Delicious. 100 People’s Choice reveals Australia’s favourite 100 restaurants
First we brought you the best Australian dining experiences according to the critics, now it’s the public’s turn to have their say on the delicious. 100 People’s Choice.
Restaurants & Bars
Don't miss out on the headlines from Restaurants & Bars. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two weeks ago we brought you the very best of Australia’s eating out experiences in the form of the hotly-anticipated 2018 delicious. 100 list.
Today we get to see how the restaurant-loving public’s favourites compare to the critics’ ratings, with the release of the delicious. 100 People’s Choice.
MORE: Australia’s most delicious restaurant guide
For the full listing in each state click through the links below but here’s a taster to whet the appetite …
In Victoria, a restaurant described tongue-in-cheek as “of Middle Eastern appearance” has won diners’ hearts, minds and stomachs.
Bar Saracen in Melbourne’s CBD has taken out the 2018 delicious. 100 People’s Choice top slot, up from 27 on the original list. And in a one-two win for Middle Eastern restaurants, South Yarra’s modern Turkish restaurant Yagiz rocketed from 44 to second spot once readers had their say.
But critics and diners alike were in agreement about last year’s People’s Choice winner, Armadale fine diner Amaru, which came in at number 3 on both lists.
In NSW, if the praise and acclaim of the nation’s best-regarded critics isn’t enough, Josh Niland’s unassuming 34-seat fish eatery Saint Peter in Paddington has now also been crowned the state’s best by the restaurant-going public.
The undisputed king of white-tablecloth restaurants in Australia, Quay — Peter Gilmore’s 900-square metre harbourfront monolith — has been pushed from fifth to second on the People’s Choice list proving Sydneysiders remain enamoured with the iconic fine diner.
The elevation of Quay sees David Chang’s Momofuku Seiobo elbowed from second into third place on the People’s Choice vote. The small fluctuation aside, the sleek degustation den remains high on the radar of diners.
In Queensland the top three on the People’s Choice are Honto, Longtime and Gerard’s Bistro.
Honto is a Japanese-Australian mash-up hidden down an alley, past a dumpster, with not a window in the whole place — and it is as kooky as it is cool. A pumping soundtrack sets the scene for a good time thanks to an expansive drinks list and cheeky menu with the likes of katsu sandos and prawn “doughnuts”, alongside sashimi, dumplings and protein-based dishes best shared over a sake or three with friends.
Longtime is a buzzy, loud modern Thai eatery full of personality. It has become such a favourite that diners can expect an hour-long wait for a table, even on weekdays. But the broad and enticing menu that expands from bar snacks like satay scallops and soft-shelled crab bao into salads, curries, stir-fries, and rice and noodle dishes is worth your patience.
In third place, befitting of everything from the casual weekday lunch to the special-occasion dinner, Gerard’s Bistro is a modern Middle-Eastern eatery serving cuisine unlike anything else in the state, or even the country. Think incendiary chicken wings, fiery with a harissa-emulsified house smoked butter; suckling pig with cellophane-like crisp skin and desserts that deliver creativity and flavour in equal measure.
And in South Australia they are doing things a little differently with their first year of delicious. 100 in SA. Check out what that looks like here.
Originally published as Delicious. 100 People’s Choice reveals Australia’s favourite 100 restaurants