Gourmet Traveller last night unveiled the winners of the highly anticipated Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Awards.
As Australia’s longest-running restaurant awards, the country’s most esteemed chefs and restaurant personalities came together to celebrate the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards, hosted at Brasserie 1930, inside the new Capella Sydney.
Queensland’s fire-fuelled restaurant, Agnes claimed the top honour, scooping the prestigious Restaurant of the Year accolade. The win marks just the second time a Queensland restaurant has been named Restaurant of the Year in the event’s 44-year history, with E’cco first winning the award in 1997.
Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin, comments, “Agnes’ chef Ben Williamson understands the importance of light and shade with wood-fired cooking and balances it perfectly, which is no easy feat in a kitchen with no gas or electricity.
“It’s not only the artisan cooking style that makes Agnes noteworthy, the service team here is one of the best in the country, displaying expertise, enthusiasm and hospitality in equal measure.” Gourmet Traveller awarded seven State Winners in the Restaurant of the Year category, reflecting the incredible calibre of dining in Australia this year.
Winners include:
ACT: Onzieme (Canberra);
NSW: Aalia (Sydney);
QLD: Agnes (Brisbane);
SA: Restaurant Botanic (Adelaide);
TAS: Peppina (Hobart);
VIC: Etta (Melbourne);
WA: Millbrook (Jarrahdale).
Peter Gilmore, Rosheen Kaul, Josh Niland, Lennox Hastie and Kylie Kwong were among the top chefs to attend the event, which are the country’s only national restaurant awards. Chefs from across the nation cast their votes and overwhelmingly named peer, Hugh Allen (Vue de Monde), not yet 30 years old, as their choice for Gourmet Traveller’s ‘Chef of the Year’.
The new ‘Readers’ Choice Icon Award’, as voted by readers’, was awarded to Brae, chef Dan Hunter’s paddock-to-plate fine diner from a remote patch of beautiful countryside in Birregurra, Victoria.
“After a decade of serving up some of Australia’s finest paddock-to-plate cuisine, Brae is more relaxed and better than it has ever been,” says Hunkin.
“We’ve long celebrated and championed this magnificent regional restaurant and we’re delighted that our readers agree.” Sean Moran from Sean’s Panorama in Bondi – now known simply as ‘Sean’s’ – received a standing ovation as he was honoured with this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality.
The industry veteran will celebrate 30 years of his iconic Bondi restaurant this year, which first introduced the harbour city to farm-to-table dining in 1993. From New South Wales, Ollie Wong-Hee — the head chef behind popular Byron Bay restaurant Bar Heather — was announced as this year’s Best New Talent.
The night also recognised the charismatic personalities who make dining out memorable, with Louise Radman of Hobart’s Institut Polaire taking home Restaurant Personality of the Year. In South Australia, last year’s Restaurant of the Year, Restaurant Botanic, was awarded the state winner and Adelaide’s good-times wine bar Good Gilbert received Wine Bar of the Year. Over in Western Australia, Glenarty Road claimed Best Destination Dining and Jarrahdale’s Millbrook took home state winner for WA. Rounding out the state winners, Aalia was named NSW’s best restaurant, Onzieme was the ACT winner, and Massimo Mele’s Peppina took out the honour for Tasmania.
The Gourmet Traveller 2023 Restaurant Award winners:
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: AGNES, Brisbane, QLD
STATE WINNERS:
ACT: ONZIEME, Canberra
NSW: AALIA, Sydney
QLD: AGNES, Brisbane
SA: RESTAURANT BOTANIC, Adelaide
TAS: PEPPINA, Hobart
VIC: ETTA, Melbourne
WA: MILLBROOK, Jarrahdale
READERS’ CHOICE ICON AWARD
BRAE, Birregurra,
VIC CHEF OF THE YEAR:
HUGH ALLEN – Vue de Monde, Melbourne,
VIC BEST NEW RESTAURANT:
SERAI, Melbourne,
VIC BEST NEW TALENT:
OLLIE WONG-HEE – Bar Heather, Byron Bay,
NSW BEST DESTINATION DINING:
GLENARTY ROAD, Karridale,
WA WINE BAR OF THE YEAR:
GOOD GILBERT, Adelaide, SA
RESTAURANT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:
LOUISE RADMAN – Institut Polaire, Hobart, TAS
“The Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards recognise the incredible depth and diversity of Australia’s dining landscape and are always a highlight of the hospitality calendar,” added Hunkin.
