It’s that time again, when we gear up to honour the best and brightest from across Australia’s outstanding dining landscape in our annual Restaurant Awards. Now in their 46th year, the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards are the longest-running national restaurant awards program in Australia.
The winners will be announced on 17 August at a talent-studded soirée in Sydney – and, with 2026 marking an incredible 60 years of Gourmet Traveller magazine, the event promises to be spectacular. As always, the biggest surprises (including state winners, Restaurant of the Year and our Readers’ Choice Enduring Excellence Award) will be saved for awards night, and revealed in our September magazine. For now, we’re thrilled to present this year’s worthy finalists, across some of the key categories.
Jump to
- Chef of the Year
- Best New Restaurant
- Best New Talent
- Restaurant Personality of the Year
- Bar of the Year
- Best Destination Dining
Chef of the Year
The two competing reactions at play when judging this award equate to the same thing. The first is the sense of overwhelm at the task of narrowing the field to just five nominees. The second is excitement and gratitude at the depth of culinary talent in Australia. The 2026 nominees for this welcome conundrum are
- Christian Ryan — Aløft, Restaurant Maria and The Standard, Tas
- Fabian Lehmann — Maxwell Restaurant, SA
- Jack Stuart — Blume and Venner, Qld
- Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone — Vin-cenzo’s, Bar Copains and Bessie’s and Alma’s, NSW
- Tom Sarafian — Zareh, Vic
Best New Restaurant
In a nation that’s known for its continuously evolving dining scene, it takes something very special to stand out as a new arrival. Granted, there are essential, practical elements that must be mastered. But then there’s the magic that makes the experience so much more. In the running this year for Best New Restaurant are
- +81 Sushi Kappo, Qld
- Grandfathers, NSW
- Harriot, Vic
- Restaurant Aptos, SA
- Tigerfish, WA
- Yiaga, Vic
Best New Talent
Being recognised as a “new talent” is no overnight story, and there are years of professional backstories behind all of our nominees. They’ve served their time in the industry, learning and honing skills and style, dreaming of one day leading a kitchen. Our five nominees who are living that dream are
- Jimmy Toone — Fall From Grace, SA
- Saavni Krishnan and Aditya Suresh — Saadi, Vic
- Sam Bartlett Roylance — Mapleton Public House, Qld
- Sol Yoon — The Grill at The International, NSW
- Steven Ryu — Tigerfish, WA
Restaurant Personality of the Year
The days of the rockstar chef as a restaurant’s primary draw are, thankfully, behind us. The front-of-house experience is now acknowledged as holding equivalent weight, the real-time embodiment of hospitality. The almost psychic skills of anticipation and a genuine ambition to deliver every punter a great time are strong in this year’s finalists.
- “Big” Sam Young — S’more and Young’s Palace, NSW
- Fletcher Scott and Dom Walsh — Westside Laundry, Tas
- George Kasimatis — Georges on Waymouth, SA
- Joshua Down — De’sendent, WA
- Risa Kadota — Kadota Restaurant, Vic
- Romain Darnault — Winnifred’s, Qld
Bar of the Year
Over the past few decades, Australia’s bar scene has evolved into one of the most exciting and interesting parts of the hospitality industry. Blurring the lines between bar and restaurant, embracing the rise and rise of cocktail culture and applying care, skill and creativity to the bar model, our 2026 shortlist emphatically reflects the ongoing evolution.
- Bar Carnation, Vic
- Bar Demo, NSW
- Havilah, Tas
- Le Royale, Qld
- Tread Lightly, SA
Best Destination Dining
Some of the best dining experiences in Australia now take place outside the capital cities. Bucolic settings and fresh air are obvious draws, but our nominees are not about leaving all the heavy lifting to the scenery. Instead they offer dining and drinking experiences that would be remarkable in any setting. They are
- Bistro Merenda, Vic
- De’sendent, WA
- Oirthir, Tas
- Pearl, SA
- The Woodshed, Qld
