If there is a cuisine type that is loved almost universally across Australia it is seafood, and that is more than likely why the popularity of seafood restaurants in 2023 is so high.

Apart from the massive range of seafood available and therefore flavours to suit every palette, the fact that seafood offers many nutritional benefits means there is no shortage of reasons why table booking numbers in many seafood restaurants are often to capacity.

One point we wish to mention is that, whilst seafood remains as popular as it has been for many decades, there can be changes in what types of seafood dishes are most requested at any given time.

As such, we thought it would be interesting to examine what diners are requesting most in seafood restaurants in 2023. Here is what we discovered from our research.

Prawn Cocktail

Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping we would start with something out of the ordinary, but in this case, our starter is a prawn cocktail.

It remains Australia’s most popular seafood dish and apart from its popularity at BBQs, it is requested more than any other seafood, not just in seafood restaurants, but in other restaurant types too.

This possibly accounts to some extent for why almost 20,000 tons of prawns are eaten by Australians every year.

Rye Whisky Gravlax

This dish can be made using salmon, sea trout, or brown trout.

Thin slices of the fish are cured for at least 12 hours in a marinade that has been created using rye whisky, often sourced in Tasmania, along with some sugar, salt and pepper seasoning.

Once the fillets have been marinated they are dried, and then served as an appetiser, although they can also be served by some seafood restaurants as a breakfast or lunch dish accompanied by eggs, pickles, potatoes, cream cheese, or toasted bread.

Tasmanian Oysters

The east, south-east, and northern coasts of Tasmania are where the best oyster beds can be found so it is more than likely this is where any Tasmanian oysters you are served in a seafood restaurant come from.

There are two types, namely Australian flat oysters, and Pacific oysters.

The former, also known as angasi oysters, are recognisable by their flat shells and they have a mild briny flavour. Pacific oysters are larger and firmer and offer diners a savoury/sweet flavour.

Blue Mackerel

No seafood restaurant can be truly called such if it does not offer blue mackerel to its diners.

Known for its strong and rich flavour, blue mackerel is a fish where not just the meat is edible, but its skin is too.

Seafood restaurants have several options as to how they might cook blue mackerel as it can be marinated, grilled, smoked, or barbecued.

For health-conscious diners, a major benefit of eating blue mackerel is its abundance of Omaga-3 fatty acids.

Salt & Pepper Calamari

Australian seafood diners would be excused for thinking this is one of Australia’s many national dishes, but the fact is salt and pepper calamari is a dish that first originated in China.

However, such is its popularity in Australian seafood restaurants, it would appear it has been adopted as our own.

Calamari is the primary seafood used, whereby it is covered in batter, which is well-seasoned with salt and pepper and then deep fried.

When cooked, the calamari can be garnished with spring onions, garlic, or fried chilli depending on your taste. Some seafood restaurants offer squid as an alternative to calamari.

Barramundi

We come now to seafood which is found in the waters in the north of Australia and is regarded as both a freshwater and saltwater fish.

Seafood restaurant chefs love cooking barramundi because its fatty texture means there is little to no chance of them overcooking it.

As for its flavour, barramundi is mild meaning that almost everyone should find they enjoy it, including those who are not keen on strong or rich seafood flavours.

Coral Trout

Our final popular seafood restaurant request for 2023 is coral trout. When cooked it has a firm texture within its white flakes and a sweet flavour which is enjoyed by many seafood diners.

The cooking methods employed by seafood restaurant chefs include grilling, poaching, and steaming and it is likely to be served with a choice of vegetables.