Philip Leong,from TWS Gai Wong chicken restaurant,holds a counterfeit $100 note at his restaurant in North Melbourne.

‘The fakes are getting better’:Restaurants hit with counterfeit money crime

With their credit cards maxed out,more diners are using cash – some of it fake in another blow to the struggling hospitality industry.

  • Dani Valent
Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone are opening Bar Copains in Surry Hills.

Morgan McGlone closes takeaway chicken shop in Potts Point

Former Belles Hot Chicken chef to turn rotisserie chicken place into a bar.

  • Scott Bolles
New laneway spot Beau Bar is a moody,shadowy space built around a swish black granite island bar.
14.5/20

A walk down culinary lane at Beau Bar in Surry Hills

The best laneways are,of course,lined with little tables topped with glasses of wine and plates of food.

  • Terry Durack
Go-to dish:Squid ink fettuccine with spanner crab.
13.5/20

Alt Pasta says hasta la vista,salt

A thought experiment – how much flavour can you extract without using salt? – becomes a reality at this moody Melbourne pasta bar.

  • Besha Rodell
Tagliolini with spanner crab.
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The MCG's Committee Room by Grossi is an old-school room with a view

On the MCC waiting list? Here's a delicious trick:members of the public can access the Melbourne Cricket Club's dining room simply by making a lunch reservation.

  • Besha Rodell
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Dan-dan noodle soup.
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The dan-dan soup is back at TBC by Grape Garden Beijing Cuisine

Callan Boys revisits a flavour-packed Chatswood favourite at its new no-frills iteration in Kings Cross.

  • Callan Boys
The north shore scales up at Josh and Julie Niland's Petermen in St Leonards.
Good Food hat15.5/20

Seafood stars north of the bridge at Petermen in St Leonards

At Petermen,chef Josh Niland has created a range of large-format fish dishes that act as ensembles designed to make the protein a star.

  • Terry Durack
Go-to dish:Chicken kara-age.
Good Food hat15/20

Japanese stalwart Izakaya Den serves Melbourne's best fried chicken

The batter is so startlingly crisp it's like eating fine crystal stemware,reviews Larissa Dubecki.

  • Larissa Dubecki
Steak frites with Cafe de Paris butter and pommes allumettes.
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'Queen St Eatery is my new favourite bistro on the NSW South Coast'

Callan Boys is lured inside by the siren call of air-conditioning and steak frites.

  • Callan Boys
Sculptural:Smoked eel encased in olive pastry.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16/20

Why Laura deserves top spot on your occasion-worthy dining list

Point Leo Estate's flagship restaurant has all the trappings of fine dining amid a truly stunning setting,writes Besha Rodell.

  • Besha Rodell