Top 50 restaurants in Australia

by As rated by verified OpenTable diners

Updated 19 November 2019

Creative dishes, unparalelled hospitality and one-of-a-kind dining experiences, OpenTable's 50 best resataurants in Australia 2018 consistently serve up all this and more, time and again. This year's top 50 were determined by analysing more than 126,000 reviews from more than 1,600 restaurants across Australia - all submitted by verified diners.

A Touch of Salt

4.8

4.8 (2314)

$41 to $100

Modern Australian

Townsville CBD

About the restaurant

Enjoy the breathtaking waterfront views, sparkling starry night skies, and refreshing breezes of our outdoor balcony, or opt for indoor air-conditioned seating to beat the heat (which can be a must in North Queensland!).

Our restaurant's name, A Touch of Salt, is a play on our family name, Brine. In 2005, we started as a family business, and our family-style approach of offering genuine hospitality and meals designed for conversation has always been the heart of A Touch of Salt. Over the years, we have perfected our restaurant to become one of the best casual fine-dining restaurants in the North.

We take pride in being appreciated by the locals of Townsville as well as travellers from all over Australia.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

Food was amazing, delicious and delightful. Service was really great also…

Cecconi's Flinders Lane

4.7

4.7 (1029)

$101 and over

Italian

Melbourne CBD

About the restaurant

"Everything you want from a sophisticated city Italian restaurant is right here: atmosphere, admirable service, a menu long enough to allow for real choice, an expansive drinks list, flattering lighting, carpets and tablecloths to ensure that sound levels are low enough for a proper conversation."
Enjoy signature dishes - Seafood linguine, Veal Cotoletta and signature steaks from the Josper

One Hat – THE AGE GOOD FOOD GUIDE
2006 - 2023

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 7 days ago

We went expecting something nice and got far more. Wonderful ambience, delicious food, and a cheerful hostess, Julia. Everyone was nice. We ordered cured kingfish, seafood linguine, gnocchi, fish of the day, sorbeto and gelato. Every bite has kept me reeling even now. And without a doubt the beat bread and chips on the side Exquisite Exquisite Exquisite!!!

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Experience

3 Course Fixed Price Menu

Chocolate Buddha

4.7

4.7 (2469)

$41 to $100

Japanese

Melbourne CBD

About the restaurant

Chocolate Buddha undertook an AMAZING renovation in 2019 by Maddison Architects. We have a 22 seater SUSHI TRAIN open Wednesday to Sunday lunches 12 - 3pm and it includes an EXPRESS train which delivers hot food ordered via a tablet. We offer QR menus at each table for ease of ordering, splitting bills and menu with pictures and descriptions. This type of ordering is optional so always let us know if you prefer to order with us. See you soon @ Chocolate Buddha

Top review

NatashaS

Dined 1 day ago

Wonderful service and delicious food. I came here with a small group of friends and our diet stirs were well considered and we had lovely service from friendly and professional staff.

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4.8

4.8 (1052)

$41 to $100

Modern Australian

Surry Hills

About the restaurant

We are a neighbourhood restaurant in Surry Hills with a great bar and a lovely team.
Our menu is dedicated to Australian produce, wine, beer & cocktails, opening every evening and for a lazy long lunch every weekend.

We are located in a heritage townhouse just off Taylor Square at the axis of Paddington, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills with comfortable counter-top dining, a garden terrace, an intimate dining room, and a newly renovated private dining room.

We are thrilled to have one of Australia’s most experienced chefs, Mark Archer (previously Becassè, Tomislav, & Fix Wine Bar) heading up our kitchen. Together our goal is to champion the exceptional ingredients of this great continent through a changeable menu of sharing plates.

Our kitchen stays open throughout the day and late into every evening.

Top review

DonnaA

Dined 5 days ago

Took some friends to Dead Ringer and they were very impressed with the food and wine list. We all enjoyed the food and drinks service was attentive and engaged a fabulous time by us all highly recommend this restaurant

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Experience

Christmas Long Lunch Set Menu $89pp

Experience

Long Lunch Set Menu $45pp

Experience

$95pp Set Menu

Donovans

4.7

4.7 (1353)

$101 and over

Modern Australian

St Kilda

About the restaurant

Welcome to Donovans - our ‘house on the beach’ and home we love to share. Donovans is located on the St.Kilda beach front offering guests a memorable dining experience in Melbourne. With a bay side view, beautiful Mediterranean inspired food and the special relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant, Donovans is where you will feel at home.

Donovans’ exciting menu has been developed with Gail and Kevin’s knowledge of modern Mediterranean cooking. The menu is extensive with a modern mix of favourite dishes emphasising the best local produce. Donovans also offers an extensive wine list of Australian and imported wines and an eclectic mix of cocktails.

Top review

yummyfoodreviewing

Dined on 1 Jan 2023

Very nice food, lovely setting. Only thing I would say is they the service is a little slow… we waited almost one hour for our food. But otherwise lovely place.

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Popular dish

Bombe Alaska for two

Popular dish

Old-fashioned chicken pie

Popular dish

Linguine with seafood

Elio's Osteria

4.8

4.8 (1509)

$40 and under

Italian

Carindale

About the restaurant

Candle lit tables, chianti by the glass, crooners and generous old fashioned house made pizza, calzone, gelati, huge pastas and antipasto. Perfect for a family dinner, an intimate night for two, or a work get together. A south side institution since 1984.

Top review

MarcelaS

Dined 2 days ago

We love Elios, the food and the service is great. Always going back.

French Saloon

4.6

4.6 (320)

$41 to $100

French

Melbourne CBD

About the restaurant

Climb the narrow flight of stairs up from the red brick lane to enter the saloon. A table in the bustling dining room? Or a seat at the fluted zinc bar? Whether it’s a lunch, dinner or well crafted cocktails with a snack, bookings are essential.

Top review

LIZE

Dined 1 day ago

Simply beautiful food, classical with a contemporary edge

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Experience

Chef's Menu

Glasshouse

4.7

4.7 (1522)

$41 to $100

Modern Australian

Timbumburi

About the restaurant

Lead by Head Chef Jarrod Smith, Glasshouse is proud to serve a variety of expertly prepared, locally sourced dishes, in a phenomenal venue.
Goonoo Goonoo Station is undoubtedly the New England regions finest destination for accommodation, dining, and events.

Please note:
At Glasshouse, we have seatings options for groups from 2 - 50 people.
Bookings are currently limited to groups of 10 persons maximum.
If your desired time is does not show, unfortunately that time is not available.
Bookings prior to 6:30pm are for 2 hours only.

Top review

JanW

Dined 1 day ago

Every dish was exquisite and the location and service simply can’t be faulted.

Mamasan Kitchen and Bar

4.7

4.7 (2070)

$41 to $100

Asian

Broadbeach

About the restaurant

Mamasan Kitchen + Bar is a contemporary pan Asian restaurant with a menu that is designed to share, from cuisines including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian and Thai.

Mamasan Bar serves unique Asian inspired cocktails alongside a selection of premium local and international wines, spirits, tap beer + sake, all designed to compliment the modern Asian menu.

Featuring a unique modern decor and a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere, Mamasan incorporates spaces for all size gatherings including private dining at the 10 seat Banquet Table, outdoor seating on our enclosed Deck or drinks and small bites in the Bar area.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on 1 Jan 2023

Loved it! Food and service were amazing Highly recommend

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Popular dish

Wagyu Beef Red Curry

Popular dish

Spanner Crab Ravioli Dumplings

Popular dish

Soft Shell Crab Bao

Osteria di Russo & Russo

4.8

4.8 (1103)

$41 to $100

Contemporary Italian

Enmore

About the restaurant

Enmore's Osteria di Russo & Russo is a favorite among locals and visitors alike for its modern take on classic Italian flavours, served in its warm and charming restaurant. As snacks to start, the fiore di zucchini fried zucchini flower with goat's milk ricotta and lemon aspen and the cannolo filled with a duck liver parfait, date and hazelnuts are sensational selections.

Some of Osteria di Russo & Russo's specialty dishes include the saltbush gnocchi with pork sausage ragu and pecorino, the chargrilled beef flank with green garlic, nasturtium and smoked eggplant and the slow cooked freemantle octopus with chickpea, salsa rossa and native bush tomato, as well as vegetarian dishes.

Osteria di Russo & Russo's strawberry sorbet, davidson plum meringue and limoncello custard is the perfect dessert with which to finish your meal.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

The food, service and ambience were all ideal. A really amazing rigatoni topped the night but all the food and wine was incredible. Would definitely go again and recommend to all.

Park Street Pasta & Wine

4.6

4.6 (766)

$41 to $100

Italian

South Melbourne

About the restaurant

Located in a historic corner building at 268 Park Street, Park Street Pasta & Wine is South Melbourne’s friendly neighbourhood pasta and wine bar from Italian Restaurateurs Luca Balbo & Lino Torre, combining their passion for food and experience in the hospitality industry.

Head chef Tommaso Bartoli whips up a creative menu that heavily draws on his Tuscan roots. Starting his career in the kitchens of Florence, he brings to Australia all the knowledge and passion for food that define with his personal style.

All our pasta is handmade in-house in the traditional ‘fatta a mano’ style. Our menu features inventive sharing plates, classic pasta dishes that nod to various parts of Italy, plus a few modern iterations, all reflective of seasonal quality produce. with a tidy selection of Italian, international and local wines to match.

We are located at 268 Park Street on the Corner of Park Street and Perrins St, just down from the iconic South Melbourne Town Hall.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on 29 Nov 2023

Delicious food and great portion sizes (you don’t often get that when eating nice pasta). The service was also incredible.

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Experience

Pasta Mista Set Menu

Rick Shores

4.8

4.8 (4223)

$101 and over

Contemporary Asian

Burleigh Heads

About the restaurant

Pan-Asian flavours in one of the Gold Coast's most iconic locations. Focusing on fresh locally sourced produce with intention to share.

By Head Chef James Brady

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 2 days ago

Amazing views and even better food! Had the best time 😊

Rickys River Bar and Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (2775)

$41 to $100

Seafood

Noosaville / Noosa Heads

About the restaurant

Set on the banks of the beautiful Noosa River, Rickys River Bar & Restaurant delivers a dining experience that encapsulates the Noosa lifestyle. Rickys offers a delicious menu featuring a wonderful selection of fresh seafood and the very best local produce. With sweeping views of the Noosa River, Rickys is the perfect place for a leisurely lunch, a sunset dinner or a relaxing cocktail in their River Bar.

Top review

Jessica

Dined on 1 Jan 2023

Really exceptional restaurant, delicious cocktails. Loved the olives! View was epic. Would go again!

Rookie Eatery

4.7

4.7 (646)

$41 to $100

Australian

Wollongong

About the restaurant

Rookie Eatery offers diners contemporary Australian cuisine in a casual context. A produce-driven menu centres on modern Australian food, as the kitchen serves an eclectic mix of local ingredients with multicultural influences. At Rookie, we believe that ‘Australian cuisine’ is a multicultural phenomenon that exists nowhere else in the world and so we aim to provide a contemporary interpretation with the local ingredients on offer. The result is a diverse inspiration of eastern and western cultures brought together with fragrant and fresh flavours. An on-site herb garden provides the kitchen with a range of indigenous and introduced herb species, whilst a commitment to strong supplier relationships sees the South Coast’s best produce showcased.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 7 days ago

Excellent service with great wine and food recommendations. Really enjoyed the meal and the overall experience

Sails Noosa

4.7

4.7 (2875)

$101 and over

Modern Australian

Noosaville / Noosa Heads

About the restaurant

Located overlooking Noosa Main Beach, Sails Restaurant offers sophisticated yet relaxed dining.

Executive Chef, Paul Leete, presents a creative fusion of modern Australian cuisine, while keeping a strong focus on fresh, seasonal produce.

Paul combines ingredients, sourced with integrity, to create clean, thoughtful and uncomplicated menus.

Sails Restaurant also features a multi award winning wine list showcasing more than 500 wines, with a focus on great Australian, New Zealand and French winemakers.

Open from 12pm daily for lunch and dinner.

Sails Restaurant is open for all Public Holidays through the Christmas and Easter periods.

When placing your reservation, please understand that requests for specific tables cannot be guaranteed. We appreciated that everyone who books with us wants to sit close to the beach front, therefore we allocate these tables according to how far in advance you book.

Top review

Smygirl

Dined on 1 Jan 2023

The service and food were outstanding. The entree and dessert special was great with the pandam pannacotta voted the best my husband has tasted. All round great work!

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4.8

4.8 (576)

$41 to $100

Mediterranean

The Basin

About the restaurant

THE PEACOCK SYMBOLISES POWER, ROYALTY, INSIGHT & WISDOM.

The concept behind The Peacock Den is simply to offer a more unique wine and dining experience in the outer east. Brought to life from a vision and passion for the Hospitality industry, we have created this stunning establishment.

With a strong focus on fine wines, the mission at The Peacock Den is simply to share excellent and expertly selected wines matched with simple yet delicious food in a relaxed sharing environment.

Top review

Marty

Dined on 24 Nov 2023

Great food and extensive wine list. It's become one of our regular haunts.

The Woodhouse Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (2458)

$41 to $100

Steakhouse

Bendigo

About the restaurant

Enjoy a wood-fired experience.
Winner of Savour Awards best Steak Restaurant for Victoria and Tasmania 2018.

Smell the delicious smokiness of Bendigo’s only redgum char-grill and wood-fired oven, where we use the sweet-smelling applewood from nearby Harcourt.

The Woodhouse specialises in premium beef: grass-fed and dry-aged meats, cooked just the way you like. We champion Central Victoria’s best local produce, crafting the dishes using strictly top quality ingredients.

The Woodhouse is proud of our welcoming professional service. Enjoy a pre-dinner beverage in front of the open fire, with many craft beers, quality cocktails and a great range of wines on offer. The well-priced local drops round off this exceptional offering; chosen to match the delicious menu perfectly.
The temperature controlled alfresco dining area, fully protected from the elements offers a choice of internal or external seating.

Our menu is updated seasonally and available on our website.

Top review

RosB

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent staff. Sommelier Steven provided a very warm welcome. He certainly makes you want to be a loyal customer. What an asset he is to Woodhouse and Bendigo! The food was absolutely beautiful. Wait staff warm friendly patient. So lucky to have Woodhouse in Bendigo.

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Popular dish

Sher Wagyu Scotch Fillet

Popular dish

Mcivor Farm Pork Belly

Experience

2 course Express Lunch with Beverage

Tinamba Hotel

4.8

4.8 (1093)

$41 to $100

Modern Australian

Tinamba

About the restaurant

Simon and Tania Johnson have owned Tinamba Hotel since October 2020 and feel honoured to be the custodians of the hotel’s proud heritage as they build upon a vision from previous owners, Brad Neilson, Damien Gannon, the Schoenmaeker and Whelan families.

Using the finest, locally grown fresh produce from local suppliers and working with the most talented chefs in the region is what the Johnsons believe sets Tinamba Hotel apart. The signature dishes deliver a truly memorable experience, served in a setting famously known as Gippsland’s favourite destination dining venue.

From the first-class dining experience within the dining room, lounge and conservatory, to the relaxed atmosphere in the Amba Bar and on the outdoor veranda, Simon, Tania and the Tinamba Hotel team provide the finest example of country hospitality for local and visiting customers alike.

Welcome to your Gippsland local. The award-winning Tinamba Hotel.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 7 days ago

Value for the money and a great place to meet friends for conversation

Walter’s Steakhouse - Brisbane

4.6

4.6 (1936)

$41 to $100

Steakhouse

Brisbane CBD

About the restaurant

Walter's Steakhouse is a restaurant unlike any other. Serving classic dishes paired with old fashioned service.

Top review

Kmcopper

Dined on 2 Nov 2023

Service is exceptional. Staff are attentive without being intrusive. Food is beautiful, great wine selection and the ambience is lovely. Perfect for a special occasion…or just a nice treat.

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