Must-see restaurants in Australia

  • Parap Fine Foods

    Darwin

    A gourmet food hall in Parap shopping centre, stocking organic and health foods, deli items and fine wine − perfect for a picnic.

  • Cafe de Jour

    New South Wales

    For a fancy night out in town, Cafe de Jour is all about fine modern Australian food and good service. Book ahead.

  • Entrance to Sweetbones, 8/18 Lonsdale St, Braddon

    Sweet Bones

    Canberra

    Cruelty-free does not mean taste-free at this fully vegan cafe that crouches in a humble shopfront just off Lonsdale St. It does a mean all-day breakfast…

  • Potting Shed Restaurant in Alexandria

    Potting Shed

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Part of the verdant Grounds of Alexandria complex, this bar-eatery doesn't disappoint on the plant front; the waving fronds and squawking macaw give it a…

  • Kettle & Tin interior

    Kettle & Tin

    Brisbane

    Behind its picket fence, homey Kettle & Tin serves up tasty cafe grub. Breakfast standards like smashed avo share the spotlight with less ubiquitous…

  • Combi's gelato-coloured exterior

    Combi

    Byron Bay

    Melbourne clean-eating icon Combi has brought its signature raw, organic and highly Instagrammable drinks, cakes and breakfast and lunch bowls to this…

  • x-default

    Strauss

    Brisbane

    Strauss shrugs off its corporate surrounds with low-key, Brooklyn-esque cool and a neighbourly vibe. Head in for quick-fix banana bread, or settle in for…

  • x-default

    Beach

    Byron Bay

    Beach does triple duty as post-surf coffee stop, fish-and-chips or egg-and-bacon-roll kiosk, and Byron's best dining-with-a-view option overlooking…

  • Watt riverview

    Mary Mae's

    Brisbane

    Squint and the Brisbane River becomes the Mississippi at this airy waterfront eatery. Pine for NOLA over lighter versions of buttermilk fried chicken,…

  • Il Lido, Cottesloe.

    Il Lido

    Perth

    Il Lido's al fresco area is popular with Cotteslocals and their dogs, but the sunny interior of this self-styled 'Italian canteen' is arguably even better…

  • Zest Cafe Gallery

    Zest Cafe Gallery

    Adelaide

    Little sidestreet Zest has a laid-back vibe and brilliant breakfasts – more than enough compensation for any size shortcomings. Baguettes and bagels are…

  • Little Loco interior

    Little Loco

    Brisbane

    This little New Farm local keeps peeps healthy with dishes such as the Green Bowl, a tasty, feel-great combo of kale, spinach, broccolini, feta,…

  • x-default

    Miel Container

    Brisbane

    Miel flips delicious, rustic burgers from its red shipping-container locale. Options span the globe, with everything from tandoori-chicken and mozzarella…

  • The Smoke BBQ patio

    Smoke BBQ

    Brisbane

    The smell of hickory hangs heavy in the air at this US-style BBQ joint. Lust over tender short ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken and lamb, all smoked…

  • Parwana Afghan Kitchen

    Parwana Afghan Kitchen

    Adelaide

    Nutty, spicy, slippery and a little bit funky: Afghan food is unique, and this authentic restaurant, west of the CBD across the parklands, is a great…

  • Georges on Waymouth

    Georges on Waymouth

    Adelaide

    Food fads come and go in Adelaide: one week it's Mexican food trucks, the next it's pulled-pork burgers in bars. But Georges remains – classy, romantic…

  • Sauma with al fresco tables, Northbridge.

    Sauma

    Perth

    Punchy Indian street-food flavours feature at this corner location in Northbridge that always has the windows open wide. Interesting antiques surround the…

  • Chouquette exterior

    Chouquette

    Brisbane

    The best patisserie this side of Toulouse? Something to think about as you grab a coffee and a bag of the namesake chouquettes (small choux pastries…

  • Duende plain frontage, Leederville.

    Duende

    Perth

    Sleek, candlelit Duende occupies a quiet corner site just off the buzzing nexus of Leederville. Stellar, modern-accented and good-value tapas offer a…

  • Mary Street Bakery frontage, Mt Lawley.

    Mary Street Bakery

    Perth

    Crunchy and warm baked goods, artisan bread and interesting cafe fare combine with what may be Perth's best chocolate-filled doughnuts at this spacious,…

  • Targa restaurant.

    Targa

    Byron Bay

    At this reliable spot, the menu takes you through the day casually from build-your-own-breakfasts to tasty lunch salads, pastas and steaks, and antipasto…

  • Sugarcane.

    Sugarcane

    Sydney

    This relatively recent Coogee arrival has got the locals firmly on side with its winning combination of Southeast Asian dishes in a very appealing Bali…

  • Japonaise has a cool, izakaya feel

    Japonaise

    Byron Bay

    This is no standard sushi takeaway: the bustling little space with its open kitchen and rustic communal tables is a proper slice of ultra-urban Osaka…

  • Pantry on Egmont

    Pantry on Egmont

    Adelaide

    Adelaide’s suburban backstreets often contain odd little rows of former shops, abandoned when locals started to shop at supermarkets instead. Hawthorn’s…

  • Lion Hotel

    Lion Hotel

    Adelaide

    Off to one side of this upmarket boozer (all big screens, beer terraces and business types) is a romantic restaurant with a cool retro interior. Hot off…

  • Jarmers Kitchen

    Jarmer's Kitchen

    Adelaide

    Jarmer's is a mainstay of rapidly redeveloping Bowden, a city-edge suburb once an industrial wasteland, now home to hundreds of hip new townhouses with…

  • Botanic Gardens Restaurant

    Botanic Gardens Restaurant

    Adelaide

    Nested deep within the verdant folds of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, this white-linen beauty has been wowing critics. Creative fine-dining is why you're…

  • Mestizo

    Mestizo

    Adelaide

    This endearing little plum-coloured eatery in the Glenelg South back blocks is Adelaide's best (only) Peruvian restaurant. The hard-working kitchen turns…

  • Textbook Bakery

    Textbook

    Newtown & the Inner West

    A baker and a patissier have teamed up here to produce delicious bread, pies and pastries, and some absolutely amazingly vivid dessert creations: resist…

  • Paddock Bakery exterior

    Paddock Bakery

    Gold Coast

    An antique wood-fired oven sits in the heart of this beautiful old weatherboard cottage and turns out wonderful bread, croissants and pastries. The semi…

  • Hummus Club, Northbridge.

    Hummus Club

    Perth

    If you can nab a seat on the open-air balcony, consider yourself lucky. Hummus Club has become one of Northbridge's coolest foodie haunts, not least for…

  • Café Troppo

    Adelaide

    Breathing a bit of vigour into Whitmore Sq, corner-cafe Troppo has jaunty exposed timberwork and a sustainable outlook (local ingredients, recycling,…

  • Moo Moo exterior

    Moo Moo the Wine Bar & Grill

    Gold Coast

    Moo Moo’s winning steaks include lots of grain-fed Wagyu, a 400g, 50-day dry-aged rib eye on the bone, and a pasture-grazed local Angus. There’s also…

  • Garden cafe at McGain's food store.

    Poppies

    Great Ocean Road

    Snack among the foliage at this lovely sunlit cafe with a nursery-atrium locale. The menu is largely organic, using produce from the attached food store…

  • Kakulas Bros, Northbridge.

    Kakulas Bros

    Perth

    A local institution since 1929, this fragrant provisions store overflows with sacks and vats of legumes, nuts, dried fruits and olives, plus a deli…

  • Entrance to Elk & Pea, 21 Lonsdale St, Braddon

    Elk & Pea

    Canberra

    Mexican influences pervade the menu and cocktail list of this cool little anytime place, which includes spicy eggs for brekkie, burgers and wraps for…

  • Rick Shores exterior

    Rick Shores

    Gold Coast

    This acclaimed modern Asian restaurant offers beachfront dining at its most beachy, with windows that open out to let in the breeze and the sound of the…

  • Entrance to Muse, 69 Canberra Ave, Kingston

    Morks

    Canberra

    Not exactly cheap, but nonetheless one of the best restaurants on the Kingston foreshore, Morks offers a contemporary spin on Thai cuisine, with Chinese…

  • La Ricetta Italian restaurant in Enmore

    La Ricetta

    Newtown & the Inner West

    With close-packed tables, warm lighting and an authentic feel, this is a convivial venue for Italian in the interesting dining hub of Enmore. It is strong…

    • placement: fullWidth
    • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
    • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
    • targeting:
      {
        "position": "superzone"
      }