From Ace Hotel Sydney to Sofitel Adelaide: The top hotel dining spots
Good food plays a big part in travel and choosing where to stay so we have rounded up the top hot dining spots to try in 2025 from Cairns to Hobart.
Hotel restaurants in Australia have come a long way. According to data-driven research presented by Expedia, Wotif and Stayz in the Unpack ’25 report, 63 per cent of travellers say they are interested in booking an Australian hotel “with a notable dining experience” in 2025. Long gone are the days when dining at a hotel restaurant in Australia was a stuffy affair. Be it leaning into the lure of a big-name chef, creating more contemporary fit-outs or adding seasonal menus that rival stand-alone establishments, hotel restaurants have upped their game to draw in more guests and outside diners.
1. Tamarind, Pullman Reef Hotel, Cairns
Do a hot lap of Rusty’s Markets ahead of your reservation at Tamarind in Cairns. You will hear farmers singing in Italian and have stallholders offering you segments of cut-up fruit. You will also get a glimpse at the bounty that informs the menu at Tamarind, housed within the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino. Executive chef Trent Sydenham is known for Asian fusion cuisine, which is perfectly suited to the tropical north Queensland climate. The low-lit dining room is always bustling with locals celebrating special occasions. Trust the chef and order the Taste of Tamarind to enjoy “freestyle” cuisine that nods to the multicultural denizens of Cairns. It will remind you why you so love the tropics.
Must-order dish: Daintree whole baby barramundi with Tamarind chilli sauce, coriander, aromatic rice.
2. Santini, QT Perth
Expect a touch of theatre at QT Perth’s signature restaurant, Santini. Waltz into the ground-floor trattoria for act one, scene one. Hail the Abrolhos Island scallops cooked over the wood-fired oven and served in a puddle of orange and fermented chilli butter. The theatre continues with squid-ink risotto served tableside. The Mediterranean-leaning menu comes courtesy of executive chef Jake Lynch, whose focus is on hearty dishes of the land and sea. The space designed by QT collaborator Nic Graham has a pretty palette of terracotta and blue and conjures Amalfi eatery meets American steakhouse with trademark QT quirks. No wonder more and more people are travelling to eat.
Must-order dish: Squid-ink risotto served with flash-seared calamari, fish roe and lemon and parsley salad.
3. Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney
Kiln is one of the great disrupters to the notion of what constitutes a great hotel restaurant in Australia. Talk about levelling up. This venue on the top floor of the 18-storey Ace Hotel in Surry Hills was designed by Melbourne-based designer Fiona Lynch; all is bold, flamboyant textures and playful patterns. Under the helm of genius chef Mitch Orr , the restaurant made its mark with unlikely but delicious dishes including a Jatz cracker with smoked butter and Olasagasti anchovy. Come January 21, Copenhagen-based Australian chef Beau Clugston will take over Kiln. Clugston has worked in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchens at Claridge’s and Rene Redzepi’s Noma, plus runs his own eatery, Iluka, in the Danish capital.
Must-order dish: Watch this space.
4. Citrique, JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort and Spa
The seafood buffet at Citrique is reason enough to book a stay. Available Fridays to Sundays, the spread is an unabashed celebration of indulgence with ocean-to-plate options such as Mooloolaba tiger prawns, spanner crabs, Moreton Bay bugs and Pacific oysters. Although the buffet is known for its live sushi table and seafood, sourced locally and presented with care, it also has stations serving everything from roasts to wood-fired pizzas. The restaurant’s clean lines, simple furnishings and pared-back palette also provides a great escape from the Coast’s manic pace. Add mimosas to the equation for Sunday lunch.
Must-order dish: Enjoy select seafood such as prawns, oysters and spanner crabs. If you’re ordering a la carte. opt for the oysters with ponzu pearls, native finger lime, pickled cucumber and baby coriander.
5. Peppina, The Tasman, Hobart: Massomo Mele
Embodying just how far the hotel restaurant scene has come in Australia, chef Massimo Mele has somehow reconciled the two worlds of big-hearted Italian hospitality with fine (yet relaxed) dining at The Tasman with pleasing results. The best place to eat at Peppina is around the bar where diners can check the action in the kitchen. Despite being part of the Luxury Collection Hotel portfolio, there’s nothing overly formal about dining in the contemporary trattoria, which intersects with the storied history of the 1840s building. The menu at Peppina veers from Nonna-style comfort food to regional specialities underpinned by the philosophy that honest ingredients cooked with precision win out over fads.
Must-order dish: Paccheri in slow-cooked wagyu shin, pork belly and onion ragu.
6. Sokyo, The Star Brisbane
Fans of Sokyo at The Star in Sydney know well that chef Alex Yu was destined for bigger things. He rose through the ranks at the sister venue in NSW under top chefs Chase Kojima, Brian Logan, Sano Takashi and Daniel Kwak before making the move to Melbourne where he opened Yugen Dining. Known as the “sashimi florist” for his pretty plating, Yu turns out perfectly judged Japanese dishes with a few gentle twists. Prized for their flavours are dishes such as tempura squid with Ichimi salt, black pepper and chilli vinegar, and kingfish miso ceviche with green chilli, crispy potato and lime. The luxe 160-seater Japanese fine diner is fitted out with scrolls and soaring timber screens that evoke an oriental aesthetic alongside pops of oh-so-Brisbane tropical greenery.
Must-order dish: Tuna crispy rice, kingfish miso ceviche and miso-glazed toothfish.
7. Atria, The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
It takes a lot to impress Melbourne diners, but Atria on level 80 of The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, Australia’s tallest hotel, has done just that. The restaurant is named after the brightest star in the southern sky and features large windows that frame swoon-worthy views of Port Phillip Bay and beyond. Vue de Monde alum Michael Greenlaw is executive chef and celebrated for his dedication to showcasing Victoria’s farmers and fisherfolk.
Much has been written about the chef – who did a stint at Bibendum, London, and Gilt, New York – and there’s a lot to get excited about on his menu, from dry-aged Macedon Ranges duck with daikon, turnip and shiso to yuba tart with kombu cream brightened with Victorian peas and Mt Zero olive oil.
Must-order dish: Victorian mussels grilled on charcoal, swordfish lardo, lemon myrtle
8. Tilda, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
If there were a trophy for the most up-to-the-minute version of a hotel restaurant it should go to Tilda, one of four new House Made Hospitality F&B offerings at the freshly relaunched Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. Tilda is inspired by the Banjo Paterson folk song of the same name and the Australian theme spills over into the colour palette, which draws from blushes of pink, orange and red found in the outback. Segue from Tilda into Bar Tilda to see just how far the hotel bar and restaurant scene has come.
Executive chef Elliott Pinn, who originally hails from New Zealand and has done stints in Sydney and Melbourne restaurants, is known for building a reliable repertoire of simple, sustainable dishes that celebrate small-scale producers and farmers. Inspect the 100-strong whisky list and the wall of wine, both absolute scene-stealers.
Must-order dish: Mixed grill, a sophisticated take on the classic surf ’n’ turf.
9. Hanuman, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs
The Hanuman brand has been going strong in the Northern Territory for almost three decades with outlets in Darwin and now Alice Springs. Chef Jimmy Shu has built quite the following for his distinctively South Asian cuisine made fragrant with layers of spice and aromatics that are pounded together to add punch. In true NT style, the staff won’t fawn over you but there is always the feeling you’re being well taken care of.
Every item on the Hanuman menu has stood the test of the time. Favourites include the duck salad, beef jungle curry and crispy whole fish baked in a tangy chilli sauce that imparts a fantastic flavour. Binge-watch Jimmy’s Taste of the Territory on SBS to whet your appetite.
Must-order dish: Prawns cooked in a delicate coconut and wild ginger curry.
10. Garcon Bleu, Sofitel Adelaide
Guests at Sofitel Adelaide have every right to feel a bit smug. Sure, room service is fun. But an added treat is that it’s a short elevator ride from the accommodation levels to oh-so-glam Garçon Bleu. The culinary experience at the elegant French bistro on Level 9 is as impeccable as the service and its eclectic interiors are a treat. Add to this a roster of French classics built around local SA ingredients such as Smoky Bay oysters and soupe a l’oignon.
Must-order dish: SA Hiramasa kingfish tartare with oyster emulsion, compressed apple and nasturtium.
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