30 casual dining worth the trip across Australia, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Australia guides.
Hôntô ★ 4.8 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · 23 Alden Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Hôntô is the moody basement izakaya through a black door on Alden Street. Otsumami small plates, yakitori, deep sake list, open Mon-Sun late.
Pho Hung Vuong 2 ★ 4.8 · Melbourne
richmond · 108 Victoria Street, Richmond VIC 3121
The defining pho on Victoria Street: long-simmered beef broth with rare beef and brisket in a no-frills Richmond room that has fed the city since the 1980s.
Zareh ★ 4.8 · Melbourne
collingwood · 368 Smith Street, Collingwood VIC 3066
Zareh on Smith Street brings Armenian and Lebanese cooking with a charcoal focus that makes it one of Melbourne's most exciting casual rooms.
Marrickville Pork Roll ★ 4.8 · Sydney
marrickville · 236 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Sydney's cult banh mi counter on Illawarra Road, Marrickville. The pork roll with house pate at A$5.50 is the canonical Sydney lunch. Daily from 7am.
Tip: Cash and card both accepted; queues from 12pm Saturday Walk-ins usually OK.
El Jannah ★ 4.8 · Sydney
granville · 62 South Street, Granville NSW 2142
Sydney's canonical charcoal chicken shop on South Street, Granville. Whole chickens, garlic toum that defines the Sydney garlic-on-chicken canon.
Tip: Open late; takeaway queue moves faster than the dine-in line.
Same Same ★ 4.7 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · Shop AM3 Ada Lane, 46 James Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Same Same opened on Ada Lane in Fortitude Valley in 2022. Tyron Simon and Bianca Marchi's modern Southeast Asian charcoal grill, sister of Honto and Agnes.
Biànca ★ 4.7 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · Shop AM5 Ada Lane, 46 James Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Biànca brings modern Italian to Ada Lane off James Street, Fortitude Valley. Same Same crew project; hand-cut pasta, wood-fired pies, Italian regional wines.
Roma ★ 4.7 · Melbourne
cbd · 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Roma on Collins Street is Melbourne's most disciplined Roman trattoria: cacio e pepe tableside, proper tonnarelli and a small menu that refuses to overstep.
Rita's Abbotsford ★ 4.7 · Melbourne
collingwood · 239 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Rita's in Abbotsford makes semolina-crusted pizzas with wood-fired char most pizza rooms approximate: small room, short menu, real consistency.
Mamak ★ 4.7 · Sydney
haymarket · 15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Late-night Malaysian on Goulburn Street, Haymarket, Sydney. Roti canai, satay and char kway teow; open daily 11:30am-2am Friday and Saturday.
Tip: No bookings; the queue outside is part of the ritual Walk-ins usually OK.
Bills Darlinghurst ★ 4.7 · Sydney
darlinghurst · 433 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Bill Granger's original Bills on Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney since 1993. The ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter went global from this counter.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive before 9am to skip the weekend wait Walk-ins usually OK.
Restaurant Hubert ★ 4.7 · Sydney
cbd · 15 Bligh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
French underground bistro on Bligh Street, Sydney CBD. Dark wood, low lighting, a long bar and a French menu of charcuterie, confit and grilled steak.
Tip: The downstairs bar takes walk-ins; the dining room books out two weeks ahead.
Naïm ★ 4.6 · Brisbane
paddington · 14 Collingwood Street, Paddington QLD 4064
Naïm runs Middle Eastern brunch and dinner from a Paddington worker's cottage on Collingwood Street. Lamb bacon and baharat waffles, all-day mezze plates.
Tipo 00 ★ 4.6 · Melbourne
cbd · 361 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tipo 00 on Little Bourke Street is Melbourne's pasta room of record: squid-ink tagliolini daily, short seasonal menu and a room that stays full every service.
A1 Bakery ★ 4.6 · Melbourne
brunswick · 643-645 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056
A1 Bakery on Sydney Road has been Melbourne's Lebanese bakery anchor since 1992: thick manakish, fresh flatbreads and meat pies at a walk-in counter.
Pho Pasteur ★ 4.6 · Sydney
haymarket · 709 George Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
Cantonese-Vietnamese pho counter on George Street, Haymarket, Sydney. Deep, clear broth and the city's most consistent pho dac biet under A$20.
Tip: Open from 8am for breakfast pho; queues form Sunday lunch Walk-ins usually OK.
Gelato Messina Darlinghurst ★ 4.6 · Sydney
darlinghurst · 241 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Gelato Messina's Darlinghurst flagship on Victoria Street, Sydney. House-churned gelato, weekly special-flavour drops, walk-in friendly weeknights.
Tip: The doughnut sandwich is a hidden Messina menu item, ask at the counter.
The Apollo ★ 4.6 · Sydney
potts-point · 44 Macleay Street, Potts Point NSW 2011
Modern Greek institution on Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney. Saganaki with honey and oregano, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, share-style table.
Tip: Bookings essential; the kitchen runs late Friday and Saturday.
10 William Street ★ 4.6 · Sydney
paddington · 10 William Street, Paddington NSW 2021
Italian-leaning wine bar on William Street, Paddington, Sydney. Antipasti, daily pasta, the city's first natural-wine bar by-the-glass list since 2010.
Tip: Limited bar stools; arrive early or settle for the bench seats outside.
Bisou Bisou ★ 4.5 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · 458 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Bisou Bisou is the all-day French brasserie inside Hotel X on Brunswick Street. Oyster and caviar bar, mussels, rotisserie chicken, steak frites.
Rosmarino ★ 4.5 · Brisbane
fortitude-valley · 6 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Rosmarino tucks into McLachlan Street in Fortitude Valley. Italian wine bar, house-made pasta, refined antipasti and deep regional Italian list.
Pappa Laksa ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
26 Burwood Highway, Burwood VIC 3125
Pappa Laksa in Burwood slow-cooks its coconut broth for five hours: rich, layered and served with barramundi or king prawns over rice noodles.
Ho Jiak ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
cbd · 1 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ho Jiak on Rainbow Alley references Penang and KL regional traditions: precise Malaysian cooking with handmade roti at the counter in a compact laneway space.
Bar Liberty Bistro ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Bar Liberty in Fitzroy holds one Good Food Guide hat: Melbourne's best natural-wine bistro with seasonal small plates and a list that rewards exploration.
Pho Tau Bay ★ 4.5 · Sydney
cabramatta · Shop 5, 117 John Street, Cabramatta NSW 2166
Long-running Vietnamese pho counter on John Street, Cabramatta, Sydney. The dac biet pho with brisket and tendons is the menu signature, daily 8am-9pm.
Tip: Closes by 8pm; take cash for the smoothest queue.
Three Blue Ducks Rosebery ★ 4.5 · Sydney
rosebery · 85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery NSW 2018
Farm-to-table all-day cafe inside the Cannery on Dunning Avenue, Rosebery, Sydney. Sydney neighbourhood favourite, walk-in seats most weeknights.
Tip: Saturday morning brings the longest queue; weekdays best for a sit-down breakfast.
Longrain ★ 4.5 · Sydney
surry-hills · 85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Modern Thai institution on Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. The caramelised pork hock has stayed on the menu for more than two decades.
Tip: Communal long-table seating; bookings recommended on weekends.
Hello Please ★ 4.4 · Brisbane
south-brisbane · Fish Lane, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Hello Please on Fish Lane in South Brisbane runs across from QPAC and GoMA. Modern Vietnamese banh mi, pho and crispy chicken bowls, hawker-style.
Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.4 · Melbourne
cbd · 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane is the CBD's best all-day operator: raw bar at the counter, whole roasted chicken for the table and a wine list worth exploring.
France-Soir ★ 4.4 · Melbourne
south-yarra · 11 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
France-Soir on Toorak Road has served classical French food since 1982: the menu barely changes, theatrical service and an honest wine list.
Tip: Book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings: it fills well before 8pm.