Mimi Wong

What’s the secret recipe for crafting an exceptional dining experience? In coming up with Time Out’s list of the best restaurants in Australia we considered a mix of ingredients. Talented chefs? Stylish decor? Lively ambience? Top-notch drinks? And of course, food that you can’t stop thinking about for days, months, or even years. Luckily, Australia’s restaurant scene is sizzling with spots that check all these boxes, plus so much more. Our nation’s top restaurants are a celebration of Australia’s native ingredients too. From an intimate 34-seat dining room cut into the rolling hills of South Australia's countryside to a 30-year-old institution overlooking Sydney’s sparkling Bondi Beach, these are the restaurants Time Out Australia’s team, including resident foodie Melissa Woodley, recommends for your next culinary adventure. 🍹 The best bars in Australia⭐️ Australia's most luxurious hotels🥐 The best bakeries Down Under

With trendy restaurants and bars popping up all over the city, it’s no wonder Brisbanites and visitors alike can feel a bit overwhelmed when deciding where to eat. That’s where we come in! Our expert local writers have tasted their way through Brisbane’s diverse food scene to bring you this list of must-try restaurants. From a sprawling Greek taverna overlooking the river and a tiny, Nordic-inspired fine diner to a contemporary Chinese eatery with a spicy Sichuan fish broth that will make your eyes water, these are the places Time Out recommends for a culinary adventure in the River City. 🍸 The best bars in Brisbane☕️ Brisbane's coolest cafés🥐 Where to find the best pastries in Brisbane

Saturday sleep-ins are great, but nothing beats a weekend amble to the local farmers market. A mandatory stop on almost any regional holiday, these outdoor marketplaces buzz with local producers selling the freshest flowers, most seasonal produce and tastiest street food.  You've undoubtedly heard of the big players (hello Queen Victoria Market and Adelaide Central Market), but there are plenty of smaller (and equally spectacular) markets waiting for you to explore. Our round-up of the best markets in Australia covers them all – from the big names to the charming regional treasures. 🚘 The most epic Australian road trips to do before you die🍔 The best food and drink festivals in Australia🎨 Australia's best art galleries

With its award-winning restaurants and dishes worth trekking interstate for, Canberra has earned its place on Australia’s gourmet map. The star of the show is the region’s local produce – including truffles, smoked meats and wines – which are fired, flamed, fermented and fried into all sorts of culinary creations. Time Out Australia’s Travel & News Editor Melissa Woodley, spent four years immersed in Canberra’s dining scene before returning to Sydney, and she can vouch that its newest openings are right up there with the Emerald City’s. Whether you’re dining at the Italian spot in Braddon, vying for a table at a tiny Parisian-style restaurant, or making friends at one of the city’s funkiest pan-Asian eateries, these are the places you want to be seen in town. 🍹 The best bars and breweries in Canberra☕️ Canberra's coolest cafés🍣 Where to find the best Japanese food in Canberra

Compiling a list of the best Indian restaurants in a city, let alone a country, is no easy task. Every region, city and family have their own specialties, offering a diverse line-up of comforting curries, crunchy pakoras, fluffy naan bread, tangy pickles and cooling lassis. Time Out Australia has enlisted its team of well-travelled editors and writers to bring you this list of must-try Indian restaurants in every capital city. In Melbourne, a tiny at-home restaurant presents one of Melbourne’s most singular degustations, taking diners on a journey through different regions and seasons. In Sydney, a vibrant late-night eatery serves up colourful curry plates and roti wraps until 2am on the weekends. Meanwhile, a beloved Adelaide institution has been dishing up crowd-favourite butter chicken and beef vindaloo curries for almost 50 years. Wherever you are, your next spice fix awaits. 🍽 All the best restaurants in Australia🍱 The best Japanese joints in Australia🍕Where to find the best pizza in Australia

We're saying it loud and clear: Darwin is one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. It’s that far northern city where people put ice in their beer, dodge cyclones and take their life into their hands if they ever step into the sea. And while there is something a little untamed about Australia’s northernmost capital city, that’s what makes it so much fun to visit.  Whether you’re here to access the majesty of Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, check out the incredible international food scene or just planning to kick back by the water in this tropical paradise while the rest of the country shivers through winter, there’s something in Darwin for everyone.  🍽️ The best restaurants in Darwin right now🚗 All the best day trips from Darwin🍸 Where to go for a drink in town

The Sunshine Coast truly does have it all – sparkling beaches, peaceful national parks, exhilarating adventures and delicious dining. This tourist haven in Queensland stretches from the super-chill beach town of Caloundra through the resorts and national parks of Noosa, all the way up to the postcard-perfect Great Sandy National Park.  Adventurous travellers flock here to swim in the wild with whales and go hiking in rainforests – but there’s no need to work up a sweat if you’re here to wind down. You can also explore the region’s food trails, hunt for treasures at charming markets or enjoy a sunset dinner with an ocean view. Dive into our guide on the best things to do on the Sunshine Coast right now. ☀️ The best things to do in Noosa🍹 All the greatest restaurants on the Sunshine Coast🌴 Australia's top beach towns in Australia

Australians have a slight obsession with Japanese food. From silky bowls of ramen and glossy slithers of sashimi to crispy gyoza and bite-sized sushi rolls, we’d go to great lengths for a taste of Tokyo. Luckily, you don’t need to splurge on a ticket to Tokyo, since we’re blessed with some of the finest Japanese restaurants Down Under. Steeped in precision and ancient traditions, Japanese cuisine is a meticulous art form in its own right. In Australia, you’ll find highly awarded chefs firing Kobe beef right before your eyes, grandmas pouring fragrant teas and sake in cosy izakayas, and new-wave cooks serving high-end sashimi in exquisite omakases. Whether you’re after no-frills or all of the frills, here are some of the best Japanese restaurants in Australia. 🍽 All the best restaurants in Australia🐠 The best fish and chips in Australia🍕Where to find the best pizza in Australia

Margaret River is easily one of the most charming little pockets of Western Australia and a must-visit on your next adventure out west. ‘Margs’, as she’s known to locals, has a reputation for producing some of Australia’s finest wines, with more than 90 cellar doors ready to fill your cup. However, she has a whole lot more up her sleeve than just a good pour. When you pay Margs a visit, she might take you for a wander through the region’s fairytale forests, along stunning coastal trails, or into the depths of sparkling crystal caves. Trust us, it’s well worth the 3.5-hour drive south of Perth to explore this charming region, which has been the traditional land of the Wadandi (Saltwater) People for more than 60,000 years. Here are the best things to do in the Margaret River. 🌊 The best things to do in Perth☀️ Your ultimate guide to Albany🍷 Australia's very best wineries

Whether you’re enjoying a quick five-minute donburi or coating the palette with premium fish varnish, one thing is clear: Japanese cuisine has an undeniable allure that captivates the senses. It adapts, blends, transforms and best of all, always honours the simplicity of fresh ingredients and the people.  Home to longstanding classics and irresistible anomalies, Canberra offers all you need to satisfy your umami cravings. Here are the best Japanese restaurants in the Australian capital.  🍕 The best pizza in Canberra🍽 Canberra's best restaurants🥘 Where to go for the best Indian in Canberra

Brisbane’s Italian food has been some of the best in Australia for quite some time now, and it’s only getting better with each new opening. Drawing inspiration from regions all over Italy and working in top local produce, these restaurants show why Australia has some of the best Italian food outside the motherland.  Whether a hearty ragu in a cosy dining room is what you’re after, or linguine with prawns enjoyed al fresco is more your speed, Brisbane’s Italian restaurants offer it all. We’ve rounded up the very best spots for your next feast.  🍽️ Brisbane's very best restaurants🍕 The best pizza spots in Brisbane🥩 Where to find Brisbane's best steak

If Canberra had to pick a culinary crush, it would be Indian. The city is full of curry-craving cooks who'd much rather indulge in the real deal stuff than settle for their own half-hearted attempts at home (let's face it, it just never tastes quite as good).  Whether you crave the smoky flavours of the tandoor, the fiery heat of a North Indian curry, a South Indian delicacy or a cooling lassi, these Indian restaurants will sort you out. Can you handle the heat? 🍕 The best pizza in Canberra🍽 Canberra's best restaurants🍝 Where to go for the best Italian in Canberra

Venison sausage, kangaroo and salt bush pie, French crepes with Davidsons Plum whipped cream, support the R&D of local food specialists at the birthplace of budding Barossa businesses. Located within the Vintners sheds every Saturday morning is a market conference of local farmers, food artisans and weekend-hungry investors. With their ethos of sustainability and authenticity, returning and newly-minted customers can indulge in a worry-free shopping and eating experience from more than fifty vendors. Lend your ears to the passion pitches of lively stallholders as Barossa Farmers Markets showcases the devotion and creativity of local food and agricultural businesses.

“Meet the grower, taste the region” is the mantra of South Australia’s longstanding produce gallery. Their award-winning vocation of all things fresh and seasonal has brought the “marketphiles” of Willunga together for over two decades. As you navigate through the capillaries of this market heart, dare we say you will not get to the other side without biting down on Little Acre Foods’ almost-too-hot-to-eat pastrami and pickle toastie, or luxuriating in freshly whipped butter made from Fleurieu dairy and shmeared upon a Neighbours’ sourdough crumpet. With a maximalist array of breakfast choices to accompany your farmers market appetite, admire the celebrated crops of the Fleurieu region for yourself at Willunga High School, held every Saturday morning from eight till noon.

Reawaken your curiosity with a spirited stroll through the largest produce playground of the Canberra Region. Every Saturday morning, this free entry show-and-tell of Canberra’s best seasonal produce surpasses the boundaries of humdrum grocery shopping and becomes an undeniable community affair. Run your fingers through heaps of Featherdale Chestnuts then sample dollops of fresh Leaning Oak blue goat cheese or talk to the local honey producers of Isabella 1822. As you approach the market periphery, be enticed by the fragrance of honey-imbued bee sting cake, fresh off-the-griddle vegetarian gyozas and the alluring accompaniment of flavoured tonic syrups from The Triffid. 

“Meet the grower, taste the region” is the mantra of South Australia’s longstanding produce gallery. Their award-winning vocation of all things fresh and seasonal has brought the “marketphiles” of Willunga together for over two decades. As you navigate through the capillaries of this market heart, dare we say you will not get to the other side without biting down on Little Acre Foods’ almost-too-hot-to-eat pastrami and pickle toastie, or luxuriating in freshly whipped butter made from Fleurieu dairy and shmeared upon a Neighbours’ sourdough crumpet. With a maximalist array of breakfast choices to accompany your farmers market appetite, admire the celebrated crops of the Fleurieu region for yourself at Willunga High School, held every Saturday morning from eight till noon.

Heed to alternative culture in the ‘weekdayist’ form of Byron’s produce pop-up on Thursdays at Butler Street Reserve. A few blocks back from the beachfront is the locally adored conglomerate alternative where the scene falls nothing short of floral-shirt tropical holiday meets Aussie backyard barbecue. Thong-wearing locals and road-tripping tourists arrive to sample regional gifts of local food artisans and small farm vendors from seasonal produce, pasture-raised meats, eggs, seafood and market favourites, like honey, nuts, bread and flowers. Byron Bay Market is a passionate pledge to the neighbourhood as it continues to celebrate the family of small local farmers with returning or passing members of the community.

Don’t say we did not warn you, for the vibrant animation of space and place at Mindil Beach Sunset Market will turn your farmers market “vibe” into an allegiance. Nothing is more inviting than the disrupting scent of fragrant spices in hot oil, the anticipatory sheen of grease post-market stir fry against the considerately more harmonious riffs of aged cheeses, ripening fruit respites and butter desperately waiting to be enrobed with a duvet of bubbling batter. Mindil Beach Sunset is the most promising market emulsion of culture and creativity that practically demands your curious senses to be heightened by the possibilities of colliding sunset and ocean air reverberating in the background. Prepare to find your senses saturated as Darwin brings a taste of Southeast Asian night markets to its shores.

Cloaked beneath fig trees is the serenade of North Byron buskers and buoyant stall clerks at Mullumbimby’s market theme park. Heighten weekend anticipation as you board the carousels of locally sourced and seasonal fruits and vegetables, and ogle at the health haven delights of home-baked slices, multicoloured elixirs and interwoven layers of local dairy pastries. With year-round celebrations and curated ‘interact-tivities’ to occupy younger guests, it will be unsurprising that your Friday morning stroll turned farm and food fair will transform your weekend indulgences into a full-fledged carnival.

If you are desperately seeking refuge from the humdrum of weeknight grocery shopping then you will find a harvest citadel at Margaret River Farmers Market, hosted every Saturday morning from 7.30-11.30am. From stall to stall, the produce caretakers of the local shires await to showcase their reapable rewards in this communal haven. Come and fulfil your weekly wishes for something fresh, something sweet or something missing from your cooking escapes, and enjoy the sanctuary of a charity-run breakfast bar alongside your harvest hunt.

Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, Eumundi’s longstanding market (we’re talking since the eighties here!) becomes a blank canvas that welcomes brushstrokes of both seasoned and budding artisans, performers and creators. The do-it-yourself allure of stallholders and the like-no-other experience of customers have shaped this multi-sensory experience into one of Australia’s richest open-air galleries of handmade goods. Step into their ethos: “Make it, bake it, sew it, grow it” with a gourmet delight in one hand and the opportunity to inspect a treasure trove of desirable possessions in the other. 

What is it? This self-titled venue is a love story by Brisbane native, chef Dan Arnold, to emulsify contemporary Australian cuisine with his French sensibilities. Located on Ann Street in Fortitude Valley, the set menu is an exceptional bespoke dining experience for first-timers. Why go? Before you’re even attempting to decipher between the three, five and ‘Carte Blanche’ course menus on offer at Restaurant Dan Arnold, an accordion of conversational starters disguised as amuse bouchées become your fanfare. The decadence of technique-driven cuisine that can be enjoyed through as elaborate as eight dishes becomes the protagonist on a stage of bare and earthy interiors. With an everchanging seasonal menu, innovative dishes, like carrots immersed in a ginger and lemongrass emulsion; coral trout enrobed with beurre noisette; or wagyu paired with ratatouille stuffed zucchini and eggplant caviar, ensure that Arnold’s French Michelin expertise is not lost in translation.

What is it? The twin restaurant to Sydney’s waterfront venue, Otto Brisbane continues to celebrate the legacy of evocatively simple yet polished Italian cuisine. Having newly engraved itself in the ultra-scenic shore of South Bank, the glasshouse venue welcomes both a casual spritz or afternoon sprawls all summer long. Why go? An indulgent summer romance: the affair of Otto’s al fresco osteria and ristorante with the South Bank waterfront radiates seasonal allure. The unashamedly simplistic interpretations of Italian classics only intensify our summer lust to saturate in summer rays and share stories between nimble bites of citrus oil-enrobed crudo and curvaceous Skull Island prawn mafaldine.

What is it? Tucked in the foodie hub of Woollangabba, Detour’s share plate gallery is a refreshing celebration of inclusive and sustainable dining. Opened in 2017, their innovative dual menu of omnivorous and herbivore dishes has become a bucket-list, all-encompassing eating experience and continues to magnetise all of Brisbane’s vivacious diners.  Why go? The 140-seat venue coalesces contemporary techniques and influences of modern Australian cuisine in its equal celebration of all things vegetal and animal. Featuring uniquely Australian ingredients and with a menu that is almost entirely gluten-free, the contemplative invitation of emu tartare, fried duck with jalapeno cornbread to their rendition of ‘fossilised’ carrots and coal-roasted miso broccoli becomes universally undeniable.