Good Food Guide NSW and ACT: full list of award winners and every hatted restaurant
These are the regional and city restaurants worth travelling for.
Proving that great dining doesn't need white linen or sprawling footprints, Canberra's humble hole-in-the-wall AK's Diner has claimed one of the top honours at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards.
Canberra hole-in-the-wall shines
Anand Kumar "AK" Ramakrishna wanted to honour his Malaysian homeland and try something new when he opened AK's Diner two years ago in a tiny kitchen downstairs at Ovolo Hotel in the Nishi building.
He was clearly onto something; AK's Diner was named Critics' Pick of the Year at the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards in Sydney.
The award goes to "a venue, hatted or not, that captures the moment, brings something special to our dining scene and is consistently on our critics' hit lists".
Ramakrishna said his approach was a humble take on how he was raised, how his mum cooked food and how his grandfather taught him to cook.
"I really wanted to make a replica of street food in KL," Ramakrishna said.
"You know how you make it bougie and it doesn't have the same vibe? I just want to keep it to the bare essentials of what made me love food and cooking."
For him, this means sitting at a table with two or three curries and "a bit of pickle".
"That's what I want to do and keep on doing," he said.
Full list of chefs hats from the 2027 Good Food Guide
ONE HAT - CITY
- 10 William St, Paddington
- 20 Chapel, Marrickville
- Abhi's Indian Restaurant, Strathfield
- Aenza, Darlinghurst NEW
- Amuro, Darlinghurst
- Ante, Newtown
- Arthur, Surry Hills
- Attenzione! Food & Wine, Redfern
- Avia, Darlinghurst
- Baba's Place, Marrickville
- Bar Copains, Surry Hills
- Besa, Bondi NEW
- Bessie's, Surry Hills
- Bistro George, CBD
- Canvas, Circular Quay
- Catalina, Rose Bay
- The Charles Brasserie & Bar, CBD
- Cho Cho San, Potts Point
- Cibaria, Manly
- Civico 47, Paddington
- Clam Bar, CBD
- Claret Club, Darlinghurst NEW
- Continental Deli, Newtown
- Corner 75, Randwick
- Cricca, Windsor
- The Dry Dock, Balmain
- Esteban, CBD
- Farmhouse Kings Cross, Rushcutters Bay
- Felons Seafood, Manly
- Firepop, Enmore
- Fontana, Redfern
- Fratelli Paradiso, Potts Point
- Gildas, Surry Hills
- Golden Century, Barangaroo
- Grill Americano, CBD NEW
- Haco, Sydney
- Ho Jiak Town Hall, CBD
- Infinity by Mark Best, CBD
- Ito, Surry Hills
- Jane, Surry Hills
- Japasu by Sang, Zetland
- Joe's Tavern, Newtown NEW
- Kiln, Surry Hills
- Kindred, Darlington
- Kisuke, Potts Point
- La Buvette, Potts Point NEW
- Lo Presti's, Redfern NEW
- Loulou Bistro Milsons Point, CBD
- Maiz, Newtown
- Matkim, CBD
- Maydanoz, CBD
- Mister Grotto, Newtown
- Mu Omakase, Canberra
- Neptune's Grotto, CBD
- Nour, Surry Hills
- Olympic Meats, Marrickville
- Olympus Dining, Redfern
- Osteria di Russo & Russo, Enmore
- Osteria Mucca, Newtown
- Otto Ristorante, Woolloomooloo
- Palazzo Salato, CBD
- The Palomar, Paddington NEW
- Paski Sopra, Paddington
- Pellegrino 2000, Surry Hills
- Pizza'Mare, Barangaroo NEW
- Poly, Surry Hills
- Porkfat, Haymarket
- Postino Osteria, Summer Hill
- RAFI, North Sydney
- Restaurant Ka, Darlinghurst
- Sala, Pyrmont
- Sean's, Bondi
- Sinclair's, Penrith
- Spice Temple, CBD
- Takam, Darlinghurst
- Taste of Shunde, Hurstville
- Tera Bar, Surry Hills NEW
- Tida Persian Food, North Willoughby
- Trattoria Orazio, Rushcutters Bay NEW
- Viand, Woolloomooloo
- Vineria Luisa, Enmore
- Wai's Omakase, Darlinghurst NEW
- Watermans, Barangaroo NEW
- White Horse, Surry Hills
- Yan, Wolli Creek
- Yeodongsik, Eastwood
ONE HAT - REGIONAL
- Ates, Blackheath
- Bangalay Dining, Shoalhaven Heads
- Bar Rochford, Canberra
- Beach Byron Bay, Byron Bay
- Beltana Farm, Pialligo
- Bistro Molines, Mount View
- Bistro Penny, Newcastle
- Bruno's, Bellingen
- Fiorini's Osteria Italiana, Orange
- Flotilla, Newcastle
- Frida's Field, Byron Bay
- Hey Rosey, Orange
- Humbug, Newcastle
- Lunetta, Canberra
- Megalong Restaurant, Megalong Valley
- Meribella, Terrigal
- Norma, Albury
- Paper Daisy, Cabarita
- Paranormal Wines, Canberra
- Paste Australia, Mittagong
- Printhie Dining, Orange
- Raes Dining Room, Byron Bay
- Rebel Rebel, Acton
- Restaurant Santino, Wollongong
- The Schoolhouse Restaurant, Orange
- South on Albany, Berry
- Stonefruit, Tenterfield
- Such and Such, Canberra
- Tintino, Canberra
- You Beauty, Bangalow
- Zin Food + Wine, Mudgee
TWO HATS - CITY
- a'Mare, Barangaroo
- Aalia, Sydney
- Allta, Surry Hills
- Aria, Circular Quay
- Ashe, CBD NEW
- Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach
- Bennelong, Circular Quay
- Berowra Waters Inn, Berowra Waters
- Cafe Paci, Newtown
- Eleven Barrack, CBD
- Ester, Chippendale
- Firedoor, Surry Hills
- Flaminia, Circular Quay NEW
- Garaku, CBD
- Gran Torino, Double Bay
- Grandfathers, CBD
- The Grill at The International, CBD
- Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi
- King Clarence, CBD
- Lee Ho Fook, CBD NEW
- LuMi Dining, Pyrmont
- Margaret, Double Bay
- Omakase by Prefecture 48, CBD
- Ormeggio at The Spit, Mosman
- Pilu at Freshwater, Freshwater
- Porcine, Paddington
- Porteno, Surry Hills
- Rockpool Bar & Grill, CBD
- Shell House Dining Room & Terrace, CBD
- South End, Erskineville NEW
- Stanley, Manly NEW
- Sushi Oe, Pyrmont
- Vin-Cenzo's, Darlinghurst
- Woodcut, Barangaroo
- Yellow, Potts Point
- Yoshii's Omakase, Barangaroo
TWO HATS - REGIONAL
- Bar Heather, Byron Bay
- Bistro Livi, Murwillumbah
- EXP. Restaurant, Pokolbin
- Muse Restaurant, Pokolbin
- Pilot, Ainslie
- Pipit, Pottsville
- Sara Dining, Berry NEW
- Three Blue Ducks Burradoo, Burradoo NEW
THREE HATS
- Saint Peter, Paddington
- Sixpenny, Stanmore
Full list of awards from the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards
- Restaurant of the year - Sixpenny
- Chefs of the year - Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong, South End
- New restaurant of the year - Three Blue Ducks Burradoo
- Service excellence award - Monique Guest, Saint Peter
- Bar of the year - Vespertine
- Regional restaurant of the year - Muse Restaurant
- Cafe of the year - Taguan
- Sommelier of the year - Zoe Brunton, Grand Saddles Lodge
- Drinks list of the year - Saint Peter
- Pub of the year - The Carlisle Castle Hotel
- Critics' pick of the year - AK's Diner
Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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