Sticking to spring’s theme of new beginnings and fresh starts, October saw Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth score new restaurants and bars with exciting talent, enticing menus, and beautiful settings.
With beachfront eateries, glitzy rooftop Japanese restaurants, and new approaches to Australian dining in leafy surrounds in the mix, these are 10 of the top restaurants and bars that opened in Australia in October to add to your list.
Sydney
Alzado
Tthe level-one dining room at Hotel Ravesis in Bondi has been relaunched as a celebration of Spanish food and coastal culture. Post-swim nibbles are encouraged via small plates of Andalusian-style fried whitebait with aïoli and lemon, montaditos sandwiching chistorra sausage and Padrón peppers, and jamón croquetas. Proteins like king prawns, whole fish and share-friendly steaks get the high-heat treatment on a newly installed Spanish-style plancha, and wines include examples from Spain and other key European regions, as well as Australian drops, while elsewhere on the drinks menu there’s vermouth, a beachy beer selection and a Martini made with oyster shell-infused Grey Goose. New tiling, textural ochre paint and sculptural lighting have refreshed the space, its entry now heralded by an installation of almost 200 ceramic pieces, inspired by cactus paddles, by Bondi artist Daimon Downey.
alzado.com.au
Epula
The GPO building in Martin Place has welcomed Epula, an opulent arrival from the Tapavino Group. Under the historic archways, Epula evokes the social nature of Europe’s plazas and town squares across its dining room, bar and outdoor terrace. The menu calls on French and Italian flavours, such as a Basque cheese tart with walnuts and apricot; grilled whole flathead with saffron velouté and salmon roe; and roasted duck breast with caramelised mandarin and parsnip, with a friendly $55 two-course lunch line-up, and a $98 per head shared menu for groups. With a rich and detailed interior by Luchetti Krelle, an internal atrium serving coffee from 7.30am and a few outdoor tables overlooking the action of the CBD, the venue fits proudly in its historic surrounds with a curved bar for Manchego croquettes and Tinto de Verano, and aperitivo hour running 3.30pm–5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.
epularestaurant.com.au
Solaré
Stacking a restaurant, bar and beach club experience on a 150-foot superyacht, Solaré has set sail on Sydney Harbour. In the main deck’s Dining Room, executive chef Pablo Tordesillas (Totti’s, Ortiga) and head chef Nick Mathieson (Bistecca, Otto, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley) deliver a $185 tasting menu starring Australian seafood. Upstairs on the Terrace (accessed with a $35 Terrace Pass), an à la carte menu shares an alternative on-water experience, with elevated snacks like Moreton Bay bug sandwiches, fritto misto and caviar-topped fior di latte ice-cream. Drinks-wise, there are crisp wines, seasonal cocktails and summertime classics on every storey, including the upper-level Sun Deck. Solaré embarks on lunchtime and sunset cruises, Thursday to Sunday.
Bistro Ebony
In Angel Place in the Sydney CBD, stylish newcomer Bistro Ebony is another opening putting a spin on the European brasserie, the venue boasting a mature indoor tree, a glowing 1000-bottle wine wall and a Rosso Trentino marble bar under a 6.5-metre-high ceiling. The food direction shares familiar Italian and French flavours, aiming to serve plates at a pricepoint that feels inviting for midweek dining. Bluefin tuna vol-au-vent with horseradish cream; confit duck pithivier with braised kale and sour cherry jus; and Western Australian marron wrapped in kataifi with fermented chilli mayonnaise offer a sample of the style. The drinks offering covers mostly classic cocktails by Eduardo Conde (The Maybe Group), as well as a chiefly French and Italian wine selection, and a dedicated bar menu invites quick lunches, casual snacks and after-work drinks; the steak frites baguette and happy hour with $8 mini cocktails alone are worth the visit.
See more of the best new restaurants in Sydney.
Melbourne
Farmer’s Daughters – Wine House
Chef Alejandro Saravia has added Farmer’s Daughters – Wine House to his Renascence Group of venues across Melbourne (Farmer’s Daughters, Victoria, Barra) and Sydney (Morena), expanding on his commitment to sharing the wine and produce of Gippsland. The casual site stacks a wine bar, bottle shop and private dining room, all oscillating around the cellar his team has been curating for over three years. Key producers like Ramarro Farm, That’s Amore and Amber Creek Farm are named on dishes such as farm-style terrine with preserved figs; stracciatella with pencil leeks and hazelnuts; and Lakes Entrance fish with turnip greens and mussel sauce. The wine list names around 20 drops available by the glass, while the bottle and cellar lists span favourite Victorian makers alongside broader Australian labels, and a few internationals.
farmersdaughters.com.au/wine-house
7 Alfred
Distilling the spirit of Rockpool Bar & Grill into a menu offering just a single dish, 7 Alfred is Melbourne’s version of Sydney’s 24 York. The Alfred Place restaurant serves one main dish priced at $48: steak frites (using Scotch fillet from O’Connor Beef in Gippsland) with fries cooked in beef tallow for a deeper flavour, complimentary sauce and an optional green salad add-on for $8. The only other dish available is a dessert of New York-style cheesecake, and there’s an equally concise drinks list to match. The two-storey venue with a casual but classic aesthetic spans a dining room, two bar areas and an al fresco laneway for summer lunching.
Crittenden Restaurant
One of the first winery restaurants on the Mornington Peninsula back in the ‘90s, Crittenden Restaurant, has reopened — back in the hands of the Crittenden family. Executive chef Brunno Melo’s new menu pulls from the region’s produce and international influences, with key dishes like brioche topped with spanner crab and Abrolhos Island scallop with white soy; leek and shallot tarte Tatin with pistachio and labneh; and Josper-grilled Raven’s Creek pork tomahawk with cabbage, capers and burnt pear glaze. A drinks list starring the winery’s entire range accompanies the views over the lake and vineyard from the dining room, covered deck, and waterfront terrace with its own casual menu of snacks, small plates and topped flatbreads.
See more of the best new restaurants in Melbourne.
Adelaide
Yakisan
With three open kitchens (a raw and sushi bar, wood-fired grill, and wok kitchen) led by former Shōbōsho chef Adam Liston, Yakisan is the modern Japanese restaurant in the shiny 88 O’Connell Street development. Standout dishes include devilled ramen eggs with miso cream, fried leek and kizami nori; a Zinger-style prawn sando with Japanese tartare between Hokkaido milk bread; and Sir Harry 9+ wagyu rib-eye with house mustard, pickled onions and umami cream.
Lola’s
Local favourite East End Cellars Group has launched wine bar-slash-bistro Lola’s in Norwood, serving a relaxed menu and top-tier wine list in a relaxed setting. International flavours on the menu include Welsh rarebit croquettes with walnut ketchup; pork Milanese with caper butter, remoulade and rocket salad; and mussels with ‘nduja and fennel on fregola. Naturally, the drinks list spans local and Australian wines, with a significant international listing plus crowd-pleasing cocktails and local beers. The disco ball and regular vinyl DJ sessions encourage good times, and wines can be purchased to take home, too.
Perth
Bert’s City Beach
Set on prime views over the Indian Ocean in the former Odyssea site, spacious Perth newcomer Bert’s is an all-day destination serving from 6am through to late. The stylish beachfront pub with a large open deck aims to share the atmosphere of an old-school beach kiosk, with an updated menu with Western Australian prawn and lobster rolls; a Scotch fillet from Bicton butcher P.Princi served with fries and chimichurri; and crowd-pleasers including tacos and pizzas. The bright and clean palette of coastal shades is complemented by beachy memorabilia and plenty of room for family dining and group gatherings.
What’s opening in Australia in November
- Sydney will score a Grill Americano from Melbourne operator Chris Lucas
- Hannah Green will open Daphne steps away from Etta in East Melbourne
- The Terrigal Pavilion will relaunch, by the same operators as the Burleigh Pavilion
- Chef Alanna Sapwell will open her pop-up concept Esmay in Adelaide permanently
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