Our restaurant favourites in the Australian dining scene this year

Stars of low ‘n’ slow American-style BBQ, this purpose-built den on the outskirts of Ipswich is smoking and grilling with the best of ‘em.

Here you can indulge all your senses (seriously, the food here looks good, smells better, and let’s not start on the taste) with hearty platters piled high with smoked beef brisket, saucy ribs and pulled pork. Aside from melt-in-your-mouth meat, Phatboyz also features innovative dishes like their smoked-brisket ramen noodles, smoked-beef lasagne, peanut butter jelly fried chicken burgers…you get the delicious drift.

All of the food options here are top-of-the-line, and we guarantee you won’t find barbeque done better this side of the country. Their long communal tables and bbq-pit style alfresco dining lend to the inviting classy-camp-for-adults vibe.

Something to satisfy at Phatboyz Smokehouse? Dish Cult recommends the $56 Phat Boyz Tasting Box.

At the helm of this Mornington restaurant is Head Chef Hayden Ellis, a Kiwi-born restaurateur with experience working for some of the best restaurants in the world.

This hatted restaurant stands as an extension of the award-winning cellar door and has racked up accolades of its own. Known as an institution that aptly captures the heart and soul of the gorgeous Peninsula, the degustation menu here is innovative and fresh, and the love of immaculate produce, diverse wine, and great food are evident.

The evolving menu draws inspiration from seasonal produce and is sustainability-focused. With the evident pride the team takes in sourcing fresh ingredients and a polished standard of service, the dining experience you’ll get here is second to none.

Wondering what to order at Ten Minutes by Tractor? Dish Cult recommends the $165 five-course degustation menu.

Restaurant Hubert is one of those places that feels fancy, like a sleek bistro that’s the favourite of main characters in a 90’s movie. With seven rooms including two bars and a large central dining room that spills over with regal old-world charm, this restaurant is perfect for a stylish night out.

A restaurant for those in love with old-world full-service style dining rooms and enchanting grandeur, dining at Hubert is a fully immersive experience that takes you right out of this century. The grand space is divided into several different dining rooms and each one comes with its own charm.

Helmed by formidable Sydney duo Anton and Stefan Forte, the food at Hubert’s is French and proud. You’ll find escargots, duck parfait charcuterie, bavette, and chicken fricassee done to mouthwatering perfection.

Setting the scene is a worn grand piano, wine-red leather booths and a wall piece de resistance of 4000 mini spirit bottles. Oozing romantic vibes, the lights are turned down low and the service dialled up to 11.

Our favourite on the Hubert menu? Dish Cult recommends the $89 Chicken Fricassee.

The ideal space for watching seasons change in Canberra, this glitzy locale is set in the Rex Hotel and is a sunny rooftop bar that’s ever-brimming with life and party.

The drinks list here includes all the classics you know and love, as well as their fresh signature cocktails that exploded to the realm of cult favourite. The space is gorgeous and sets the mood for incredible scenes and great bites with friends.

There’s live music, high-tea sets, and a range of light bites that offer a twist to the classic bar food you might come to expect including the likes of burrata caprese and Angus beef carpaccio.

What’s Dish Cult recommended dish to enjoy at The Howling Moon? Check out the $14 Woodfired Fornarina with Mortadella.

The third venture of acclaimed Melbourne restaurateur Rinaldo “Ronnie” Di Stasio, this pizzeria isn’t just any old pizza parlour. This upscale restaurant is a classy affair that’s split into three sections, with the front bar, ladies lounge, and the Caravaggio dining room.

The secret garden-esque courtyard is a Mamma-mia style space, and tables for two dot the brick-walled laneway. There’s ample lush greenery, potted plants, and even a vintage stone fountain that’ll make you feel like bursting out in song.

The menu here features nine different pizzas freshly baked in a wood-fire Marana Forni oven and 13 main courses including pasta and a roast of the day. Jersey milk mozzarella fior di latte is made in-house and fresh ingredients are sourced from around the Yarra Valley. For a slice of some of Australia’s best pizza right in Carlton, you can’t go wrong with Di Stasio.

What’s the must-try dish at Di Stasio Pizzeria? Dish Cult recommends the lobster pizza.

If there’s one unmissable restaurant in Adelaide, Shobosho would be it. Helmed by acclaimed chef power duo Adam Liston and Joel Baylon, Shobosho’s dim interior takes inspiration from the authentic hole-in-the-wall type diners you’ll see lining the streets of Ginza and Tokyo.

Service is bright and all-around excellent, the menu is ambitious and soaring with clean-tasting notes, and produce and skill is top of the line here. The open kitchen is where the magic happens, and you’ll watch knives fly and flames roar.

Out from the kitchen trot masterful dishes with a delightful fusion twist, and you’ll find smoky yakitori, katsu-sandos, duck potsticker dumplings, and blue swimmer crab udon. The vibe is intimate and cheery, and you’ll end your feasting in high spirits.

What should you check out at Shobosho? Dish Cult gives the thumbs up for the $31 Blue Swimmer Crab Udon.

One of Melbourne’s hottest seats, Attica is a regular name in The World’s 50 Best list. With modern Australian cuisine that pushes boundaries and challenges tastebuds, this elegant space has been the standard-setter for fine dining in Melbourne since it first shot to fame.

The team at Attica is led by renowned owner-chef Ben Shewry and places heavy-handed emphasis on making the best use possible of local produce to craft big dishes with a globe-trotter view. Don’t worry – food here isn’t pretentious, although it is a well-dressed affair. Every plate in the degustation menu served here is artfully done and rich in flavour without being overbearing.

The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, guiding you through their deep wine list and menu with gilded professionalism.

There’s no doubt about it, Fico is amongst Tasmania’s finest. The cuisine here is a medley of robust fare and you’ll sit party to dishes with flavours hailing from Naples and Japan.

The energy here is a contagiously effortless blend of youthfulness and maturity, and their relaxed dining room has been witness to many an overjoyed customer settling into a dinner date with 8-course chef’s choice platters.

The degustation here is exciting and fresh, keeping diners on their toes so you’ll never know what direction this hatted institution is taking next. January 2022 promises an exciting new 9-course menu that’s sure to entice even the most discerning of palates.

The $160 9-course menu at Fico is highly recommended.

Estate grown produce takes centre stage at this green-laden haven hidden in Perth Hills. Armed with fresh homegrown greens and meat sliced and grilled with a precise hand, dining at Millbrook guarantees you rich flavours and innovative degustation that revolves around an eclectic and ever-changing ingredient list.

Mains you can expect here include the daily cut of pork served with pecorino and rainbow chard slaw, preluded by entrees like Seville orange cured cod and topped with a flourishing finish in the form of mulberries with chocolate cake, hazelnuts and milk chocolate ice cream.

This green corner specialises in unpretentious, farm to table good food artfully served by waiters who dash about full of good-natured smiles and warm welcomes, so you’ll feel more than at home at this cellar door estate.

Ho Jiak is a cult favourite of Sydneysiders, shooting to stardom with three different outposts across the city. There’s no lack of lunch-hour, dinner-hour, every-hour rush at this Sydney institution.

The food here is unapologetically authentic Malaysian, helmed by Penang-born foodie and chef Junda Khoo. Family recipes are passed down and given a refresh, and you’ll find char koay teow adorned with king prawns and crab meat, alongside classic staples like kam heong prawns and hainan chicken rice.

Flavours are bold and complex, with a richness that’s addictively good and sees scores of customers lining up time and time again.

The $33 Jumbo Nasi Lemak is Dish Cult’s pick at Ho Jiak.

Ho Jiak has also featured in our Ultimate Guide to the best Asian restaurants in Sydney.