Presenting the finalists for Best Destination Dining
Next month, we will reveal our winners and the full guide to Australia’s best restaurants at a glamorous gala evening at The IXL Atrium, Henry Jones Art Hotel in Tasmania and in our September issue.
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And the nominees are…
De’sendent
Margaret River | WA
Margaret River gives good lunch. From farmhouse feasts and scenic fish-and-chippers to ace winery restaurants, the daytime food options are many. By dinnertime, pickings become notably slimmer, especially when it comes to places suitable for a big night out. Enter de’sendent: a 35-seat sanctuary in the heart of town where the cooking is as polished as the fit-out. Order à la carte if you must, but the tasting menu best embodies Evan Hayter’s thoughtful, kaiseki-like approach to showcasing southwest ingredients. Engaged service and eclectic drinks round off the package.
In short: The ultimate Margaret River dinner party.
Staġuni
Barossa | SA
Chef Clare Falzon travelled Australia, camping under the stars and forging connections with good producers before opening Staġuni in what was once Marananga Primary School. Reminders of its past remain, including a blackboard scrawled with boutique Barossa wines. The small but beautifully executed menu is inspired by Falzon’s Maltese roots and her Nan’s table piled with dishes made to share. The communal, no-fuss spread and setting are the epitome of hyper-local generosity and authenticity.
In short: Home-style Maltese dishes serving lessons in authenticity.
Tedesca Osteria
Red Hill | VIC
Anyone who’s experienced Tedesca Osteria‘s languid pace, the quiet mastery of owner-chef Brigitte Hafner’s produce-led cooking, the deliciousness of James Broadway’s drinks list and the relaxed beauty of the interior design and rural location would be prepared to travel a very long way to repeat the experience of dining at this destination. That Tedesca is only a little over an hour’s drive from Melbourne adds another layer to its allure, as do the biodynamic kitchen garden and bucolic views, making this decision-free, handwritten, five-course menu-centred experience the ideal long lunch.
In short: A regional masterpiece in a dreamy destination.
The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant
New Norfolk | TAS
Last year’s GT Restaurant of the Year continues full steam ahead as one of Australia’s finest. Just a 40-minute drive from Hobart, The Agrarian Kitchen is an easy visit for all intrepid food explorers, bringing together a restaurant, incredible kitchen garden (the first course served in its greenhouse), cooking school and a kiosk for those after a more relaxed (and less pricey) experience. The combination of strictly local ingredients, a preserving and fermenting program and a wood-fired kitchen brings sensational results, sketching a brilliant portrait of Tasmanian cuisine right now.
In short: A love song of local produce and skilled cooking.
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