All the winners from The Age Good Food Guide 2024 awards
From the coveted major prize categories – Restaurant and Chef of the Year – to our new awards, Innovator and Critics’ Pick of the Year, meet the best Victoria’s hospitality industry has to offer right now.
VITTORIA COFFEE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
A restaurant setting benchmarks for food and service, pushing the hospitality industry forward and supporting Australian producers.
O.My, Beaconsfield
O.My’s monthly bills look a little different to most restaurants: there’s no fruit and vegetable supplier to be paid. Since day one the Bertoncello brothers (Blayne, chef, and Chayse, sommelier) have run a farm near their restaurant on Melbourne’s fringe, and today build the menu primarily around what they can grow.
Years of planning go into what’s on your plate, whether that’s nectarines, warrigal greens, honey, eggs or witlof. No wonder veg is the star. Meat and seafood are responsibly sourced, often brought in as whole animals and used sparingly. Yet nothing about O.My’s ever-changing degustations, served in a suave cocoon of a dining room, feels miserly.
The team’s pride is obvious in every bite they serve and every drink they pour, but service is never preachy. Belly laughs from Chayse ripple across the restaurant at regular intervals, bringing spark to every table.
The restaurant has had three different homes, survived a fire and weathered a pandemic, but the team remains steadfast in its commitment to small-footprint eating.
A casual bar was added to the O.My universe in 2019, providing a more relaxed spot for the neighbourhood. It now also serves as a bottle-o selling wine from the cellar.
Many restaurants are now taking steps towards environmental sustainability. O.My is among a notable few who practise this in every decision, all while wearing a cheeky smile.
Emma Breheny
OCEANIA CRUISES CHEF OF THE YEAR
A chef at the forefront of dining, setting new standards and doing something original.
Jo Barrett, Little Picket
To describe Jo Barrett as a chef is to withhold crucial information. She’s also a hunter, farmer, fly-fisher, baker, cheesemaker, archer and, above all, a sustainability pioneer.
At Lorne’s Little Picket, Barrett is quietly creating a blueprint for the future of restaurant dining, building on the low-waste, ultra-local ethos she championed at Oakridge, practised full-time at Joost Bakker’s self-sustaining house Future Food System, and shares with the home cook in her new book, Sustain.
Ethically sourced wild game might appear on Little Picket’s menu as feral boar dim sims or culled wallaby terrine. Cheese is made in-house, fruit and vegetables come from a nearby eco-farm supplemented with produce locals exchange for a few beers), and the kitchen minimises plastic use, eschewing the Cryovac in favour of pickling and fermenting.
But the brilliance of Little Picket is its accessibility. It’s globally significant yet unabashedly Australian, a restaurant you won’t find anywhere else. The cooking is clever and confident and the restaurant is as much a place for the Lorne community (now familiar with rooster Kyiv and venison pie) as the tourist crowd.
Through a dedication not just to quality produce but to where it is grown and reared, and in proving that ethical dining does not need to be exclusive or expensive, Barrett is leading us towards a whole new way of cooking and eating, all from a bowls club in a beachside town.
Ellen Fraser
AURUM POULTRY CO. NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
The most exciting opening of the past 12 months, and a fresh and thrilling addition to the Victorian dining landscape.
Reine & La Rue, Melbourne
The best new addition to our restaurant landscape isn’t always the flashiest, most ambitious, most publicised opening of recent months. But this year we bow to the gods of hype. Reine is not just all of those things – extravagant, ostentatious, highly anticipated – it’s also really, really good.
The room, in the former Melbourne Stock Exchange, is nothing short of stunning. It’s gorgeously grandiose and makes good use of the building’s soaring, over-the-top 19th-century architecture, and what you’ll eat and drink lives up to the promise of the space (and the affixed price tag).
Chef Jacqui Challinor splashes out with opulent, luxurious French-inspired dishes, and does it exceptionally well. There’s lobster, there’s wagyu, there’s foie gras. The cooking is exacting, the service charming, the wine list full of splurge-worthy bottles. It’s a place that goes to show that sometimes the hype machine is right.
Besha Rodell
REGIONAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
The best beyond metro limits, a celebration of its surroundings with a strong connection to the local community.
Chauncy, Heathcote
Sitting in the sun-drenched dining room at Chauncy, you could almost be in the French countryside. Instead, you’re in Heathcote, dining on Louis Naepels’ elegant cooking.
Naepels is French, and much of the menu here is firmly rooted in the traditions that saw Michelin start its famous guide – so many of the best restaurants in France were tucked into pretty rooms in small towns.
But Chauncy is very much of its place, too, seen in the sourcing of local ingredients, in the heritage sandstone building in which it resides, and in its style of service, which is all understated Australian warmth. Tess Murray presides over the dining room like a goodwill sprite, beaming positive energy and doling out smart recommendations for fantastic European wines.
In an area that is far less saturated with dining options than other parts of the state, Chauncy wins our hearts for so many reasons. Eating here is everything you want from a day in the country.
Besha Rodell
FLINDERS + CO. NEW REGIONAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
A restaurant working with local farms and suppliers to offer something new and exciting for the region and its visitors.
Kin, Wahgunyah
Kin is remarkable for numerous reasons. Part of a multimillion-dollar renovation at All Saints Estate, it breathed new life into one of the state’s most historic wineries.
It’s modern and fresh, while also being nestled into the side of a 19th-century castle on the banks of the Murray. And it is a platform for the wonderful cooking of Jack Cassidy, a young chef with considerable talent.
Cassidy’s cooking is smart, refined and a showcase for the produce of the region, from the estate itself and beyond. He’s doing some truly exceptional things with native ingredients in particular: where else might you find a green curry broth made almost entirely from native herbs?
It’s exciting to see cooking and hospitality at this level this far from Melbourne, proving beyond a doubt that our regional restaurant scene is stronger and better than ever.
Besha Rodell
OCEANIA CRUISES SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD
Executes the highest standard of service relevant to their establishment, from knowledge and skill to attitude and personality.
Hannah Green, Etta
“Hel-lllllo!” Hannah Green greets you with the same enthusiasm whether it’s your first time at Etta or your 15th. Regulars are remembered, along with their favourite style of wine, and newcomers are swiftly brought into the fold with a little cheeky tableside chat.
All that bubbly energy shouldn’t be mistaken for triviality, though. Etta is a smooth operation over which Green, its owner and also a trained sommelier, casts a twinkling blue eye, ensuring glasses are full, this side dish ties in with the rest of your order, and the kitchen is matching your pace.
Hers is a brand of service so intuitive, you hardly notice the dozens of small gestures that go into making you feel comfortable. Amid it all, staff are encouraged to be themselves on the floor, just as Green is so effervescently herself, making Etta wonderfully, singularly itself.
Emma Breheny
SMEG YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR
Judged by a panel of industry professionals, this award is the ultimate accolade for a committed and talented chef under 30.
Cameron Tay-Yap, Amaru, and Lily McGrath, MoVida
As far as problems go, it’s not a bad one to have: two rising stars, both undeniably talented but forging drastically different career paths. And so two winners are crowned.
After stints at top fine diners, Tay-Yap brings imagination and drive to the head chef role at Amaru. Serving innovative degustations under executive chef Clinton McIver, Tay-Yap sees sustainability – for produce and people – as crucial. “Having people enjoy where they’re working without fizzling out benefits not just the business, but the diner as well.”
McGrath is proof that a chef doesn’t need to globe-trot or role-jump to perform at a high level. In eight years at MoVida Group, she’s introduced house charcuterie and clever low-waste ideas such as rabbit-bone jam, a tribute to her tenacity and creativity. Providing the mentorship she craved early in her career is a priority. “I’ve never met another trans chef before. I do think it is nice to see other people like you succeeding.”
Ellen Fraser
VITTORIA COFFEE LEGEND AWARD
For an outstanding long-term contribution to the hospitality industry.
Jason Lui, Flower Drum
Jason Lui more or less grew up in Flower Drum, the restaurant Gilbert Lau founded in 1975. His father and executive chef, Anthony Lui, bought the restaurant from Lau in 2003. Jason then joined the business full-time, working his way from busboy to general manager, along the way becoming a familiar face to diners – and the custodian of an institution that’s renowned around the world.
“He takes so much pride in what Flower Drum is all about, showcasing his own Chinese heritage, carrying on a family tradition and also the legacy of peerless service that Gilbert created,” says author and chef Tony Tan.
Committed, calm and generous, Jason also possesses astonishing knowledge about Flower Drum’s food and wine. But most impressive is his uncanny ability to somehow see everything that’s happening in his dining room all at once, making you feel like the centre of the universe.
Dani Valent
CRITICS’ PICK AWARD
A new award hails an exceptional restaurant that makes our food scene more exciting.
Soi 38, Melbourne
It is unlikely to be news that Soi 38 is a favourite among Good Food critics. Few gustatory obsessives would not recommend it to out-of-towners for a truly Melburnian experience.
It serves some of the city’s most exciting Thai food in a parking lot, and in many ways epitomises the spirit of this award: a place that incites fanaticism, a place we return to.
We love Soi’s deeply flavoured soups, its fiery larbs, its tick-box menu and its crowded dining room. The queue is always worth standing in. We’ll never tire of this uniquely Melbourne institution.
Besha Rodell
OCEANIA CRUISES DRINKS LIST OF THE YEAR
Complementing the restaurant’s food and style, with a range of prices and non-alcoholic options.
Kazuki’s, Carlton
A flashy cellar isn’t everything. Kazuki’s 29 pages of joy are proof. All offerings are a considered match for the menu’s dishes.
Gin from as far as Hiroshima and as close as the Macedon Ranges is served straight up or as a martini. A spread of Aussie sparkling holds its own against French fizz. Sake spans rare Japanese microbrewery finds and celebration bottles that’ll give the budget a dent, while half a dozen alcohol-free options, quality Japanese teas and wines from $60 keep things grounded.
Katie Spain
SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
A wine professional with deep knowledge, who helps to influence and inspire.
Dorian Guillon, Vue de Monde
There are fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers in the world. Vue de Monde wine director Dorian Guillon is one of them. Most nights, you’ll find him 55 floors above the city, suggesting, explaining and pouring some of the world’s finest wines.
That Guillon knows his topic is indisputable. What’s even better is his adept way of tuning into diners: a high-school graduate sipping their first grand cru will be given the same twinkling attention and respect as a high-roller digging deep into one of Australia’s great cellars.
Dani Valent
BAR OF THE YEAR
The best all-round bar that nails service, drinks, vibe and decor.
Bar Merenda, Daylesford
Pages of barolo, barbera and beaujolais. A cheery tray of amari on the bar, gougeres, terrine and good roast chicken on a freshly chalked menu.
It sounds like dozens of other great wine bars, except this one is in Daylesford, where Andy Ainsworth (ex-10 William Street) and Clare O’Flynn make the most of their new home’s community of high-quality producers, weaving them into an offer that’s worldly yet DIY, top-shelf yet unpretentious. Merenda is everything you want in the city, full of things you can only get in the country.
Emma Breheny
CAFE OF THE YEAR
Good coffee is a given. The best also takes pride in food, decor and service.
Chiaki, Collingwood
Melbourne loves connecting around coffee so it’s lucky that cafes keep showing us new ways to enjoy our daily brews and catch-ups. Chiaki stands out for its deep interest in coffee, its honouring of the growers and roasters, and the devoted way that obsession is translated into every cup, whether it’s a latte or a drip coffee made via Bluetooth. A Japanese-leaning menu built around ochazuke (broth poured over rice with toppings) is another signal to an almost fanatical focus. But as with everything here, it’s delivered with friendliness and joy.
Dani Valent
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
A big thinker with bright ideas that better the community.
Xavier Prime, Chooks at the Rooke
Where the egg industry saw 12 million tiny problems, farmer Xavier Prime viewed a more ethical way to deal with male chicks. On most egg farms these non-laying birds are euthanised when hatched, but Prime raises them to mature cockerels on open pasture.
Seven years in, his customers include Du Fermier, France-Soir and Lake House, plus quality butcher shops. The birds possess deep flavour rarely seen in Australia, and diners get double the enjoyment as they support a brilliantly simple idea to reduce waste in our food system.
Emma Breheny
The Age Good Food Guide 2024 is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au. It features more than 450 Victorian venues, from three-hatted destinations to regional wine bars, lively noodle specialists and 30-year-old icons. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.