1. THE ROYAL MAIL, DUNKELD, VIC

Here’s a tip: most people think the No.1 reason  to visit this collection of mountain-skirted cottages and guesthouses on the outskirts of the Grampians is to book in for a five- or eight-course dégustation at the property’s fine-diner, Wickens. In fact, the food at the more laid-back Parker Street Project is the one to put your name down for first: it’s where chef Robin Wickens lets loose and has a bit of fun. The onion and thyme milk bread with Vegemite butter is a cracker (if delightfully confusing for international guests) and if it’s on the menu, the kangaroo vol-au-vent with XO is also a sure bet.

royalmail.com.au

2. LAKE HOUSE, DAYLESFORD, VIC

A trip to Victoria’s spa country sometimes feels like a step back in time: manicured gardens, genteel country manners and a long, storied history – both Indigenous and through many waves of European migration. Lake House is as much a landmark as the healing mineral waters, and its restaurant is a marquee country Victorian experience. Book into the property’s six-suite Dairy Flat Lodge to sleep beside the orchards and vegetables that sustain the restaurant’s kitchen.

lakehouse.com.au

3. STILLWATER AND STILLWATER SEVEN, LAUNCESTON, TAS

No visit to Launceston has ever been complete without a booking at Stillwater, a produce-focused restaurant on the banks of the Tamar that remains as consistently excellent today as when it was taken over by chef Craig Will in 2010. The addition of Stillwater Seven – seven luxuriously appointed guest rooms decked out with local textiles and refreshments – has only added to its enduring appeal.

stillwater.com.au

4. THE TASMAN AND PEPPINA, HOBART, TAS

Chef Massimo Mele’s Peppina restaurant, in the architecturally inventive Tasman hotel on Parliament Square, was one of the leading chargers in Australia’s current golden era of truly-worth-travelling-for hotel dining when it opened in 2021. The ricotta cavatelli is set to become a Tassie capital classic. Staying a while? The Aurora Suite is the pick of the lodgings, thanks to its dress circle harbour views.

marriott.com

5. THE WHALE INN AND QUEEN CHOW, NAROOMA, NSW

The NSW far south coast is the stuff of dreamy seaside holiday fantasies: miles of empty coastline, lo-fi pubs and takeaways and family-friendly shacks that don’t mind the odd set of sandy bare feet bringing the beach inside. Now there’s another reason to pack the car boot: The Whale Inn and its adjoining Cantonese restaurant, Queen Chow. Designed by hospo powerhouse Merivale – responsible for some of Sydney’s most dazzling restaurants including Mimi’s and Totti’s – it has elevated the Sapphire Coast getaway experience to a whole new level of cool.

merivale.com

6. BRASSERIE 1930 AT CAPELLA, SYDNEY, NSW

The entry to the extraordinary 192-room Capella hotel in the centre of Sydney takes your breath away: a sculpture of softly pulsating pastel petals that open and close above a greenery-filled atrium. Turn a few metres to your right and there’s even more to get excited about: the broodingly clubby Brasserie 1930 restaurant from the team behind Bentley and Monopole. The whole roasted duck, served with plum and fennel, was one of the most-talked-about dishes of 2023.

capellahotels.com

7. SPICERS TAMARIND, MALENY, QLD

The Spicers group is famous for its seamless melding of accommodation and exceptional food, and many of its diehard fans cite The Tamarind in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast as the prize of all of its properties, which stretch between Queensland and NSW. Guest rooms look directly into the lush hinterland rainforest while The Tamarind restaurant serves tropics-friendly curries and other Southeast Asian-style dishes.

spicersretreats.com

8. THE LEX AT W BRISBANE, QLD

Kookily colourful and cool with a touch of zaniness, W Brisbane is one of the most vibrant places to stay in the Queensland capital. The Wet Deck overlooking the river is the place to grab sunset drinks – the “spiked coconut”, a cocktail served in a whole coconut, is a nice touch – but it’s the new Lex restaurant that is currently grabbing headlines. Billed as a New York-style brasserie, it’s one of the hottest places in town to grab a steak.

marriott.com

9. SEQUOIA LODGE, ADELAIDE HILLS, SA

Fourteen adults-only suites and 12ha of wildlife-packed wilderness – and all of it’s just 20 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. That’s what you’re promised at Sequoia Lodge, on top of Mount Lofty in the Adelaide Hills. You’re also guaranteed a huge range of exceptional dining options, from local produce-packed baguettes and sandwiches on a picnic assembled by the Sequoia’s kitchen team, or a refined dégustation with matched wines at neighbouring Hardy’s Verandah.

mtloftyhouse.com.au

10. THE PRAIRIE HOTEL, FLINDERS RANGES, SA

Ever wondered what emu pate tastes like, or camel sausage rolls? Find out at this rustic getaway at Parachilna, in the heart of South Australia’s outback. The lodge is surprisingly chic for somewhere so dusty and remote: there are 12 ranch-style rooms decorated with cool touches such as stag heads and contemporary Indigenous art, but the real draw is The Prairie Hotel’s famous dining room that truly encourages you to eat the landscape. Don’t leave without trying the “feral antipasto”, which includes camel, emu, ’roo and goat’s cheese alongside bush tucker seasonings.

prairiehotel.com.au

11. MONSTER KITCHEN, OVOLO NISHI, ACT

Canberra’s Ovolo Nishi has always been one of the coolest addresses in the entire Ovolo chain (we’re fans of the rooms that overlook the moody, leafy central courtyard) and it’s the in-house restaurant, Monster Kitchen, that ratchets the cred up to another level. It’s entirely vegetarian, but the food is so flavourful you won’t know it. Forget boring salads or soups – we’re talking about savoury pumpkin wontons and generously stuffed corn tacos with mole and guac.

ovolohotels.com

12 HEARTH, RITZ-CARLTON PERTH, WA

Chef Brian Cole is creating some of the deftest food in the WA capital at the Ritz-Carlton’s Hearth – not a claim many hotel restaurants can make. Bush ingredients such as lemon aspen and native basil play starring roles during lunch and dinner along with excellent WA wines, and it’s also worth booking into the Lounge for a generous afternoon tea, packed with sandwiches and tasty little sweet things.

ritzcarlton.com

See also: 

11 coolest hotel trends we never saw coming

12 best Australian waterside restaurants

10 amazingly tasty food tours around the world