Our expert reviewers tell us their favourite venues of the year and why they made the cut.
We’re not sure where 2024 went, but we do know that our trusty team of reviewers spent much of this year hanging out in the best bars and restaurants in their home cities – all in the name of research. They had a whole lot of eating, drinking and vibe-checking to do, and they honourably committed to the cause. You see, each review featured in our Drinks Directory section has been personally visited by one of our expert writers so they can tell us exactly what to expect and which places are worthiest of our hard-earned.
But as we close out the year – one where some incredible new venues burst onto the nation’s dining scene – is it possible to choose the best of the best? We asked the team to do just that, and what we got back was a mixed bag of venues the reviewers loved the most. Some are shiny and new, others not so much, but these are the places they choose to go in their own downtime, and all are absolute must-visits.
So, check out the following selection of the very best Australian bars and restaurants, and be sure to bookmark them for when you’re next in town.
Alexandra Carlton
For much of this year, I’ve been perched on a window seat at the Saint Peter Bar (second to the left of the door – you’ll see my name on it), popping preserved red prawns into my lips like they’re Minties and sipping on seablite Sazeracs. If you’re a fan of the fine-dining menu in the main dining room at Saint Peter, or if you miss the tuna cheeseburgers from Charcoal Fish, the Saint Peter Bar is the swirled souls of both of them. And if you’ve never eaten a single thing dreamed up by the genius, fish-frenzied mind of Josh Niland, this place will be your gateway drug. See you at the window.
Matty Hirsch
At Centro 86 (pictured top), the stopless Mucho Group has nailed the brief yet again with a CBD basement bar that channels the vintage cantinas of Mexico City. The cocktails are just as uplifting as you’d expect, the back bar heavily stocked, and you won’t find a warmer welcome anywhere else in town – or more addictive free popcorn.
You’re always in capable hands at any Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt establishment. And that holds true at the newly updated Monopole, where the focus is now old-school France. For best results, book for the bargain prix fixe menu, go big on Bordeaux and Burgundy, and wrap up with a nip of Chartreuse.
Larissa Dubecki
The design credentials at Wally’s (pictured) are so good you’ll be plotting your own smoky mirrored ceiling for home, but there’s more to this Albert Park wine bar than sexy style. Wine merchant owner Baxter Pickard is one of those guys whose palate has moved inexorably to France, and his bottle list is full of vintage gems and interesting drops. Just add former Waxflower and Vex chef Damon McIvor cooking up a bistronomic whirlwind of smoked kangaroo tartare and whipped cod roe on toast and it’s a spot to treasure. (NB on reflection it’s probably best to leave the ceiling mirrors to the experts).
The idea of BYO seems like one of those gold-tinted concepts from the 1970s (back when the world had its value system in order), but it’s alive and kicking at one of Melbourne’s best Italian restaurants. Scopri charges $25 a bottle corkage, so bring your best gear and enjoy it in the presence of white linen, charming staff and a menu of pitch-perfect Piedmontese provincialism including a fever-dream-worthy rabbit, pork and veal agnolotti.
Frank Sweet
Long. Loud. Clandestine. Ouzo. Sweetbreads. I feel like I’m in a movie when I’m at Kafeneion. Mostly because I’m sat under a giant portrait of the Columbia Pictures torch lady. But mostly because of the saucy hubbub, the warm woods, the fleet-foot service. I take my mother-in-law early and eat light; white tarama with light, white bread. I take my partner late and am starstruck by the way the room fits her. When I’m there I feel like I’ve blagged a plus-one to a members’ club I actually want to be at – one that serves some of the city’s best homestyle Greek food with Greek wines I know nothing about but almost always enjoy. They make me feel like I’m learning while I’m leisuring. The whole place does: it’s Christopoulospitality at its finest.
Pat Nourse
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Daniela Frangos
There are few places that hold as special a spot in my heart as Loc. Now it’s got a very welcome sibling in Thelma, albeit a more mature and sophisticated sort that goes to bed early. This daytime bistro-bar-cafe in the Adelaide Hills has the fine-tuned wine list and calibrated service you’d expect from co-owner Olivia Moore, coupled with the ingredient-first, country-style cooking of chef Tom Campbell. Go for the likes of jiggly custard or malty “old bread” tarts; puffy-edged pizzetta; broccoli-leaf dolma stuffed with charcuterie off-cuts; or a springtime celebration of sweet peas and vongole before nabbing a house-baked baguette to take home.
The reputations of Pink Moon Saloon and Clever Little Tailor precedes them; so you know you’re in for a good time at Longplay (pictured), the newest addition to the family with all of the fun, frivolity and drinks nous of those game-changing cocktail bars, plus a greater focus on food and wine. Start with a Two Sip Martini (a slightly salty, wet martini that mixes the owners’ Brighter Later Marine Ultra Savoury Gin with dry vermouth, served at three-fifths the size of a regular Martini) before choosing from the strong line-up of chardys and pinot noirs to knock back alongside tender lamb heart skewers, silky vodka pasta and knockout green risotto.
Michael Harden
The compact basement bar below acclaimed Kingston restaurant Onzieme gives French cellar bar vibe without ever resorting to cliché. 11e Cave’s low ceilings and candlelight are teamed with excellent lists of French and Australian minimal intervention wine, brilliant cocktails and on-theme snacks, matched with the kind of relaxed, knowledgeable service that makes everyone feel like a regular.
Fiona Donnelly
Even in a year peppered with many striking bar openings, Petite – a French-inspired venue from old hands, the Votan brothers – packs a knockout punch. It’s a chic set-up that works whether you’re chasing a choice spot for a blowout evening with a special someone (ask about the Champagne list), or just looking for a buzzy hang with mates. Whatever the purpose for popping by, expect offbeat French wine, polished share plates and buckets of brio.
There’s more French-style goodness to be found over at Bar Miette (pictured). A breezy love letter to Europe’s café-bar culture, it’s no surprise trend-setting chef-restaurateur Andrew McConnell’s sunny riverside addition finds favour with locals in pursuit of smart all-day drinks and snacks.
Ach Wine Bar channels the Levant and beyond – and snags my 2024 gong for quirky good times. Located in a less travelled part of Hamilton, you’ll find here on-theme Middle Eastern cocktails, persuasive Middle Eastern plates showcasing ingredients prepped over wood-fire, fantastic in-house baked breads and a mix of well-made Aussie and rare Middle Eastern wines.
Max Veenhuyzen
From the food to the fit-out, Gibney (pictured top) is a class act. Part mansion by the sea, part six-star hotel lobby, this Cottesloe fine-diner is also home to a splendid bar serving the same sharp cocktails, big-ticket wines and brasserie hits offered in the dining room proper, only in a (comparatively) less formal, no-bookings setting. While the bar is, ostensibly, there to book-end guests’ big night or day out, it also packs enough firepower to qualify as a standalone destination. Drop in and see for yourself why Gibney is unquestionably Perth’s fanciest opening of 2024.
