30 modern australian restaurants worth the trip across Australia, editor-ranked. All cuisines in Australia.
Amaru ★ 4.9 · Melbourne
armadale · 5/1121 High Street, Armadale VIC 3143
Amaru holds three Good Food Guide hats, Melbourne's highest. Clinton McIver's 34-seat Armadale room runs a single tasting menu built on Australian produce.
Brae ★ 4.9 · Melbourne
yarraville · 4285 Cape Otway Road, Birregurra VIC 3242
Brae in Birregurra holds three Good Food Guide hats and features in the World's 50 Best list. Dan Hunter grows most of what the kitchen cooks on the farm.
Tip: Brae is 90 minutes from Melbourne in the Otway hinterland. An overnight stay in the on-site cottages makes the trip logical.
Agnes ★ 4.8 · Brisbane
22 Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Agnes on Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley cooks every plate over Queensland wood. No gas, no electricity in the kitchen; ironbark, apple wood, cherry, olive.
Vue de Monde ★ 4.8 · Melbourne
cbd · 525 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Vue de Monde holds three Good Food Guide hats 55 floors above Collins Street. Hugh Allen's tasting menu takes Victorian produce with the utmost seriousness.
Attica ★ 4.8 · Melbourne
ripponlea · 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea VIC 3185
Attica in Ripponlea holds two Good Food Guide hats. Ben Shewry builds menus from native Australian ingredients with research depth few kitchens attempt.
Sixpenny ★ 4.8 · Sydney
stanmore · 83 Percival Road, Stanmore NSW 2048
Three-hat Sixpenny in Stanmore, Sydney. Daniel Puskas and Anthony Schifilliti run a seasonal tasting menu inside a 1907 inner-west terrace dining room.
e'cco bistro ★ 4.7 · Brisbane
63 Skyring Terrace, Newstead QLD 4006
Philip Johnson e'cco bistro has run since 1995, now at Haven in Newstead since 2018. Modern Australian with Queensland seafood and wood-fired technique.
Navi ★ 4.7 · Melbourne
yarraville · 83B Gamon Street, Yarraville VIC 3013
Navi holds two Good Food Guide hats in a 25-seat Yarraville terrace. Julian Hills' tasting menus make Melbourne's west a serious dining destination.
Bennelong ★ 4.7 · Sydney
cbd · Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
Peter Gilmore's two-hat Bennelong under the Opera House sails, Sydney. Native ingredients, harbour views, three-course or counter dining all year.
Firedoor ★ 4.7 · Sydney
surry-hills · 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Lennox Hastie's two-hat fire-only kitchen in Surry Hills, Sydney. Two wood-fired ovens, three grills, no gas: dry-aged steak and seasonal Australian produce.
Bar Liberty ★ 4.6 · Melbourne
fitzroy · 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Bar Liberty in Fitzroy holds one Good Food Guide hat: Melbourne's natural-wine bistro of record, with small plates, biodynamic pours and a polished kitchen.
Ester ★ 4.6 · Sydney
chippendale · 46-52 Meagher Street, Chippendale NSW 2008
Mat Lindsay's two-hat wood-fired room on Meagher Street, Chippendale, Sydney. Open since 2013; the fermented potato bread is a decade-long mainstay.
Etta ★ 4.5 · Melbourne
brunswick-east · 60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Etta in Brunswick East is Daphne's senior sibling: a considered tasting menu format, produce-led cooking and a wine list that matches the kitchen's drive.
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.
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.
Margaret ★ 4.5 · Sydney
double-bay · 30 Bay Street, Double Bay NSW 2028
Neil Perry's two-hat Margaret in Double Bay, Sydney. The veteran chef's post-Rockpool flagship runs wood-fired produce and dry-aged steaks daily.
Blackbird Bar & Grill ★ 4.4 · Brisbane
cbd · 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Blackbird occupies the riverfront level of the Riverside Centre at 123 Eagle Street. Dry-aged steaks, Queensland seafood, sweeping Story Bridge views.
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.
Stokehouse ★ 4.4 · Melbourne
st-kilda · 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda VIC 3182
Stokehouse sits on the St Kilda beachfront and holds one Good Food Guide hat for a seafood-forward modern Australian menu paired with panoramic bay views.
Carlton Wine Room ★ 4.3 · Melbourne
carlton · 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Carlton Wine Room on Faraday Street is the bistro Melbourne dining culture is built on: seasonal cooking, natural wine and a room that always feels right.
Carlton Wine Room ★ 4.3 · Melbourne
carlton · 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Carlton Wine Room is the neighbourhood bistro Melbourne dining culture is built on: seasonal cooking, natural wine and a room that rewards weekly return.
Fred's ★ 4.3 · Sydney
paddington · 380 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021
Merivale's country-kitchen room on Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney. Hearth cooking, farm-direct produce, open kitchen at the back of the dining room.
Daphne ★ 4.2 · Melbourne
brunswick-east · 52-54 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Daphne in Brunswick East is the Etta team's public house: seasonal European cooking, a natural wine list and a room that genuinely takes the food seriously.
Cumulus Inc. ★ 4.2 · Melbourne
cbd · 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Cumulus Inc. on Flinders Lane is Andrew McConnell's all-day room: raw bar to open, share plates to follow and a wine list that earns a return visit.
Daphne ★ 4.2 · Melbourne
brunswick-east · 52-54 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Daphne is a public house in spirit: seasonal menu, cocktails and a wine list for conversation in a Brunswick East room that became a local anchor fast.
Bessie's ★ 4.2 · Sydney
surry-hills · 111-115 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Casual contemporary Australian dining on Riley Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. Wood-fired sourdough, share plates, the kind of room locals book on repeat.
Sean's ★ 4.2 · Sydney
bondi · 270 Campbell Parade, North Bondi NSW 2026
Sean Moran's long-running North Bondi room above Campbell Parade, Sydney. Daily chalkboard menu, garden-driven produce, 25 years on. Wed-Sat dinner.
Aria ★ 4.1 · Sydney
cbd · 1 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Matt Moran's two-hat Aria has held its harbour outlook since 1999 on Macquarie Street, Sydney. Executive chef Tom Gorringe runs the line under Moran's name.
Bentley Restaurant + Bar ★ 4.1 · Sydney
cbd · 27-29 O'Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt's two-hat Bentley on O'Connell Street, Sydney. Tasting menu, modern Australian produce and a 200-strong wine list.
Felons Brewing Co. ★ 4.0 · Brisbane
howard-smith-wharves · 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Felons Brewing Co. is the working brewery and pub at Howard Smith Wharves under the Story Bridge in Brisbane. Pizzas, burgers, beer made on site by the river.