11.06.2026
Community
Taste Makers
Great hospitality is felt in the details: a warm greeting from your waiter, the hum of a kitchen in motion, the ambience and light, textures and scents that extend far beyond the dining room.
Australia has countless venues that exude taste, warmth and the utmost care for diners. Top-notch food, exceptional service and a little Leif love are just a booking away.
Sean's Panorama (NSW)
With views of North Bondi, seashells as lampshades and walls lined with art, there’s no dining room quite like Sean’s Panorama. Since 1993, Sean’s has been celebrated for its commitment to seasonality and connection to local growers, with menu highlights including a not-to-be-missed roast chook and ever-changing farm plate.
Light Years (All Locations)
With outposts in Byron Bay, Noosa, Burleigh Heads, Newcastle and Perth, Light Years has become our go-to for coastal, contemporary Asian dining. Expect punchy flavours, playful cocktails and bright, accented design in each vibrant venue.
The Agrarian Kitchen (TAS)
There are kitchen gardens, and then there’s Agrarian Kitchen. Set in New Norfolk’s Willow Court, the town’s old mental asylum, the award-winning restaurant, kiosk and cooking school is devoted to a holistic, homegrown and human dining experience. We have owners, husband-and-wife team Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demane to thank.
Ante (NSW)
Saké, vinyl and snacks are on high rotation at Newtown’s coolest wine bar, Ante. Chef Jemma Whiteman fuses Japanese flavour and technique, including an irresistible fried potato mochi, wrapped in nori and rolled in ‘everything’ bagel seasoning.
Bar Monte (QLD)
A neighbourhood Italian with an eye for design, Bar Monte brings Italian classics to Miami and Newstead in Queensland. The team serve housemade focaccia, generous pastas and to-die-for tiramisu in their fun and lively dining rooms.
Laura at PT Leo Estate (VIC)
Choose between four and six courses of regionally focused food at Laura, the fine dining restaurant at Pt Leo Estate in the Mornington Peninsula. Set alongside a winery and sculpture park, the venue is every bit as thoughtful as its viticultural surrounds.
Cafe Sydney (NSW)
Set on the rooftop of Customs House in Circular Quay, Cafe Sydney has enduring appeal. Since 1999, its harbour views and seasonal menu have won fans city and country-wide.
Studio Amaro (VIC)
Studio Amaro is a welcome addition to Windsor’s Chapel Street, offering day-to-night dining with a refined Italian menu and pumping basement bar. A project of Melbourne’s Commune Group, its contemporary design features brass details, textured tiles and considered timber panelling.
Pilot (ACT)
Tucked behind the local shops in Canberra suburb Ainslie, Pilot is a fine diner with equal parts ambition and expertise. Owners Dash Rumble and Ross McQuinn, alongside chef Mal Hanslow, playfully present their menu, with dishes such as blue mackerel ‘Fish ‘n’ Chips’ or a ‘3 Piece Feed’ of Grassland Sommerlad chook.
Bessie’s & Alma’s (NSW)
Double the fun, Bessie’s & Alma’s is a Surry Hills restaurant and bar with a Mediterranean-leaning menu and mean frozen margarita. Led by the Bar Copains team, it offers share-style food, often cooked over fire or coals, and attentive service all night long.
Amaru (VIC)
An intimate fine-diner in Armadale, Amaru showcases chef Clinton McIver’s mastery of native and international flavours. Offering a contemporary tasting menu, it heroes local producers and boundary-pushing techniques.
Leigh St Wine Room (SA)
Inspired by the intimate drinking dens of Paris, Rome and New York, Leigh St Wine Room is dedicated to natural and minimal-intervention wines. With a tall, narrow Terrazzo bar and sweeping architectural ceilings, it’s a transportive place for both sip and snack.
Icebergs (NSW)
Iconically Sydney, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar has been a definitive part of the city’s dining landscape since its inception in 2002. Its hatted Italian menu, effortless sense of occasion and ocean views are just the tip of the iceberg.
