It started with the holiday snaps: when every neighbour, colleague and friend suddenly seemed to be in Greece, swimming in azure waters and feasting on octopus and hearty salads. But considering Australia’s long Greek history, it was likely a foregone conclusion that Hellenic food would claim its rightful place at the forefront of our restaurant scene. With surroundings as bright and sunny as their menus, it beats battling the crowds in Santorini. Where to try it: In Melbourne, Con Christopoulos’s hit pop-up Kafeneion found a permanent CBD home last year, just a few months before Yarraville gained cult-favourite Tzaki; while South Yarra has just welcomed newcomer Astoria Bar Kè Grill. Meanwhile, in Sydney, the team behind one of Sydney’s most iconic Greek restaurants, The Apollo, revealed their new coup – Olympus Dining at Wunderlich Lane.

Hotel restaurants can feel like little more than an afterthought, aimed at guests seeking something only slightly more ambitious than room service. But a recent slew of urban hotels in which the accommodation is, if anything, a luxe add-on to your dining experience is making a staycay tastier than ever. Best of all, it’s only a short amble down a hallway or upstairs to bed, post-repast. Where to try it: Sydney’s reigning couple of seafood, Josh and Julie Niland, have reeled in their most multi-faceted offering to date at Saint Peter at The Grand National Hotel, where the on-site boutique lodging has started taking bookings. In Australia Street, Newtown, the Porteño Group is soon to reveal the accommodation above their new venue hat-trick. In South Australia, winery Bird In Hand topped off its reborn Adelaide Hills restaurant LVN last year with immaculate on-site accommodation ‘O’ Quarters; while Melbourne Place lured Sydney hospo power couple Sunny and Ross Lusted to head up its signature bar Mr Mills, and restaurant Marmelo.

This timeless combination has never gone out of favour. But in 2025, bread and butter steps out of supporting role and into main menu player. The bread could be puffy pita, slabs of sourdough or potato buns, torn to release clouds of steam. The butter, whipped and scattered with anchovy, Vegemite, herbs or salts. The end result is universally satisfying – butter us up. Where to try it: During Bar Tilda’s theatrical bread and butter service at the new Sydney hotel precinct, a vat of butter is extravagantly whipped and seasoned before being deposited on hunks of AP Bread. It’s tableside theatre that justifies the $39 cost. Brisbane’s new French bistro DUCKFAT promises bottomless baguettes with generous heapings of AOP French butter. While the butter and bread service at Melbourne’s Al Dente Enoteca comes with a perfect quenelle of Del Bocia butter scooped from custom butter bells.

Despite what your parents told you, there’s no shame in playing with your food. Particularly if you’re a professional pastry chef. Nostalgia has brought back comfort classics like tiramisu and chocolate mousse, but this year will see even more fabulous retro creations, with frills and tchotchke to best even Nonna’s formal dining room. Quivering jelly, ornate meringue, showers of 100’s & 1000’s, unashamedly OTT piping – this is pure, sweet indulgence. Where to try it: At her pint-size Joy Jaune stall in Melbourne’s Preston Market, Joey Leung crafts joyful puddings and pastries such as love-heart-shaped, jelly-topped panna cotta and delicate choux pastry swans. Dröm continues to flex its artistic muscles with new seasonal releases, such as the charcoal-black sesame croissant and the ube cake Suisse with its bright purple icing frill.

From retro devilled eggs to egg sandos, eggs are having a nostalgia-tinged moment. At the top end of town, that’s manifesting as the classic French sauce gribiche and a snowy dusting of grated egg as a delicate garnish for caviar and canapes. On bar menus, the devilled egg is having a sainted revival. With more of us striving to find the luxury of everyday ingredients, this is one trend that’s on high boil. Where to try it: At Alma’s, one of Bar Copain’s two new Sydney sister bars, devilled eggs made their debut on the launch menu; as they did at moodily lit steakhouse The Cut Bar & Grill when it relaunched in The Rocks late last year. Melbourne’s newest CBD bar calling on the spirit of speakeasies, Mill Place Merchants, tops its devilled eggs with Yarra Valley salmon roe.

Riding a sea of purple ube and vivid-green pandan, Filipino food has been surging. More and more diners are discovering the Southeast Asian nation’s prowess with barbecue and baked goods, while finer diners and bar-restaurant hybrids are exploring the complexity and cultural diversity of Filipino cuisine to its full potential. Where to try it: Filipino diner Askal also solidified its position as a Melbourne CBD fixture with the opening of upstairs bar Inuman, where chef and co-owner John Rivera of Kariton Sorbetes plays with Filipino flavours in cocktails and creative bar snacks. In Sydney, Lakemba barbecue favourite Smoky Cravings has now expanded into four locations across the city; Redfern has just welcomed cafe Tagun; while Takam in Darlinghurst has relaunched to acclaim.

The ‘dude food’ movement has mercifully moved on (farewell, sliders – may you never return). But the cheeseburger is having a chic makeover, with premium patties and house-made pickles. Over recent decades, cheeseburger sales in France have surpassed even that of ham baguettes, which helps explain the Gallic feel to many Australian interpretations. Where to try it: At ground-floor Restaurant Bâtard in the Melbourne CBD, it might be all about caviar, oysters and silver service, but on the chic rooftop La Terrasse, Le Cheeseburger is the must-order. The wagyu cheeseburger at The Brasserie in Naldham House has already become one of Brisbane’s favourites, while Perth’s ongoing love affair with ‘Le Burger avec fromage’ at Le Rebelle continues.

Even as restaurants wind back on opening days and seatings to handle rising costs, there has been a surprising emergence of all-day options, operating from breakfast through to dinner. Offering everything from a quick brunch through to a long lunch (that might just turn into afternoon drinks), these versatile venues appeal to morning larks and night owls alike. Where to try it: All-day diner Cafe Disco has recently gifted Brisbane Bangladeshi-inspired brunches and its new favourite wine bar in one fell swoop. All-day bakery and bistro Antara led the way in Melbourne; while Elio’s Place opened mid-last year, offering European hospitality from breakfast espresso through to evening aperitivo.

From queuing for cult croissants to waiting lists for legendary pies, in 2025 we don’t brunch – we bakery hop. These are not your corner-bakery creations, nor prices, but this small dose of luxury comes from pastry chefs as talented as those found in top-tier kitchens, for a fraction of the cost. Where to try it: In Melbourne, Carlton Market favourite Masses Bagels has just revealed its first bricks and mortar shop. Meanwhile, Baker D. Chirico has branched out of Melbourne and into Brisbane, where hungry lines formed immediately. In Sydney, you only need to look for the lines to discover one of Lune’s new locations in Rosebery and the CBD. Around Ultimo, you’ll spot the lucky few devouring the cult chashu pork and ramen egg pie by Blood’s Bakery, which needs to be ordered ahead on Instagram.

It used to be curls of truffle that signalled bougie intentions at the best restaurants every winter. In an unabashed ’80s flashback, it’s now caviar topping every tempting morsel on the snack menu. It started over the last few years with straight caviar ‘bumps’ but, like truffle, caviar often works best when paired with simple, salty or carby friends such as fried chicken and potato, for a decadent high-low combo we’re very onboard with. Where to try it: The new restaurant at Hunter Valley winery Harkham boasts an entire caviar menu – from 3g ‘bumps’ up to 30g tins served with blinis and creme fraiche. At new cafe Ruma in Sydney’s Double Bay, diners can opt to top their Korean-style fried chicken bites with dollops of Oscietra caviar.

Sri Lanka might be small in size, but it’s supersized on the food front, with tropical produce like king coconuts and exotic fruits, world-class seafood and a pantry full of heady spices at its disposal. In Australia, several high profile Sri Lankan institutions such as Lankan Filling Station in Sydney have been flying the flag for years, but with Australian visitation to the tropical nation starting to rebound with a vengeance, it’s only a matter of time before more returnees start seeking it out back home. Where to try it: With its standout hopper sets, Hopper Joint was one of the most talked-about openings in Melbourne last year. In the Sydney CBD, curry-house-meets-cocktail-bar Kasippu launched, complete with Hydralyte slushies.