THE LATEST FROM CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS AROUND AUSTRALIA

Fresh openings on Sydney's Oxford Street, two spots to check out in the Adelaide Hills and a Melbourne group debuts a European restaurant.

- JORDAN KRETCHMER

SYDNEY

Paddington's main thoroughfare has welcomed Caness, a Middle Eastern meets Mediterranean restaurant and snack bar in a former grocery store. Drawing on tapas-style dining, the 60-seater serves up denizens of the deep blue like saganaki prawns in a tomato and feta sauce; grilled octopus with a caper-studded dressing; and a soft brandade, which sees salted cod and potatoes become a creamy dip. There's also a take on a sabich with fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs and tahini atop pita; a beef tartare charged with pimentón and harissa; and a vegetarian shawarma crafted with delicious layers of mushrooms and celeriac. The 80-strong wine list is approachable and a great fit for weeknight sips or a long Saturday lunch, while the cocktail menu features a Figroni – a figgy take on the popular aperitif – and a tomato water-spiked tipple that riffs on gazpacho.

Just a few doors up the road, the space that was once home to Saint Peter is now an excellent new Japanese omakase restaurant, Izy.Aki. The unexpected team comprises Englishman Darren Templeman joined in the open plan kitchen by talented newcomer Bonnie Yu, and French sommelier Aurélien Jeffredo, who is ever-friendly and as knowledgeable about sakes as he is about Victorian wines. The sixor 10-course tasting menu showcases seafood and beef from across Australia, joined by seasonal and Japanese-Korean fusion elements.