Michael Harden

Michael Harden is one of Australia's leading food and restaurant writers.

Is Technology Ruining Restaurants, or Just Changing Them?
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink Legendary New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells had a grim assessment of the industry after reviewing them for over a decade. Does one of Australia’s top critics agree?
Five Days, 27 Venues: Inside a Restaurant Research Trip
08 Sep 2024
Travel When prolific Melbourne restaurateur Chris Lucas took an entourage to Paris to research his next big-budget restaurant, Bâtard, he didn’t mess around.
Do You Have a Booking Tonight?
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink Why can’t you get that corner spot with a view this Saturday night? The post-lockdown restaurant world has a host of new challenges to getting a table at our most sought-after diners.
A Life’s Work Cut Short: Kevin Donovan Was a Wine Fanboy and Beacon of Positivity Who Made Melbourne Dining Better
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink The veteran restaurateur, who passed away this week at the age of 68, offered a masterclass in hospitality, from Chinois in South Yarra to running St Kilda Beach icon Donovans with his wife, Gail, for 26 years. He will be missed.
Goodbye to All That: The Last Supper at Lygon Street Institution Cafe Notturno After 45 Years
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink It’s the end of an era for the Italian-Australian stalwart, which was once a favourite of Chopper Read and Alphonse Gangitano. Is it time to move on, or is Melbourne losing something irreplaceable?
The McConnell Effect
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink Melbourne dining has transformed profoundly over the past decade. Food that was once out of reach to all but a select few has flooded the middle of the market, and it’s available at whatever time of day you need. Restaurants have become more welcoming, egalitarian and fun. Much of this, we can trace back to one trailblazer: Andrew McConnell of Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, Supernormal, the Builders Arms and Marion.
Losing Our Edge
08 Sep 2024
Food & Drink From the outside, Melbourne’s bar culture is one to be revered, but upon closer inspection, we’re on a pretty tight leash. Michael Harden takes a look at the effects of our current bar licensing laws and discovers they are essentially shooting our city’s nightlife in the foot.