Australia's best hotel restaurants have just been named - have you been to any?
Plus, three other things Explore is loving this week.
Mode Kitchen & Bar (pictured) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, Monster Kitchen and Bar at Ovolo Nishi in Canberra, and Lobby Lounge Bar at The Westin in Melbourne are among the 25 best hotel restaurants in Australia, according to a new joint report by OpenTable and Kayak. Based on bookings data between June 2024 and May 2025, the report shows 72 per cent of people rebook a hotel if it has a good eatery, and 46 per cent spend more on food than any other activity when travelling. The list doesn't rank restaurants from one to 25, but features regional gems such as Basta Trattoria at Hotel Totto in Wollongong, NSW, and Brougham Arms Hotel in Bendigo, Victoria.
Revolving restaurant's big spin
Still on things dining, revolving restaurants are a fun inclusion on city visits around the world - you can't beat those views - and one of Sydney's offerings is stepping it up. Well-known chef Mark Best this month launches Infinity by Mark Best at the revolving restaurant on the 81st floor of Sydney Tower, and aspirations are appropriately high. "I want to [craft] a dining experience that connects land, culture and imagination, in a setting unlike any other," says Best, whose mod-Oz menu will feature dishes such as Coffin Bay oysters and NSW South Coast sea urchin crumpets. infinitysydneytower.com.au
New status for ancient treasures
With more than 2 million petroglyphs, some as old as 50,000 years, Murujuga Cultural Landscape on WA's Dampier Archipelago has received UNESCO World Heritage status. Discover its First Nations stories by signing up for a 1.5-hour tour with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, or check out World Expeditions' six-day Dampier Archipelago and Murujuga Sea Kayak Expedition. murujuga.org.au; worldexpeditions.com
More pampering for pooches
Call it a post-COVID effect, but the travel industry is constantly upping its pet-friendly ante; and new doggo treats and indulgences at Ovolo Hotels is proof. As part of its "refreshed" V.I.Pooch program, the hotel chain will offer gourmet meals, dog-friendly tennis balls, designer bowls and even orthopaedic memory-foam beds at properties across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The package costs $120 (over and above the room rate), $5 of which will go to the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home. ovolohotels.com
Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.
My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.
Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.
My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
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