
Australians expect to eat out six times a month on average in 2027, according to new OpenTable research, and Gen Z is planning on nine.
The appetite for dining out is already showing up in OpenTable’s latest figures. Dining through the platform in Australia is up 8% year on year in 2026. In its consumer survey, 61% of Australians said they expect to eat out as often or more often in 2027, while 70% expect to spend the same amount or more.
“Aussies are backing dining out in 2027, and that’s great news for restaurants,” said Drew Bowering, General Manager Australia, OpenTable.
“Diners are being more intentional about where they book – heading back to favourites they trust, skipping the queue to lock in a table and turning an ordinary night out into a micro-occasion. When a restaurant offers value and a sense of occasion, the demand is there, and we’re really optimistic with what 2027 holds.”
How Australians will dine in 2027
Gen Z is the most likely age group to say it will dine out more (42%) and spend more (49%) next year. Younger diners are also keen to become regulars: 43% say they intend to make a restaurant their usual spot, compared with 23% nationally.
Repeat diners at the same venue accounted for 30% of Australian dining on OpenTable this year. Survey respondents cited consistency, convenience and a desire to support venues as reasons to return.
A hard-to-get booking still has its appeal. Some 64% of Australians surveyed said they were more interested in a restaurant because reservations felt exclusive, but 70% would rather eat elsewhere than wait in line. On average, diners said they would give a queue or waitlist 26 minutes before making other plans.
Catching up with friends and family was the most common reason for a small restaurant celebration, cited by 35% of those surveyed, followed by treating themselves at 26%. Overall, 67% of Australian diners expect to celebrate smaller or everyday occasions at restaurants as often or more often next year. Date-night dining was also up 21% year on year in OpenTable’s 2026 data.
Price and value for money will be extremely or very important to 79% of Australian diners when choosing a restaurant in 2027. To stretch their dining budgets, 27% would look for happy hours or value promotions and 26% would turn to loyalty programs, rewards or member offers.
OpenTable bookings for tables of six or more rose 10% year on year. In the survey, 62% of Australians said they prefer dining with a group to eating out solo.
What’s on the menu for 2027
Latin American venues recorded the biggest year-on-year rise in OpenTable’s data, up 67%, followed by Pan-Asian venues at 59%, Indian at 48%, Turkish at 42% and Mexican at 39%.
Diners want more say in how much they order, too. Flexible portions, such as half-portions or starter-sized entrées, were requested by 42% of those surveyed. The same proportion wanted a wider selection of small plates or dishes to share.
OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in Australia for 2026
OpenTable has also released its annual Top 100 Restaurants in Australia list, compiled using dining metrics and more than 211,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners. The full list is below, grouped by state.
New South Wales
10 William St – Paddington, NSW
Bathers’ Pavilion Restaurant – Mosman, NSW
CATALINA – Rose Bay, NSW
Chester White Cured Diner – Potts Point, NSW
Civico 47 – Paddington, NSW
Clam Bar – Sydney, NSW
Devine Food & Wine – Sydney, NSW
Ecco Ristorante – Drummoyne, NSW
Ennui – Haymarket, NSW
Ester – Chippendale, NSW
Fiorini’s Osteria Italiana – Orange, NSW
Fontana – Redfern – Redfern, NSW
Glasshouse at Goonoo Goonoo Station – Timbumburi, NSW
Kurmond Social – Kurmond, NSW
Mezepotamia – Redfern, NSW
Mimosa Wines – Murrah, NSW
Mishy’s Sydney – Surry Hills, NSW
Olympus – Surry Hills, NSW
Osteria di Russo & Russo – Enmore, NSW
Palazzo Salato – Sydney, NSW
Paski Vineria Popolare – Darlinghurst, NSW
Pellegrino 2000 – Surry Hills, NSW
Porcine – Paddington, NSW
Ragazzi – Sydney, NSW
Riverbank Moama – Moama, NSW
Saint Peter at the Grand National Hotel – Paddington, NSW
Sixpenny – Stanmore, NSW
Sofia on Cleveland – Redfern, NSW
Yellow – Potts Point, NSW
Queensland
Acciuga – Sandgate, QLD
Adelita Wine Bar – Wynnum, QLD
Amici Restaurant – Caloundra, QLD
EDDY + WOLFF – Robina, QLD
El Porton – Benowa, QLD
Essa Restaurant – Fortitude Valley, QLD
Etsu Izakaya – Mermaid Beach, QLD
Goodslice Pizza Napoletana – Maroochydore, QLD
Habibti Noosa – Noosa Heads, QLD
Humble on Duke – Sunshine Beach, QLD
Italia Lane – Fortitude Valley, QLD
Josie’s Hospitality – Stanthorpe, QLD
Modo Mio & Co – Broadbeach Waters, QLD
Montrachet – Bowen Hills, QLD
Restaurant Labart – Burleigh Heads, QLD
Rickys River Bar and Restaurant – Noosa Heads, QLD
Sabrosa Dim Sum House – Noosa Heads, QLD
Sails Restaurant Noosa – Noosa Heads, QLD
Sopra Cucina & Bar – Bli Bli, QLD
Wellington Road Bistro – East Brisbane, QLD
South Australia
Asha – Goodwood, SA
Fiore at Down The Rabbit Hole Wines – McLaren Vale, SA
Victoria
Alpha Ouzeri – Brunswick, VIC
Amaru – Armadale, VIC
Attica – Ripponlea, VIC
Aunty Katie – Ballarat Central, VIC
Bellota Wine Bar – South Melbourne, VIC
Bistra – Carlton, VIC
Bottarga– Brighton, VIC
Bounty of the Sun – Balaclava, VIC
Cecconi’s Flinders Lane – Melbourne, VIC
Cecconi’s Toorak – Toorak, VIC
Clover – Richmond, VIC
Coda Melbourne – Melbourne, VIC
Cognoscenti Food & Wine – Belgrave, VIC
Donovans – St Kilda, VIC
Enoteca Boccaccio – Balwyn, VIC
Etta – Brunswick, VIC
Geppetto Trattoria – East Melbourne, VIC
Grazia Restaurant – Glen Iris, VIC
Hochi Mama – Melbourne, VIC
Holy Basil Thai – Croydon, VIC
Il Solito Posto – Melbourne, VIC
Kirbie – South Melbourne, VIC
Kiss & Tell – Melbourne, VIC
La Maison Cafe – Wodonga, VIC
Lagoon Dining – Carlton, VIC
Le Foyer – Bendigo, VIC
Lee Ho Fook – Melbourne, VIC
Lion and Wombat – St Kilda, VIC
Love Letter – Richmond, VIC
Lui Bar – Melbourne, VIC
Merrijig Kitchen – Port Fairy, VIC
Mount Erica Hotel – Prahran, VIC
MoVida – Melbourne, VIC
Mr Vincenzo’s – Mornington, VIC
Neighbourhood Pizza – Armadale, VIC
Ripponlea Food and Wine – Ripponlea, VIC
Sir Loins – Bright, VIC
Suze – Melbourne, VIC
The Carlton Wine Room – Carlton, VIC
Toorak Cellars – Armadale, VIC
Trattoria Emilia – Melbourne, VIC
Treviso Bar & Dining – Melbourne, VIC
Tulum Turkish Restaurant – Balaclava, VIC
Vivace Restaurant– Brighton, VIC
Vue de monde – Melbourne, VIC
Yeonga Korean BBQ – North Melbourne, VIC
Yiaga – East Melbourne, VIC
Western Australia
Bali Hai Cafe – Cable Beach, WA
INARA – Busselton, WA
Source: Praytell Agency
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