Top 5 hottest Australian hotel restaurants

1  Lona Misa, Ovolo South Yarra, VIC

Lona Misa is the new star of Ovolo Hotels’ phenomenal collection of restaurants. Celebrated chefs Ian Curley and Shannon Martinez oversee a menu that’s almost entirely vegan, with dishes such as konjac vegan prawns with spicy coriander and lime dressing, and whole peri-peri cauliflower fire-roasted on a Josper grill. For drinks, there are seasonal cocktails and a wide-ranging wine list. The digs? They’re defined by a wall of Renaissance-style art graffitied with the words “mételo en la boca” – that’s Spanish for “put it in your mouth.” 

2  Lollo, W Melbourne, VIC

The jewel in the glittering crown of the new W Melbourne, Lollo sets itself apart with its warmly furnished capacious dining room and star chef Adam D’Sylva’s inspired Italian-inflected menu. There’s asparagus and ricotta tortellini with silverbeet, rotolo lasagne elevated by minced duck, and a cacio e pepe Caesar that subs in grilled cos lettuce for the pasta. Wine leans hard into Victorian drops, and the imaginative cocktail menu will have you arriving early or staying late. 

3  Automata, The Old Clare Hotel, NSW

Part of the new wave of Sydney restaurants that made hotel dining cool again, Automata is efficiently wedged in a two-storey semi-industrial brick, concrete and glass space in gentrified Chippendale. Still, it’s celebrated chef-owner Clayton Wells you’re really here for, his local produce-focused set menus dishing up the likes of Murray cod with a bug roe emulsion, braised fennel and Geraldton wax, and globe artichokes with mussels, braised pumpkin seeds and a white pepper broth. Drinks keep it curious, from local vermouth and beer to unique French wines and junmai sake. 

4  Bentley, Radisson Blu, NSW

Arguably the Australian hotel restaurant by which all others are measured, Bentley is parked beneath the Radisson Blu in Sydney’s CBD. It’s an intimate, inviting space defined by a striking lighting installation and the wine fridge and racks that line a back wall. Co-owner chef Brent Savage’s modern Australian menu includes dishes such as Skull Island prawn with koshihikari rice and ’nduja, and Jerusalem artichoke with buttermilk, chestnut and plum. As for that wine, co-owner Nick Hildebrandt has compiled a list 1000 bottles strong that includes a stack of Champagne, European riesling, Burgundy and Rhône Valley varietals. 

5  Yamagen, QT Gold Coast, QLD

The long-awaited reimagining of Yamagen in 2017 revealed a fun, funky venue of dark timber, rope chairs and fishing-basket lampshades, where the lights are kept low and energy high. Still, don’t underestimate the food, chef Adam Lane (formerly at Tetsuya and Nobu) effortlessly remixing traditional Japanese cuisine with modern techniques. You might have truffle wagyu tartare with a 63-degree egg, or miso-glazed toothfish with pickled cucumber, hazelnut and shiso. Pair with sake, or a cocktail from one of the best lists on the Gold Coast.