Once upon a time, dinner was enough. You came, you saw, you ate, you drank. Now? Well, it’s an endless adventure with wild possibilities. From dirty sodas (for those of you not invested in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, that’s a soft drink taken to hyperspace with the addition of cream and flavoured syrup as favoured by teetotallers of Utah) karaoke and snacks (hello, Fat Freddy’s Beach Bar and Diner), underwater dining or drinking a beer while staring at world-class contemporary art (if you haven't fed the cloaca at MONA, you haven't lived), we truly are in the era of Add Ons.
It’s not cheap to eat out, so why not take the opportunity to up the fun stakes? Ever considered peeling a meat dress off a Barbie doll as part of a hotpot spread? You’ll find that at Sydney's Spice World or Brisbane’s Mountain Hot Pot.
Image credit: Mountain Hot Pot | Instagram
In Melbourne, Many Little offers up Hops and Hoppers, a monthly street party fuelled by cold tinnies and Sri Lankan food. On the Gold Coast? Spend a day barefoot bowling at Cooly Bowls Club before getting down with some of the best Aussie-Chinese food in the state.
“I think what guests are looking for is value for money. Not just kind of a cookie-cutter type of [experience],” says Joe Vargetto, the Melbourne-based chef behind Italian restaurant Mister Bianco and moody, broody cocktail bar Bianchetto. Vargetto offers weekly movie nights at Bianchetto, inspired by his time in Paris and movie nights, screened in the family garage, as a kid.
Image credit: Bianchetto | Supplied
The space is filled with little tables, each equipped with a light, allowing guests to dine as they watch, accompanied by a complimentary glass of prosecco. Perhaps it’ll be a lasagne and Monica Belucci’s Malena, or seafood risotto inspired by the feast at the end of Stanley Tucci’s Big Night.
“If you want a steak with peppercorn sauce, or if you want some chips or a dessert,” says Vargetto, “there’s a little box [on each table] to tick and a waiter will pick up [the order].”
Over in Singapore, Ocean Restaurant offers Southeast Asia’s first underwater dining experience brought to you by a Michelin-Starred chef. Enjoy your strawberry pavlova as hundreds of manta rays and reef sharks look on longingly (do sharks long? Who knows.) Or you can dine in the dark at Nox, where ahi tuna steaks and pan-seared duck leg are served in the pitch black, allowing your other senses to take over.
Image credit: Ocean Restaurant | Facebook
And sometimes it’s just about the experience. Listening bars across the country take a lot of pressure off the table, allowing patrons to exist in the space and interact where they like. In Sydney, there’s Rekōdo, Ante, The Hive Bar and Busby's and in Melbourne, Tombo Den and Hope Street Radio. There's also Nearly in Adelaide and Sonny in Hobart. The perfect big-vibe venues if the conversation’s died on the table. Resuscitation futile? Flip the record.
Want more dialled-up dining inspiration? Check out
- The Emerald Room in Sydney
- Melbourne's best listening bars
- Perth's multi-purpose fave The Rechabite
- Brisbane's new cabaret theatre
- Cadillac Supper Club on the Gold Coast
Main image credit: Bianchetto | Supplied