OpenTable’s 2018 Top 50 restaurants in Australia revealed

Victoria has won the interstate dining war — diners who book with OpenTable have spoken, and our state dominates the list. SEE THE TOP 50

Victoria has won the interstate dining war with New South Wales with more eateries making OpenTable’s Top 50 restaurants list this year.

The Top 50 list is decided from more than 126,000 verified restaurant reviews from OpenTable diners who’ve chosen to eat at more than 1600 restaurants across Australia.

OpenTable is a real-time online reservation network and today’s Top 50 is alphabetically listed and comes from the an overall score they get once diners submit their reviews.

Diners’ reviews come from all over Australia and from visitors from as far as New York, London and Iceland.

And Modern Australian cuisine was also voted the top cuisine after it made up 34 per cent of the restaurants listed, followed by European (32 per cent) cuisine featuring French, Italian, Spanish, Tapas and Mediterranean foods.

A further 16 per cent of the list comprised of Asian cuisine. The remaining 18 per cent of restaurants served farm to table, seafood, steak and Lebanese dishes.

Overall, Victoria claimed 38 per cent of the list with 19 restaurants listed, closely followed by NSW which had 16. Queensland and the Gold Coast secured 12 spots. Adelaide had two restaurants make the list.

Regional areas including the Mornington Peninsula, Bendigo, Anglesea, Phillip Island and Tinamba in Victoria, Townsville in Queensland, and Timbumburi and Wollongong in NSW also had eateries that made the list.

MORE: See who made the Delicious 100 list in Australia

The Tinamba Hotel in Victoria is popular among diners. Picture Andrew Tauber

In Victoria, restaurants like Ricky and Pinky, Hell of the North, Rumi Restaurant, Trattoria Emilia, Gingerboy and The European dropped off this year’s list.

Victorian restaurants that made the list for a second time include Chocolate Buddha, French Saloon, Lucy Liu, the Tinamba Hotel and The Woodhouse.

Victorian newcomers were the Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard, Captain Moonlite, Cecconi’s Flinders Lane, David’s, Donovans, Eau De Vie, Mjolner, Park Street Pasta and Wine, Pt Leo Restaurant, Puerto, Smith & Daughters, Sunda, The Cape Kitchen and The Peacock Den.

Some of the food served at Captain Moonlite in Victoria. Picture: Supplied

In NSW, restaurants like ARIA Sydney, Bistro Guillaume, Sake, Rockpool Bar & Grill and Sokyo dropped out of the list this year.

NSW restaurants that secured a spot for the second year in a row include Cafe Sydney, Dead Ringer, CHISWICK, Glasshouse, Kepos & Co., Osteria di Russo & Russo, Mercardo, Momofuku Seibo — The Star, Nour and Restaurant Hubert.

Cafe Sydney at Circular Quay in Sydney has great views for diners too. Picture: Toby Zerna

Newcomers in NSW include Bistro Rex, LP’s Quality Meats, Mjolner, Continental Deli and Rookie Eatery.

In Queensland, Bistro C, Les Bubbles Bar and Bistro, Madame Wu and Vaquero also dropped off the list.

A dish from Sails Noosa. Picture: Supplied

Queensland restaurants that made the list again include Elio’s Osteria, Stokehouse Q, Rick Shores, Sails Noosa and Rogue Bistro.

Newcomers from Queensland were Sum Yung Guys, Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill, Pause Samford, Ricky’s River Bar and Restaurant, Season Restaurant and Walter’s Steakhouse.

Ricky’s River Bar and Restaurant on the Noosa River. Picture: Lachie Millard

In Townsville, A Touch of Salt made the list.

One of the dishes on offer at A Touch of Salt. Picture: Shae Beplate.

In South Australia, Shobosho and Osteria Oggi both made the list this year.

A dish from Shobosho in Adelaide. Picture: Supplied

OpenTable’s Senior Business Development Manager Tim Domelow told News Corp Australia that the focus on modern Australian cuisine reflects what restaurants in the list are serving.

“Restaurants like to stay current and on-trend with consumers and it doesn’t mean that Asian or any other cuisine is out the door,” he said.

“But this list has more focus on restaurants with Australia’s regional cuisine, and restaurants like to showcase their local produce.”

Interior at Osteria Oggi in Adelaide. Picture: Supplied

Mr Domelow said the Top 50 was a reflection of what their diners are voting for, and some of the “big name restaurants” aren’t always on the list.

“Just because a restaurant is a big name or expensive, it doesn’t mean it will make the Top 50, but it doesn’t mean that restaurant isn’t great or not well-loved,” he said.

“Our list comes from genuine diner reviews and many of them are coming from regional areas and smaller cities where people are dining out, enjoying and reviewing the experience they have.”

Alphabetical list of Australia’s Top 50 OpenTable restaurants 2018:

1. A Touch of Salt, Townsville, QLD

2. Bistro Rex, Potts Point, Sydney, NSW

3. Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard, Milawa, Victoria

4. Cafe Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales

5. Captain Moonlite, Anglesea, Victoria

6. Cecconi’s Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria

7. CHISWICK — Woollahra, Sydney, NSW

8. Chocolate Buddha, Melbourne, Victoria

9. Continental Deli Newtown, Sydney, NSW

10. David’s, Prahan, Melbourne, Victoria

11. Dead Ringer, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW

12. Donovans, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria

13. Eau De Vie, Melbourne, Victoria

14. Elio’s Osteria, Carina Heights, QLD

15. French Saloon, Melbourne, Victoria

16. Glasshouse, Timbumburi, NSW

17. Kepos & Co, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW

18. Kneading Ruby, Wollongong, NSW

19. LP’s Quality Meats, Chippendale, Sydney, NSW

20. Lucy Liu Restaurant, Melbourne, Victoria

21. Mamasan Kitchen and Bar, Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD

22. Mercado, Sydney, NSW

23. Mjolner, Melbourne, Victoria

24. Mjølner, Redfern, Sydney, NSW

25. Momofuku Seiōbo, The Star, Sydney, NSW

26. Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill, Brisbane, QLD

27. Nour, Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW

28. Osteria di Russo & Russo, Enmore, Sydney, NSW

28. Osteria Oggi, Adelaide, SA

30. Park Street Pasta & Wine, South Melbourne, Victoria

31. Pause Samford, Samford Village, QLD

32. Pt Leo Restaurant, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

33. Puerto, Patterson Lakes, Victoria

34. Restaurant Hubert, Sydney, NSW

35. Rick Shores, Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, QLD

36. Rickys River Bar and Restaurant, Noosa, QLD

37. Rogue Bistro, Newstead, Brisbane, QLD

38. Rookie Eatery, Wollongong, Sydney, NSW

39. Sails Noosa, Noosa, QLD

40. Season Restaurant, Noosa, QLD

41. Shobosho, Adelaide, SA

42. Smith & Daughters, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria

43: Stokehouse Q, Brisbane, QLD

44. Sum Yung Guys, Sunshine Beach, QLD

45. Sunda, Melbourne, Victoria

46. The Cape Kitchen, Philip Island, Victoria

47. The Peacock Den, The Basin, Victoria

48. The Woodhouse Restaurant, Bendigo, Victoria

49. Tinamba Hotel, Tinamba, Victoria

50. Walter’s Steakhouse, Brisbane, QLD