How to score a luxury weekend at three-hatted Brae for just $5

The destination diner has launched its annual community fundraiser with more than $9000 in prizes. Plus, a one-night-only, female-led dining experience is coming to Taverna.Updated August 12, 2026,first published May 2, 2025A bite-sized recap of the biggest stories of the week, so you know where to go and what to order across Melbourne and Victoria. Check in each week so you can be the smartest person in your group chat. Stay up to date with all the latest food news, recipes and reviews on the Good Food app, now available from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store now.The next She at the Helm dinner will take place on August 20 at Brunswick East restaurant Taverna.Ken Nakanishi HikariShe at the Helm dining series comes to TavernaAfter successfully debuting in May at two-hatted Yarraville restaurant Navi, She at the Helm – a dinner series spotlighting women in hospitality – is back on Thursday, August 20. This time, it’s coming to Brunswick East’s Critics’ Pick-listed venue Taverna. The one-night-only, six-course feast combines the talents of Taverna co-owner Angie Giannakodakis, Cicciolina chef Michelle Elia, Navi co-owner Georgia Roberts, sommelier Bonnie Spain and head chef Ana Cortes Garcia. A live three-piece Greek folk band will play to a giant communal table of 100 guests, where share-style dishes inspired by the chefs’ own heritages will be served. Tickets ($185) include dinner and drink pairings. Book here.Crunchy chicken burger at Station Street’s Korean fried chicken shop K Crunch.Simon SchluterRestaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upEat Streets: We explore Fairfield’s Station StreetFairfield’s main drag, Station Street, is often overlooked as somewhat of a thoroughfare, a vein connecting the north and the east. But what is it really? A casual dining cornucopia, bolstered by a brigade of new openings, that deserves more attention. Find out where to stop and snack along the Fairfield strip here, starting at its Heidelberg Road end and working your way north, dipping into a couple of side streets along the way. Donate to a good cause and go in the running to win a weekend away (plus dining) at Brae.Win a weekend away at BraeYour chance to dine at three-hatted, Critics’ Pick-listed restaurant Brae has arrived. The destination Birregurra venue’s annual community fundraiser is back, with the opportunity to win from a pool of more than $9000 worth of prizes. From just $5, you’ll go in the running for a two-night stay including dining, drinks and breakfast, plus a guided tour of the 20-acre farm, the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles. Other tourism and dining prizes include a two-night stay at a cottage in the Otways, a $500 voucher for the Otways Distillery, plus more. All funds raised will be donated towards a $30,000 goal to support upgrades to the local Birregurra CFA headquarters. Grab your raffle ticket here.Jessica Brook’s lentil dhal with sticky tamarind roasted fish. James MoffattRecipes: High-fibre, protein-rich meals to fuel your weekDinner, sorted. Big on flavour, these 20 nutrient-dense recipes are packed with veggies and will keep you full for longer. Jessica Brook’s lentil dhal with sticky tamarind roasted fish is easy to whip up after work, while Neil Perry’s braised chicken with lentils is ideal for cosy nights in. Smart, hearty eating for busy weeknights and beyond. Plus, find more easy ways to get your daily fibre here. The Download: Friday, August 7The Bertha, sold via online pre-order at Messina at 12pm, August 10.Get Baked’s famous 24-layer cake is coming to MessinaThe Bertha is a visual feast of dark chocolate cake and ganache standing 24 layers high, each $40 slice weighing in at about 900g. It’s the viral signature dish at Get Baked in the UK and it’s in Australia for a three-day pop-up at gelato giant Messina from next week. Bruce Bogtrotter, eat your heart out. It’s available via pre-order from August 10, for pick-up at Messina outlets across Melbourne August 14-16, but she’s not coming alone. The pop-up also includes ‘The Mertha’, a collaboration cake pairing 12 layers of chocolate sponge with layers of malt cheesecake, Milo ganache and Milo crumble.The Queen Victoria Market is hosting an Anthony Bourdain-inspired food tour this August.Visit VictoriaThe Tony Trail food tour at Queen Vic MarketCalling all cinephile foodies – A24’s much anticipated Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony is coming to Australian cinemas this August. Ahead of the release, the Queen Victoria Market are launching a one-off weekend tour of its traders and food halls inspired by Bourdain’s time visiting the market. Tickets are $119 and include tastings across eight venues from 10am on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16. Think freshly cooked mussels, pickled octopus, artisanal cheeses and of course, Queen Vic’s iconic hot jam doughnuts. Book here.Mexican meets British caff at Aftermath in Prahran.Chege MbuthiGood Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes & Bakeries guideMelbourne’s coffee – and by extension, its cafe scene – is often declared among the best in the world. But what is the hallmark of a good cafe in 2026? The answers are found in Good Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries Guide. Narrowing it down to just 100 anonymously reviewed venues wasn’t easy in such a cafe and bakery-dense city that continues to grow. But visit any of the spots on this list, and we guarantee you’ll be happy, whether you’re a long-black drinker or a banana cream matcha obsessive.Gia’s Sam Tran is cooking at Aru this September.Hot ticket: Michelin-starred Hanoi restaurant at AruThis spring, Vietnam’s Michelin-starred restaurant Gia is coming to Melbourne. The Hanoi fine diner is taking over our very own two-hatted Aru on Little Collins Street for just two nights in September. Gia co-owner and head chef Sam Tran, the first Vietnamese chef to retain a star for four consecutive years, is preparing an eight-course tasting menu ($245 per person) on September 1 and 2 from 5.45pm, with drinks pairings available for an extra $125 a head ($75 for non-alcoholic). Bookings can be made here.Get a margherita and a glass of wine for $25 at Garfield on Wednesdays.Hump day special: $25 pizza and wine at GarfieldLygon Street pizzeria Garfield is giving us a reason to brave the midweek chill this winter with its Wednesday night pizza and wine special. Each week, get a wood-fired margherita – made with 72-hour fermented dough using Garfield’s signature Tokyo stretch method – plus a glass of house fiano or sangiovese, all for just $25. Date night, sorted.Adam Liaw’s brown sugar pudding is inexpensive to make but comforting to eat.William MeppemOur most popular winter recipesFrom crowd-pleasing tray bakes, pies and puds, to crumbly, nostalgic cookies, Good Food’s most popular recipes in July covered all winter comfort food bases, plus more. Sink your spoon into these 21 comforting recipes you loved the most last month – and be sure to bookmark your favourites to your own custom recipe saved list on the Good Food app.From Here By Mike's weekday lunch deal includes a steak for $35.Hump day special: Lunch from $35 at a hatted restaurantOpposite South Wharf, on the banks of the Yarra, From Here by Mike has cooked up a bargain weekday lunch. Get one main course for $35 – perhaps a scotch fillet with fries or a seasonal pasta – or add an entree and pay $50 total. In her November review, Dani Valent wrote, “Each plate is a clever, delicious showcase of ingredients, working on its own terms but also singing in harmony with the rest of the menu”. With the deal available Monday to Friday, noon to 2.30pm, it seems like a solid choice for your next business meeting or team lunch. Find out more.On the Good Food app, you can save all of your favourite recipes and restaurants in one easy place.Save your favourite recipes and restaurants on the Good Food appNo more dog-earing your recipe books. The Good Food app has launched a new saved function, which allows you to compile all your favourite recipes in one easy place. Simply click the bookmark icon to save, then head to the Saved page on the navigation panel to view. The Good Food app is home to more than 10,000 recipes from Australia’s top cooks, including Nagi Maehashi, Adam Liaw, Helen Goh, Neil Perry, Karen Martini, Emelia Jackson and more.Emily Holgate – Emily is a producer for the Good Food App at The Age. She previously wrote for the likes of Broadsheet and Urban List.Connect via email.From our partners