Tetsuya’s Restaurant

Widely considered the finest restaurant in Australia, Tetsuya’s takes Japanese-French fusion to new culinary heights. The eponymous Tetsuya Wakuda—who emigrated from Japan in 1982 with little more than a dream of opening his own restaurant—is probably the most humble celeb chef you’ll ever meet, and chances are you will meet him since most nights he makes an effort to visit each table.

His restaurant, in a landmarked building in the center of the city, is one of the hardest reservations in town to land—there’s a months-long waiting list for dinner on the weekend. The ten-course tasting menu is matched with wines; so you get just the right Australian white paired with the snow egg and caviar sandwich and an exquisite red with the grilled Wagyu beef with Asian mushrooms. Be sure to sample Tetsuya’s signature dish, the transcendent confit of ocean trout. Tip: Reservation requests can be made online.