Neighbourhood Restaurants the Locals Try Hard to Keep Secret
Nine neighbourhood restaurants locals would rather you didn't find out about, from a Collingwood taverna with no menu to a Paddington bistro carving duck tableside.
These nine restaurants share one thing: no flashy signage, no CBD address, nothing pulling in passing foot traffic — just food good enough that locals keep booking back in rather than risk a wait. Word of mouth does the rest, which is exactly how the regulars prefer it. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Between a suburban Brisbane pasta shop fermenting its dough for two days straight to a Greek taverna that's skipped menus entirely since 1980, the common thread is simple: turn up hungry and trust the room. Presented by Honda ZR-V, here are nine neighbourhood spots worth tracking down before everyone else does.
Read other guides in our A to Z with Honda ZR-V series:
Degustation and Set Menus Worth Booking for a Proper Splurge
Fish and Chips to Take Down to the Water on a Warm Evening
Galleries to Spend a Rainy Afternoon Wandering Around
In partnership with
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RestaurantRamona Trattoria
131 Leicester Street, Coorparoo
Pasta gets hand-cut daily from pasture-fed eggs, and the pizza dough ferments for at least 48 hours at this Coorparoo trattoria.
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BarHervé's Restaurant and Bar
31-37 Collingwood Street, Albion
Modern French and Basque cooking showcases Queensland produce at this secluded upper-level spot inside Albion’s precinct.
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BarGusto da Gianni
Remora Road, Hamilton
Owner Gianni Greghini shaped a menu of regional Italian specialties around his family’s cooking from Italy’s Marche region.
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RestaurantS'more
79 Edinburgh Road, Castlecrag
Sam Young and Grace Chen scatter Sichuan pepper and miso through a French bistro menu at this Castlecrag favourite.
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RestaurantPorcine
268 Oxford Street, Paddington
Chefs carve, crush and sauce a whole duck tableside at this Parisian-style bistro tucked up in Paddington.
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RestaurantAnnata
66 Chandos Street, St Leonards
Twice-hatted chef Jordon Garcia pairs Modern European cooking with a 250-bottle wine list at this St Leonards local.
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RestaurantShimbashi Soba & Sake Bar
140 Smith Street, Collingwood
Soba is cooked to order and gluten-free by request at this Liverpool Street spot pouring sake sourced straight from Japan.
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RestaurantJim's Greek Tavern
32 Johnston Street, Collingwood
There are no menus at this Collingwood institution — waiters just talk you through the Greek set spread, running since 1980.
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RestaurantDaphne
52 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
The Etta crew’s all-day diner keeps a front bar open for walk-ins, no reservation required, on Lygon Street.
