This is easily the best chinese meal I have ever had. Right from the moment you walk in when you are greeted and led to the restaurant the service and atmosphere is amazing. On a friends recommendation we had the banquet and every dish was an absolute winner. The whiting, crab in its shell and steak with pepper sauce stand out. The steak is still the best steak I have ever had and literally melted in my mouth. I will definitely be back and would like to try the egg rolls as my wife used to eat them all the time. Definitely check this out for an elegant chinese meal.

The Alliance Hotel has had a makeover into a gastropub and craft beer bar and they have done a great job! There is an awesome range of beers with a great write up on all of them and it has a great menu, as far as I know it is the only place in Brisbane that does my favourite meal crumbed steak and ravioli and it does it well. Their burgers also look awesome and they have an underground chalet bar that looks great. Do yourself a favour and check it out for a great meal and a few beers just outside the city.

Approximate cost: $25

This place has a great location just outside the city in spring hill. It's a bit of a locals pub with most of the crowd seeming to know each other. The TAB area is quite small but the outdoor eating area is nice and does a good meal.

This is a decent suburban pub. It has a good sized TAB that draws an alright crowd and they put on standard pub grub quality food. They quite regularly have specials but it isn't a pub you world go out of your way to visit but if you live in the neighbourhood it's not too bad for a beer and a bet

This is without a doubt my favourite restaurant in Darwin. The premise is simple, get a tray on one side fill it with as many vegetables as you want and on the other side as many and as much meat as you want and then choice or sauce or two and watch the cooks wok fry it up right in front of you. The price is based on the weight of your choices. The food is fresh and beautiful and there well over 15 vegetables and meats to choose from including the exotic such as emu, buffalo and crocodile. My record is 11 different meats and over 500g of food. Topped off with their fried rice it is a fantastic cheap meal.

Approximate cost: $18

This is a restaurant you must check out if you are in Darwin. Right from the location to the menu and food it is spectacular. It is a magnificent centre overlooking the water and Darwin at night and sunset and the food makes it a great experience. They utilise a lot of local ingredients such as crocodile and it is beautiful. I have been a number of times and each time have left extremely impressed.

Approximate cost: $25

The Story Bridge Hotel is always a good place to go for a beer and a feed. They have a great range of little plates and do a pretty decent steak also. They have a good range of different bar areas, with a decent TAB and a few outside areas to soak up the ambience. It usually draws a pretty big crowd on the weekend and especially for days like Australia Day and ANZAC Day. If you feel like getting a little bit out of the city for a few drinks with friends it is a great place to go.

Approximate cost: $25

The Vic is always good for a bit of fun on a Friday or a Saturday night or a mid week night with the uni crowd. The renovations haven't really added that much and it isn't as nice as the exchange across the road but it still draws a good crowd. It's not a place you would good if you are looking for a classy night but if you are looking for a bit of fun and some reasonable priced drinks away from the valley it is a good place to go.

The piney is a bit of a favourite of mine as I used to go there when it was a bit of a dive. It has had a decent makeover now and has a steakhouse attached to it as well as a kitchen in the bar area. I haven't been massively impressed by the steaks, they are decent but I think they should be better quality for a place that calls itself a steakhouse. The bar area does pretty good meals though and it has a good TAB and different areas to drink in. Again it draws a big crowd on game days and is still nice and close to the city to start for a few drinks.

Approximate cost: $22

The Chalk does some great deals on Sundays, with a range of $5 beers and $5 steaks. For a $5 steak it is pretty decent quality and is a reasonably large serve. They also draw a good crowd on game days and tend to have promotions on these days. It is a very large pub with multiple levels so you can hang out in a few different areas. It is also pretty close to the city so a good place to start for a few beers.

Approximate cost: $20