The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025, featuring the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs across NSW and ACT, launches on Wednesday 13 November after Saint Peter was named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at a chef-studded awards ceremony in the Sydney Opera House.
The awards ceremony was supported by long-term co-presenting partner Vittoria Coffee and co-presenting partner Oceania Cruises. Five hundred chefs, restaurateurs and industry legends from NSW and Canberra’s dining and drink scenes gathered as 15 awards and hats were announced.
Paul Farag from Alalia took out the coveted Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year award for his innovative approach to Middle Eastern food.
Australian chef Bill Granger was posthumously awarded the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award. The globally-renowned chef passed away nearly 12 months ago but his legacy on the food industry is still felt.
Named in Granger’s honour is a new award recognising a person, team or business approaching things from their own perspective and pushing Australian food forward. The Bill Granger Trailblazer Award was handed to Baba’s Place in Marrickville.
“Baba’s Place is a celebration of the suburban Sydney experience, grounded in the stories of immigrant families and their shared experiences of food and cooking. Like Bill Granger’s cafes embodied a particular sense of Australia, Baba’s Place does the same, proudly drawing on the Lebanese, Macedonian and Greek heritages of its co-owners. Plus they do a great taramasalata on toast, which looks a bit like an Iced VoVo,” said Callan Boys, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide editor.
“While the Good Food Guide is the home of the hats, it continues to evolve across various price points, cuisines, styles and suburbs, offering an annual snapshot of the most exciting, outstanding venues you need to know about,” said Sarah Norris, Head of Food for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAToday.
“With money tighter than ever for most diners, people want to know where they should spend their money, and be able to trust those recommendations. The guide, and the new Good Food app, takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect spot for you to eat, no matter what the occasion,” added Norris.
As the annual Good Food Guide marks its 40th edition, the food and drinks title ushers in a new era with the launch of the Good Food app available from Wednesday 13 November.
The premium subscription-based app – available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, or as a standalone subscription – will house the digital offering of the Good Food Guide.
Featuring more than 900 reviews from the SMH and Age guides, the app will be an interactive digital home for food and drink lovers containing recipes, Critics’ Picks and lists of the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs.
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 award winners:
Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year: Saint Peter
Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year: Paul Farag (Alalia)
New Restaurant of the Year, presented by Aurum Poultry Co.: Firepop Vittoria Coffee
Regional Restaurant of the Year: You Beauty, Bangalo
Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Maureen Er (White Horse)
Young Chef of the Year, presented by Smeg: Luke Bourke (Rockpool Bar & Grill)
Sommelier of the Year: Caitlin Baker (Such and Such, Canberra) Drinks List of the Year: Stonefruit in Tenterfield
Vittoria Coffee Legend Award: Bill Granger
Cafe of the Year: Ona Coffee, Marrickville
Bar of the Year: Double Deuce Lounge
Cultural Change Champion: Women and Revolution
Critic’s Pick Award: Gursha Ethiopian, Blacktown
Bill Granger Trailblazer Award: Baba’s Place
Food for Good, presented by Lightspeed: Rice Fund, Soul of Chinatown
