Time Out Food & Drink Awards 2023: Best Relaxed Dining Venue Nominees

If you thought it’s impossible for ‘coastal’ design to not look naff, you certainly aren’t alone. But the old warehouse space previously home to Automata has been given a luxe marine makeover in honour of its recent inception – sustainable seafood restaurant and wine bar, Longshore. And Sydney-based interior design firm Guru Projects have absolutely killed it – the building's stark, industrial bones now exude grace and warmth, thanks to a raw, yet refined glow-up.

Do you remember the old Pantene commercials featuring models with glossy and shiny hair the length of Rapunzel’s? Let’s face it, that level of shine was unrealistic to most – it was just trying to get us to buy the silicone-laced shampoo and conditioner. Which we did. It’s a Wednesday evening when we visit Palazzo Salato, the sprawling new Italian restaurant and bar from the Love Tilly Group, for the second time. And sure, we didn’t imagine we'd be recalling television commercials circa 2005 while dining here. But that's exactly what comes to mind when a beautiful plate of scarpinocc (a type of pasta) with Andean sunrise potatoes is placed in front of us looking all shiny, glossy and downright irresistible.

We’re about three mouthfuls into a brilliant dish of deep-fried barramundi with a mango salad – a tumble of sweet fruit matchsticks intertwined with fresh mint and coriander, lemongrass and crunchy cashews licked with nahm jim dressing sitting on top of crisp, succulent fillets of barramundi. I look up and see my dining companion with his eyes closed, hands at his temples, tiny droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. The truth is my nose has started to run like someone in a Codral commercial and the room is beginning to look hazy. It’s abundantly clear the chefs at Porkfat mean serious business, and I, unlike perhaps my date (who at this point are now onto their fourth glass of water) am absolutely here for it. Another mouthful, here I go. (Does anyone have any milk?)

At first glance, Promenade Bondi Beach is everything you might expect ‘Promenade Bondi Beach’ to be. The latest upmarket diner on Bondi’s beachfront was probably always destined to soak in smooth sandy interiors, crowd with linen-clad clientele, and flog crudo, Sydney rock oysters and homemade flatbread with whipped ricotta. But Bondi Pavilion’s newest tenant does more than enough to distinguish itself from its noisy and fabulous neighbours.

Found in the middle of the suits and skyscrapers of North Sydney is Rafi, a 300-seat restaurant and bar and a recent offering from Applejack Hospitality (also the Taphouse, Bopp and Tone, Forrester's). Orange umbrellas line the foliage-filled outdoor terrace, and an exquisite semi-alfresco glasshouse overflows with lush plants and patterned window frames. It’s a feast for the eyes, a rare sanctuary sprung from the beige urban surroundings.

The first time I travelled to India I ate palak paneer while drinking Kingfishers on Goa’s moon-shaped beaches, explored the pulsating, hazy streets of Kolkata, and drank sweet tea looking out over the snow-cloaked Himalayas in Darjeeling. I was captivated by the soul of this South Asian country, the depth of flavour in the food, the spices, and the heat. We find exactly this when we visit Raja, Potts Point’s new Indian restaurant by the team behind Ezra.

It’s around 6pm and we’re sitting at Redfern’s newish local, Redbird Chinese, when we overhear our neighbours say: “It’s very busy for a Wednesday.” We look up, and see they’re absolutely right. The whole place is packed with arty groups wearing red berets and clinky jewellery; and couples getting stuck into delicious smelling dishes that are making us behave like a Labrador at the airport. I don’t think I can spot a free table. The other thing we notice? Everyone seems to be having a jolly time. We’ll have what they’re having, please.