We scoured Instagram to find the best food ’grammers, like-minded food-loving folk who love to cook and eat, and happen to take a decent (often great) food shot. Whatever you’re looking for: recipe inspiration, the inside word on dining or straight-up foodie voyeurism, these chefs, restaurants, home cooks, food bloggers, stylists and writers are the ones we turn to (or envy).
It was tough to limit the list to only 15, but here they are. We're impressed by their polished pics, the beauty they find in wafer-thin slices of carrot hearts, food ramblings and philosophy. They may not be food's most influential game changers, but they're the peeps we'd invite to our ultimate dinner party for good food and rollicking times guaranteed — not to mention the best ’grams in town.
In compiling the list, we were inspired to give our Instagram account @sbsfood a makeover (we're the first to admit it was a bit, um, daggy), so we've rolled it in breadcrumbs and bling and think it's turned out pretty tasty. Follow @sbsfood to watch our humble feed find its feet. And our sister publication SBS Feast Magazine (@sbsfeastmagazine), who have just joined the Insta party, too.
Patrick Friessen, head chef at barbecue den Papi Chulo in Sydney’s Manly, has a lot of meat in his feed – raw cuts, smoked hunks, sliced slabs, glazed ribs and more. And that’s exactly why we like him. If his love of the flesh wasn’t obvious enough, his frequent hashtag drives it home: #sojuicy. The Canadian import helmed the kitchen at another Merivale hotspot, Ms. G’s, before moving over, and shares the same fun-loving bro tone as many of the hospitality group’s cool-dude chefs, including Dan Hong (@hongsta_gram).
Why follow? Delicious meat pics (which is no mean feat).
He’s the head chef at Sydney’s 10 William Street and dishes from the intimate Italian bar-restaurant dominate Daniel Pepperell’s feed. This is a good thing. The chef’s stylised approach to food photography – centered, from above, always against the same deep black backdrop – makes the dish pop and the ingredients glisten. It’s sleek, striking and, oh boy, somebody better give us that “PIPPIES // PIGS TAIL // ACQUA PAZZA” now. Those to-the-point descriptions are captivating too.
Why follow? ’Cause black backgrounds are sexy as.
For most, a picture tells a thousand words, but in the case of Joost Bakker, the man behind celebrated ‘no-waste’ pop-up Greenhouse and impassioned sustainability activist and restaurateur, an image inspires a story. Each picture in Bakker’s feed is accompanied by a description of essay-style size, detail and conviction, with shots ranging from architectural projects with living roofs and his family’s new pet duck, Flip Flop, to his new restaurant, Brothl (@brothl).
Why follow? ’Cause sustainability and food go hand-in-hand and this expert is all-inspiring.
At fine-dining Marque Restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills, chef and restaurateur Mark Best dishes up some of the most striking food in the country – in ethos and in presentation. Best, a photography enthusiast, does justice to his precisely crafted dishes with beautifully shot images. Raw ingredients, such as carrot hearts and bass groper, also feature and often look like works of art as portrayed through the eyes of a passionate chef.
Why follow? For a glimpse into one of Australia’s most progressive restaurants, plus picture-perfect plating.
For the sweet-inclined, this feed is pure heaven. Andrew Bowden, self-described Lord Pastry Master at Hartsyard in Sydney’s Newtown, has garnered a loyal (and substantial) following for his creative soft-serve flavours, whimsical desserts and bespoke, sky-high cake creations. And you can see them in all their luscious, creamy, cakey, colorful and drizzled glory on Instagram, via Bowden’s personal account or the restaurant’s (@hartsyard). As if the gorgeous pictures weren’t enough, the chef hits you with detailed descriptions of flavours: “This lil fella contains chocolate fudge cake, peanut butter cookie buttercream, salted peanuts, caramel and snickers.” Stop!
Why follow? Need we say more?
They’ve clocked up 73K followers thus far. Outposts in Sydney, Melbourne and soon-to-be Brisbane does give Gelato Messina greater exposure than your typical artisan producer, but let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want a new gelato flavour to grace their feed each day? Whoever names the scrummy daily specials also get points for pun-tastic descriptions: “POWER GRANGERS – Banana and maple gelato with ricotta hotcakes and honeycomb custard. Cheers to our new neighbour Bill Granger in Bondi. Go go, Power Grangers.”
Why follow? For a sweet treat to look forward to each day, minus the kilojoules.
Yu-ching Lee has been a darling of the blogosphere for her baked creations and clean photographic style since she started Lemonpi. The baking blogger and pastry chef at Sydney’s Brickfield’s bakery is equally adored on Instagram, where her eye for beautiful images and smart talk carries over. Of her best Instagram moment: “I unexpectedly got my first bakery job via the use of Instagram,” says Yu-ching, who uses the photography app Vscocam for her pretty pics. Now that’s social media at play.
Why follow? For cakes and pastries made with skilled hands and seasonal flavours.
Lee Tran Lam’s informative and well-crafted blog, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry, has long been a fantastic underground source of Sydney restaurant reviews, and her Insta feed offers the same insight into who’s who and what’s hot with snaps taken on the go at just about every event and new opening in town. By day, Lam is a magazine editor and food writer, so her thoughts not only come with pedigree, but perfect punctuation. “I follow @tishacherry for seriously awesome food art and @patriciaparisienne for visual fixes of Paris,” shares Lee Tran. “I also love @theforestfeast for smart and inspired ideas for veg-friendly dining and @hellosandwich for the gorgeous snapshots of daily life in Tokyo.”
Why follow? For the inside word on Sydney’s dining scene.
If you pore over Australian cookbooks and food mags, it’s almost certain you’ve come across (and cooked) one of Kirsten Jenkin’s delicious dishes; the recipe writer works for some of the industry’s top titles, including our very own Feast Magazine. Kirsten’s mouth-watering Insta feed pulls pics from her personal blog White Pepper Project, which she uses to test-run inspired flavour combos (think glazed potato doughnuts with pistachios and lavender sugar) and dabble with photography.
Why follow? Gorgeous pics, aspirational recipes and a true zeal for food (multiple exclamation marks included).
Hey, good looking! The Instagram account of new independent food website Hey Tucker is filled with beautifully shot and styled dishes from a range of up-and-coming Australian food writers, photographers and cooks who’ve contributed to the site. Kate Olsson, the talented blogger behind Finger, Fork + Knife, also steers this ship, so the quality of recipes and photography comes as little wonder. Links to the recipe are included in the description. “I try and keep editing on Instagram to a minimum,” shares Kate, “but my go-to app for sneaky little fix-ups is AfterLight, which I use to add cooling tones and adjust the shadow/highlight balance.”
Why follow? Recipe inspiration and to discover new local food talent.
Australian food writer David Prior’s work for top-tier publications, from Vogue Living to Bon Appétit Magazine, sees him travel the world on a constant basis. One day it’s Paris, the next Peru, or so his Instagram feed would have you believe. Prior formerly worked alongside Alice Waters at the famed Chez Panisse in Berkley, California, and his passion for produce, much like his mentor’s, is evident in the pics he dedicates to local produce.
Why follow? For armchair travelling with a food and design bent.
As if art directing Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine isn’t sufficient creative outlet, in her spare time the talented Anna Vu illustrates dishes she’s enjoyed around the country to post on her Tumblr site, Good Food Crap Drawing. The name is somewhat misleading as the sketches (all done in texta) are charming to a tee.
Why follow? Cute idea, well executed. As one follower put it: “Love that you draw your food adventures rather than posting gratuitous photos of them.”
Set in a converted boatshed overlooking Pittwater in Sydney’s Palm Beach, The Boathouse has become one of the city’s most iconic cafes, loved equally for its stunning setting and beach-chic style. Their Instagram feed offers temporary respite from hours at a desk in a poorly lit cubicle at work with daily pics of perfectly styled flowers, tables by the water, fresh brunch fare and sunshine in spades. They boast 37K followers, which says something about what we’d all rather be doing.
Why follow? For a little escapism (or weekend day-trip inspiration).
In 2011, Hetty McKinnon cooked up a plan to make salads out of her small kitchen in a Sydney Surry Hills terrace and deliver them to locals for lunch on her bicycle. The business was a hit, owed no doubt to Hetty’s flair with flavours. Accordingly, Hetty’s Instagram feed is packed with incredible salads (watch out Ottolenghi) and, now, pics of her family’s imminent move to Brooklyn, New York, where new food plans are likely in the works.
Why follow? For pics of produce-driven salads with big flavours and cross-cultural influences.
The Instagram account of the man who brought brunch to Australia and then the world. The same tempting rustic-chic cakes found at Bill Granger’s eponymous bills cafes frequently grace his feed, along with casually styled pics of current menu items (we’re looking at you, spaghetti with crab and chilli). Amongst these must-have-now dishes are equally lust-inducing pics of Bondi Beach, and wherever else the man has just opened up or has a cafe (London, Tokyo, Honolulu, Seoul).
Why follow? Those cakes. Which he shoots from above (unlike most chefs) to make them look even better.
Thanks to Yasmin Newman (@yasmin_newman) for turning her Insta-addiction into the ultimate Insta-party.
