CITY SLICKERS
The big flavours and persuasive wine lists at these CBD eateries make it easy to miss the early train home.
Seta / NSW
Sydney’s oldest bank became its newest – and most glamorous – Italian eatery late last year when Seta opened in a blaze of excess. Decked out in an extravagance of mosaic, marble and Murano chandeliers, the 1849 building is a clarion call for the timeless relevance of the big-city restaurant. That also rings true for premium ingredients such as crayfish (either served off the wood grill or coddled in spaghetti), 12-score Kobe Wagyu steak and luxe seafood anchoring an inventive crudo selection. If you’re worried about wading into the menu’s deeper waters, a punchy list of bar snacks, including a rich chicken liver pâté or fluffy Venetian smoked cod on a wedge of fried polenta, provide a more affordable way to enjoy this opulent address.
11 Barrack Street, Sydney; (02) 9262 2624; setasydney.com.au; open Tuesday-Friday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner
Vincent Wine / WA
Paris by way of Perth, this chic hangout is artfully designed to make diners feel like they’re in the first arrondissement watching the world go by with a poodle at their feet (on that note – oui, dogs are welcome). Whether sitting kerbside, in the courtyard or in the wine-bottle-decorated dining room, this inviting cave à manger is a portal to Gallic good times via a wine list packed with compelling French drops (a frequently changing roster of about 10 make up the daily by-the-glass options) and a comfortleaning menu ranging from charcuterie to confit duck.
465 William Street, Perth; vincentwine.com.au; open Friday-Sunday for lunch and WednesdaySunday for dinner
Aru / VIC
He became Melbourne’s newest superstar chef (with a MasterChef appearance to prove it) thanks to the mod-Asian creativity of his acclaimed restaurant Sunda. This follow-up, about 10 minutes away, has
Khanh Nguyen embracing the art of cooking over fire. At Aru, the glowing hearth at the heart of the open kitchen isn’t the only point of difference to the Sunda mothership. Here, Nguyen’s focus is on the big-flavoured bonhomie of South-East Asian family feasting, delivered with the clever use of native Australian ingredients and his trademark cheekiness. An early hit is the pâté en croute with “flavours of banh mi”, including jelly made from Maggi seasoning. And if the duck sausage has been described (favourably, of course) as a VietnameseBunnings mash-up, well that’s the perfect riposte to the famous Vegemite sambal that put Sunda on the map.
268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne; (03) 9939 8113; aru.net.au; open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner
Verity Lane Market / ACT
The term “food hall” doesn’t do justice to Verity Lane Market – even “gourmet food hall” falls short. Opened late last year in the landmark Sydney Building, this upmarket dining precinct has quickly become a Canberra must-visit. Amid the heritagelisted loveliness of one of the city’s original civic buildings, you’ll find six separate kitchens, including woodfired pizza at Pizza Artigiana, Asian street food at Ramen Daddy and Super Bao, and stylish Asianmod-Oz (hello, charry octopus with herbs, gremolata and raddichio) at My Sabor. Drinks? They’re covered, too, thanks to the early-1900s-styled Verity Bar.
50 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra; veritylane market.com.au; open Thursday-Saturday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner
Dāna Eating House / TAS
Carving a broad culinary swathe from Thailand (think spicy papaya salad and vegetable red curry) to Vietnam (a clever bún bò hué – braised short rib) and venturing as far as Sichuan (beef carpaccio revved to the max with the region’s mouthnumbing peppercorn), the menu at this fiery pan-Asian specialist is bringing the heat to Hobart’s CBD. A sign of its à la mode approach is the strong showing of vegan dishes, including ginger-spiked corn and squash dumplings in fragrant lemongrass broth, plus a cocktail list that keeps pace with the theme. Try a delicious spin on Aperol Spritz with salted plum, yuzu and Thai basil.
131 Murray Street, Hobart; 0416 161 756; danaeatinghouse.com.au; open Thursday-Sunday for lunch and Tuesday-Sunday for dinner
Fino Vino / SA
It’s the new urban outpost of an acclaimed Barossa winery restaurant but Fino Vino is no country mouse. The city sibling of Fino Seppetsfield rocks a thoroughly urban fit-out that mixes burnt-orange leather banquettes with terracotta tiles, red-brick pillars and unfinished ceilings. Fans of the original Fino will be relieved, however, to see it has transplanted the signature crema Catalana and sunny Spanish outlook grounded in SA produce. There’s also the added bonus of a bar that champions interesting local producers alongside an eclectic smattering of Europeans.
82 Flinders Street, Adelaide; (08) 8232 7919; finovino.net.au; open Wednesday-Friday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner
Opa Bar + Mezze / QLD
As flash as Onassis, the retro-glam Santorini vibe at this Brisbane newcomer is a transportive mix of marble and terrazzo, whitewashed walls and bluestone floors – and what it misses in views of the Mediterranean it makes up for with its panorama of the Brisbane River. The menu encourages you to make like a shipping magnate with whole lobster from the tank and scampi caviar on buckwheat blinis but there’s democratic appeal in the punchy peasant dishes (including the restorative chicken and lemon soup known as avgolemono) and all-day mezze including grilled calamari and chicken souvlaki.
123 Eagle Street, Brisbane; (07) 2111 5155; opabar.com.au; open seven days for lunch and dinner