The menu reads familiar at first. Dumplings, barbecue, seafood, fried rice, the kind of ordering muscle memory Sydney diners know well, but it doesn’t lean on nostalgia in the way you expect.

It’s got the look of a New York chophouse and the confidence of a footy player in a suit jacket and tie.

A cosy, nostalgic drinking hole that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into someone’s gloriously curated living room. The sprawling verandah, communal tables, reclaimed jarrah and charcoal grills give it warmth without fuss.

The Little Plate might be bowing out after 13 years, but they’re definitely going out swinging. A splendid visit for a couple of hardened foodies who have very high expectations.

When you set out to create a fine dining version of street food, with a nod to a specific regional cuisine, you ha...e to get it right. From end to end, you are setting yourself up to be judged. Kolkata Cricket Club is a mix of triumphant innings but very poor work in the field from Mischa Tropp.

The space is airy, nay gallery like, but without the cold pretension. It's all natural light, soft timber, and a little sense of hush, the kind that makes your first bite feel like an event. Residence isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a living, breathing chef’s notebook in real time. It’s generous, it’s curious, and it’s got just enough arrogance to know it’s special without needing to shout about it.

The hours run blessedly late so whether you’re ending a big night, starting one or just chasing the soul healing crunch of a perfect Korean dumpling, May Q is your spicy little salvation in the City of Churches.

The man who helped define the city’s dining scene in the 2000s, gave it edge with The Smith, and heat with Lucy Liu has returned after a few quiet years up north, and he’s not here to warm the bench.

Perched beside the ghostly bones of the former Pentridge Prison, The Glass Den is part greenhouse and part minimalist fever dream. There are so many hanging plants it’s unclear whether they’re decorating or plotting something. Either way, they frame what might be the best brunch in the north

Don’t bother arriving with a posse because this place isn’t built for brunch mobs or laptop loiterers, nor is it the haven of the pouty lipped influencer. It’s for those who appreciate the fine art of sitting still with a soft-boiled egg, anchovy-laced toast and something chilled in a stemmed glass.

Taste on the Gold Coast is like sunscreen on a British backpacker. It is rarely seen and usually applied too late. This is a bar lounge hybrid, almost part Hemingway and part Hamptons. And somehow it works.

Elements of whitewashed walls, shell motifs, blonde wood and enough rattan to start your own Bali boutique. Dried natives here, palm leaves there and just in case you forget you’re by the ocean, soft greys and washed-out blues whisper coastal luxe like a particularly well moisturised meditation coach.

Margaret is a sleek, $5 million ode to fine dining complete with blush banquettes and taupe tiles. But it begs a question? Does it live up to the hype or is it just another overpriced meat parade?

In a city where wine bars often lean heavily on mood lighting and playlists but forget the wine part, 40Res steps in as a refreshing anomaly.

In a city where you can find a rooftop beekeeping workshop, a bar hidden inside a laundromat and a seven course degustation served on a tram, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to make wine in the middle of the CBD.

It’s got the swagger of a jazz lounge, the comfort of your cool aunt’s living room, and the kind of energy suggesting they care about food but they aren't going to lecture you about heirloom carrots.

Firedoor is not a restaurant. It’s a temple of flame, a shrine to smoke, a cult where everything, including your sense of time, is slowly roasted over sustainably sourced hardwood.

Embla leans into wood-fired cooking and seasonal ingredients, without feeling like it is jumping into trends. Some real integrity here!

With a CV that boasts stints at places like Melbourne’s Supernormal, Stone puts together a concise, no-fuss menu that shifts daily.

Its like a little shopping mecca meets a middle eastern inspired cafe with some very contemporary sensibilities and some old world charm.