I don’t know about you, but I live for the ‘buy now, pay later’ movement. I’m not a fan of credit cards and I set myself a spending budget per month, so these bad bois allow me to occasionally spend big and still technically remain on budget — everybody wins. Or maybe just I win in this scenario, but what’s wrong with that?
What I didn’t realise until I was today year’s old, was that for the first time ever in Australia an app exists that’ll actually let you EAT now and pay later — Payo. It’s a pretty timely discovery seeing as I live in Sydney and just came out of lockdown, ready to devour literally anything that I didn’t have to cook for myself.
Basically, you download their app, pick one of 700 participating restaurants, cafes and bars spread throughout Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and eat like a king — after Payo have done some internal credit checks to ensure you actually can afford to pay them back, of course. Then, once approved, you only need to pay 25 percent upfront, then deal with the rest in three equal fortnightly chunks.
The app allows you to not only discover places to eat, but also filter by location and cuisine. So what are you waiting for? You can now tick-off your restaurant wish list and experience all the culinary delights you’ve been frothing from afar.
Sounds like a dream, right?
There’s actually a bunch of your fave restaurants on there too, not just randos. I’ve pulled the top 10 just to prove my point.
1. Butter (Sydney)
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Sydney’s cult favourite for everything from fried chicken and cinnamon doughnuts to bottomless champagne lunches to ramen is 100 percent on this ‘pay later’ train, which is good news for all your office welcome back reunions, am I right?
Paying less upfront on your meal might even leave you with more sneaker money, who knows?
2. Tokki (Sydney)
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Tokki is the closest we’ll get to Asia for a while yet, but what a brilliant substitute it is. With both decor and food inspired by the bustling nightlife of both Tokyo and Seoul, gorge yourself on classic dishes with a contemporary spin then wash it down with bespoke cocktails, small-batch beer and organic wine.
3. Hotel Ravesis (Sydney)
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Yep, you can soak in a nice sea breeze and iconic views to boot at Bondi’s beachside hotel. A place where the decor is as ‘Grammable as the cocktails, Ravesis draws inspiration from Mediterranean cultures for their menu. Find seafood, lamb, chicken, salads and hand-rolled pasta.
4. Bomba Bar (Melbourne)
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Nothing is better for a celebration than tapas, and nothing is worth celebrating more than Melbourne finally coming out of lockdown. Bomba Bar takes tapas to the next level, and the adorable rooftop setting means the atmosphere is also on point.
They work in set menus that start at $65. Personally, I’d be jumping on Payo and upgrading to the decadent $85 option.
5. Morris Jones (Melbourne)
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There is no shame in the Morris Jones Instagram game, what with flower walls and tiled courtyards. But they also have a menu and cocktail list to back it up. This restaurant, cocktail and wine bar is serving up a modern and adventurous Californian Japanese cuisine.
6. House of Lulu White (Melbourne)
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The presentation is on point at House of Lulu White. With an all-day breakfast and lunch menu, you won’t ever have to choose between eggs and pasta. It’s long been my belief that brunch is the best meal, and these guys do a bottomless one every weekend with Mimosas, espresso martinis and Bloody Marys.
All I’m saying is, I’d do bottomless brunch basically every weekend if I could pay for most of it later.
7. Cielo Rooftop (Brisbane)
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Nothing says summer like a rooftop, and Cielo’s is perched above Brisbane’s famous Fortitude Valley. They serve unique and fun modern cocktails and a food menu to match. These are the guys behind the award-winning Maybe, Sammy Bar in Sydney, so you know it’ll be good.
8. Takashiya (Brisbane)
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Get an authentically Japanese experience at Takashiya Omakase restaurant and Japanese whiskey and sake bar. Omakase is the Japanese tradition of letting a chef choose your order, so all you have to do is make a reservation and let the chef take your tastebuds on a journey.
The full Takashiya Omakase Experience is one you can’t get anywhere else in the city, but it does cost $230 per seat. Better get out your Payo app.
9. The Henchman (Gold Coast)
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The Henchman is located in the heart of Miami — the Gold Coast suburb of Miami, that is. This adorable outdoor cafe is dog-friendly, so you can enjoy coffee and brunch or sip delish cocktails and devour cheeseburgers while your pet chills beside you. They’ve even got live music on the weekends.
10. Vanitas Restaurant (Palazzo Versace, GC)
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If you’re a fan of labels and being fancy, the famous Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast houses Vanitas Restaurant — an AGFG Hatted Restaurant. Their menu focuses on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and provides a (very important) wine pairing menu.
The average price range here for one person is $155 — the food is that good — so Payo is really going to come in handy.
