After a hiatus last year, the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards will return in 2021, with award winners – including the prestigious Restaurant of the Year – to be revealed on 27 October at Gimlet at Cavendish House in Melbourne.
With support from Visit Victoria, the event will be held in Melbourne for the first time in 10 years to celebrate the city’s resilient and world-class hospitality industry. Often regarded as Australia’s culinary capital, the city is emerging from a challenging year and is once again, ready to serve.
The winners, along with Australia’s Top 80 restaurants, will be profiled in a special Celebration Issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale 28 October.
Awards will be presented to the Best New Restaurant, Best New Talent, Restaurant Personality of the Year as well as the ultimate accolade in Australian dining, Restaurant of the Year.
This year’s awards also see the return of the peer-voted Chef of the Year prize, which will recognise a single chef for their contribution to Australian dining.
There’s a couple of new awards too: Best Wine Bar, and in support of the tourism sector, Best Destination Dining.
Winners will be revealed at a gala dinner attended by the who’s who of the food and wine industry, with a menu by Gimlet executive chef Andrew McConnell, plus wines by headline sponsor Levantine Hill.
“The Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards have always been about celebrating the best dining experiences in Australia and reflect how Australians want to dine,” says Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin.
“The challenges of the past 18 months have created seismic change within the industry, making this year’s awards more significant than ever. It will be a night of genuine celebration and one we are thrilled to share with the Melbourne industry as it continues its recovery.”
The judging is undertaken by a team of independent reviewers across Australia before finalists are chosen by Gourmet Traveller senior editors.
Gourmet Traveller reviewers arrive at restaurants unannounced and pay their own way. Each restaurant is judged on its overall dining experience, including its food and drink offering, as well as ambience, service and setting.
Finalists will be announced in the October issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale September 27.
The Gourmet Traveller 2022 Restaurant Awards are presented by Levantine Hill, with support from Visit Victoria, Longines, Waterford, Sub Zero & Wolf and PorkStar.
