The Age’s Good Food Guide to Victoria’s best restaurants launches Tuesday after Melbourne’s Aru was named as the Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at the Good Food Guide 2023 Awards tonight in Melbourne.   

Returning after a three-year hiatus with hats and scores to recognise the best restaurants and chefs in Victoria, the glamorous awards ceremony – supported by long-term co-presenting partner Vittoria Coffee and new co-presenting partner Oceania Cruises – was held at W Melbourne.

Owners and chefs from Victoria’s leading restaurants gathered as 12 awards, along with the coveted hats – from one to the pinnacle of three hats – were handed out. The glossy 128-page Good Food Guide 2023 Victorian magazine is on sale from tomorrow (Tuesday, November 15) and is the definitive guide to the state’s restaurants, cafes and bars. The announcement of the New South Wales’ award winners, and the launch of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, will be held on November 21, with the NSW edition going on sale on November 22.

The Age Good Food Guide includes more than 300 independent city and regional reviews as well as the top 20 cafes and bars, and top 10 lists for each Australian state and territory. Highlighting more suburban venues, there’s also a new rating – a heart – for places that the Good Food Guide critics love or would cross town for, as well as awards including the most coveted awards in Australian dining: Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year and New Restaurant of the Year.

Edited by Roslyn Grundy, The Age Good Food Guide reviews have been undertaken by a team of esteemed critics including Besha Rodell, Dani Valent and Gemima Cody, all of whom review independently and anonymously. 

Moonah in Connewarre was named Regional Restaurant of the Year; Nicholas Deligiannis from Audrey’s in Sorrento took home the Young Chef of the Year Award while Julian Hills from Navi in Yarraville was named Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year. 

“People call the Good Food Guide the restaurant bible. I think it really has been missed these past three years,” says Grundy. “It is nothing short of miraculous that after several years of floods, fires and pandemic, we have emerged with a dining scene this strong. We’re sure this edition will provide plenty of inspiration for readers’ ever-growing ‘must-visit’ list.”

The awards were attended by more than 300 chefs, restaurateurs and industry professionals who were treated to a menu curated by W Melbourne, including dishes from its two-hatted Warabi restaurant. Cocktails were supplied by Four Pillars Gin and Santa Vittoria, wine by Unico Zelo and beer by Hawkers. Event sponsors included Visit Victoria, SMEG and Marriott International. 

The Age Good Food Guide 2023 magazine is available from newsagents, supermarkets and thestore.com.au for $9.95.

The Age Good Food Guide 2023 award winners: 

Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year: Aru, Melbourne
New Restaurant of the Year: Serai, Melbourne
Regional Restaurant of the Year: Moonah, Connewarre
Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year: Julian Hills, Navi, Yarraville
Vittoria Coffee Legend Award: Abla Amad, Abla’s, Carlton
Service Excellence: Brownyn Kabboord, Du Fermier, Trentham
Sommelier of the Year: Chayse Bertoncello, O My, Beaconsfield
Oceania Cruises Wine List of the Year: Ten Minutes by Tractor, Main Ridge, Mornington Peninsula
Young Chef of the Year: Nicholas Deligiannis, Audrey’s, Sorrento
Food for Good: FareShare, Abbotsford
Bar of the Year: Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
Cafe of the Year: Lorna, Ferntree Gully

For a High Res image of the Good Food Guide cover click HERE

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

Tuesday, November 15, 2022