Save the trifecta of fine-dining restaurants keeping the beacons lit at Circular Quay, it long seemed like the light had gone out in Sydney’s CBD. But the precinct growing around 25 Martin Place signals the tide is turning. Shooting up behind architect Harry Seidler’s Modernist ‘mushroom’ tower, new three-storey The International transformed its corner of the CBD overnight. On fine days, crowds now spill out of ground-floor Wine Bar and Paul Farag’s luminous AALIA restaurant across the way. Upstairs, in a dining room that relishes its mid-century influences, The Grill brings back city power dining in swaggering style. 25 Martin Pl, Sydney. 25martinplace.com.au

Regional Thai cuisine has made its Melbourne home at the top of Bourke Street, turning this strip into a hotspot for bold, vibrant flavours. Newer kid on the block, Thong Thai, is slinging piping-hot oyster pancakes and plates of traditional pad thai. Nana Thai keeps things lively with mookata, a hotpot-barbecue hybrid with herbaceous broths and pork neck. Thai Baan showcases Isan-inspired street eats like Ayutthaya noodles and fermented salads. These are just the beginning; as Melbourne’s Thai Town continues to grow, diners will discover an array of regional delicacies. Come hungry and prepare for spice. 18 Bourke St, Melbourne. thongthai.com.au

‘The Ex’ ticks every box for a dream local. A packed beer garden, wallpapered with band posters? Curry nights and a mean schnitty? It’s all here. Glasses of Krug mightn’t be on your bingo card, but it’s part of the incongruous charm of this East End legend. The Champagne was added to its chalkboards in the ’80s at the urging of the wine crowd that frequented the front bar, and is still best ordered in the quintessentially South Australian 200ml ‘butcher’ glass. Otherwise, it’s an all-local affair: from the Australian wine list to the Coopers that will never leave the taps. 246 Rundle St, Adelaide. theexeter.com.au

There’s a special place in our hearts for Bar Planet – the gateway to the Enmore Road experience. The galactic-themed bar from the aces behind Cantina OK! and Centro 86 specialises in martinis, but banish any notion of tailored suits and swinging jazz. Here it’s graffiti in the bathrooms, ‘tinis’ served from on high and free popcorn to line the stomach. It’s the perfect start for a bar-hop on to Palomino Lounge, Enmore Country Club or The Duke, or a quick slide over to Newtown’s King Street. Pace yourself – there’s plenty to eat and drink along this golden mile. 16 Enmore Rd, Newtown. barplanet.com.au

For the best pint of Guinness in Victoria, head to Caretaker’s, a hidden gem behind Wesley Church. Inside this tiny 1914-built bluestone cottage is a pitch-perfect Melbourne take on an old-school British local. The Guinness is poured the traditional way – creamy, velvety and left to settle before a final top-up. It’s the star of a small but well-executed drinks list that includes rotating milk punches and classic cocktails. Pair your pint with a thick slab of Welsh rarebit (doused in the traditional Worcestershire). With its warm and timeless charm, this is as close as it gets to the real deal. 139-141 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne. caretakerscottage.bar

Flames flicker and coals glower in the kitchen, creating mood and intent at the dimly lit Agnes, forged from a restored late-19th-century brick warehouse. Designed around cooking over an open fire, the restaurant has earned national acclaim for its ambience and innovative creations that might include coal-roasted crab tartelette, scorched crimson snapper and wood-roasted duck. The flagship of Brisbane’s wildly successful Anyday Group is joined by sister Valley venues – Italian Biànca, Southeast Asian sAme sAme and Japanese-influenced hôntô – with a move and expansion of Agnes Bakery and several new CBD establishments expected this year. 22 Agnes St, Fortitude Valley. anyday.com.au/agnes-venue-page

A Melbourne institution since the 1950s, American Doughnut Kitchen has long delighted market-goers with jam-filled nostalgia from its Queen Vic Market van. Now, its first bricks-and-mortar shop at Prahran Market adds Code Black coffee, hot chocolate and creative doughnut fillings to the mix. Watch as their traditional doughnuts are fried, filled with hot raspberry-plum jam and rolled in sugar. The Prahran store mirrors the charm of the original van, complete with awning-inspired ceiling stripes that mimic the colourway of that first doughnut-slinging truck. It’s a sweet evolution for this beloved family-run business. Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Rd, South Yarra. prahranmarket.com.au/trader/american-doughnut-kitchen

A smokehouse lunch at The Apollonian, named for the Greek god of music and theatre, is the gastronomic reward that awaits anyone who ventures beyond the beaches and boutiques of Noosa Heads to the tiny hinterland hamlet of Boreen Point on Lake Cootharaba. The classic Queenslander housing this popular hotel dates from the gold rush days and was moved here from Gympie in the 1980s. Nab a table in the shady garden and enjoy the regular musical entertainment and prime people-watching opportunities while dining from the please-all pub grub menu that includes cuts of beef from the owner’s own farm. 19 Laguna St, Boreen Point. apollonianhotel.com.au

The restaurant to sister-bar pipeline is strong in Melbourne and the latest additions, Bar Olo and Scopri, are a stone’s throw from each other on Nicholson Street. Start at newer Bar Olo, a cosy, Piedmont-inspired bar where snacks like prawn tramezzini pair perfectly with Northern Italian drops. Then, it’s a hop, skip and a jump to Scopri for dishes like beef carpaccio and house-made pastas, served in a warm and inviting dining room. Whether you begin with Bar Olo’s snacks and end with Scopri’s heartier plates, or vice versa, a night across these two venues is quintessential Melbourne dining. 165 Nicholson St, Carlton. barolocarlton.com.au

They say you can’t be everything to all people, but nobody told Bar Rochford. Emblematic of Canberra’s bar culture, chill pre-dinner drinks flow into shared-plate dinners, where chefs Belinda Barrett and Josh Lundy create magic from whatever’s in season. That might mean sticky lamb ribs, a skewer of smoked beef tongue dunked into anchovy mayo, or the famous potato galette, spiked with miso and caviar. After dinner, the lights get low, and funk and soul grooves bring things to an exuberant climax that lasts until the doors close. In other words, there’s never a bad time to visit Bar Rochford. 65 London Ct, Canberra City. barrochford.com

Sniff out a truffle on your guided walk through Beltana Farm’s orchard, and chances are you’ll be reunited with it during the lively farm-to-table lunch that follows. Tucked in among 800-or-so truffle trees on the edge of Canberra, Beltana’s sunny dining room is the perfect place to enjoy a vibrant seasonal menu dotted with native ingredients. Warm potato damper hums with macadamia dukkah, roast chicken swims in tarragon-spiked jus dotted with saltbush and coal-kissed ox tongue is hit with bright lilly pilly, all showcasing the best of the region and – during winter – punctuated with shavings of just-harvested truffles. 14 Beltana Rd, Pialligo. beltanafarm.au

In the small town of Boonah, south-west of Brisbane, Blume is an homage to the Scenic Rim and the growers and makers who inhabit it. Diaphanous white curtains diffuse the luminous country light in the petite dining room, while pressed tin walls and timber floorboards reference the building’s heritage. The seasonal menu draws on ingredients from the fertile region, and tables are set with bespoke earthenware and flowers gathered from ‘Aunt Jen’s’ garden next door. With staff who genuinely seem to love what they do, Blume is one the finest exemplars of dining in regional Queensland. 5 Church St, Boonah. blumerestaurant.com.au

It’s not every day a duck tries to take a seat at the table during lunch. But interactions with the resident birdlife are part of the charm at this relaxed alternative to fine-dining sibling, Restaurant Botanic, next door. While both share soul-lifting Botanic Garden views, respected chef Tom Tilbury ensures Botanic Lodge’s food never gets ahead of itself. His compact menu manages to blend surprises (sand whiting crudo with lardo and lemon) with a strong sense of place (mussels, native curry, myrtle oil) and crowd-pleasing Aussie nostalgia (tommy ruff in white bread and butter; Golden Gaytime parfait). Main Lake (Kainka Wirra), Adelaide Botanic Garden, Plane Tree Dr, Adelaide. botaniclodge.com.au

The Grand National Hotel in Paddington dishes up one of the greatest breakfast experiences in the land; it’s also one of the rarest, given it’s for guests of the 14-room hotel only. But what else would you expect from Josh and Julie Niland of Saint Peter? It might entail a lavishly designed fruit plate, starring luscious cherries and rare bayberries, with fig and coconut bircher muesli and fresh-baked pastries. The unrivalled showstopper, though, is the marron scrambled eggs, as striking as a Salvador Dali sculpture, which Josh has infused with head meat and paired with zingy hollandaise. Surreally good. 161 Underwood St, Paddington. saintpeter.com.au/stay

After blowing up on TikTok, this social media sensation has become one of Brisbane’s most successful bakehouses, with customers coming from across the world just for a taste of its signature cookies. Flavours like the classic NYC choc-chip, red velvet and Nutella – plus limited edition varieties like Oreo cheesecake and a special cookie/croissant hybrid known as the crookie – create queues that stretch down the street. Owner Brooke Bellamy has become a star in her own right, with a bestselling cookbook, collaborations with global brands and new store openings also selling the brand’s brownies, cakes and macarons. 15 Marshall St, Fortitude Valley.