Best Places To Eat In Switzerland
Australia has an exciting array of native ingredients and a food culture that is constantly evolving, as international dishes are reimagined and adapted by the local cuisine. Not only can you indulge in unique flavors, but you can enjoy them in a one-of-a-kind environment. Try a plate of Asian street food on a Darwin beach at sunset, or tuck into a meat pie at Melbourne's most famous sporting ground. Plus, there are world-class restaurants run by world-renowned celebrity chefs. Here are my picks for the best places to eat in Australia.
1. Ben Shewry: Savor A Degustation At Atticia
Ben Shewry is one of the most lauded chefs in Australia, thanks to his sophisticated but playful menus, which make use of unusual native ingredients and fresh local produce. A degustation at his Melbourne restaurant Attica offers a great insight into Australia's most cutting edge cuisine trends. Book well in advance.
2. 400 Gradi: Eat Australias's Best Pizza
The inner city Melbourne neighborhood of Carlton has a rich history of Italian immigration. It's in Carlton, in fact, that Australia's love affair with coffee began percolating, when first generation Italian-Australians moved here many decades ago. Today, the area known as Little Italy plays host to a flourishing hub of excellent Italian-Australian restaurants, and the best of the best is arguably 400 Gradi. Owner Johnny Di Francesco is the former world's best pizza maker, who made history as the first Australian to be accredited by the Naples Pizza Association, in a wonderful example of the fusion between Italian and Australian cultures and cuisines. Order the margherita pizza. This simple cheese and tomato pizza is the same recipe that he used to win the world's best title, and it's exquisite.
3. Franklin: Taste The Fresh Local Produce
Tasmania produces some of the freshest food in the world, including top-quality seafood plucked straight from the Southern Ocean, gorgeous raw milk cheeses from unspoiled Bruny Island, and crisp apples (the state is known as the "Apple Isle"). Franklin restaurant in Hobart – which has long been considered the best restaurant on the island – is on a mission to champion local produce. The seasonal menu changes regularly, but look out for fresh Tasmanian oysters, sea urchins or clams. You can also grab a drink in the adjoining bar. The fresh water, natural peats and cool weather help make excellent Tasmanian whisky, which has been recognized by experts in Scotland as some of the best whisky in the world.
4. Sourced Grocer: Fastest Growing Food Hub
The rapidly growing Brisbane food scene has taken café staples, such as Bircher muesli and banana bread, and applied a fine dining finesse to create an original style of food that's spreading throughout the Queensland capital. The team at Sourced Grocer was one of the first to do an upmarket take on café staples that seems perfectly matched to the laid-back nature of Brisbane, and now its standalone restaurant Gauge is winning a swag of awards for its inventive dishes, like the garlic bread with burnt vanilla and brown butter. Try the brunch menu at BareBones Society for another example of high end café fare. This reinvention of favorites, coupled with a big increase in people relocating to this region, is fast turning the city into Australia's newest foodie destination.
5. Long Chim: Taste The Thai Street Food
David Thompson is one of Australia's best-known chefs and his love of Thai food led him to open nahm in London, which became the world's first Thai restaurant to earn a Michelin star. In 2010 Thompson opened a second nahm restaurant in Bangkok, which was voted the best restaurant in Asia for two years running. Thompson embodies Australia's love affair with Asian cuisine, and now you can sample his new venture, Long Chim, in the luxurious surrounds of COMO The Treasury in Perth. Celebrate a local talent, recognized the world over for elevating Thai cuisine to new heights, and discover why his food is one of Australia's greatest exports.
6. Sunset Dinner: Austrlian Bush Flavors
Native Australian ingredients are fundamental to the country's cuisine, and the Northern Territory offers opportunities to experience bush foods and the culture that has used them for thousands of years. Near Alice Springs, enjoy an immersive dining experience with Arrernte Aboriginal chef and host Bob Pernuka Taylor from RT Tours. On a Mbantua Dinner, you'll indulge in a three-course meal infused with unique flavors of the Australian bush. After dinner, spot the animals that only come out after dark, and marvel at millions of stars above. Nitmiluk Tours will take you through the winding Nitmiluk Gorge on a sunset dinner cruise, where you'll eat a three-course meal cooked on-board as the setting sun transforms the landscape. Learn about seasonal bush foods and medicines used by the Luritja and Pertame (Southern Aranda) people with a Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Tour, set in the breathtaking backdrop of Kings Canyon.
7. Frosty Mango: Mango Treats
The start of the mango season signals summer in Australia, and enjoying these plump, sweet fruit as the weather warms up is an Australian rite of passage. Mangoes have become synonymous with the state of Queensland where they're grown in large numbers, so there's no better place to eat one. Australians will tell you the best way to enjoy this tropical treasure is the deliciously messy, traditional way: by slicing the "cheeks" off each side, picking them up with your hands, and eating the flesh inside. You'll find many mango dishes on menus across the state, like the frozen treats at Frosty Mango on the coastal route to Far North Queensland, or pick up a fresh bunch at a local market.
8. Quay: One Of The Worlds Best Resturants
Thanks to chef Peter Gilmore's intricately prepared and delicately balanced dishes, Quay has won more awards than any other restaurant in Australia, listed for five years on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list while holding the title of Best Restaurant in Australasia for three of those years. Located on Sydney Harbour's waterfront, with sweeping views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, this is a uniquely Australian dining experience with food and views that are both world class.
9. Elephant Beach Cafe: Western Australia Gourmet Escape
The Western Australia Gourmet Escape celebrates a region where Australia's surf culture and fine dining collide. Each year a roster of international chefs head to the world's only wine region with surf beaches on its doorstep to celebrate the fresh produce, iconic Australian wines and the amazing seafood that the region produces. Drawn by the waves, many of the area's most skilled chefs and winemakers are also keen surfers. They include Elephant Beach Cafe chef Tony Howell, who uses the local seawater to brine his meat and boil his prawns. Visit during the Gourmet Escape and you will see why so many celebrity chefs consider this one of the most interesting and original foodie events on the calendar.
10. Melbourne Cricket Ground: Australian War Memorial
There is no better way to understand Melbourne's obsession with sport – and in particular the game of Australian football, also known as Aussie rules or AFL, after the Australian Football League – than joining the tens of thousands of fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (usually called the MCG, or just "the G"). Every weekend the city centre is full of football fans heading to this hallowed ground, where a meat pie and tomato sauce is the traditional snack of choice. Simple, very Australian, piping hot and eaten to the tune of thousands cheering on their team.
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David Castain
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