The Good Food Guide awards for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are being announced at a ceremony, with editors David Matthews and Callan Boys revealing which restaurants have gained, retained or lost hats over the past year.
Venues are assessed on food, service, atmosphere and value. Recognition ranges from one hat to the highest award of three hats.
The guide’s editors said the post-Covid restaurant scene had been marked by established and ambitious operators taking a more cautious approach. Sydney’s central business district had seen a wave of steakhouses and generic Italian restaurants, they said.
They also pointed to signs of greater variety, with younger operators opening more personal and intimate diners while restaurants in Sydney’s suburbs offered an increasingly diverse range of food.
Good Food Guide awards reflect changing dining scene
In the course of their reviews, the editors examined venues serving Fijian-Indian food in Canberra and Cambodian food in Cabramatta, alongside numerous city-centre grills.
The guide is no longer published as a book. Instead, diners can access thousands of current reviews of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars through the Good Food app.
The hat announcements continue a tradition that began in 1984, with the latest ceremony covering venues across NSW and the ACT.
