Restaurants are establishments that prepare and serve meals, drinks and desserts to customers. Generally, meals are served within the premises of the establishment; however, take-out services and food delivery services are also often available. Restaurants vary and range from simple dining places to classy and expensive dining establishments that serve refined food and drinks in a formal setting. Typically, restaurants revolve around one theme that is evident in the design of the establishment and the food it serves.

There are several types of restaurants based on menu style, food served, preparation methods and pricing.

• Casual dining restaurants serve moderately-priced meals and drinks in a casual atmosphere typically providing table service.
• Family style restaurants often have a fixed menu and price that provide seating at a communal table such as on benches.
• Fast food restaurants offer fast service to customers. Meals are prepared in batches or in bulk before being sold to customers. Oftentimes these restaurants sacrifice quality of food for efficiency of service.
• Fast casual restaurants do not offer table service and are often pricier than regular fast food restaurants. The quality of food is also usually better compared to fast food restaurants.
• Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants that provide the best service to diners with specific meal courses and gives importance to the ambience of the establishment. Fine dining restaurants often have certain rules of dining that should be followed by diners.

Australia is renowned globally for its fine dining restaurants and fine ethnic restaurants as well as a great number of smaller scale restaurants that serve food and drinks to its customers. These range from local Australian restaurants to bigger foreign franchises. The Restaurant & Catering (R&C) is the national association that leads and represents restaurants in Australia with approximately 7,000 members. The R&C works with the government and regulators to ensure that restaurants provide the best possible service that is at par with the highest standards and consistent with R&C priorities.

Restaurant guides are available both in print and on the internet. These guides review restaurants and rank them according to the kind of service and food they serve to customers. These review guides provide information such as location, contact details, facilities, hours of operations, food served, and comments or opinions made by previous customers or loyal diners. There are restaurant guides that review more expensive formal restaurants based on the quality of food and the atmosphere of the establishment. The Good Food Guide and The Good Restaurant Guide are Australian restaurant guides that review and list outstanding establishments to eat and the best bars and cafes in the country. These review guides also have reviews made by customers based on their experiences while dining.