NewsBite

Advertisement

Date night

A 50-year-old bougainvillea stands at the centre of the room.

Olympus

Greek dining has reached new heights.

  • Erina Starkey
Neptune’s Grotto.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Terry Durack saves one of the year’s best openings until last for his final review

The Clam Bar team’s new Italian diner is a nostalgic party serving a fresh remix of Italian dishes. And it makes a fittingly fabulous venue for Terry Durack’s last review.

  • Terry Durack
Red velvet seats and timber panelling has helped transform a onetime bike shop into a rococo bordello.
Critics' Pick

‘Glammed-up bordello appeal’: Peek inside the southside bar where photos aren’t allowed

Come for the stellar French wine list and stay for the snacks at this exciting update to one of the city’s best-loved bistros.

  • Besha Rodell
The semolina, olive oil and basil cake.

This come-hither cafe-bistro-wine bar is the perfect perch any time of day

The casual menu at North Sydney’s gorgeous Sol Bread and Wine stretches from sweet to savoury.

  • Lenny Ann Low
Go-to dish: Goat’s cheese souffle.
14/20

Discover fluffy souffle near Puffing Billy at this local favourite in the hills

Cognoscenti, a bistro from an ex-Donovans trio, is worth building into a day trip or a Dandenong Ranges weekend.

  • Dani Valent
Advertisement
Tortelli filled with asparagus, goat’s cheese and wild garlic sings of the fragility of seasons, food, life.
Good Food hat15/20

Eat it and weep: The pasta dish so good it brought our critic to tears

It’s been a decade of masterful pasta and good cheer from Tipo 00, the city Italian joint that’s become a Melbourne drawcard.

  • Besha Rodell
 Avia.
14.5/20

‘Hands-on and handmade’ is the motto behind this fresh neighbourhood tratt

Focaccia, pasta, vinegars, sausages are all made from scratch at small Darlinghurst spot Avia.

  • Terry Durack
The mid-century modern interiors at The Grill.

The Grill at The International

An international grill with a distinctly local flavour.

  • Erina Starkey
Carlotta in Canberra.
Good Food hat15/20

This high-energy restaurant from a star Melbourne group has Canberra talking

Melbourne’s Lucas Restaurants group’s first Canberra venture, Carlotta, has pulled out all the stops, with a talented chef, wood-fired oven and house-made pasta.

  • Terry Durack
Jose Silva at his Petersham venue.

This laid-back inner west spot is like a vine-clad European backyard

Shared meals and outdoor dining give customers a taste of Portugal at Lunas in Petersham.

  • Lenny Ann Low

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/goodfood/topic/date-night-lby