A second waterfront restaurant has docked at The Spit in Sydney. Slotting opposite the famed Ormeggio comes St Siandra, an Amalfi Coast-inspired diner set against the sparkling waters of Middle Harbour. Pretend you’re in Positano with Mediterranean share plates and spritz cocktails on tap. Named after the Sydney to Hobart Race winning yacht, the restaurant also has two private moorings for arrivals via boat.

Melbourne’s Miss Mi has opened a second outpost in the Novotel Perth with wok star chef Alex De Leon at the helm. The menu treks from Bangkok to Borneo, capturing the smoky, charred flavours of the Asian grill. Turn up the heat with the fire-roasted cauliflower with chilli sambal or try the sticky Sichuan glazed lamb ribs with pickled red cabbage.

Of all the new wine bars in Richmond, Clover is our pick of the crop. The new vin de cave comes from Lyndon Kubis the bar baron behind The Alps and Toorak Cellars. This time around, he’s teamed up with ex-Etta chef Charley Snadden-Wilson for the menu, which specialises in simple yet sophisticated snacks cooked over the coals.

Set sail for Sardinia at Pilloni, a new West End restaurant inspired by Italy’s second largest isle. The menu includes all the regional specialties from gnocchetti sardi to potato and cheese stuffed culurgiones. Diners are encouraged to go the whole hog and try the su porcheddu – a succulent, roast suckling pig cooked on the spit.

Christopher Thé, aka the creator of the world-famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake, is back with a new cake shop and cafe stocked with a dazzling array of new pastry creations. Head to Hearthe in Stanmore to taste his new range of cakes, croissants, pies and tarts, which take their inspiration from fresh, seasonal produce and native Australian ingredients. Expect covetable confections like the Geraldton Wax Cheesecake with wax jelly bubbles on top (pictured) and a raspberry and marshmallow hibiscus cake soaked with Seven Seasons’ Green Ant Gin.

James Audas and Tom Sheer from Byron Bay’s best bottle-o, Lune Wine Store, have opened a Parisian-style bar and eatery on Jonson Street. Bar Heather boasts an impressively varied drinks list which focuses on natural, sustainable and minimal intervention wines, alongside rare drops and back vintages. Sophisticated snacks by former Sixpenny chef Ollie Wong-Hee revolve around what’s in the glass.

Riot Bar in Adelaide has started a wine-drinking revolution. The inner city cellar doors serves 14 wines on tap or pour your own from a giant stone vase which holds 1000 litres of the house vino. Former 2KW executive chef Trent Lymn is behind the Spanish-meets-South-American menu that includes sardine skewers, pintxos and pig’s head croquettes.

Stokehouse Pasta & Bar is a breezy new Italian eatery that will lure you straight off St Kilda beach. Given that most diners will be staring out to sea, interiors are kept airily simple, with brick-tiled floors, a brass-panelled open kitchen and large central bar facing a wine wall. Pasta comes in three sizes (entree, main, family), with light salads and grilled vegetables on the side.

An Italian disco and dining room has opened at Mitolo Wines in McLaren Vale, and it’s already a hit with the locals. Head to Frankie for unfussed Italian fare, wine-splashed cocktails and 80s-inspired disco tracks. There are some impressive moves on the menu, including handmade pasta and Roman-style pizza, with gelato delivered by roving cart.

With just 12 seats and only two sittings per week, Omotenashi is Hobart’s hottest new table. The bento-boxed fine diner has popped up in the trunk of the Lexus of Tasmania showroom in the old Rox building on Elizabeth Street. Expect an omakase-style menu of around 12 courses, which focuses on expertly prepared and presented seafood and fresh local produce. Book well in advance.

Craving some carne? New Brisbane bar and grill BŌS (latin for Beef) serves up some of the city’s best steaks, with slabs supplied by top producers like Jack’s Creek, Cape Grim, Five Founders and 2GR Fullblood Wagyu. There’s 10 cuts to choose from including a colossal 1.5kg bistecca and tomahawk, served with a selection of mustards and red wine jus.

Byron Bay diner Light Years has relocated to an infinitely larger space in the leafy new Jonson Lane Precinct across town. The expanded restaurant now seats 95, up from 50, which includes a private dining room and bar area. The interiors look to the future with a monochromatic palate of muted pink that pairs terracotta tiles with rose marble table tops. The menu remains an Asian-fusion affair, with modern marvels like prawn toast donuts and miso caramel eggplant.