Wills Domain wins WA’s Restaurant of the Year in state’s 2018 Good Food Guide

A small, family-owned vineyard restaurant at Yallingup, in the Margaret River region, has been named WA’s Restaurant of the Year.

Wills Domain restaurant, Margaret River. Picture: Claire Martin

A small, family-owned vineyard restaurant at Yallingup, three hours drive south of Perth in the Margaret River region, has been named WA’s Restaurant of the Year by the state’s 2018 Good Food Guide.

Wills Domain took the top honours at an awards ceremony last night in Perth. The restaurant, in a region known as much for its surfing as its wine, occupies a terrace overlooking the estate’s vineyards. Wills Domain, under the eye of chef Seth James, has consistently featured in The Weekend Australian Magazines’s annual Hot 50 Restaurants list.

“To be honoured with this award is testament that our team, vision and hospitality are appreciated and is a deeply proud moment for us,” proprietor Darren Haunold told the awards audience on acceptance.

“As anyone who has been in a hospitality business would understand, there are many facets that drive the success of this kind of business. Getting the elements of the service environment right is a nuanced discipline.”

The West Australian Good Food Guide award for Best Regional Restaurant went to another Margaret River region winery, Voyager Estate, owned by Alex Burt, daughter of the late iron ore magnate Michael Wright, business partner of the late Lang Hancock. The restaurant’s chef, Santiago Fernandez, was also gonged WA’s 2018 Regional Chef of the Year.

Best new restaurant went to Santini Bar & Grill, the recently opened Italian grill at the new CBD hotel QT Perth. WA’s Chef of the Year Award went to Jed Gerrard of Wildflower, at Perth’s Como Hotel, another of The Australian’s consistent Hot 50 restaurants. Wildflower was ranked second in the state.

The Australian’s winner of Best Value for 2018 in the Hot 50, Subiaco restaurant Lulu La Delizia, was judged number four.

“It’s a remarkable outcome,” Guide editor, Rob Broadfield said.

“For the first time, the major Good Food Guide award … has gone to a venue outside the metropolitan area … The Margaret River success story in 2018 is a coming- of-age story for the celebrated wine region and also a consequence of a changing of the guard at some of the most storied restaurants in the South West,” Mr Broadfield said.