The Michelin Guide is finally landing in Australia; SA up first

Pallavi MathurMay 12, 2026

In a massive move for the Australian culinary landscape, the Michelin Guide has announced it is arriving down under, with the inaugural Michelin Guide South Australia 2027 selection set to be revealed in October 2026. While the guide will take root in South Australia first, the Michelin’s arrival has been a long time coming. This is a significant moment not only for the state but for Australia. 10 years in the making Michelin first approached Tourism Australia back in 2016, but decisions kept stalling. As recently as last year, federal talks over bringing Michelin to Australia were still unresolved, with reports putting the cost of a national guide at roughly $40 million over five years. According to an article in the Australian Financial Review, Tourism Australia had responded to the prospect with a “not yet” rather than a flat no. New Zealand moved faster, announcing its own inaugural guide in late 2025, backed by an NZ$2.5 million investment from Tourism New Zealand. Ten years on, South Australia has now effectively broken ranks, with the state government stepping in to back the guide independently. South Australia: Culinary diversity Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said inspectors were struck by what they found. “South Australia offers an impressive diversity of culinary expressions within a single destination. The strength of its identity lies in the freedom chefs enjoy defining their own voice, guided by outstanding produce, a strong relationship to the land and a confident openness to global influences. “Our Inspectors were struck by the authenticity and personality of the region’s dining culture, and we are delighted to spotlight South Australia on the Michelin Guide stage.” The selection will span the full region, from Adelaide’s restaurants to the state’s celebrated wine-growing areas, reflecting a culinary identity shaped by multicultural influences and an ingredient-led philosophy with close ties to local producers. Inspectors found a region where European traditions and Asian influences sit comfortably alongside native South Australian ingredients being rediscovered in modern kitchens. Wood-fired and charcoal cooking feature heavily, and the culture at the table is warm, generous and unpretentious. South Australia’s Minister for Tourism Emily Bourke said, “Today’s announcement is a fantastic recognition of what we already know: our state sits atop the nation’s foodie must-visit list. With its mix of culture, food, wine, and natural beauty, South Australia offers a vibrant calendar of food festivals and wine events, celebrating culinary excellence, from city dining experiences to regional gourmet celebrations, and we look forward to sharing this with Michelin Guide readers around the world.” How the guide works The Michelin Guide has been running since 1900, when the Michelin tyre company created it to encourage automobile travel. Its anonymous inspectors evaluate restaurants across five criteria: Quality of ingredients Mastery of cooking techniques Harmony of flavours Personality of the cuisine Consistency across the menu and over time Restaurants are recognised through a tiered system, with Michelin Stars awarded in three tiers: one star for high-quality cooking worth a stop, two for excellent cooking worth a detour and three for exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Alongside the coveted Star ratings, the selection also includes the popular Bib Gourmand category, a distinction awarded to restaurants that provide good quality food at a moderate price. The Michelin Guide says it is committed to maintaining the highest global standards in its restaurant selection process. Their team of anonymous, experienced inspectors conduct continuous and rigorous evaluations of restaurants. The guide claims these evaluations are carried out objectively and independently, ensuring that external factors do not influence the results. The full Michelin Guide South Australia 2027 selection will be unveiled at a special event in October 2026 and will be available digitally across the Guide’s website, apps and social platforms. No details have been revealed about plans for a broader Australian expansion yet. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Manly welcomes The Gopher: An Irish-American taste of Hell’s Kitchen

Pallavi MathurMay 12, 2026

The Gopher, an Irish-inspired basement bar named after a Manhattan street gang, is opening beneath Manly’s Corso on May 15. The space sits below street level, a deliberate contrast to the coastal strip above. Matt Clifton, a Manly local whose background spans hospitality and property across Sydney, Los Angeles and New York, has drawn on those influences to build something that resists the easy Irish pub template. “We wanted to create something that feels transportive,” he says. “Not just a bar you walk into, but a space that shifts your mood the second you step downstairs. It’s about atmosphere, detail and creating experiences people come back for.” Vibe: Old-school Irish pub with a new-age tavern feel; dim lighting, chunky wooden motifs and studded leather furniture. Menu Highlights: Pulled Beef Yorkshire Pudding Pies, Black Pudding Scotch Eggs, Irish Spice Bags, Butter-washed Martini. The fit-out draws on early 1900s Irish aesthetics, worn textures, aged finishes, reclaimed century-old lighting and vintage fixtures sourced internationally. It takes its name from the Gopher Gang, an Irish-American street crew from Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, and that identity runs through everything from the design details to the menu to the in-venue storytelling, including an honours board and a 100 Pint Club. Share-style Irish pub feed The food menu offers Irish pub classics reworked into a share-style format. Highlights include Pulled Beef Yorkshire Pudding Pies, Black Pudding Scotch Eggs, Slow-Cooked Roast Lamb Shoulder and Irish Spice Bags. Meanwhile, drinks run from Guinness and Kilkenny to a rotating UK beer of the month, with cocktails including the Hells Bells, a butter-washed martini, and The Sinner, a pineapple and habanero margarita. Live music aimed to complement the food and drink options will play most evenings from early until late. “There’s a long history of late-night music in this space,” Clifton said. “What we’re doing is building on that energy and giving people a reason to stay out again. Nights that feel effortless, but still memorable.” Designed to feel like it has always existed beneath The Corso, The Gopher is pitched as a place of discovery for locals and visitors alike. The Gopher is located at 40 The Corso, Manly. Source: Curated Agency Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

KFC Hot Rods are back on Australian menus for six weeks only

Pallavi MathurMay 12, 2026

KFC Australia has brought back Hot Rods, its skewered chicken snack that’s been the subject of fan campaigns and online petitions since its last run in 2024. First launched in 2007, Hot Rods are golden-crumbed chicken pieces on a stick, served with a creamy aioli dipping sauce and a spicy kick. They briefly returned in 2021 before coming back again in April 2024, running for less than a month before disappearing from menus. That short turnaround seems to have only made people want them more. The format draws its success from a decorated ancestry of foods with some serious global street food cred – from yakitori in Japan to anticuchos in Peru to the skewered meats that fill night markets across Southeast Asia. Being handheld is half the appeal and the stick means no moist towelettes required, which is a genuine quality of life improvement for anyone who’s ever eaten KFC in a car. Vanessa Rowed, CMO at KFC Australia, said the return was driven by sustained demand from fans. “We know Aussies have a soft spot for bold flavour and a bit of fun, and our Hot Rods deliver both in spades. There’s something very satisfying about great chicken on a stick, it’s on-the-go, crave worthy and unmistakably KFC.” The product comes in a 3-piece or 6-piece serve, or as part of the Hot Rods Combo, which adds chips, aioli and a drink. The Hot Rods Box goes further, pairing 2-piece Hot Rods with a Zinger Burger, chips, potato and gravy and a drink. Individual Hot Rods are also available at $3 each. The limited run kicks off May 12 and runs until June 8, available in stores nationwide and via the KFC app. Source: Ogilvy PR Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Four Pillars Three Peach Gin to be poured exclusively at Applejack NSW venues this May

Pallavi MathurMay 11, 2026

Applejack Hospitality has been named the exclusive NSW on-premise pourer of Four Pillars‘ new Three Peach Gin this May. Four Pillars has built its reputation on Australian botanicals and boundary-pushing releases since launching in 2013, and Three Peach Gin is the latest expression of that, drawing on the stone fruit that defines Australian summers. The Yarra Valley based craft distillery’s latest release celebrates the juicy goodness of peaches and Applejack has given it a proper platform across five of Sydney’s most recognisable venues. The Butler, RAFI North Sydney, RAFI URBNSURF, The Botanist and Opera Bar are the only spots in NSW pouring the Three Peach Gin this month, each with their own interpretation of the spirit. Keeping it peachy The Butler is the only venue where the partnership reaches beyond cocktails, into the kitchen. Head Chef Amber Doig has created a bespoke Ora King salmon dish washed in Three Peach Gin, paired with hibiscus, peach pico de gallo and cucamelon. The dish sits alongside the Three Peach Spritz, a combination of Four Pillars Three Peach Gin, white peach, heirloom tomato, prosecco and fizz – the kind of drink that pairs well with a long and lazy Sydney afternoon. RAFI North Sydney is pouring the De-Peche Mode – Four Pillars Three Peach Gin with honey, lemon and foam, alongside the Preach Peach Martini, which pairs the gin with Rinquinquin Peach Aperitif for something a little more serious. RAFI URBNSURF sees the De-Peche Mode and raises it one I’m-Peached – a negroni-style serve that brings peach aperitif and bitter citrus into the mix. The Botanist is keeping things bright with the Three Peach Spritz as a garden-inspired serve, while the iconic Opera Bar, which was acquired by Applejack Hospitality in 2025, offers the Three Orchard Fizz – A blend of Four Pillars Three Peach Gin with rhubarb and orange blossom, served long and carbonated. Three Peach Gin is available across all five Applejack venues throughout May only. Source: Pendulum Communications Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Melbourne’s La Tortillería earns Mexico’s Sello M in an Australian first

Pallavi MathurMay 11, 2026

Melbourne’s La Tortillería has been awarded the Sello M, Mexico’s official seal of authenticity for Mexican cuisine abroad, in a first for Australia. One of only eight businesses nationally and three in Victoria to receive the recognition, La Tortillería is also unique among the recipients in being recognised across both its Eatery and wholesale operations. The Sello M is awarded by the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores in collaboration with the Academia Mexicana de Gastronomía and is backed by the Mexican government. It exists to certify businesses that genuinely represent Mexican gastronomy, not just through quality but through the protection of cultural identity. To receive it, a business must demonstrate authentic Mexican recipes using traditional ingredients and techniques, employ staff with genuine knowledge of Mexican cuisine and comply with local operational standards. Food rooted in tradition La Torteilleria Co-founders Gerardo Lopez and Diana Hill opened the Kensington eatery in 2013 with a single focus: to serve traditional, authentic Mexican food. The foundation of that has always been corn tortillas made from scratch using nixtamalization, the ancient process of treating corn with an alkaline solution that has been central to Mexican cooking for thousands of years. Lopez said: “Whether someone is enjoying our tortillas at home or dining with us in the Eatery, our goal has always been the same, to share the same Mexican food I had growing up in Mexico: tasteful, vibrant, and deeply rooted in tradition. While the Eatery has served over half a million diners, the wholesale arm of the business has grown to supply other Mexican outfits and independent retailers, bringing the same tortillas to more tables across the country. Safeguarding culinary heritage The Sello M program exists to safeguard culinary heritage, combat inauthentic representations of Mexican cuisine, promote cultural diplomacy and help diners internationally identify restaurants offering genuine Mexican food. As the Mexican food scene has grown in Australia over the past 13 years, the line between authenticity and interpretation has blurred. The accreditation is a marker that cuts through the new wave to reward authenticity. “The Sello M is incredibly special because it comes from Mexico itself, and it reassures people that what they’re experiencing is real. That connection to flavour, to culture, to tradition, is what matters most to us,” adds Lopez. Other Australian recipients include La Popular Taqueria in Adelaide, recognised for representing authentic Mexican culinary traditions, Maiz Mexican in Sydney, awarded for excellence and authenticity, and La Garnacha in Perth, highlighted during the 4th Mexican Gastronomy Week for its culinary authenticity. Source: Sense Communications Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.