NORTH BONDI FISH
Sydney, NSW

Cool and class collide at this hip eatery, which has been virtually booked out since it opened last year. North Bondi Fish has the comfortable air of a neighbourhood place, the sort of restaurant that ought to be serving burgers and beer. Instead there's a suave bar at the entrance and the menu has the finesse you'd expect of chef Matt Moran and restaurateur Peter Sullivan, the revered team also behind ARIA and Chiswick.

As the restaurant's name insinuates, the preferred food group here is seafood. With Bondi's sparkling beach winking at you every time you twist around to admire the sunset, who would want anything but? All the fish is well prepared and served with imaginative sides, standouts including a tart celeriac and kale salad and a sort-of caponata. Start with a few morsels of charcoal grilled Fremantle octopus, dipped into a blood-red romesco sauce or get your hands dirty with a prawn bun. Next, it's the big bites, and you really can't go past the beer battered flathead fillet with chips and tartare sauce however for the calorie conscious, the grilled snapper fillet with asparagus and avocado won't leave you unsatisfied.

Desserts are homey and not too sweet, with things like fresh fruit platters and homemade mango and passionfruit sorbet. If you're meal isn't complete without a sugar kick, opt for the donuts served with a spiced chocolate sauce. The food is simple, but it's simple done well.