The Age Good Food Guide restaurant awards

The Age Good Food Guide has released its 46th edition, providing its latest rankings and awards for Victorian restaurants. The guide highlights dining trends such as an emphasis on protein and the rebranding of steak and chips to ‘steak frites’, while providing a comprehensive list of essential venues across Melbourne and various Victorian regions.

Specific honors for the 2027 cycle include Hugh Allen being named Chef of the Year for his work at Yiaga and Vue de Monde, and Ainslie Lubbock receiving the Oceania Cruises Service Excellence award for her leadership at Pt. Leo Estate.

This year’s awards saw 20 new chefs’ hats awarded, a development described as reflecting a trend of “risk-taking and quality” despite a difficult trading environment for restaurateurs. Notable new hat recipients include Cote Basque by Andrew McConnell, Little Rose by Rosheen Kaul, and Roma by Con Christopoulos. Other successful recent openings recognized include the Indian diner Saadi and the French brasserie Maison Batard.

The guide’s rating system evaluates venues on a 20-point scale covering food, hospitality, setting, experience, and value. Restaurants scoring 15 or above receive one hat, 16 to 17 receive two, and 18 to 20 receive three. The latest results indicate an expansion of diverse dining styles into more suburbs and regions across Victoria.