Sometimes you find the Best Restaurant where you Least Expect It
We’ve traveled around the world looking for noteworthy restaurants, but as it ever seems to be the case most of us forget that the land down under has also a lot to offer if you’re looking for some unforgettable gastronomic experience. Australia has 10 big cities that have between 200,000 – 4.6 million people living in them at any given time. It’s also a cultural melting pot as there are a lot of Asians and Westerners who frequent the country for its beautiful landscapes, exotic animals and bustling cities. You will not have a hard time searching for awesome restaurants here.
Here are 10 best restaurants in Australia that I highly recommend you try:
Flower Drum
Hands down critics and patrons agree that this is one of Australia’s finest Chinese restaurants, if not THE finest restaurant of them all! Believe it or not, you actually have to make your reservations at least 3 months in advanced. It’s crazy I know, but such is the fearsome reputation that the Flower Drum has achieved after being in the food industry for over 35 years now. Like most Chinese restaurant this one has lacquered wood detailing and red carpets crawling all over. They emphasize on a seafood menu; however, they do have other cuisines that are very palatable. The ‘Flower Drum’ is known as a traditional dance famous for its beauty and elegance back in China. That’s where they got their name from.
Cellar Door Restaurant at Coal Valley Vineyard
This restaurant is not located in mainland Australia but in another big island called, Tasmania. If you drive about 15 minutes from Hobart CBD (central business district) in Tasmania Island, then you should be able to reach Cellar Door Restaurant at Coal Valley Vineyard. You will absolutely enjoy the relaxed and laid-back ambience of the restaurant and you can choose between wine tasting, light snacks or a full course meal. This is an ideal place to get away from it all and just let yourself loose. The restaurant meticulously selects the best wines to match your vineyard-inspired meals to give you the best food and wine dining experience.
Spicers Balfour Hotel Dining Room
If you dine at the Spicers Balfour Hotel Dining Room, then it will be difficult not to see the luxury retreat which is the hotel itself, but you can read about the reviews of the hotel on other sites as we’re only interested with its restaurant. You don’t expect anything less than absolute elegance from The Spicer’s Group and the Balfour Hotel is certainly no exception. Because the restaurant has a head chef supervising the cooking in the kitchen, you will get a different meal every time you dine in it. However, you can be assured that Chef Peter van Lunn’s creations won’t disappoint your appetite and taste buds. Just one thing though, you can’t dine in the restaurant unless you’re a guest at the hotel, so it’s more or less a package deal.
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Watt Restaurant & Bar
Situated beneath the Brisbane Powerhouse and overlooking the beautiful and peaceful Brisbane River, is the nostalgic Watt Restaurant and Bar. Hats off to whoever the chef of this restaurant is, because its kitchen offers tons of innovative Modern Australian cuisine that’s worthy of a Michelin Star for excellence! As you know this is Australia and fine dining here is not complete without seafood – and Watt Restaurant and Bar has the best seafood around. For a casual dining restaurant this dining place goes out of its way to please its customers and everyone who walks out of their door after a sumptuous meal is always another happy camper.
Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro
Australia’s super team husband and wife Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines created the Banksii after their huge success with Bar H. Hamish and Rebecca named their new restaurant after botanist Sir Joseph Banks, because they wanted it to have a botanical theme. They want people to feel the restaurant theme from the landscapes to their cuisines of fresh, light and seasonal ingredients which are designed for you to share whilst enjoying the chilled ambience. If you’re vegan and enjoy nature a lot, then you can come and dine here; however, Banksii also serve meat products, so only order what’s appropriate for you.
The Tasmanian Food & Wine Conservatory
This restaurant was created from a former greenhouse in the small town of Sassafras. The restaurant is built on submerged timber that reflects sunlight in a golden hue at certain angles, which is amazing to look at. Ceiling fans, the bar, wine racks and cane furniture give it a tropical Cuban style atmosphere. The chef and kitchen staff relies so much on the seasonality of the sourced ingredients and supplies in order to create the best modern and fresh menu. This is also the reason why the restaurant became so famous not just within the borders of Australia, but on other parts of the world as well.
Republica St. Kilda Beach
Overlooking Port Phillip Bay, Republica St. Kilda Beach restaurant is a favorite among beachgoers due largely to its beachfront setting and a bar overlooking the water among other things. Naturally you can expect grilled foods here as well as seafood as the highlight of most of the restaurant’s menu, but they also have an array of cuisines for you to savor. You’ll also find some indoor-outdoor dining areas as well as central open fireplaces for evening gatherings with friends that’s similar to making a bonfire when you go camping in the woods.
The Meat & Wine Co. Southbank
It’s hard to think that such a classy restaurant is actually a steakhouse. At first glance you’d actually think that you’re walking into Osteria Francescana or some fine dining restaurants in Europe that I’ve given up trying to pronounce, yet for all its fancy features new and rustic design elements you’ll never be disappointed with their grilled foods, signature flame grilled skewers, ribs and premium steaks (if you’re looking to have an exciting gastronomic experience). The beautiful glass walls of the restaurant will give you a great view of the Yarra River and the city skyline.
The French Saloon
If you’re a fan of French cuisines, then you’d want to go to The French Salon in Melbourne. This restaurant used to be an apartment, but unbeknownst to the restaurateur it had so much potential than just collecting monthly rental fees. The relaxed, light-filled space is furnished with distressed floorboards, bentwood chairs and a six-metre French-made zinc bar. You can expect amazing French food such as the lightly cured kingfish, avocado, pickled fennel & sweet ginger; blini of smoked salmon & pearls, horseradish cream; Pulled pork buns, pickles, sriracha mayo and warm chocolate madeleines filled with chocolate mousse.
Sake Restaurant and Bar Melbourne
This Japanese restaurant is actually famous in Melbourne and is well-known to almost every local in the area. As I’ve said earlier Australia is a culture melting pot where Asians (among many other ethnic groups) are numerous and they can be tourists or immigrants who have gained Australian citizenship over the years. Sake Restaurant and Bar Melbourne serves a signature mix of both modern and classical dishes that may include the 7-course omakase (chef picked), cripsy tempura delights, sushi rolls and a lot of other mouth-watering Japanese cuisines! Enjoy your food at the open sushi bar or the outdoor area which overlooks the Yarra River.
