesaver popped in to say hi to her mates mid-service.

The discreet entry belies the popularity of this Suzie Wong inspired-China diner, which continues to attract a suited CBD lunching clientele.

When the bi-fold doors are retracted at this smartly appointed riverside restaurant, there isn't a more picturesque place in Brisbane to enjoy lunch.

Yes, The Agrarian Kitchen cooking school has a restaurant spin-off - and you can find it in the Instagram-friendly surrounds of the former New Norfolk asylum.

There's not a share plate in sight at this unassuming neighbourhood-style eatery. But you still may need to fend off forks when entrées land.

Vue de Monde impresses not just with the views that come with its lofty 55th-floor perch, but for holding its position in Melbourne's premier restaurant league for so long.

The food is only part of the appeal; the lively crush of bodies yelling for picks from one of the edgiest wine lists in town gives the place permanent buzz.

Visiting Wasabi – which is cantilevered over the Noosa River – is almost like entering the mythical Japanese floating world of Ukiyo.

Welcome to the high temple of the vegetable – roots, shoots, leaves, crumbs and dust conjured to artful, textural and sustaining creations.

REVIEW Laura is a complete restaurant experience. The location is incredible, at one end of a sweeping arc of a building overlooking Pt. Leo Estate’s sculpture park, tucked beyond the establishment’s cellar door and casual dining room. It’s a cosseted enclave that is both elevated and comfortable, and the set menu showcases Phil Wood’s questing […]

This large gorgeous restaurant atop the former Newport Arms owes more than a dash of its sunny elegance and Med-luxe vibe to Merivale's Paddington flagship.

A joyous place where a diner feels blessed to be part of the dance rather than a mere spectator.

Whimsy dances with humour in inventive dishes that are consistently delicious.

The dining revolution will not be televised. Mindful eaters need to drive down an unsealed road in Margaret River scrub to see (and taste) it for themselves.

It's the professionalism of the service, honed over a lifetime, and the opulent setting of 85-year-old murals and chandeliers, that makes Florentino something special.

With dishes just as colourful as decor, Arc Dining is an experience for the senses.