Australian Gourmet Traveller – September 2019

Awinnerinthisyear’sawards.

Thisrestaurantoffersoneofthefinest,

mostinterestingandmostmouth-watering

winelistsinthecountry.

Anoutstanding,well-presentedselection

ofwinethatmakesasignificantcontribution

totheoverallappealoftheestablishment.

Arestaurantnotableforthequality

andsuitabilityofitscellar.

V

Good for vegetarians: at least two

meat-free entrées and main courses,

or a separate menu.

Key

W

elcome to the 2020 Gourmet Traveller

Restaurant Guide. We’ve made some

changes to the format this year but

what hasn’t changed is the rigour and precision

we’ve always expected from our team of reviewers.

They’ve spent months scouring the nation’s

culinary landscape, gathering the restaurants

• old and new – that make Australia one of
  the world’s great dining destinations. In doing
  so, they’ve created a snapshot of the places
  that are vital to eat at right here, right now.

THE YEAR IN RESTAURANTS

This year has been a reminder that restaurants, above

all, are businesses. Whether the talk has been of wages

or of venues closing their doors, it’s a marker of how

tough the industry can be, on owners and the people

they employ, to deliver the good stuff. It seems a shift

is occurring that’s affecting both the big groups and

the little guys. With luck and thought, this will mean

an industry with happier, more secure players.

There’s still plenty of creativity and resilience, given

the number of exciting openings. The lines between

restaurants, bars and cafés are more permeable than

ever, offering a wide variety of choice, whether you’re

talking classic French or Italian bistros (or, well, anything

Italian), late night and fine diners, old dogs showing us

new tricks or young chefs stretching their imagination.

In the kitchen, native ingredients are even more

widespread and, in many cases, being used in ways that

have moved towards a greater understanding, not just

of flavour but of culture. Fermented flavours and natural

wine, meanwhile, continue to solidify their place in the

canon and sustainability remains firmly on the agenda.

HOW THIS WORKS

All the restaurants reviewed for our Restaurant Guide

arevisitedanonymouslybyourteamofreviewers,who

pay their own way. There’s a finite number of places

allotted for each state; any restaurant making it onto

the list is on it because it’s memorable, remarkable,

professional and offers an experience that hits all the

food, service and comfort marks or adds some other

vital element to the dining scene in its particular state.

There’s no reward for using our sponsor’s products,

nor do our sponsors have a say in the editorial process.

We judge each restaurant on its own merits. A well-

run bar in the suburbs with great drinks and food is

as worthy of inclusion as a fine diner with magnificent

views as long as it meets our overriding criterion

• that it’s worthy of your money and your time.

WHAT DO THE WINE GLASSES MEAN?

Max Allen, our wine editor, assigns wine awards based

on the quality of wine lists. They’re explained in more

detail in the key. To achieve the full rating, the cellar

in question has to be substantial in its reach, but we

also award more concise lists that make a well-realised

statement and bring an extra dimension to the table.

WHERE ARE THE STARS?

Each restaurant in this guide is judged on its merits. If it’s

included, it’s worth your time. The very best are ranked

in our top 50, but taken as a whole the guide gives a

snapshot of where to eat for 2‰20, rather than assigning

ratings to restaurants, that in many cases, can’t, and

shouldn’t, be compared through a simple star system.

WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF IT?

Print guides are nice, but you can’t always take them

with you. Our complete guide to the most vital dining

experiences in the country for 2‰20 is available on

the Gourmet Traveller website to use whenever and

wherever you may be. In the pages that follow you’ll

find full reviews of our Top 50 restaurants for the year.

Start there, then head to gourmettraveller.com.au for

more.Here’stoayear’sworthofgreatAustraliandining.

ACTING EDITOR

Amy Reedy

GUIDE EDITOR

David Matthews

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Virginia Jen

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Matthew Hirsch

WINE EDITOR

Max Allen

STATE & TERRITORY EDITORS

ACT Gareth Meyer

NSW David Matthews

NT Sam McCue

Qld Fiona Donnelly

SA David Sly

Vic & Tas Michael Harden

WA Max Veenhuyzen

REVIEWERS

Helen Anderson, Nadia Bailey, Emma Breheny,

Alexandra Carlton, Harriet Davidson, Larissa

Dubecki, Vanessa Fazzino, Kendall Hill,

Matthew Hirsch, Emma Holland, Virginia

Jen, Maya Kerthyasa, Yvonne C Lam, Gail

MacCallum, Joanna Savill, Maggie Scardifield,

Matt Shea, Belinda So, Dani Valent^

INTERNS

Ismat Awan, Madeleine Bentley

Introduction

Vittoria Coffee is proud once again to be the presenting partner of the

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.

Now in our 61st year of roasting arabica coffee, we have been a long

supporter of the Australian culinary industry and it gives us great pride

to be associated with some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants.

As pioneers of espresso coffee in Australia we salute the ongoing

drive, innovation and enthusiasm shared by the tenacious chefs,

restaurateurs, sommeliers and waitstaff who are the driving force of our

great hospitality industry.

Congratulations to all the winners in this year’s awards; we wish you

every continued success.

Yours sincerely,

Rolando Schirato

Managing Director, Vittoria Food & Beverage

Fromoursponsor

GOURMET TRAVELLER 81