The best restaurateurs are excellent at reading the moment; giving the people what they want even before they want it. And this point in time belongs to tighter budgets. This reality bites hard as corporate entertainment spends are capped and cost of living increases.
Of course, classic three-course meals and dégustations will always have their place, but increasingly, diners are looking for more entry points to the establishments they love. They want snacks at the bar, set lunch menus, and generous golden hours.
They want it with finesse, knowing the cash they are parting with is money well spent. As ever, hospitality is about being hospitable and some of Sydney and Melbourne's best industry minds are tailoring their menus to oblige.
As Tristan Rosier, founder of Jane in Surry Hills, explains, it's about finding creative ways to offer great value so that "people want to keep coming back". And at $2 an oyster, surely, we will.
If this is the winter of democratic fine dining, book us in for an express table or a seat at the bar.
Quay
Experience an abridged version of Peter Gilmore's famous Quay menu with the special four-course dining experience, Quay to Lunch. Available every weekend until the end of September, $205 will get you a seat at one of the country's best restaurants and those magical harbour views. quay.com.au
Kuro
Dinner at this Japanese fine-diner is a three-figure affair but on Fridays and Saturdays it throws open its door for lunch, where two courses costs just $45, with choices such as kingfish sashimi with yuzu kosho ponzu as entrée and full-blood wagyu beef with crisp potato for mains. kurosydney.com
Lana
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.
