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Best Dining Bets
Rockpool (Sydney, NSW; tel. 02/9252 1888): With the chefs on view and designer chairs to sit on, Rockpool is a consistent favorite, not least for its fabulous, inventive food.
Mezzaluna (Sydney, NSW; tel. 02/9357 1988): Come here for exquisite food, flawless service, and a great view across the city's western skyline. The main dining room opens onto an all-weather terrace kept warm in winter by giant, overhead fan heaters. Don't miss it.
Quay (Sydney, NSW; tel. 02/9251 5600): Sydney's best seafood restaurant offers perhaps the loveliest view in town. Gaze through the large windows toward the Opera House, the city skyline, the North Shore suburbs, and the Harbour Bridge.
Tetsuya's (Sydney, NSW; tel. 02/9267 2900): Chef Tetsuya Wakuda is arguably Sydney's most famous chef, and his nouveau Japanese creations are imaginative enough to guarantee that this hip eatery is a constant number one in Australia, and in 2007, the restaurant ranked no. 5 in the world!
e'cco bistro (Brisbane, QLD; tel. 07/3831 8344): Simple food, elegantly done, has won this small but elegant bistro a stack of awards, and you'll soon see why. Not least among its titles is Australia's top restaurant award, the Remy Martin Cognac/Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year. Booking ahead is essential.
Donovans (Melbourne, VIC; tel. 03/9534 8221): A glass in hand while the sun goes down over St. Kilda beach, watched from the veranda at Donovans, is a perfect way to end the day. This 1920s bathing pavilion has been transformed into a welcoming beach-house-style restaurant complete with views across the sand and a seafood-rich menu.
Fraser's (Perth, WA; tel. 08/9481 7100): The city center and Swan River sparkling in the sunshine seem so close that you can almost reach out and touch them from the terrace of this parkland restaurant. Come here for sensationally good Modern Australian food turned out with flair and flavor; seafood is a specialty.
Newtown House (Vasse, near Margaret River, WA; tel. 08/9755 4485): Chef Stephen Reagan makes intelligent, flavorsome food that beautifully partners with premium Margaret River wines. Stay in his homestead B&B overnight and explore the wineries the next day.
Prairie Hotel (Flinders Ranges, SA; tel. 08/8648 4844): Chef Darren ("Bart") Brooks serves high-class cuisine in the middle of nowhere. His "feral" food, such as kangaroo tail soup and a mixed grill of emu sausages, camel steak, and kangaroo, is remarkable.
Flower Drum (Melbourne, VIC; tel. 03/9662 3655): Praise pours in for this upscale eatery serving Cantonese food. The food is exquisite and the service impeccable.
Courgette (Canberra, ACT; tel. 02/6247 4042): A plush dining room with large windows overlooking a pebbled garden. French-influenced with a marvelous seven-course degustation menu.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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