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Introducing Nearbites

Find the dish you're craving, not just a restaurant. Here's what Nearbites is, how it works and where it's heading.

Leigh Tarasenko · · 2 min read

Hotcakes, an acai bowl and a flat white on a cafe table overlooking Bondi Beach
Breakfast with a view.

Most food apps start with restaurants. Nearbites starts with the dish.

When you're hungry you rarely think "I want to go to a restaurant". You think "I want a really good laksa", "where's the closest pad see ew", or "who does ricotta hotcakes near the beach". Nearbites is built for exactly that moment: search for the food you're craving and see the actual dishes nearby, with photos and prices, before you decide where to go.

How it works

  • Search for a dish, not a venue. Type something like "ramen Haymarket" or "pizza Melbourne" and you'll see the meals that match, each with its photo, price and the restaurant that makes it.
  • Near you, or anywhere. Tap the location button to search around where you are right now, or name a suburb or city.
  • List or map. Scroll through the results, or switch to the map to see what's within walking distance.
  • Everything you need to go. Open a dish to see the restaurant, its address and a map, and links to order through the delivery apps it uses.
The Nearbites home page showing nearby dishes with photos and prices
Dishes first: every result is a meal you can actually order, with its price.

Where it's heading

Nearbites already lists dishes from thousands of Australian restaurants. Here's what we're working on next:

  • Accounts. Live today: sign up with your email or Google, set up a profile and tell us what you eat. Read about accounts.
  • Menus straight from the restaurant. Restaurant owners will be able to claim their listing and keep their menu, prices, opening hours and photos up to date themselves, with changes showing on Nearbites within seconds and an "owner-verified menu" label so you know you can trust it.
  • Help us keep it accurate. Spotted a wrong price or a venue that's closed? You'll be able to report a correction from any restaurant page.
  • Make it personal. Saving the dishes you love, building lists and following other food lovers, so the best local food is easy to find again.

The goal is simple: the easiest way in Australia to find something great to eat nearby, with information you can trust.

Say hello

Nearbites is built in Sydney. If you have ideas, find a mistake, or run a restaurant and want to be among the first to claim your listing, email us at [email protected]. And next time you're hungry, search for what you're craving.

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