2008 Best on the Best: Peter Gilmore, chef, Quay, Sydney

The Chefs

*Alla Wolf-Tasker, chef/owner, Lake House, Daylesford

*Andrew McConnell, chef, Three, One, Two, Melbourne

*Peter Gilmore, chef, Quay, Sydney

*Bruno Loubet, chef, Baguette, Brisbane

*Nick Holloway, chef/co-owner, Nu Nu, Palm Cove

*David Coomer, chef, Star Anise, Perth

*Chui Lee Luk, chef/owner, Claude’s, Sydney

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

*Jason Peppler, chef/owner, Isis, Brisbane

*Shannon Bennett, chef/owner, Vue de Monde, Melbourne

My favourite place for a drink is the bar at Icebergs Dining Room & Bar (1 Notts Ave, Bondi, 02 9365 9000). My favourite cheese is Beaufort d’Alpage, it’s a French cow’s milk cheese made from spring alpine milk. You can almost taste the mountain herbs and flowers, and it has a lovely nutty finish. It’s hard to find but Will Studd’s Calendar Cheese Company (326 Lorimer St, Port Melbourne, Vic, 03 8645 4666) brings small amounts into Australia. My favourite Australian food product? That’s a hard question. The one product I look forward to every year is my supply of Australian green almonds, which come from Blue Cottage  Almonds (PO Box 669, Willunga, SA, 08 8556 4094) in South Australia. They’re only available in November. I also love the wild strawberries grown by Richard and Nina Kalina in the Blue Mountains. My favourite restaurant is Mugaritz in Spain. The next place I would love to eat is Kikunoi in Kyoto.

**ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Kitchenware supplier**Accoutrement (611 Military Rd, Mosman, NSW, 02 9969 1031). Sue Jenkins is a legend.

Café Alimentari (2 Hopetoun St, Paddington, NSW, 02 9358 2142). My tailor Matthew Lawrence has his store in William Street, and whenever I go there I always get a coffee at Alimentari. It’s a small cafe with great coffee and an authentic, continental feel.

Bottle shopUltimo Wine Centre (99 Jones St, Ultimo, NSW, 02 9211 2380) in Jones street.

WineryDalwhinnie at Moonambel, Victoria, and Stefano Lubiano in Tasmania. Both cool-climate vineyards make exceptional wine that is food-focused.

Food shop It’s hard to go past Simon Johnson’s  original store at Pyrmont (181 Harris St, Pyrmont, NSW, 02 9552 2522), and I love a good produce market.

Quay, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney, (02) 9251 5600, www.quay.com.au.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.