The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide: Full list of hats

From one hat to three, the essential list of every hat-winning restaurant from the 42nd edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.The complete list of winnersTwo chefs jointly named chef of the year, inner-west bistro wins bigHome of the hats Heard the expression, “It’s a hatted restaurant”? The chefs’ hat rating system was created by the Good Food Guide more than 40 years ago to give readers a sense of what to expect in terms of food, service and experience. It has been the cornerstone of Good Food’s rating system ever since. Each restaurant reviewed in the Guide is scored out of 20: 10 points for food, five for hospitality, three for setting and experience, and two for value. Restaurants scoring 15 or above are awarded one hat, those scoring 16 or 17 receive two hats, and those between 18 and 20 receive three hats. The main goal of our reviewers isn’t to tell you whether we like a restaurant. It’s to paint a picture of the experience so you can decide whether you might like it, and to explain how it sits within Australia’s dining landscape. Note: NEW denotes a venue that has opened in last 12 months or first time appearing in the Guide.10 William St, Paddington20 Chapel, MarrickvilleAbhi’s Indian Restaurant, Strathfield Still home to the most incredible tandoor-roasted lamb cutlets after 36 years.Aenza, Darlinghurst NEWAmuro, Darlinghurst Ante, NewtownArthur, Surry HillsAttenzione! Food & Wine, RedfernAvia, DarlinghurstBaba’s Place, MarrickvilleBar Copains, Surry HillsAny conversation regarding “best wine-bar snacks of the century” needs to include the bacon and comte custard tart.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upBesa, Bondi NEWBessie’s, Surry Hills Bistro George, CBDCanvas, Circular Quay Yes, the Museum of Contemporary Art restaurant is actually quite good!Catalina, Rose BayThe Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar, CBDCho Cho San, Potts PointCibaria, ManlyCivico 47, PaddingtonClam Bar, CBDClaret Club, Darlinghurst NEWContinental Deli, NewtownCorner 75, Randwick Our former Restaurant of the Year winner pays delicious homage to its Hungarian legacy.Cricca, WindsorThe Dry Dock, BalmainEsteban, CBDFarmhouse Kings Cross, Rushcutters BayFelons Seafood, ManlyIt’s been another big year for fancy potato scallops, and nobody does them better than this waterside all-rounder.Firepop, EnmoreFontana, RedfernFratelli Paradiso, Potts PointGildas, Surry HillsGolden Century, CBDSure, everyone misses the old digs on Sussex Street, but those XO pipis – and the steamed parrot fish and live abalone and wok-fried snow crab – are forever.Grill Americano, CBD NEWHaco, SydneyHo Jiak Town Hall, CBDInfinity by Mark Best, CBDIto, Surry HillsJane, Surry HillsJapasu by Sang, ZetlandJoe’s Tavern, Newtown NEWBest jacket potato in Sydney, maybe the country.Kiln, Surry HillsKindred, DarlingtonKisuke, Potts PointLa Buvette, Potts Point NEWLo Presti’s, Redfern NEWLoulou Bistro Milsons Point, CBDMaiz, NewtownMatkim, CBDMaydanoz, CBDMister Grotto, NewtownMu Omakase, CanberraNeptune’s Grotto, CBDThe premier spot for date-night tagliolini or a three-martini lunch.Nour, Surry HillsOlympic Meats, MarrickvilleOlympus Dining, RedfernOsteria di Russo & Russo, EnmoreOsteria Mucca, NewtownOtto Ristorante, WoolloomoolooPalazzo Salato, CBDThe Palomar, Paddington NEWChef Mitch Orr has left the building, but the team at this UK-import continues to wood-fire calamari and flathead with panache.Paski Sopra, PaddingtonPellegrino 2000, Surry HillsPizza’Mare, Barangaroo NEWPoly, Surry HillsBook a table for the new American-Australian barbecue lunch menu immediately.Porkfat, HaymarketPostino Osteria, Summer HillRAFI, North SydneyRestaurant Ka, DarlinghurstSala, PyrmontSean’s, BondiSinclair’s, PenrithSpice Temple, CBDTakam, DarlinghurstSydney’s first Filipino restaurant to be awarded a Good Food Guide hat also does cracking cocktails.Taste of Shunde, HurstvilleTera Bar, Surry Hills NEWTida Persian Food, North WilloughbyTrattoria Orazio, Rushcutters Bar NEWViand, WoolloomoolooVineria Luisa, EnmoreWai’s Omakase, Darlinghurst NEWSydney’s first Filipino restaurant to be awarded a Good Food Guide hat also does cracking cocktails.Watermans, Barangaroo NEWWhite Horse, Surry HillsYan, Wolli CreekYeodongsik, EastwoodAtes, BlackheathBangalay Dining, Shoalhaven HeadsBar Rochford, CanberraBeach Byron Bay, Byron BayBeltana Farm, PialligoBistro Molines, Mount ViewIt’s not a proper long weekend in the Hunter Valley without lunch at this staunchly French icon.Bistro Penny, NewcastleBruno’s, BellingenFiorini’s Osteria Italiana, OrangeFlotilla, NewcastleFrida’s Field, Byron BayHey Rosey, OrangeBig flavours from the Central West’s smallest kitchen.Humbug, NewcastleLunetta, CanberraMegalong Restaurant, Megalong ValleyMeribella, TerrigalNorma, AlburyPaper Daisy, CabaritaParanormal Wines, CanberraPaste Australia, MittagongIndeed, some of the most balanced, memorable Thai food in NSW can be found on the Old Hume Highway.Printhie Dining, OrangeRaes Dining Room, Byron BayRebel Rebel, Acton Restaurant Santino, WollongongThe Schoolhouse Restaurant, OrangeSouth on Albany, BerryStonefruit, TenterfieldThere’s more to Tenterfield these days than Peter Allen nostalgia and museums about trains. You can also drink grower champagne and eat a tart loaded with locally grown vegetables at this all-occasion wine bar.Such and Such, CanberraTintino, CanberraYou Beauty, BangalowZin Food + Wine, Mudgeea’Mare, BarangarooAalia, SydneyAllta, Surry HillsAria, Circular Quay Ashe, CBD NEWBathers’ Pavilion, Balmoral BeachBennelong, Circular QuayBerowra Waters Inn, Berowra WatersCafe Paci, NewtownEleven Barrack, CBDWhen someone asks “Where’s the best place for steak in the city?“, this is the answer (or Rockpool Bar and Grill).Ester, ChippendaleFiredoor, Surry HillsFlaminia, Circular Quay NEWGaraku, CBDGran Torino, Double BayGrandfathers, CBDThe Grill at The International, CBDAnother beautifully designed spot for sharing plus-sized rib-eyes and pristine seafood.Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, BondiKing Clarence, CBDLee Ho Fook, CBD NEWIf you only order one Peking duck a year, this is the place to do it.LuMi Dining, PyrmontMargaret, Double BayOmakase by Prefecture 48, CBDOrmeggio at The Spit, MosmanPilu at Freshwater, FreshwaterPorcine, PaddingtonGround zero for chou farci and reduced French sauces.Porteno, Surry HillsRockpool Bar & Grill, CBDShell House Dining Room & Terrace, CBDSouth End, Erskineville NEWStanley, Manly NEWSushi Oe, PyrmontVin-Cenzo’s, DarlinghurstWoodcut, BarangarooYellow, Potts PointYoshii’s Omakase, BarangarooBar Heather, Byron BayBistro Livi, MurwillumbahEXP. Restaurant, PokolbinMuse Restaurant, PokolbinPilot, AinsliePipit, PottsvilleSara Dining, Berry NEWThree Blue Ducks Burradoo, Burradoo NEWSaint Peter, PaddingtonSixpenny, Stanmore Photo: Good Food The winners of the 42nd Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards, presented by Oceania Cruises and T2 Tea, were announced on Monday, October 26.The 42nd Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide reviews are available via the Good Food app, which is free for premium subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald and also available as a standalone subscription. You can download the Good Food app here. Click here for more Good Food Guide stories.From our partners