The world’s BEST restaurant is about to open in Australia – and it includes the famous 10-course tasting menu
Sydney’s dining scene is about to host one of the most coveted restaurants on the planet.
Fans are abuzz with a three-Michelin-starred American institution announcing an exclusive residency at one of the city’s most iconic waterfront venues.
California’s acclaimed fine-dining restaurant SingleThread, based in Sonoma County, will join forces with Sydney’s beloved Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral Beach on the North Shore, for a four-week residency from July 28 to August 23.
The collaboration will see the world-renowned restaurant temporarily open in Australia for the very first time, bringing its celebrated farm-to-table dining philosophy – and a lavish 10-course tasting menu priced at $690 per person – to Sydney food lovers.
Reservations are expected to be fiercely competitive when bookings open on March 12 at 10am, with diners already scrambling to secure a seat.
SingleThread is run by husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Katina Connaughton and has become one of the most decorated restaurants in the world since opening in 2016.
Located about two hours north of San Francisco in Sonoma County, the restaurant earned its third Michelin star in 2018, which is an accolade it still holds today.
The restaurant also shares first place on La Liste, the global dining guide often described as the world’s most objective restaurant ranking, alongside elite venues including New York’s Le Bernardin.
Fans are abuzz with three-Michelin-starred American institution, SingleThread, announcing an exclusive residency at one of the Sydney’s most iconic waterfront venues
California’s acclaimed fine-dining restaurant SingleThread, based in Sonoma County, will join forces with Sydney’s beloved Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral Beach on the North Shore, for a four-week residency from July 28 to August 23
Its cuisine has been described as ‘Californian seasonality through a Japanese lens’, combining ultra-seasonal produce with the refined techniques and presentation of traditional Japanese kaiseki dining.
SingleThread’s produce is grown on its own 10-hectare regenerative farm, where orchards, greenhouses and an extensive floral program shape every aspect of the dining experience.
‘At SingleThread, we say we tell the story of today through the eyes of the farmer – really through Katina’s eyes,’ chef Kyle Connaughton told The Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Guests experience ingredients harvested at peak season that morning, and feel a sense of time within that place – but also within the dining room.’
For the Sydney residency, the Bathers’ Pavilion dining room will be transformed to reflect the SingleThread experience, complete with custom ceramics, unique tableware, new art installations, and million dollar sea-views.
Each meal will begin with the restaurant’s famous hassun course – a seasonal display of beautifully arranged small bites inspired by Japanese kaiseki traditions.
The course can feature up to 10 intricately crafted dishes, presented on a decorative floral structure filled with moss, wood and seasonal botanicals.
‘We start with a mixture of wood, moss, floral material and outdoor elements, combined with small bites that are a snapshot of today,’ Kyle told the publication.
The collaboration will see the restaurant temporarily open in Australia for the very first time, bringing its celebrated farm-to-table dining philosophy – and a lavish 10-course tasting menu priced at $690 per person. Reservations are expected to be fiercely competitive when bookings open on March 12 at 10am
SingleThread is run by husband-and-wife duo Kyle (pictured) and Katina Connaughton and has become one of the most decorated restaurants in the world since opening in 2016
‘It’s something we’ve developed over time… and we look forward to recreating that in Sydney. It’s very unique.’
The rest of the tasting menu will highlight produce grown locally for the residency, including ingredients cultivated at Bathers’ Pavilion’s Rotherwood farm in the Southern Highlands.
Bathers’ Pavilion has become known for hosting blockbuster culinary collaborations.
The venue previously partnered with three-Michelin-starred British restaurant L’Enclume for sold-out residencies in both 2023 and 2025, cementing its reputation for bringing some of the world’s most elite chefs to Australian diners.
‘These residencies are cumulative,’ Bathers’ Pavilion managing director Jessica Shirvington said in the same article.
‘Each one aims to raise the bar.’
Its cuisine has been described as ‘Californian seasonality through a Japanese lens’, combining ultra-seasonal produce with the refined techniques and presentation of traditional Japanese kaiseki dining
The course can feature up to 10 intricately crafted dishes, presented on a decorative floral structure filled with moss, wood and seasonal botanicals. ‘We start with a mixture of wood, moss, floral material and outdoor elements, combined with small bites that are a snapshot of today,’ Kyle told Sydney Morning Herald
To prepare for the collaboration, Bathers’ executive chef Aaron Ward will travel to Sonoma to work alongside the SingleThread team on menu development.
Connaughton himself has an extraordinary culinary background, including working as head of research and development at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, as well as training in traditional Japanese kitchens and with French culinary master Michel Bras.
‘Much of what we do at SingleThread is deeply informed by our time in Japan,’ Connaughton added.
The announcement quickly sparked excitement online after Bathers’ Pavilion shared the news on Instagram.
‘We are thrilled to announce our 2026 Residency with one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, SingleThread,’ the venue wrote.
For the Sydney residency, the Bathers’ Pavilion dining room will be transformed to reflect the SingleThread experience, complete with custom ceramics, unique tableware, new art installations and million dollar sea-views
Followers flooded the post with enthusiastic comments.
‘Brilliant! And what a fabulous collaboration,’ one wrote.
‘Wow! L’Enclume and now this collaboration! Very exciting,’ another added.
‘So excited,’ a third applauded.
Despite hosting collaborations around the world – including in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Europe – the Connaughtons say the Sydney residency will be unlike anything they have done before.
The SingleThread residency will run Tuesday to Sunday for both lunch and dinner from July 28 to August 23, offering Australian diners a rare chance to experience one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants without leaving the country.
