The Age Good Food Guide 2025, featuring the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs across Victoria, launches tomorrow after Moonah was named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at a chef-studded awards ceremony held at the glamorous Plaza Ballroom tonight.

Moonah restaurant, which is on the Bellarine Peninsula, was awarded the top honour for its hyper-regional menu, with ingredients grown and sourced within a 200-kilometre radius of the restaurant. The award comes as the annual Good Food Guide marks its 44th edition, and as Australia’s most respected food and drinks title ushers in a new era with a new Good Food app. 

The premium subscription-based app – available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, or as a standalone subscription – will house the digital offering of the Good Food Guide. Featuring more than 900 reviews from the Age and SMH guides, the app will be an interactive digital home for food and drink lovers containing recipes, Critics’ Picks and lists of the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs.  

The annual Age Good Food Guide has been recognising the best chefs and restaurants since 1980, and this year’s Guide is a compilation of 500 independent reviews visited by our team of critics over the past eight months. Good Food is considered Australia’s most respected food and beverage title, and its coveted hats – from one to the pinnacle of three hats – are recognised as the industry gold standard.

The glamorous awards ceremony – supported by long-term co-presenting partner Vittoria Coffee and co-presenting partner Oceania Cruises – was held at the Plaza Ballroom on Collins Street, known for its Spanish Rococo architecture. Five hundred chefs, restaurateurs and industry legends from Victoria’s dining and drink scenes gathered as 16 awards, along with the hats, were announced. 

Jung Eun Chae from Chae took out the coveted Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year award for his next-level dedication to preparing slow Korean food according to time-honoured methods. 

This year’s Guide includes 142 restaurants awarded one or more hats: four restaurants received three hats, 29 restaurants received two hats and 109 restaurants received one hat. The three-hat winners were Amaru, Brae, Minamishima and Vue de Monde.

With the industry undergoing a reckoning with its record on workplace safety, a new award was introduced this year for Cultural Change Champion. Awarded to Jamie Bucirde of Not So Hospitable and On The Cusp, the inaugural award recognises these advocacy and training groups for addressing workplace sexual harassment.

Legendary Australian chef Greg Malouf was posthumously awarded the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award. The globally-renowned chef, who was a pioneer of modern Middle Eastern cuisine, passed away in September but his influence on chefs, restaurants and home cooks around the world was groundbreaking. 

“It’s been a tough year for many restaurants – and consumers – in the midst of a cost-of-living crunch. But to see our hospitality scene continue to excel and strive for greatness as they adapt to these circumstances is nothing short of inspiring,” said Emma Breheny, The Age Good Food Guide editor. 

“This edition of the Guide is about eating well at more price points, and in more places, than ever before. Among more than 500 reviews covering 60-plus cuisines, there are still big-ticket restaurants where desserts are flambeed tableside and heaving hotspots with lines out the door. But there are also decades-old spots that specialise in one thing to the point of obsession,” said Ellen Fraser, fellow editor of the Guide.

“We’ve also for the first time included a section dedicated to excellent snacks, many costing less than $10,” added Breheny.

Bar Olo in Carlton took out New Restaurant of the Year, presented by Aurum Poultry Co, while Messmates in Warragul was named Regional Restaurant of the Year. 

The Critics’ Pick Of The Year was awarded to Danny’s Kopitiam. The humble Malaysian restaurant in suburban Glen Waverley is a local institution and is run by 78-year-old Danny Ko. 

Saavni Krishnan, who works at Manze in North Melbourne, was awarded Young Chef of the Year, presented by Smeg and Nicole Sharrad was awarded the Katie McCormack Young Service Talent Award.

The Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award was given to Rajnor Soin from Vue de Monde, while Bar Spontana in Brunswick, was awarded Oceania Cruises Drinks List of the Year.

Cafe of the Year went to Moon Mart in South Melbourne; Apollo Inn took out Best Bar while The Punters Club in Fitzroy was awarded Pub of the Year; Sommelier of the Year was awarded to Tess Murray, Chauncy; and the Food for Good award was handed to Samesyn.

“While the Good Food Guide is the home of the hats, it continues to evolve across various price points, cuisines, styles and suburbs, offering an annual snapshot of the most exciting, outstanding venues you need to know about,” said Sarah Norris, Head of Food for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAToday.

“With money tighter than ever for most diners, people want to know where they should spend their money, and be able to trust those recommendations. The guide, and the new Good Food app, takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect spot for you to eat, no matter what the occasion.”

The Age Good Food Guide 2025 magazine is available from newsagents, supermarkets and thestore.com.au for $19.95 from Tuesday, November 19 and tonight via the Good Food app. The app is available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, or as a standalone subscription. 

The Age Good Food Guide 2025 award winners: 

Restaurant of the Year – Moonah
Chef of the Year – Jung Eun Chae, Chae
New Restaurant of the Year – Bar Olo
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Messmates
Service Excellence Award – Rajnor Soin, Vue de Monde
Smeg Young Chef of the Year – Saavni Krishnan
Katie McCormack Young Service Talent Award – Nicole Sharrad
Sommelier of the Year – Tess Murray, Chauncy
Legend Award – Greg Malouf
Drinks List of the Year – Bar Spontana
Cafe of the Year – Moon Mart
Bar of the Year – Apollo Inn
Pub of the Year – The Punters Club
Critics’ Pick Award – Danny’s Kopitiam
Food for Good Award – Samesyn 
Cultural Change Champion – Jamie Bucirde, Not So Hospitable and On The Cusp

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Monday, November 18, 2024