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1 / 42Guests feasting at the Good Food Guide Awards at the Plaza Ballroom. Daniel Pockett
2 / 42MC Tim Ross on the Good Food Guide 2017 Awards stage at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne.Daniel Pockett
3 / 42From left: Aaron Turner, Joanna Smith and Drew Hamilton, the team from the Santa Vittoria Regional Restaurant of the Year, Igni.Daniel Pockett
4 / 42Citi Chef of the Year Aaron Turner from Igni restaurant in Geelong.Daniel Pockett
5 / 42Jean-Paul Prunetti and Geraud Fabre accept their joint Vittoria Legend Award at The Age Good Food Guide Awards 2017.
Daniel Pockett
6 / 42Joint winners of the Vittoria Coffee Legend award, Jean-Paul Prunetti (left) and chef Geraud Fabre (centre) from South Yarra favourite France-Soir with Rolando Schirato from Vittoria Coffee.
Daniel Pockett
7 / 42The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne. Daniel Pockett
8 / 42Brae's Dan Hunter accepts the award for Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year.Daniel Pockett
9 / 42The team from Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year, Brae, including chef Dan Hunter (left).Daniel Pockett
10 / 42Champagne Taittinger Sommelier of the Year Jordan Marr from the new Oter French restaurant.Daniel Pockett
11 / 42The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne.Daniel Pockett
12 / 42Banjo Harris Plane from Bar Liberty with Town Mouse sommelier Meira Harel.Daniel Pockett
13 / 42Citi Service Excellence award winner Caterina Borsato (left) from Caterina's Cucine e Bar with Tanya Smith from Citi.Daniel Pockett
14 / 42Guests at the Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards.Daniel Pockett
15 / 42Manu Potoi from Bar Liberty and Elenor Butler from Embla.Daniel Pockett
16 / 42Nina Fitzpatrick presents the Don Levy Fitzpatrick Award.Daniel Pockett
17 / 42The team from Bar Liberty, winner of the Don Levy Fitzpatrick Award (for restaurant-quality food in a bar setting). Pictured from left: Manu Potoi, Banjo Harris Plane and Casey Wall.Daniel Pockett
18 / 42Andrew Joy from Marion, whose wine list was named Wine List of the Year.Daniel Pockett
19 / 42The Age restaurant critic and Melbourne Good Food Month creative director Gemima Cody.Daniel Pockett
20 / 42Philippe owner-chef Philippe Mouchel, a member of the Young Chef of the Year judging panel, with this year's winner, Jarrod Di Blasi from Ezard.Daniel Pockett
21 / 42Chefs Thomas Woods (left) and Hayden McFarland (centre) from Woodland House, pictured with Ben Shewry from Attica.Daniel Pockett
22 / 42From left: The Age Good Food Guide Editor Roslyn Grundy, The Age Restaurant Critic Gemima Cody, Fairfax Good Food Guide Editor Myffy Rigby and Good Food National Editor Nedahl Stelio arrive at The Age Good Food Guide 2017 awards.Daniel Pockett
23 / 42Michael Ryan and Jeanette Henderson from Provenance in Beechworth, winner of the Regional Wine List of the Year Award.Daniel Pockett
24 / 42A representative from Ezard @ Levantine Hill accepts the People's Choice Award. Daniel Pockett
25 / 42Guests at the Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards.Daniel Pockett
26 / 42Nathan Toleman (left) and Ben Clark from Higher Ground, the inaugural Cafe of the Year.Daniel Pockett
27 / 42The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne. Daniel Pockett
28 / 42Chef Justin James (right) and sommelier Carlos Simoes from the three-hatted Vue de Monde.Daniel Pockett
29 / 42Attica owner-chef Ben Shewry arrives at the Good Food Guide Awards.Daniel Pockett
30 / 42From left: Christian McCabe, Elenor Butler and Dave Verheul from Best New Restaurant, Embla. Daniel Pockett
31 / 42Chef Koichi Minamishima from the three-hatted Minamishima restaurant.Daniel Pockett
32 / 42The team from Hem 27 accept the Best Cheap Eat Award.Daniel Pockett
33 / 42Best Cheap Eat Award goes to Vietnamese venue Hem 27 in Flemington.Daniel Pockett
34 / 42Ben Clark (left) and Nathan Toleman from Higher Ground cafe.Daniel Pockett
35 / 42The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards at the Plaza Ballroom, Melbourne. Daniel Pockett
36 / 42Adam Robinson, founder of StreetSmart, accepts the Food for Good Award.Daniel Pockett
37 / 42Kylie Staddon and Ben Shewry from the three-hatted Attica.Daniel Pockett
38 / 42The Age Good Food Guide founding editor Claude Forrell, who has reviewed for the Guide for 36 years.Daniel Pockett
39 / 42Sonya Hoyle, General Manager Food and Parenting, Life Media and Events.Daniel Pockett
40 / 42Sommelier Carlos Simoes (left) and chef Justin James from the three-hatted Vue de Monde.Daniel Pockett
41 / 42Guests arriving at The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards.Daniel Pockett
42 / 42Guests arriving at The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards.Daniel Pockett
Regional restaurateurs were the grinners at The Age Good Food Guide 2017 Awards.
Carrying off some of the big gongs were Birregurra's Brae, winning Restaurant of the Year, and newcomer Igni in Geelong, which gained two hats on debut and added two trophies to its cabinet (Santa Vittoria Regional Restaurant of the Year and Citi Chef of the Year award for co-owner and chef Aaron Turner).
Swanky winery restaurant Ezard @ Levantine Hill, in the Yarra Valley, won the publicly voted People's Choice Award, and a hat.
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Also flying the flag for regional restaurants were Healesville Hotel, which regained the hat it lost last year, Patricia's Table in Milawa, which grabbed its first, and Fen in Port Fairy and Stefano's in Mildura, which both gained their second hats.
In the city and suburbs, fortunes rose for Anchovy, Bar Lourinha, Elyros, Highline at the Railway Hotel, Lee Ho Fook and Noir – all were rewarded with toques this year.
But what goes up inevitably comes down. Bistro Vue, Da Noi, Gladioli, Kenzan, MoVida Aqui, Rosetta and The Roving Marrow all lost hats.
Among the new restaurants getting among the culinary millinery were Amaru, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Embla, Estelle by Scott Pickett, French Saloon, Ides, Marion, Nora and Oter.