2025's new restaurants, hotels, and experiences you won't want to miss

New openings 2025: The restaurants, hotels, and experiences to look forward to

A new year means a host of fresh openings around the country to get excited about. And 2025 promises a fantastic blend of culinary innovation, artistic brilliance, and immersive experiences to keep you entertained.

From flashy hotels to interactive art exhibitions, these are the openings to put in your diaries this year.

Accommodation

The Sundays

The first hotel to open on Hamilton Island since 2007, The Sundays will be the hottest new luxury destination in The Whitsundays. Opening in autumn at the northern end of Catseye Beach, the 59-room luxury accommodation boasts Coral Reef views and has been designed to deliver an elevated holiday experience, particularly for families. This includes a kid-friendly restaurant from Josh and Julie Niland from the seafood institution Saint Peter, practical room amenities like microwaves and freestanding baths, a swimming pool, and an Ice Cream Happy Hour.

The Lodge Wadjemup

Rottnest Island draws in visitors for its idyllic beaches and bays and its adorable resident quokkas. The newest spot to base yourself during your stay is set to be The Lodge Wadjemup . Named after the traditional owners’ name for Rottnest Island, the resort has received a $40 million redevelopment with 46 new boutique-style rooms and 56 refurbished rooms. The sleek lakeside resort will also feature a new restaurant, cafe, gelato bar, community space and two pools. The Courtyard and Lake Rooms are available now to book and the Stage Two (Poolside Rooms) are set to open by mid-2025.

The EVE Hotel Sydney

Redfern is getting a stylish upgrade on February 13th thanks to the arrival of boutique hotel The EVE in the lifestyle precinct, Wunderlich Lane. Conceived by SJB’s Adam Haddow, 360 Degrees’ Daniel Baffsky and Interior Architect George Levissianis, the accommodation is an oasis in the inner city. Think: a lush Palms Springs rooftop pool area, ultra-chic rooms with earthy tones, and a host of dining venues. Talk about this hotel has been particularly buzzworthy in Sydney for the last few months, as it will be opened by the hoteliers behind Brisbane’s Calile.

The EVE Hotel in Sydney's rooftop pool. — The rooftop pool area transports guests to Palm Springs.

Six Senses Burnham Beeches

The Six Senses group has a unique focus on wellness, sustainability, and meaningful experiences, and their first Australian outpost is slated to open mid-year in the Dandenong Ranges. This 22-hectare heritage-listed property will become a wellness and gastronomic haven with 43 luxurious guest accommodations across the mansion’s three main wings. The facilities here are impressive: a Six Senses Spa, library bar, plant-covered rooftop terrace, and a restaurant showcasing produce from the on-site farm and gardens.

Mondrian Gold Coast

Mondrian Gold Coast is the first Australian property from the renowned lifestyle hotel brand that has accommodations everywhere from Miami to Ibiza. The property is slated to open in early 2025 in Burleigh Heads with 208 design-led rooms, suites, Beach Houses and a Sky House all of which offer spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. The modern coastal accommodation will also house a pool club and restaurant celebrating coastal Italian cuisine.

1 Hotel Melbourne

One of the world’s most sustainable luxury hotel brands, 1 Hotels is arriving in Australia in Melbourne this May on the banks of the Yarra River. The sensitively designed 277 guest rooms and 114 residences will be enveloped within a nature-inspired, eco-conscious architectural framework. This pet-friendly accommodation will boast several dining options, a waterfront lobby bar, a Bamford Wellness spa, and an indoor pool.

25hours Hotel The Olympia

Sydney’s boutique hotel landscape is set to become even stronger with the highly anticipated arrival of the 25hours Hotel The Olympia , a cinematic-inspired sanctuary nestled in Paddington. The hotel is a reimagining of the historic West Olympia Theatre site and will offer 109 luxurious guest rooms, a rooftop bar, a central courtyard, a range of restaurants and cafes, live music facilities, a wellness offering and retail spaces.

Restaurants

Barragunda Estate

Opening in February, Barragunda Estate is a 40-seat restaurant set on a thousand acres from Bushrangers Bay to Green’s Bush on the Mornington Peninsula. Helmed by executive chef Simone Watts, the menu is centred on 100 per cent estate-grown produce, with all of the farming done with a regenerative approach. From their tables, diners can see the market gardens where the produce for their dishes was produced. The property also features an orchard with over 800 mature fruit trees and livestock including Wilitpoll sheep and Black Angus beef.

Golden Century at The Crown

To many diner’s dismay, the iconic Golden Century restaurant shut its Sussex Street doors in 2021. But the much-loved dining venue is set to make a triumphant return in January, relocating to the Crown Sydney . Diners can expect the restaurant’s signature Cantonese dishes including XO pippies, abalone steamboat, Peking duck, and salt and pepper squid all while taking in Sydney Harbour views.

Sydney Fish Market

After a complete waterfront transformation on Blackwattle Bay, the long-awaited refreshed Sydney Fish Market is set to open mid-year. The ultra-modern building will house a bevvy of retail and dining venues including a flagship venue from Luke Nguyen, a Cow and the Moon gelateria, and an outpost of Ho Jiak. At 90,000 square metres, it’s the largest fish market of its kind in the world and is expected to attract at least six million people every year.

Experiences

Dark Mofo

The news of Dark Mofo’s cancellation last year came as a shock to many of the festival’s loyalists. The closure was part of the team’s efforts to develop a renewed vision for the future. But the good news is, that future is now here! 2025 will see the festival make a full return, running from June 5th-15th, plus the solstice swim on 21 June. The full program will be revealed in April, but festivalgoers can expect the usual much-loved events including the Night Mass, the Winter Feast, the Ogoh-Ogoh, and the Nude Solstice Swim.

Sydney Marathon

If ever there was a year for Aussies to tick off the bucket list item of running a marathon, 2025 is it. That’s because the Sydney Marathon has been added as the 7th member of the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors, joining the iconic Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the TCS New York City Marathon. The event will take place on Sunday 31 August so start your training ASAP.

PS Australian Star Murray River cruises

Australia’s first five-star overnight riverboat and the largest paddle steamer in the Southern Hemisphere is set to launch this June. Cruises on the Murray River will run over 3, 4, or 7 nights passing through historic towns and showcasing beautiful natural scenery, including lush riverbanks, ancient cliffs, and serene waters. The boat itself features serene, modern interiors with 19 luxury staterooms, a restaurant, a bar, and outdoor seating areas.

Astra Illumina at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Light shows have become increasingly popular in Australia, and from February 2025, 27 hectares of rainforest at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary will glow for the Gold Coast’s first permanent light spectacular. The Astra Illumina project will see visitors go on an immersive night walk where light, audio, and projection technologies create a multi-sensory experience.

Which new opening will you be trying first? Let us know in the comments below.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

2025’s new restaurants, hotels, and experiences you won’t want to miss