A few months ago, we had lunch at bills in Darlinghurst, and the only thing memorable was the art on the walls. Actually, it was a wall light with a metal substructure wrapped by white textile (think studio.s.ii, Noguchi or the lamps Tobia Scarpa made for Flos decades ago). It made my day. Last week, Artfarm, led by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, opened Manuela in New York City. It has a Grenadier interior armed with blue-chip artworks and splash-cash opulence, and it was inspired by the Kronenhalle in Zurich, a place boasting works of Miró, Braque, and that Picasso guy. There’s a looming arachnid by Louise Bourgeois, and Vanity Fair’s Nate Freeman went on a tour and mentioned the oysters were good, so that’s another plus. It sounds spectacular but a touch fancy schmancy for most.
In Australia, having a clean-cut, precise and neat restaurant is no fantasy. Some people just want a great meal in a nice room without the grenade of art and bulldozer bill. Manuela might be a cannonball, but Australia can make a splash too.
Restaurant interiors in Australia can do plenty with their space, big or small. A giant venue in the CBD can create different worlds in different rooms, and a little building can be made into a corner of gastronomic nirvana. Australia does this bit quite well. Balancing big with small, white cloth and boujee burger, a posh cut of meat with a wobbly table, a soft-crunching scallop oreganata and loud stereo, a
presumptuous pet nat on a plastic chair, etc.
Here, diners like a bit of life without the raised brows of posh patrons or a whiplash fare, and many agree the customer service here is the best there is. Stepping into a higher-end restaurant can be terrifying or enthralling, depending on the host. And, of course, there will be social hierarchies, big handbags on barstools, mocking men with company cards, weird low lights and the extravagance of a loudmouth next to a four-pax of octogenarians, but that is what restaurants should be. They should be cool for cozy couples and a vibe for the cooky tourists, a place for everyone. For those who want a meal to those who go and play who's who — in the case of the latter, the rule is to stay and pay or save your money for a SOHO house membership (or get an Amex, a room at the Park Hyatt, and a martini).
Sometimes, good decor is about less, not more. We already know dishes shouldn’t be stifling or more impressive than satisfying. And not every room needs to flirt with the bizarre and surreal. Here, the focus is on the place as a place. A spot to sit down and look, before or between the drinks and dining. A place that feels public and private at the same time, buzzing but audible. You should be able to see your food, not its imperfections and insecurities.
Here are some restaurants. They might not be in the Eat Drink Design Awards, but they do a great job in the looks department and are worth a visit. They can make you feel alive without longing for sunglasses and happy to wait while the belly rumbles away…
NSW
Raes - Wategos
View this post on Instagram
Imagined by Tasmin Johnson, seemingly everything is memorable. Drenched in white stone, and warm sunlight, the space is a laid-back luxury, with Richard Gere in American Gigolo levels of charm — and allure.
Alfie’s by Tom Mark Henry
View this post on Instagram
I like that it brings in some graffiti and local art (by Steven John Clark). MDF tables and fibreboard walls mixed with the blue PVC curtains send me to a Philly butcher house where I half-expect Rocky Balboa to be in the back, tenderising supper.
ATTENZIONE
View this post on Instagram
An epic scene and the flavour of spectacle. Alfresco out the front for a wine and bite, a glowing yellow dining room in the middle for a feast, and an incarnadine backroom with some jazzy booths. Palette seducing and stomach heaven. Looks good too.
VIC
Carnation Canteen
View this post on Instagram
The day is filled with light. A bright corner in Fitzroy with a big marble bar and handmade tables. A thrilling and intimate little world where you can see bottles opening, smell what the chefs are plating, and can feel a transcendent intensity from an oyster with a drop of lemon. Considered, provocative and cooly sophisticated.
Di Stasio Citta
View this post on Instagram
The beauty of Italy without the sea and suntan. The decor should be in a James Bond movie (as either the house of the villain, the muse, or both). It’s where a quick dinner, a big dinner and a martini dinner sit in beatific bliss. Slate grey gorgeousness.
QLD
Gerard’s Brisbane
View this post on Instagram
Brutalist, industrial and utilitarian, and its tables recede into low light and high pheromones.
Sushi Room at the Calile Hotel by Richards & Spence
View this post on Instagram
Dark, delightful and delicious. Richards & Spence made something that could be in Star Wars. Restricted palette and a warm buzz.
ACT
Happy's Chinese Restaurant
View this post on Instagram
Happy’s has a blend of traditional wooden accents and a gigantic mural that lines the wall with a painting of the Great Wall of China and its surrounding landscape. Soft, white lights, intimate options and options for big groups, this place is honest, practical and comfortable. It just works.
Tak Kee Roast Inn
View this post on Instagram
Fluro lights, industrial size glad wraps on a main table for takeaway orders, ducks in the window, fabulous vibe.
TAS
TrophyRoom
View this post on Instagram
Open-plan kitchen and dining room, light dining table, timber chairs and pared-back dining. Rochelle Canteen but more indoors? It brings back nostalgic yearnings for memories long gone — the smell of fresh mortadella after a day in the sun, the glutenous heaven of fresh pasta, supple layers of mozzarella, etc.
SA
Star of Greece
View this post on Instagram
Perched on a hill reaching the sky. It has the tactile charm of a luxury stay while sitting humbly with a minimal interior. Big, white, and bright rooms. Washed with windows and light.
WA
Gibney Cottesloe
View this post on Instagram
Eating at a beachfront restaurant in Sorrento can be tiring and suffocating. I’d recommend you ditch the trip and sit here, overlooking the great blue.
NT
Sari Rasa
Darwin’s place for sprawling elbows and chowing mouths. Held in the NT Oriental Emporium, this Indonesian eatery is fitted with a simple interior that get’s down to business. Ditch the dark walls, warm lights and upturned nose, sit down
Lola's Pergola Darwin
Martinis, a rounded bar, and what feels like a circus going on behind you. Discrete lighting and intimate seating. Feels almost secret.
