Isabel Cant

Brisbane’s Italian food has been some of the best in Australia for quite some time now, and it’s only getting better with each new opening. Drawing inspiration from regions all over Italy and working with top local produce, these restaurants show why Australia has some of the best Italian food outside the motherland.  Time Out has tasked an expert foodie and Italian cuisine lover to bring you this list of the top spots for your next feast. There are trendy, stylish diners like Gemelli Italian, special occasion venues like Ristorante Tartufo and family-friendly joints like Marinara Restaurant. So, whether a hearty ragu in a cosy dining room is what you’re after or linguine with prawns enjoyed al fresco is more your speed, these are the best Italian restaurants in Brisbane. 🍽️ Brisbane's very best restaurants🍕 The best pizza spots in Brisbane🥩 Where to find Brisbane's best steak

​​With trendy restaurants and bars popping up all over the city, it’s no wonder Brisbanites and visitors alike can feel a bit overwhelmed when deciding where to eat. That’s where we come in! Our expert local writers, along with Time Out Australia’s Travel & News Editor Melissa Woodley, have tasted their way through Brisbane’s diverse food scene to bring you this list of must-try restaurants. From a sprawling Japanese izakaya overlooking the river and an old-school pizzeria to a contemporary Chinese eatery with a spicy Sichuan fish broth that will make your eyes water, these are the best restaurants in Brisbane for a culinary adventure in the River City. Update August 2025: Since our last update in May, we've added three fresh dining destinations already turning heads – Stilts Dining, Queensland's first restaurant on a bridge; The Summit Restaurant, a multi-million dollar venue with million-dollar views; and Layla, a sleek city gem by renowned Melbourne chef Shane Delia. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍸 The best bars in Brisbane☕️ Brisbane's coolest cafés🥐 Where to find Brisbane's best pastries

With its award-winning restaurants and dishes worth trekking interstate for, Canberra has earned its place on Australia’s gourmet map. The star of the show is the region’s local produce – including truffles, smoked meats and wines – which are fired, flamed, fermented and fried into all sorts of culinary creations. Time Out Australia’s Travel & News Editor Melissa Woodley spent four years immersed in Canberra’s dining scene before returning to Sydney, and she can vouch that its newest openings are right up there with the Emerald City’s. Whether you’re dining at the Italian spot in Braddon, vying for a table at a tiny Parisian-style restaurant, or making friends at one of the city’s funkiest pan-Asian eateries, these are the best Canberra restaurants you want to be hittin' up. Update August 2025: Since our last update, we've added two high-anticipated new restaurants that have already earned a reputation as some of Canberra's best – Lunetta Trattoria perched atop Red Hill and Shaw Estate Restaurant in the Murrumbateman wine region. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍹 The best bars in Canberra☕️ Canberra's coolest cafés🍣 The best Japanese food in Canberra

Combining seriously stylish design with access to abundant fresh produce from the surrounding wine regions, Adelaide’s restaurant scene has the best of both city and regional dining. Forward-thinking mod-Oz cuisine is informed by food traditions from across the world, which are also visible in everything from Afghan comfort food to Parisian classics and what might be Australia’s first pizza restaurant.  The accompanying wine lists are just as wide-ranging, encompassing powerful Barossa reds, spritzy natural wines and everything in between, all served by knowledgeable staff. And the best bit? Even the extended degustations sit at a price point that will come as a pleasant surprise to East Coast diners. Contributing writer and 11-year resident of Adelaide, Dale Anninos-Carter, has long been scouring the city for the utmost tastiest fare within dining rooms that tick all of the boxes. Together with Time Out’s Travel & News Editor Melissa Woodley, she's curated this guide to the best restaurants in Adelaide for all your eating pleasure. Update August 2025: Since our last update, we’ve ticked a few restaurants off the list and added recently opened eateries that are already turning heads to our guide, like Monica Bistro. Plus, we added some long-time favourites that deserve a visit, including La Louisiane and Africola. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍷 The best bars in Adelaide🍕 Adelaide's best pizza joints☕️ The best cafés in

With its golden sands and laid-back holiday vibe, the Gold Coast has always been a favourite destination for those seeking a relaxed seaside escape. However, this famous Queensland holiday spot offers more than just a day at the beach.  With its rich Indigenous heritage, vibrant markets, adrenaline-pumping theme parks and thriving live music scene, there's plenty to keep you entertained along the coastal strip. Our Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, particularly loves the food and drink scene here, and reckons a day trip to the naturally beautiful Gold Coast hinterland offers a welcome chance of pace. Bring your swimsuit and your sense of adventure. Here are the best things to do on the Gold Coast. 🌮 The Gold Coast’s best restaurants🌊 The best hotels on the Gold Coast☕️ The top cafés on the Gold Coast

Australians are constantly in a heavenly food coma, courtesy of Italian cuisine. This is thanks to the huge influx of Italian immigrants who arrived on our shores after World War II, bringing not just a suitcase of dreams, but a whole lot of pasta, pizza and parmesan. Whether you’re craving fresh antipasti straight from The Boot, hand-rolled pappardelle with rich ragu, wood-fired sourdough pizza or boozy tiramisu made just like nonna, we’ve scoured out the best Italian restaurants in Australia for every occasion. Our team of Aussie food writers has independently chosen these spots for their authentic flavours, prime locations, buzzing ambience and signature Italian hospitality. In Sydney, a cheery waterfront spot has been serving classic Italian hits for more than a decade. In Brisbane, live lobster is plucked from tanks and tossed through house-made spaghetti. And in Hobart, a tiny CBD wine bar keeps the vibes flowing with vinyl records all night. In no particular order, here's our pick of the best Italian restaurants in Australia. RECOMMEND: The best Italian restaurants in...Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth | Canberra | Hobart | Darwin

Not to toot our own horn, but Australia’s coffee scene is unbeatable. In 2025, an Aussie café was voted the best coffee shop in the entire world, and the year before, Sydney and Melbourne were named among the top ten cities for coffee globally. We've tapped into the wisdom of our most devoted coffee drinkers and writers around the country to bring you this list of Australia's best coffee roasters. These masters of the craft excel in every part of the process: from sourcing and roasting beans to ultimately brewing them expertly. Whether you're a fan of Ona and Industry Beans, or swear by Sample and Single O, here's our pick of the best coffee in Australia right now. For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🥐 The best croissants in Australia🍹 All the best bars for a boozy night🥖 Our favourite bakeries in Australia right now

Don’t come to Adelaide if you don’t love birds. A zillion adorable alarm clocks will have you up at dawn in search of outstanding coffee, halloumi, smashed avo, crumpets and berry-studded pancakes in cafés on the leafy streets and in parks. Any café worth its black lava salt can do a perfect poached egg over sourdough and house-cured bacon, but is there a potoroo snuggled at your feet, or a chortling maggie praising your bed-head while you sip your açai smoothie? And if you’re outdoors, you’ll still get to enjoy the endeavours of chefs and cooks who celebrate exquisite, sustainably grown local produce. From chilli-spiced eggs in Highgate to breakfast pho in Woodville, here's a local's pick of the best breakfasts in Adelaide. 🥑 The best cafés in Adelaide☕️ Adelaide's best coffee shops🥐 The best bakeries in Adelaide

Looking for a top-notch café while travelling around Australia? Boy, you’re in luck. Australians know how to cook up a damn good brunch, and we roast – arguably – the world’s best coffee to wash it all down. Whether you’re craving a big brekkie with a batch brew, corn fritters with an iced chai, smashed avo with a smoothie, or buttermilk pancakes with a Bloody Mary, these are just a handful of the best cafés to visit in Australia's capital cities. Of course, we couldn't include them all – so our local food writers have handpicked a few personal favourites. Time Out Australia’s Travel and News Editor, Melissa Woodley, especially loves Piña in Sydney, Two Before Ten in Canberra, Naïm in Brisbane, Laneway Specialty Coffee in Darwin and Hamlet in Hobart. What's first on your list? For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍽️ The best restaurants in Australia🥐 The best bakeries in Australia☕️ The best coffee in Australia

Hobart may be tucked all the way down the bottom of Australia, but it’s a destination not to be slept on. Tasmania’s capital city is blessed with natural beauty, with the glittering waters of the River Derwent on one side and the rugged peak of kunanyi / Mount Wellington on the other, and there’s plenty to do both outside and inside. From mountain walks and self-guided history tours to top-tier restaurants and the incomparable MONA, everyone will find something they like about Hobart. Whether you’re headed to this waterfront town for a quick weekend getaway or you’ve got time on your side, our expert writers have rounded up the best things to do in Hobart. For Time Out's Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, a perfect Hobart day starts with pastries from Pigeon Whole Bakers, a sauna boat experience and a trip to the underrated Farm Gate Market. Happy exploring! 🍽️ The best restaurants in Hobart🖼️ Hobart's best museums and galleries🚗 The coolest day trips from Hobart

Ahh, pizza. It’s arguably the most versatile meal in the world, catering to almost every palate and diet. Whether you prefer a red base piled high with meat and seafood, or a white base crowned with four types of cheese, the best pizza in Canberra will curb your cravings. Every Canberran has their favourite local pizza joint, and creating a list of Canberra's best pizza is sure to spark some serious debates. Our Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, loves grabbing takeaway from Mama Dough, but her fellow pizza-loving friends reckon Pizza Artigiana and Pizza Arte serve up the best slices in town. Ready to settle the score for yourself? Start working your way through our list of the best pizza places in Canberra right now. 🍕 The best pizza in Australia🍽 Canberra's best restaurants🍝 The best Italian in Canberra

South Australians are no strangers to the universal love language of pizza. Woodfired infernos heat up city nooks and suburban crannies alike to dish out some of the best pizza in the country.  If your dreams are made of mozzarella stretches and slippery red sauce combined with garden-fresh herbs, then you'll want to check out Time Out Adelaide expert Dale Anninos-Carter's ultimate list of the best pizza spots in Adelaide, where your dough dreams can take flight. Sunny's Pizza is a cool city spot for dough with a side of disco, while Chicco Palms cooks up some of the best woodfired pizza Adelaide has to offer in both rosse and bianche form. We don’t want it, we knead it, and we know you need your fix too – here are the best pizza spots in Adelaide right now. 🍽 The best restaurants in Adelaide🍝 Adelaide's best Italian restaurants🥐 The top bakeries in Adelaide

What is it? A family-run Adelaide institution operating since 1985.  Why Go? Siblings Jessica Favaro-Richards and Nicholas Favaro have taken the baton from their parents to balance tradition and modernity with grace on their seasonal menu. Start with addictive rabbit croquettes, crunchy and soft in all the right places, and served with dragoncello sauce (tarragon salsa) and pickled carrots. Meaty centrepiece dishes are chargrilled over sangiovese vines, like juicy half-chicken with Jerusalem artichoke and porcini. Explore it all through the five-course menu – excellent value at $95 per person.

What is it? Part Italian restaurant, part inventive wine bar with a few modern twists up its sleeve. Why go? Traditional Italian dishes mingle with other cuisines at Anchovy Bandit to create playful, inventive dishes. Bucatini is tossed through Goolwa pippies, yuzu kosho and chives, and pineapple on a pizza gets a revamp with prosciutto, pineapple, kimchi and spring onion joining forces on their puffy dough. Anchovy Bandit's pizza crusts are so thick and round, you could roll your hair with them. Except don’t; it’s put to much better use paired with one of the house-made “crust dips”. Choose from garlic butter, taramasalata or XO sauce mayo. Wine is taken very seriously here too, with a great range of South Australian and Italian varieties to try.

What is it? Simple, unpretentious Italian fare tucked away in Kingston Foreshore. Why go? Nab a table outside at this lakeside joint for straightforward, comforting Italian dishes by the lake. House-baked focaccia is warm and fluffy – perfect to dip in olive oil, but even better with their antipasto plate. Their secondi will have you feeling like you’ve just been fed by Nonna. Generous portions of rich veal saltimbocca and a pollo parmigiana are finessed but comforting.

What is it? A woodfired pizza staple with outdoor seating in the heart of town on Lonsdale Street.  Why go? Past the happy revellers parading down Lonsdale Street with takeaway boxes and through the restored stained-glass windows, lies some of Canberra’s finest pizza. For over a decade, Pizza Gusto’s oven has been cranking out pizzas and calzones cooked at a sizzling 400 degrees. Toppings range from classic Margheritas and capricciosas to less traditional (but packed with flavour) butter chicken and other specials, like beef brisket and jalapeño.

What is it? A part cool and casual wine bar, part luxurious takeaway on Lonsdale Street. Why go? Chez Frederic was born on Perth’s Cottesloe Beach in 2002, but has found a home in Braddon. Here, friends can share a cheeky bowl of gnocchi and a glass of vino, or opt for takeaway, where boxes of pasta fly out the door on any given night. The menu is Italian with some playful modern twists here and there. Crisp spring roll wrappers hide Italian flavours inside with garlic prawns and mozzarella, and cheeseburger gnocchi is the devilish dish that will revive you on a cold winter night. 

What is it? Canberra’s only Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana-certified pizza restaurant, located in Griffith.  Why go? Sometimes, no number of toppings will outdo a simple marinara pizza, where the sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes shines against the blistered bubbles of wood-fired dough. That’s exactly what earned this Griffith pizzeria, restaurant and bar certification from the strict Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Quick lunches here are also some of Canberra’s best, with their charred bread becoming the vessel for moreish Neapolitan sandwiches.

What is it? An Italian stalwart with more than 20 years under its belt.  Why go? This Italian institution has been serving this city since 1988. Since then, their two venues in Woden and Manuka have become Canberra’s go-to restaurants when it comes to classic Italian food. The Manuka location’s sleek black marble pass sees fluffy house-baked ciabatta with unfiltered olive oil, and crisp zucchini flours stuffed with four cheeses and honey vinaigrette. Both locations offer tried and true pizza and pasta, but the magic happens in their hefty secondi offering, featuring spatchcock with perfectly caramelised skin or hearty slow-cooked lamb shank that falls apart.

What is it? A longstanding family-run restaurant with hand-rolled pasta and an excellent wine list in Narrabundah. Why go? Walking through the brick arches at La Cantina feels like you’ve descended into a secret Italian wine cellar and not a leafy corner of Narrabundah. However, you would be right in some aspects, with stacks of Australian and Italian drops available from their impressive wine collection. Let their warm and savvy waiters steer you towards a drop to go with their traditional Italian menu. Their house-made pasta dough is a highlight here, with dishes like their umami-laden duck agnolotti being a favourite since opening in 2009.

What is it? A swish lakeside restaurant inspired by the Italian coast run by a celebrated Canberra chef.  Why go? Are we on the shores of Lake Como or Lake Burley Griffin? Carlo Tosolini’s expansive restaurant will transport you straight to the heart of Italy, with its comforting carbs and deli fridge, stocked to the brim with local and specially imported DOP cheeses and meats. Pair buffalo mozzarella and gnocco fritto with an Aperol Spritz on one of their outdoor tables and you could call it a splendid day, but you’ll want to order a dish from their woodfire oven. Butterflied king prawns in garlic and chilli oil, or one of their pizzas with a bubbly charred crust.

What is it? A handsome seasonally-focused restaurant in a famous Canberra setting since 1996. Why go? Behind the grand arched windows of the landmark Melbourne Building sits one of Canberra’s best and longest-running Italian restaurants. Between their fresh bread and pasta, and the peppering of woodfired dishes throughout their menu, the food at Mezzalira is truly special. Changing with the seasons, you may find pappardelle with smoked duck breast, casarecce with suckling lamb, and the mainstay wood-baked focaccia with whipped ricotta and chestnut honey.

What is it? Considered modern Italian fare in Hyde Park, perfect for your next date night.  Why go? In the warmer months, there may be no better place to be in Adelaide than dining al fresco at this contemporary Italian eatery. On the flip side, the best place to be in winter is with a bowl of ricotta gnocchi tucked into their booths. But before you go for one of their housemade pasta dishes, order as many Australian-inspired bites off their antipasti menu as you can. Their 'rootello bonnato' is a favourite, with diced kangaroo, shallots and bonito grated with cured egg yolk that’s worth its weight in gold. Local produce continues to shine on dishes like wood grilled Coorong mullet with artichoke velouté and a sprinkling of toasted seaweed.

What is it? Traditional handmade pasta dishes in the heart of the city.  Why go? The first thing you’ll notice when entering Borsa are the strands upon strands of fresh pasta hanging over their counter. They’ve been in the business of serving the perfect pasta for over a decade, and they have perfected the craft. A long-time favourite of city workers for a lunch or dinner treat, the menu at Borsa doesn’t stray far from tradition. Fresh veal tortellini in brodo (in broth) is the ultimate comfort dish packed with umami. End on a fun note with a trio of tiramisu-inspired profiteroles.