Everyone in the hospitality industry knows that you don’t do it for the money.

It’s an industry driven by passion, dedication and hard work. It's long, laborious hours, a daily grind, but it’s also deeply rewarding and highly addictive.

So to celebrate our superstars of the restaurant, cafe and bar scene throughout Queensland - the people and places who serve you some of your favourite dishes and drinks and brighten your day with their cheery service - today we reveal the winners of The Courier-Mail Food Awards.

FLASHBACK: FOOD AWARD WINNERS 2018

The annual gongs see our team of reviewers travel across the state on the search for the best restaurants, chef, service, wine list, cafe and bar, as well as a special award this year for Icon of the Year.

And here are our winners:

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Hellenika at the Calile, Fortitude Valley, Arc Dining, Brisbane, Joy, Fortitude Valley, Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads, Donna Chang, Brisbane and Signature, South Bank

Winner:

Hellenika at the Calile

Maybe it’s the spring in the step of the upbeat waitstaff, the sunlight shimmering off the pool or the wafts of wholesome Greek cookery that fill the air, but there is something undeniably special about Hellenika at the Calile.

REVIEW: HELLENIKA AT THE CALILE

While some have critiqued it for its lack of originality, it’s this adherence to the classics and uncompromising dedication to their faultless execution by chef Bryan Kelly and owner Simon Gloftis that makes this far more than just another Greek restaurant.

Only the finest of ingredients will do here and that means even the simplest of Greek salads is elevated to new heights, while seafood is flown in from across the country to guarantee the best.

But it is the generous amuse bouche of velvety, lemony fish soup alone that is enough to warrant many a repeat visit.

Gloftis works hard to create a happy team and it shows in the way the pink-jacketed staff treat each guest, boasting a casual but genuine warmth that radiates from the inside out.

With passion and panache they help diners through the lengthy menu and all are well-drilled in the confident and incomparable wine list, which mixes the best of Greek wines with labels from across the world, including some under Coravin at remarkably keen prices.

All of this is in a room that combines architectural elegance, space and comfort with a subtle nod to Greek heritage, while being undeniably Queensland.

CHEF OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Alanna Sapwell of Arc Dining, Brisbane, Bryan Kelly of Hellenika at the Calile, Fortitude Valley, Alex Munoz Labart of Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads, Tim and Sarah Scott of Joy, Fortitude Valley, Will Cowper of Otto, Brisbane and Jake Nicolson, Blackbird Bar & Grill and Donna Chang

Winner:

Alanna Sapwell

Fresh from Josh Niland’s award-winning fish restaurant Saint Peter in Sydney, Queenslander Alanna Sapwell’s return home is one of acclaim.

Launching Howard Smith Wharves’ relaxed upmarket Arc Dining, Sapwell has been winning praise from both her peers and patrons alike for her unwavering commitment to sustainably and ethically sourced quality produce and bold, boundary-pushing fare.

REVIEW: ARC DINING

She is unafraid to try something unheard of, to go out on a limb and to progress the current dining scene with exciting new ideas and fresh interpretations.

Take, for example, her unforgettable entree of barbecued squid with preserved lemon strips, squid ink and saltbush or artful goose prosciutto with persimmon.

In the few months since Arc opened, Sapwell is proving to be a pioneer of the Brisbane culinary scene, still catering to traditionalists with her comforting and familiar dishes like pumpkin and cavolo nero rotolo that show her remarkable skill to elicit the most intense of flavours from the simplest of ingredients, but also exciting foodies from far and wide with her passion and bravery.

REGIONAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads, Emeraude, Hampton, Nineteen at the Star, Broadbeach, Homage, Grandchester, Sum Yung Guys, Sunshine Beach, Tropic, Burleigh Heads

Winner:

Restaurant Labart

Leaving behind some of Sydney’s most respected and acclaimed restaurants to launch their own venture on the Gold Coast was a bold move for chef Alex Munoz Labart and his front-of-house manager wife Karla, but it’s one that has paid off for the couple.

REVIEW: RESTAURANT LABART

Their intimate European bistro might not boast the flashy ocean views of many of its rival Burleigh Heads restaurants, but its on point package ensures the vista is never missed.

Endearing, highly knowledgeable and adaptive staff are just the start of the story, with a concise but smart wine list focusing on minimal-intervention drops, quality signature cocktails and a range of locally brewed beers adding to the picture.

But it’s the food that is determined to shine brightest.

Innovation combines with classic techniques and clever cooking to create a refined range of smaller and larger dishes that are as tasty as they are elegant.

Labart is a restaurant that sparkles as much as the glitter strip itself.

BAR OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Death & Taxes, Brisbane, Savile Row, Fortitude Valley, Boom Boom Room, Brisbane, Lockwood, Burleigh Heads, Rosella’s, Burleigh Heads, The Terrace at Emporium Hotel, South Brisbane

Winner:

Death & Taxes

With two of its bartenders recognised in the top 20 in Australia, this enchanting new watering hole from bar tsar Martin Lange is the place good nights out are built on.

Hidden behind grand wooden doors, lies a strikingly elegant space reminiscent of 1920s New York with leather-bound bar stools tucked into a long timber bar facing hundreds of bottles of pristine spirits from across the world.

Walk through a small doorway and guests will find themselves in a deeply masculine room of curved banquettes, candelabras and book shelves - the type you might expect to find in the library in Cluedo.

With the rich and elegant space drawing you in, it’s the almost tome-like cocktail list that keeps you there.

Vodka, whisky, gin, rum, bourbon - whatever your poison, there is a cocktail to suit ranging from sweet and syrupy to dry and bitter.

A cleverly chosen, international wine list favouring champagne is also in play, as well as a curt selection of bottled and tinned beers from both near and far.

Let the supremely well-drilled staff help guide your choices and settle in until close.

WINE LIST OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Signature, South Brisbane, Hellenika at the Calile, Fortitude Valley, Arc Dining, Brisbane, Maeve, South Brisbane and Otto Ristorante, Brisbane

Winner:

Signature, South Brisbane

The sheer fact it boasts an outrageous 6000 bottles collected from across the world over three decades, makes the wine list at Signature a standout.

But it’s the quality of the wine on offer and the ever-growing new entries to its cellar, which deems this a collection worthy of the title.

REVIEW: SIGNATURE, SOUTH BRISBANE

Bottles of marsanne from Queensland boutique winery La Petite Mort sit alongside Penfolds Grange and Louis Roederer Cristal, as well as Burgundy and Bordeaux greats from the likes of La-Tache and Chateau Petrus.

But what makes the wine list so special is its accessibility.

While those with deep pockets are extremely well catered for, so too are those with tighter purse strings with restaurant manager and sommelier Antoine Heurtier providing wines by the glass from just $11.

The venue’s use of the Coravin system further increases its ability to showcase great wines at affordable prices.

CAFE OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Farm House, Kedron, Freja’s, Wilston, Halo Ground, Bowen Hills, Bam Bam Bakehouse, Mermaid Beach and Jam Pantry, Greenslopes, The Shak Organic Cafe, Buderim

Winner:

Farm House

With its elaborate barn-style fit-out of corrugated iron, timber sleepers and farming paraphernalia, this warm and charming cafe delivers a little piece of the country to the city.

The work of the Scott family and their benevolent and altruistic team, Farm House shines brightly with country hospitality and old-school flavour reimagined in clever and on-trend ways.

REVIEW: FARM HOUSE

TOP 50 BEST BRUNCHES REVEALED

From their winter bowl to their breakfast gnocchi, the food is comforting, homely and brings a smile to diners’ faces.

It’s also a cafe that is committed to doing good for the planet and our local producers, using only biodegradable take away containers and straws and supporting Queensland dairy farmers, free-range egg producers, butchers and more.

SERVICE OF THE YEAR

Finalists: Montrachet, Bowen Hills, Gerard’s Bistro, Fortitude Valley, Little Valley, Fortitude Valley, Otto, Brisbane and Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads, Black Hide Steakhouse, Petrie Terrace, Harrison’s by Spencer Patrick, Port Douglas

Winner:

Montrachet

Led by restaurant manager Clare Kellam, this French eatery may be known for its fine dining fancy, but its slick service is never stuffy or conceited.

Always warm, engaging and highly polished, staff operate with almost telepathic instincts, covering the basics with ease and precision, and balancing professionalism with personality.

There’s charming chitchat at just the right moments and broad knowledge ready to be dispensed when required.

REVIEW: MONTRACHET

Staff know regular diners by name and nothing is ever too much trouble.

It's service that ensures you leave on a high, knowing you were well taken care of from start to finish.

ICON OF THE YEAR

Winner:

David Pugh

Despite his family willing him to slow down and take it easy after closing one of the state’s leading fine dining restaurants, Brisbane’s Restaurant Two, in 2016, David Pugh has refused to take his foot off the accelerator.

The executive chef of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre joined BCEC two years ago to establish the first dedicated kitchen in an Australian convention centre to directly tackle the increasing number of dietary requests and food allergies.

In his current role, the former Queensland Ambassador Chef is continuing his advocacy of the state’s finest produce and the farmers, fishermen and artisans behind it, driving the use of sustainable and ethical ingredients in an industry typically dictated by pricing pressures.

With his healthy “Nourish Mentality” menu that is big on flavour but low in calories, he is ditching the likes of steak diane for sandcrab with macadamia milk and sea vegetables.

Pugh understands that for people to want to eat better, food still needs to taste good and he’s working hard, one conference at a time, to change people’s mindsets around nutritious food and help everyone live better and longer.