New restaurants and cafes come and go. Which is why we like to keep an eye on the newcomers we deem to be worth checking out. Add to the mix the noteworthy restaurants that are changing things up by ushering in new menus and concepts.

Flour @ Caringbah

Fans of cult Cronulla cafe Grind Espresso sat up and took notice when they saw that two of the café’s former business partners (and gun baristas) were opening a cafe in Caringbah. Abbey Cadell and Jimmy Cameron’s new venture Flour is housed in a former convenience store where, incidentally, the two used to buy lollies as kids. The cafe still checks boxes as a community hub thanks to the temperature-controlled dough room where patrons can watch the bakers shaping bread and rolling croissants.

The fact that everything at Flour will be made in-house is one thing. That the entire team is from the Sutherland Shire makes Flour the community’s worst-kept little secret. Five Foot One was behind the design of the bakery-café, which includes vaulted ceilings and an organic palette of “apricots, baked breads, dough and buttery hues”. Josh Davidson (ex-Apollo, Margan and C.C. Babcoq), baker Nathan Martin (ex-Humble and The Grounds) and Emily Demetroiou (ex-Flour & Stone) are key staffers at the 40-seater café, set to open in September. Expect fresh-baked treats such as sourdough loaves, baguettes, cookies and fresh croissants as well as slabs of focaccia, incredible sandwiches and savoury pastries. 277 Willarong Road, South Caringbah.

KIN, Burraneer

Sealevel Restaurant & Bar and the adjoining Next Door now have another next of KIN. Literally. Second-gen restaurant owner and entrepreneur Blake Allouche has appointed Luke Arnull as head chef (he oversees both Next Door and Kin) and Huon Muntz as sous chef at the new Burraneer Bay hang. What we love from the get-go is the sustainable ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ approach to the Guru Projects’ fit-out, home to Dominique Hill’s much-loved Mim’s Espresso for more than a decade.

The only real change to the Scandi-style café has been relocating the register to the pavement so those ordering takeaway can pick up outside. If we were to nominate the star dishes on the menu, we’d go for the pumpkin fritter for brunch; tuna tartare from the section of small plates, hickory-smoked salmon bowl for lunch. Want to meet the girls for cocktails? Frock up for rounds of pomegranate and coconut margarita. 147 Woolooware Road, Burraneer.

Hurricane’s Cronulla 

Coastal-chic Hurricane’s Cronulla is the new flagship restaurant for the brand that began in Bondi Beach in 1995. And while fans of the original steakhouse run by Tony Teixeira will recognise the signature dishes of brisket and beef and pork ribs, the concept for Hurricane’s has evolved to offer an altogether more elevated experience. Aside from the signature slow-cooked meats and barbecue dishes, an overdue development is the introduction of a raw bar, conceptualised by chef Justin North of Concept Hospitality.

The expansive 300-seater venue was designed by award-winning studio Luchetti Krelle, which introduced sculptural curves and arches in contrasting coastal-cool hues of nutmeg, paprika and olive. While the tapestry of the establishment is still woven around the thrill of the grill, there are also dishes such as sashimi and salad that have been fervently embraced by locals and an extensive wine list collated by sommelier Stephane Pommier (ex-Muse, the Hunter Valley’s two-hatted restaurant). Lines have been forming on the pavement outside Hurricane’s Cronulla since it opened in July and presents a fine case study on how to successfully change a concept. Shop 1/49 Gerrale St, Cronulla.

Queen Margherita of Savoy

Queen Margherita of Savoy is launching ‘Roman by Queen Margherita’. The concept revolves around Roman-style focaccia that is light and crispy and either topped as a pizza or filled as a sandwich. The family-run restaurant will see father and daughter Lee and Jorja Carroll kneading, folding, tossing and baking their way into the hearts of locals while indoctrinating them into the art of the Roman-style pizza.

Unlike the Neopolitan-style pizza QMOS is known for, which has been recognised under the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the Roman-style pizza has a thin, crispy crust and celebrates all kinds of toppings such as mortadella, stracciatella and pistachio. Or pepperoni, hot honey and basil. The pizza, according to Lee, whose creations made the list of 50 Top Pizza in 2023, resembles flavourful focaccia. ‘Roman by Queen Margherita’ will be serving focaccia via a walk-in window with a few tables set up outside. Open from 11am Tuesday to Sunday. 2 Surf Rd, Cronulla

Cheers Pancakes Australia

Gram Café & Pancakes. They’re by the gram and for the ‘gram, pancakes fashioned as they are into towering stacks of squidginess that have been proliferating all over Sydney. The brand first established in Osaka in 2014 has since risen (pardon the pun) to become a global phenomenon with its latest spin-off, Cheers Pancakes, now open in Westfield Miranda.

The pillowy pancakes have been filling social media feeds for about a decade thanks to the prolific use of puns (think #killingmesouffle hashtag) which, judging by the hour-long queues, whip customers into a frenzy. Expect flavours such as caramelised banana (sweet) and a Benedict premium pancake with egg, bacon, spinach and hollandaise. Oh and expect your date to flip out when you order a plate of super jiggly Japanese pancakes from the Cheers Pancake venue in Miranda. Shop 2205/600 Kingsway, Miranda

The Bavarian

The annual Oktoberfest knees-up of a sausage fest is right around the corner. Can’t afford to fly to Munich? The Bavarian has you covered. The beery bash kicks off on September 16 and extends to October 7, with the Miranda Westfield venue expecting its biggest and best Octoberfest bash yet. Expect the beer hall to be festooned with Octoberfest regalia and feature everything from schuhplattler dancers to oompa bands during the festivities.

Do your ‘wurst’ and lean into your lederhosens to be in the running for a $200 Bavarian voucher, awarded weekly for the best dressed. Two Octoberfest menus will be on offer over the three-week festivities including the Feed me Like (at $52 per person) and the Octoberboss set menu ($44 per person). Wir sehen uns da (we’ll see you there). 600 Kingsway, Miranda

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