Country dossier
Restaurants, hotels, bars and wineries across Australia in the En Primeur Club guide.
Accolades in Australia
Sydney’s strongest rooms sit across the CBD and nearby neighbourhoods, with grill-led dining, tasting menus and several award-recognised wine programmes.
Saint Peter in Paddington is a Modern Australian seafood restaurant with tasting menu, set menu and counter dining formats. Its wine list and sommelier-led service sit beside a daily-changing menu built around Australian seafood.
The Grill at The International in Sydney is a Mediterranean grill with steak and seafood, served à la carte. The wine list and craft cocktails support a room shaped around wood-fired steaks, seafood and dry-aged cuts.
BENTLEY Restaurant & Bar in Sydney is a Modern Australian fine dining room with tasting menu and à la carte formats. Its exceptional wine programme and sommelier-led service place it among the city’s most serious cellar-driven rooms.
Melbourne’s strongest dining rooms cluster in the CBD and inner suburbs, with formal tasting menus, wine awards and broad cellar lists.
Attica in Ripponlea is a Modern Australian Indigenous fine dining restaurant with tasting menu and set menu formats. Its wine list is sommelier-led, with an extensive wine list and craft cocktails. World's 50 Best placements run from 2013 to 2018.
Vue de Monde in Melbourne is a Modern Australian fine dining restaurant with tasting menu and set menu formats. Its exceptional wine programme and Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence sit alongside a wine list of 2,000 selections.
Gimlet in Melbourne is a Modern French bistro with à la carte, tasting menu and small plates formats. The wine list spans serious Australian producers and European labels, and the room also carries an extensive wine list.
Kisumé in Melbourne is a sophisticated Modern Japanese restaurant with omakase, à la carte and small plates. It holds an exceptional wine programme, a sake programme and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
These picks are bars in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with programmes built around cocktails and classic drinks.
Caretaker's Cottage in Melbourne is a cocktail bar with craft cocktails and classic cocktails. Its reputation rests on freezer-cold martinis and Guinness boilermakers, supported by repeated World's 50 Best Bars recognition.
Maybe Sammy in The Rocks is a cocktail bar with craft cocktails and classic cocktails. The theatre-led drinks programme and repeated World's 50 Best Bars placements give it a clear place among Sydney’s most recognised bars.
Savile Row in Fortitude Valley is a whiskey bar and cocktail bar with a drinks programme. It holds more than 1000 spirits and has received repeated Top 500 Bars recognition.
Outside the capitals, the strongest wine travel sits in the regions, where cellar doors, vineyard settings and hotel stays are part of the same trip.
d'Arenberg in McLaren Vale is a winery with a tasting room, restaurant and contemporary art installations inside the d'Arenberg Cube. The geometric building has a twisted form above the vineyard. The winery has appeared on the World's 50 Best Vineyards list.
Château Tanunda in Barossa Valley is a winery with a bluestone chateau dating to 1890. Its wines come from vineyards that include some of the world's oldest vines. Falstaff listed the winery in 2026.
Cullen Wines in Wilyabrup is a biodynamic winery producing single-vineyard wines from ancient soils. It has carbon-positive certification and a terroir-focused approach to Cabernet and Chardonnay. Falstaff listed the winery in 2026.
Sequoia Lodge in Crafers, Adelaide Hills is an adults-only luxury lodge with Michelin 2 Keys. Its 14 suites, valley views and on-site experiences make it a strong base for a wine-region stay.
Sydney and Melbourne hold the deepest concentration in our guide. Sydney has 511 EPC venues and Melbourne has 171, and both cities carry the broadest spread of tasting menus, grill rooms and strong wine programmes.
Australia has no Michelin-starred restaurants in our guide. In Melbourne, Grill Americano and Vue de Monde hold Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence awards. Both have exceptional wine programmes and sommelier-led service; Vue de Monde serves tasting and set menus.
Sydney and Melbourne hold the clearest concentration of exceptional wine programmes. In our guide, examples include Grill Americano, Vue de Monde, Maison Bâtard, Society and BENTLEY Restaurant & Bar. Grill Americano, Vue de Monde, Maison Bâtard and Society hold a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, and BENTLEY Restaurant & Bar holds Star Wine List awards.
Paddington, Surry Hills, Fitzroy and Ripponlea are the neighbourhoods for wine-minded dining. Saint Peter in Paddington has a wine list with tasting menu, set menu and counter dining. Firedoor in Surry Hills has a wine list and a wood-fired grill. Cutler & Co. in Fitzroy has an exceptional wine programme, and Attica in Ripponlea has tasting menu and set menu formats.
By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
City atlas
Australia
Selected entries from the current guide for Australia.
Sydney, Australia
The only Australian restaurant to appear on the World's 50 Best list in 2024 and 2025, Saint Peter occupies a modest corner of Paddington with an outsized reputation for whole-fish cookery. Josh Niland's approach to seafood has reshaped how Australian restaurants treat fish, and the room in Underwood Street is where that reputation is tested nightly against a plate.
Sydney, Australia
Firedoor in Surry Hills is one of Sydney's most discussed fire-cooking restaurants, where every dish is prepared exclusively over wood flame by chef Lennox Hastie. The open kitchen places the grill at the centre of the room, and a daily-changing menu reflects whatever the fire and the season allow. Star Wine List awarded the restaurant a White Star recognition in 2021.
Melbourne, Australia
Attica sits in Ripponlea, south of Melbourne's CBD, where Ben Shewry's tasting menu draws on native Australian ingredients, from outback flora to local rivers and farms, in compositions that have placed the restaurant inside the World's 50 Best Restaurants list every year from 2013 to 2018. La Liste awarded 96 points in 2025 and 95 in 2026. The format is formal, the commitment to indigenous produce is foundational, and bookings require significant lead time.
Melbourne, Australia
Grill Americano in Melbourne is a Northern Italian-inspired steakhouse that places premium Australian beef over a hand-built wood oven and Josper charcoal grill. Must-try offerings include the 1.2kg Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the 650g Rib-eye on the bone and the 200g Wagyu Eye Fillet MB 4+. Each cut arrives with finishing touches such as black truffle butter or a green peppercorn and Cognac sauce, and sides like Parmesan-crusted onion rings and truffle mac & cheese amplify the flavors. Owned by restaurateur Chris Lucas, Grill Americano pairs its wood-fired steaks with an extensive wine list of more than 2,000 bottles, creating a bold, tactile dining experience on Flinders Lane that suits celebrations and serious steak lovers alike.
Sydney, Australia
Occupying a commanding space above Martin Place, The Grill at The International channels Sydney's appetite for produce-led, fire-driven dining into a format built around premium Australian beef, oak-fired technique, and a wine program of considered depth. Chef Joel Bickford structures the menu around dry-aged cuts and complementary small plates that together make a case for what Australian fine dining can look like when it commits to both precision and place.
Sydney, Australia
A basement steakhouse beneath Sydney's CBD, The Gidley pairs an old-world dining room of dark timber and leather booths with dry-aged Australian beef cooked over an ironbark and charcoal open-fire grill. The wine list holds a White Star recognition from Star Wine List, placing it among Sydney's more seriously curated rooms. The format suits slow business lunches and considered evening dinners in equal measure.
Sydney, Australia
Nine floors above the CBD on a heritage-listed Margaret Street address, Shell House Dining Room and Terrace is Sydney's most considered meat-forward restaurant. Culinary Director Joel Bickford and Head Chef Brad Guest run an open-fire grill program built around dry-aged Australian beef, with a garden terrace offering unobstructed city views to match the ambition of the menu.
Melbourne, Australia
Housed in the grand Cavendish House on Russell Street, Gimlet is Andrew McConnell's all-day Melbourne CBD institution where European elegance meets an open-fire grill programme built around dry-aged Victorian and South Australian beef. The wine list spans serious Australian producers and European labels, and the room, velvet banquettes, mirrored walls, vintage chandeliers, delivers the kind of atmosphere that makes a Tuesday lunch feel like an occasion.
Dunkeld, Australia
Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel operates in a category almost entirely its own: a serious fine-dining destination in rural Victoria, three hours from Melbourne, built around Australian produce and a wine list of 4,450 selections that earned Star Wine List's number-one ranking in Australia for 2025. Lunch and dinner service runs at the $$$ price point, and the cellar's depth across Burgundy, Bordeaux, and domestic regions gives the room a credibility that competes well beyond its postcode.
Sydney, Australia
Quay in Sydney is permanently closed after its final service on February 14, 2026. This profile is retained as a historical record.
Sydney, Australia
Bennelong occupies the shell vaults of the Sydney Opera House at Bennelong Point, among the more architecturally loaded dining addresses in Australia. Featured on La Liste's global restaurant rankings in both 2025 and 2026, and recognised with a White Star on Star Wine List, it serves contemporary Australian cuisine in a setting that makes every meal inseparable from its geography.
Sydney, Australia
Housed in Sydney's City Mutual Building, Rockpool at 66 Hunter Street is one of Australia's most decorated fine dining addresses. Under Executive Chef Santiago Aristizábal, the kitchen centres on self dry-aged beef grilled over ironbark charcoal, alongside seafood and produce-led sides. Its World's 50 Best rankings, as high as #4 in 2002, place it in rare company on the Australian dining scene.
Melbourne, Australia
On the 55th floor of Rialto Towers, Vue de Monde occupies one of Melbourne's most altitude-defining dining rooms, pairing Australian fine dining with a wine list of 2,000 selections spanning Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Australia's own regions. Rated 97.5 points on La Liste's 2025 global ranking, the restaurant under chef Hugh Allen draws serious attention from both the local and international dining circuit.
Melbourne, Australia
Maison Bâtard on Bourke Street holds a 3-Star Accreditation and Australasia Regional Winner status from the World of Fine Wine & Living Awards, placing it among Melbourne's most recognised dining addresses. Book well ahead.
Melbourne, Australia
Society at 80 Collins Street occupies the upper tier of Melbourne's formal dining scene, drawing a crowd that arrives dressed for the occasion. Across the Society Dining Room, Lillian Brasserie, The Lounge, and several private dining rooms, the venue holds a 3-Star accreditation from World of Fine Wine and a Regional Winner designation for Australasia. The ritual here begins with a prohibition-inspired cocktail and moves through a service style notable for its anticipatory precision.
Birregurra, Australia
Brae sits on a working organic farm in the Otway Ranges, two hours southwest of Melbourne, where chef Dan Hunter applies fine dining technique to produce grown on the property. Scored at 93 points by La Liste in both 2025 and 2026 and ranked 44th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017, it operates as one of Australia's most closely watched destination restaurants. On-site accommodation makes the journey practical for guests travelling from Melbourne or further afield.
Barossa Valley, Australia
The property represents the Barossa's upper tier of estate dining and winemaking, where the vineyard context and the table work together rather than in parallel.
Melbourne, Australia
One of Melbourne's most enduring Italian dining rooms, Florentino on Bourke Street carries decades of institutional weight in a city where restaurant generations are earned rather than granted. Recognised in La Liste's global rankings across consecutive years, it occupies the tier where formal tradition and modern Italian technique converge. For visitors and locals alike, it functions as a fixed point on Melbourne's upper-end dining map.
Sydney, Australia
On a quiet stretch of Dalley Street in Sydney's CBD, Bistecca has built its reputation around a single cut: the bistecca alla Fiorentina, grilled over ironbark, charcoal, and olive branches on an open hearth. The focused menu, Tuscan-inflected room, and a phone-free policy place it in a narrow tier of Sydney restaurants where format discipline drives the experience. Chef Pip Pratt leads the kitchen, and the restaurant holds a White Star from Star Wine List.
Adelaide, Australia
On The Parade in Norwood, roughly three kilometres east of Adelaide's CBD, arkhé draws a returning crowd around Jake Kellie's kitchen and a food-and-wine program built around genuine forward momentum. The suburb's independent character suits a restaurant that relies on the plate alone to make its argument, without the support of a landmark address or city views.
Sydney, Australia
Oncore by Clare Smyth sits on Level 26 of Crown Sydney, positioning Modern British fine dining within one of Australia's most consequential new restaurant precincts. Scoring 97 points at La Liste in both 2025 and 2026, it holds a clear place among the country's most formally ambitious tables. The room's elevation above Barangaroo's waterfront adds a specific kind of pressure to the experience, one the kitchen, under Chef Alan Stuart, appears comfortable meeting.
Mooloolaba, Australia
Bella Venezia sits on the Mooloolaba Esplanade and holds multiple World of Fine Wine & Liquor Accreditation stars, placing it among a small tier of formally recognised dining addresses on the Sunshine Coast. The accreditation signals a wine program taken seriously, and the beachside setting frames a dining experience that competes with Brisbane's more established Italian rooms.
Melbourne, Australia
Kisumé holds a 3-Star Accreditation from the World of Fine Wine & Lifestyle Awards and occupies a prominent position on Flinders Lane, Melbourne's most concentrated strip of serious dining. The restaurant operates across multiple levels, combining Japanese-inflected technique with a kitchen format serious enough to draw comparison with the city's top European and modern Australian programs.
Sydney, Australia
Once a neighbourhood wine bar, BENTLEY Restaurant & Bar has evolved into one of Sydney's CBD dining addresses with serious staying power. Situated inside the Radisson Blu Hotel on O'Connell Street, it holds consecutive La Liste placements (83.5 points in 2025, 82 in 2026) and multiple Star Wine List awards, with a wine program that has ranked among Australia's most recognised for several years running.
Australia
Selected entries from the current guide for Australia.
Lizard Island, Australia
Sitting 240 kilometres north of Cairns on 1,000 hectares of protected Queensland bush, Lizard Island is one of Australia's few luxury resorts with direct frontage onto the Great Barrier Reef. Forty villas and suites spread across 24 white-sand beaches, all rates are all-inclusive, and access is by a twice-daily charter flight from Cairns. La Liste ranked it 94.5 points in 2026; Condé Nast placed it 17th among global resorts in 2025.
Brisbane, Australia
Ranked #34 on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and included in Tatler Asia-Pacific's Best Hotels that same year, The Calile occupies a considered position at 48 James Street in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. With 175 rooms, a resort-scale pool, and three distinct dining venues including Hellenika, the property delivers urban convenience without surrendering the feel of a leisure destination. Rates from $445 per night.
Sydney, Australia
Housed in Sydney's heritage-listed former Department of Education building steps from Circular Quay, Capella Sydney ranked 12th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and took Australia's Leading Luxury Hotel at the World Travel Awards the same year. Its 192 rooms sit above Brasserie 1930 and McRae Bar, with a culinary program led by chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt anchoring the food and beverage offer.
Merricks North, Australia
Set on a working vineyard in Merricks North, Jackalope Hotel occupies a design tier that few Australian properties attempt: 44 rooms with Japanese soaking tubs and heated floors, a 30-metre black infinity pool overlooking the vines, and a floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar that doubles as a spatial statement. Recognised by La Liste's Top Hotels ranking in 2026 and a member of Leading Hotels of the World, it sits an hour from Melbourne.
Yulara, Australia
Sixteen tented pavilions set among the red dunes of Australia's Central Desert, each oriented toward Uluru across six miles of open desert floor. Recognized on the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 list with 96.5 points and named to the Tatler Best Hotels Asia-Pacific 2025, Longitude 131 operates at a tier where the landscape is the primary architecture. Rates begin at AUD 1,700 per night, with a two-night minimum stay.
Kingscote, Australia
Southern Ocean Lodge sits on Kangaroo Island's southwest coast, suspending 25 sea-facing suites above mallee scrub with unbroken views of the Southern Ocean. Rebuilt after the 2020 bushfires, it ranked 69th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025 and scored 95 points from La Liste in 2026. The all-inclusive tariff covers guided wildlife experiences, open bar, and a cellar of South Australian wines.
Sydney, Australia
Positioned directly on Sydney Harbour at the foot of the Harbour Bridge, Park Hyatt Sydney occupies among the more coveted addresses in Australian hospitality. Its 158 rooms and suites face the Opera House across Sydney Cove, with floor-to-ceiling glass and private balconies framing the view. Scoring 96 points on the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking, it sits at the upper tier of Sydney's waterfront luxury market.
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Recognised by Star Wine List in 2026, the property pairs serious beverage programming with a setting that most travellers will never reach, and that scarcity is precisely the point.
Coles Bay, Australia
Saffire Freycinet sits on Tasmania's east coast with 20 timber-lined suites oriented toward the Hazards mountains, earning 97 points in the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 rankings and a place on Tatler's Best Hotels Asia-Pacific 2025 list. The low-profile lodge occupies former national parkland between Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park, where the dining programme draws directly on the produce and coastline surrounding it.
Daintree Rainforest, Australia
Silky Oaks Lodge sits above the Mossman River inside the Daintree, the world's oldest surviving rainforest, with 40 timber-clad suites extending into the canopy. Pricing is available on request.
Blue Mountains, Australia
Fifty miles from Sydney in the Blue Mountains, Spicers Sangoma Retreat distils the concept of deliberate remoteness into eight suites with African-inspired interiors, gorge-facing views, and an infinity pool suspended above forested valley. At $1,282 per night, it occupies the small-scale luxury end of Australian wilderness accommodation, where design language and physical isolation matter more than room count.
Adelaide, Australia
Rates begin at 1,499 AUD per night, and reservations require direct contact through the EP Club customer service team.
Crafers, Australia
Sequoia Lodge occupies 14 adults-only suites at the Mount Lofty House estate in the Adelaide Hills, where Basket Range sandstone fireplaces and a heated plunge pool on a private deck frame highland views. The property operates as a self-contained sanctuary with curated on-site experiences included in each stay, positioning it inside Australia's small-footprint luxury lodge category alongside properties like Southern Ocean Lodge.
Hobart, Australia
Ranked 49th on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2024, The Tasman occupies two heritage buildings at the centre of Hobart's CBD, an 1840 sandstone structure and a 1940s Art Deco block, connected by a contemporary expansion. At 152 rooms and starting from $226 per night, it sits at the upper end of Hobart's hotel market, with an Italian restaurant, a Deco Lounge, and a craft cocktail bar on site.
Bundanoon, Australia
A guesthouse since 1892, Osborn House has been reshaped into one of the Southern Highlands' most considered retreats under the direction of Linda Boronkay, former Design Director at London's Soho House. Twenty-two rooms split between a restored heritage main house and rustic-chic bungalows with fireplaces and outdoor bathtubs, priced from $351 per night, two hours from Sydney.
Sydney, Australia
At 199 George Street in The Rocks, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney occupies one of the city's most consequential positions: harbour views from almost every room, Circular Quay within walking distance, and the Opera House and Harbour Bridge framing the skyline beyond. With 531 recently refreshed rooms, a La Liste Top Hotels recognition for 2026 (91 points), and a concierge team with strong local sourcing credentials, the hotel earns its place in Sydney's premium accommodation tier.
Hobart, Australia
On Macquarie Wharf in Hobart's waterfront precinct, MACq 01 occupies a long, wood-paneled heritage building with 114 rooms priced from $295 per night. Particularly sought-after rooms open onto balconies above the working docks, and the property's two bars and restaurant are designed for watching the harbour at dusk rather than competing with it.
Hobart, Australia
A mid-19th-century Regency farmhouse on Davey Street, The Islington Hotel sits between central Hobart and the slopes of Mount Wellington with 11 rooms, resident on-site managers, and interiors that layer original architecture against contemporary additions and an eclectic collection of art and antiques. It operates without the apparatus of a conventional hotel, no lobby desk, no room service, trading those conventions for something closer to informed, personal attention.
Sydney, Australia
On a quiet Millers Point side street, where The Rocks meets Barangaroo, The Langham Sydney occupies a Georgian-faced building with 96 rooms starting at around AU$462 per night. The lead-in rooms run to 49 square metres, the largest standard footprint in the city, and the property pairs that space with a 20-metre indoor pool, a tennis court, and the Wedgwood Afternoon Tea programme that anchors daytime service across all Langham properties globally.
Port Fairy, Australia
A six-suite property on Victoria's southwest coast, Drift House earned 95.5 points in the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking by doing something most properties at that recognition level avoid: staying small. The architecture pairs a heritage Victorian house with a modernist addition, and the surrounding town of Port Fairy, once named the world's most livable, supplies everything the hotel chooses not to.
Perth, Australia
Occupying a cluster of restored 19th-century State Buildings in Perth's CBD, COMO The Treasury holds 48 rooms across a neo-Renaissance complex that once housed the city's land titles office and treasury. Rated 94.5 points on La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels list, it anchors Perth's upper tier of luxury accommodation with Wildflower restaurant, a COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, and interiors by architect Kerry Hill.
Melbourne, Australia
Opened in 2023 after nine years of development, The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne occupies the upper floors of a 80-storey tower on Lonsdale Street, with 244 rooms spread across floors 65 to 79. Recognised as the #1 Hotel in Australia and New Zealand by the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2024 and listed in Tatler's Best Hotels Asia-Pacific 2025, it sits at the summit of Melbourne's luxury hotel tier, with rates from A$361 per night.
Sydney, Australia
QT Sydney occupies a century-old department store and theatre building on Market Street, earning 91 points in La Liste's 2026 Top Hotels ranking. Across 200 rooms, the hotel deploys Art Deco references and unapologetic colour in a CBD that has grown steadily more neutral. The Gilt Lounge and Gowings Bar & Grill function as the social engine, drawing a mix of hotel guests and local regulars.
Great Barrier Reef Islands, Australia
On the northern tip of Hamilton Island, Qualia occupies its own private peninsula within the Whitsundays, with 60 individual pavilions set into coastal bush and rates from AUD 1,640 per night. Two restaurants, a full-service spa, and direct access to Great Barrier Reef activities place it at the upper tier of Australian resort accommodation, recognised with 93.5 points in the 2026 La Liste Top Hotels ranking.
Australia
Selected entries from the current guide for Australia.
Melbourne, Australia
Ranked #21 on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2024 and #47 in Top 500 Bars for 2025, Caretaker's Cottage occupies a converted 19th-century caretaker's residence on Little Lonsdale Street. The bar's reputation rests on two anchors: a freezer-cold signature martini made with custom-commissioned gin, and what many consider Australia's definitive boilermaker pairing. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm.
Sydney, Australia
Maybe Sammy gives Sydney's cocktail scene a rare thing: grand-hotel polish without grand-hotel stiffness. Its theatre-led drinks programme, pink-jacketed service style, and repeated World's 50 Best Bars recognition place it in the city's international cocktail bracket rather than the casual bar lane.
Melbourne, Australia
Black Pearl on Brunswick Street has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings for over a decade, peaking at number seven globally in 2013. Open nightly until 3am, it functions as both a serious cocktail destination and a genuine Fitzroy local, the kind of bar that draws regulars as reliably as it draws out-of-towners.
Melbourne, Australia
Housed in the grand Cavendish House on Russell Street, Gimlet is Andrew McConnell's all-day Melbourne CBD institution where European elegance meets an open-fire grill programme built around dry-aged Victorian and South Australian beef. The wine list spans serious Australian producers and European labels, and the room, velvet banquettes, mirrored walls, vintage chandeliers, delivers the kind of atmosphere that makes a Tuesday lunch feel like an occasion.
Melbourne, Australia
Byrdi occupies a ground-floor tenancy on La Trobe Street with a drinks programme built around Australian native ingredients and a track record that puts it among the world's most recognised bars. For Melbourne's bar scene, it represents the cleaner, more produce-led end of the spectrum.
Sydney, Australia
On the 22nd floor of 2 Hunter Street, Dean & Nancy on 22 occupies a rarefied perch above the Sydney CBD, pairing 1950s-inflected interiors with live piano, panoramic skyline views, and an inventive cocktail program that earned a place in the Top 500 Bars global ranking for 2025. It is the kind of address that earns its keep for celebrations rather than casual drop-ins.
Sydney, Australia
On a quiet stretch of Dalley Street in Sydney's CBD, Bistecca has built its reputation around a single cut: the bistecca alla Fiorentina, grilled over ironbark, charcoal, and olive branches on an open hearth. The focused menu, Tuscan-inflected room, and a phone-free policy place it in a narrow tier of Sydney restaurants where format discipline drives the experience. Chef Pip Pratt leads the kitchen, and the restaurant holds a White Star from Star Wine List.
Adelaide, Australia
On The Parade in Norwood, roughly three kilometres east of Adelaide's CBD, arkhé draws a returning crowd around Jake Kellie's kitchen and a food-and-wine program built around genuine forward momentum. The suburb's independent character suits a restaurant that relies on the plate alone to make its argument, without the support of a landmark address or city views.
Brisbane, Australia
A Fortitude Valley fixture ranked among the leading 500 Bars globally in 2025, Savile Row at 667 Ann Street operates as one of Brisbane's more credentialed neighbourhood drinking spots. The bar sits within a precinct that has matured well beyond its late-night reputation, drawing a crowd that comes for considered cocktails rather than spectacle. It holds its place in the Valley's bar scene the way a good tailor holds a fitting room, quietly, consistently, without needing to announce itself.
Melbourne, Australia
Above Board occupies a deliberately obscure position in Collingwood's Smith Street drinking scene, accessible through the back of Beermash via Chopper Lane. The format rewards those who put in the groundwork: this is a bar where the booking intelligence matters as much as what you drink once inside. For the Melbourne cocktail crowd, finding it is half the exercise.
Sydney, Australia
Named to the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 list, it draws a specific kind of drinker: one who cares about what's in the glass more than how many square metres surround them. The address is easy to miss; the drinks are not.
Sydney, Australia
El Primo Sanchez on Crown Street in Surry Hills is Sydney's agave-focused late-night bar, ranked #409 in the 2025 Top 500 Bars list. The program centres on sustainable agave spirits and modern mezcal and tequila cocktails, with a colourful aesthetic that leans into the late-night energy of Surry Hills rather than away from it.
Sydney, Australia
Beneath a Wynyard Lane laneway entrance, Eau de Vie operates as one of Sydney's most credentialed cocktail bars, having held a World's 50 Best Bars ranking continuously from 2011 through 2014, peaking at number 13. The program sits in a tier defined by technical precision rather than theatrical novelty. Holding, it remains a reference point for serious drinking in the CBD.
Melbourne, Australia
On Exhibition Street in Melbourne's CBD, 1806 has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings, reaching number 12 in 2009, that places it among the bar programs that shaped Australia's serious cocktail era. The room rewards a patient read: dark enough for conversation, detailed enough to reward the curious. For a city that now produces some of the southern hemisphere's most technically precise drinks, this is where part of that reputation was built.
Melbourne, Australia
Apollo Inn occupies a dim, deliberately low-profile address on Flinders Lane, operating as the companion bar to Gimlet at Cavendish House. Named in Tatler Asia-Pacific's Best Bars 2025, it channels old-world European bar culture through a Melbourne lens: a tight room, precise cocktails, and refined bar snacks that make a full evening feel entirely plausible.
Adelaide, Australia
On Hindley Street's western fringe, Apoteca is Adelaide's most committed absinthe bar, drawing on the ritual and romance of a pre-Prohibition drinking culture that most Australian cities have forgotten. The cocktail list leans into botanical spirits, anise-forward builds, and an atmosphere that rewards slow evenings over fast rounds. It is the kind of bar that changes how you think about a neighbourhood.
Sydney, Australia
Perched on Level 32 of 117 Macquarie Street, Aster Bar positions itself where Sydney's skyline becomes one consequential element of the room. The cocktail program matches the visual ambition of the setting, with visually striking serves designed to hold their own against the harbour panorama below. For a city that has long known how to drink at altitude, this address occupies a credible place in that conversation.
Sydney, Australia
Bar Bridge is Sydney's martini-focused bar, operating in a city where specialist cocktail programs have become a serious competitive category. The format is precise and narrow in scope: the martini takes centre stage, and the execution is the argument. For travellers who treat a well-made drink as seriously as a well-sourced meal, it belongs on the itinerary alongside Sydney's most considered bar programs.
Sydney, Australia
Bar Copains on Albion Street in Surry Hills is a collaboration between Morgan McGlone, Nathan Sasi, and Sali Sasi, three industry veterans whose shared history gives the bar its name and its character. The French word for friends shapes everything from the welcoming floor pace to a drinks program that rewards return visits. It sits in Sydney's most bar-dense inner-south corridor, competing on craft rather than concept.
Melbourne, Australia
Bar Liberty on Johnston Street is one of Fitzroy's defining wine-and-food addresses, the kind of place that earns genuine loyalty from those who've moved away from Melbourne and still think about it. The list leans natural and producer-driven, the food matches that register, and the room carries the particular ease of a bar that doesn't need to announce itself.
Adelaide, Australia
Bar Lune brings a considered wine bar format to Beulah Park's quieter stretch of The Parade, sitting at a remove from Adelaide's CBD drinking circuit without sacrificing the curation that defines the city's better lists. The bar trades in contemporary wine with a program shaped around discovery rather than familiarity, making it a useful reference point for the suburban shift in Adelaide's bar culture.
Daylesford, Australia
Bar Merenda occupies a quiet address on Vincent Street in Daylesford, Victoria's spa-country hub, where its 2026 Star Wine List recognition places it in a small peer group of regional Australian bars taken seriously for their beverage programs. The format skews intimate rather than high-volume, positioning it as the kind of stop that rewards visitors who come specifically for what's in the glass.
Melbourne, Australia
Bar Olo occupies a warm, dimly lit corner of Carlton's Nicholson Street as the younger counterpart to the neighbourhood institution Scopri. Modelled on the old-school Italian enoteca tradition but filtered through a contemporary Melbourne sensibility, it draws a crowd that wants good wine, considered pours, and a room that feels lived-in rather than designed. Think low lighting, bottles within reach, and a pace that doesn't rush you.
Canberra, Australia
Bar Rochford occupies the first floor of a heritage-listed building on London Circuit, where Art Deco arches frame a drinks program that takes both wine and cocktails seriously. Named to Tatler Asia-Pacific's Best Bars list for 2025 and recognised by Star Wine List, it represents the more considered end of Canberra's drinking scene, sitting closer in ambition to Australia's leading cocktail bars than anything the capital has historically produced.
Australia
Selected entries from the current guide for Australia.
McLaren Vale, Australia
d'Arenberg sits at Osborn Road in McLaren Vale, where its Rubik's Cube-inspired architecture announces a winery that operates at the intersection of serious viticulture and deliberate spectacle. Approach the building and you'll hear weather converted into audio wavelengths, a sensory prologue that sets the register for everything that follows.
Rutherglen, Australia
The castellated brick winery on All Saints Road in Wahgunyah is among northeastern Victoria's most recognisable heritage wine sites, drawing visitors who come specifically to understand what Rutherglen Muscat and Topaque look like at their deepest expression.
Renmark, Australia
Angove Family Winemakers operates from Renmark in South Australia's Riverland. One of Australia's most enduring family wine operations, Angove draws on the Murray River corridor's warm continental climate to produce wines that sit across a broad stylistic range. The address at 271 Bookmark Avenue places it at the heart of a region increasingly recognised for serious viticulture.
Adelaide Hills, Australia
The property on Pfeiffer Road draws visitors who want tasting-room depth over cellar-door spectacle, placing it firmly in the focused, estate-first tier of Hills producers.
Hunter Valley, Australia
Brokenwood is one of the Hunter Valley's most recognised estates.
Margaret River, Australia
Cape Mentelle sits at the founding tier of Margaret River wine, where karri-forested property and maritime-influenced soils have shaped some of Australia's most consistently recognised Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay since the region's early decades.
Griffith, Australia
Casella Family Wines, operating from Yenda in New South Wales' Riverina region, is the producer behind Yellow Tail, among the more distributed Australian wine labels globally.
Barossa Valley, Australia
Charles Melton Wines sits on Krondorf Road in the Barossa Valley. The cellar door draws visitors looking beyond the Valley's dominant Shiraz narrative, offering a more considered encounter with Grenache, Mourvedre, and their blends in one of Australia's most storied wine regions.
Barossa Valley, Australia
The heritage sandstone building on Basedow Road frames a tasting experience that sits within the upper bracket of the region's producer set, alongside peers such as Charles Melton and Peter Lehmann. Visitors come for the building as much as the wines.
Wilyabrup, Australia
Larry Cherubino Wines operates from the heart of Wilyabrup, the sub-region within Margaret River that produces some of Western Australia's most precisely structured Cabernet and Chardonnay. It is one of the more considered addresses along Caves Road.
Blewitt Springs, Australia
Clarendon Hills operates from Blewitt Springs in South Australia's McLaren Vale, producing wines through winemaker Roman Bratasiuk that carry the region's iron-rich soils and Mediterranean climate directly into the glass. Visiting in the Australian summer months reveals the full force of this sun-baked, ancient landscape.
Canberra, Australia
Clonakilla sits in the Murrumbateman sub-region north of Canberra, producing wines that have defined the Canberra District's reputation for cool-climate Shiraz Viognier.
Margaret River, Australia
The winery has long operated at the restrained, terroir-focused end of the region's Cabernet and Chardonnay spectrum, drawing visitors who arrive specifically to taste rather than to tour. Booking ahead is advisable, particularly during the southern hemisphere summer season.
Pyrenees, Australia
Dalwhinnie is a Pyrenees winery. Set in one of Australia's cooler inland wine regions, it occupies a serious position within the Pyrenees' small cohort of prestige producers. Plan ahead: the region rewards visitors who cross-reference multiple estate visits into a single itinerary.
Barossa Valley, Australia
The winery occupies established ground in a valley where Shiraz and Grenache define the conversation, positioning it alongside peers such as Charles Melton Wines and Peter Lehmann in the upper tier of Barossa output.
Beechworth, Australia
The address alone signals the winery's ethos: rural, unhurried, and operating well outside the conventional cellar-door circuit. For serious collectors, a visit requires planning, and that effort is part of the point.
Barossa Valley, Australia
The estate's range spans from approachable everyday releases to age-worthy prestige tiers built for the cellar.
McLaren Vale, Australia
The Tintara site on Main Road anchors a legacy that predates most of McLaren Vale's current estate generation, placing it in a different competitive register to the boutique houses that now define the region's identity.
Clare Valley, Australia
Kilikanoon sits among Clare Valley's most decorated producers. Located on Penna Lane in Penwortham, the winery operates within one of South Australia's most respected cool-climate red and white wine regions, where Riesling and Shiraz define the regional identity and draw serious collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Margaret River, Australia
Leeuwin Estate sits at the upper tier of Margaret River's wine and dining scene. Set on Stevens Road in Witchcliffe, the property has long anchored the region's reputation for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon produced at a level that invites comparison with benchmark examples from Burgundy and Bordeaux. It is a reference point for understanding what serious Australian wine country looks like on its own terms.
Hobart, Australia
Moorilla Estate sits at Berriedale on the Derwent River, operating as one of Tasmania's oldest and most closely watched wine estates. Plan ahead, the estate draws visitors year-round and combines wine tasting with the MONA museum complex on the same grounds.
Margaret River, Australia
Moss Wood sits on Metricup Road in Wilyabrup, one of the sub-regions that established Margaret River's international reputation for structured Cabernet and precise Chardonnay.
Hunter Valley, Australia
Mount Pleasant sits on Marrowbone Road in the heart of Pokolbin, one of the Hunter Valley's most historically significant addresses for Semillon and Shiraz. A deliberate choice for visitors wanting depth over spectacle.
Barossa Valley, Australia
Peter Lehmann sits at Para Road in Tanunda as one of the Barossa Valley's most recognised names. The estate's reputation is built on a deep relationship with the region's growers and a range that spans everyday drinking to serious cellar-door releases, placing it among the valley's most consequential addresses for understanding Barossa Shiraz and its broader wine identity.
