- The 2026 Good Food Guide awards have been announced, with anonymous critics assessing more than 500 restaurants across Sydney and NSW.
- Sixpenny in Stanmore and Saint Peter in Paddington were the only Sydney restaurants to earn three hats.
- This year’s awards welcomed 35 new one- and two-hat restaurants.
The 42nd annual Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) Good Food Guide awards are here, with anonymous critics assessing restaurants across NSW and ACT to decide which venues deserve a spot on the coveted list.
Think of it as the state’s own Michelin-star guide. SMH’s 40-or-so anonymous reviewers have visited more than 500 restaurants this past year to taste, score and make notes.
Each restaurant is scored out of 20, with up to 10 points awarded for food, five for hospitality, three for setting and experience, and two for value. Venues scoring 15 points or more earn one hat, while those with 16 or 17 points receive two hats.
The highest accolade, three hats, is reserved for restaurants scoring between 18 and 20 points.
Here’s the full rundown of every Sydney venue that made the list, from the top performers and newcomers to those that lost a hat, plus the cafes, pubs and bars that earned a spot.
Good Food Guide 2026 awards
What’s changed this year?
First of all, it’s important to note that the Good Food Guide took a broader approach to this year’s awards, emphasising that recognition wasn’t reserved for flamboyant, high-end dining.
Co-editor David Matthews stated, “We asked restaurant reviewers to consider the dining experience each venue aimed to achieve, rather than simply marking it against some imagined metric of fanciness.”
The list isn’t all white gloves and elaborate service: the Good Food Guide is out to platform great venues across budgets, locations and cuisines, reflecting what modern-day diners are after.
The Sydney newcomers
There were 10 newcomers to the two-hat category, including Newtown’s new offering South End, Stanley Restaurant on Manly Wharf and Victor Liong’s Lee Ho Fook.
In the one-hat category, 25 restaurants have joined the ranks this year, moving from no hats to one.
Two hats:
- Ashe, Sydney CBD
- Flaminia, Circular Quay
- Lee Ho Fook, Sydney CBD
- South End, Newtown
- Stanley, Manly
One hat:
- Aenza, Darlinghurst
- Arthur, Surry Hills
- Avia, Darlinghurst
- Besa, Bondi
- Claret Club, Darlinghurst
- Esteban, Sydney CBD
- Farmhouse Kings Cross, Rushcutters Bay
- Felons Seafood, Manly
- Fratelli Paradiso, Potts Point
- Grill Americano, Sydney CBD
- Golden Century, Barangaroo
- Japasu by Sang, Zetland
- Joe’s Tavern, Newtown
- La Buvette, Potts Point
- Lo Presti’s, Redfern
- Olympic Meats, Marrickville
- The Palomar, Darlinghurst
- Paski Sopra, Paddington
- Pizza’Mare, Barangaroo
- Takam, Darlinghurst
- Tera Bar, Surry Hills
- Tida Persian Food, North Willoughby
- Trattoria Da Orazio, Rushcutters Bay
- Wai’s Omakase, Surry Hills
- Watermans, Barangaroo
The venues that held onto their hats
For the first time since 1988, just two restaurants have been awarded Sydney’s coveted three hats. Leading the pack are Sixpenny in Stanmore and Saint Peter in Paddington, the crème de la crème of the city’s dining scene, with Sixpenny also taking home the prestigious Restaurant of the Year title.
Three hats
- Saint Peter, Paddington
- Sixpenny, Stanmore
Two hats
- a’Mare, Barangaroo
- Aalia, Sydney
- Allta, Surry Hills
- Aria, Circular Quay
- Bathers’ Pavilion, Balmoral Beach
- Bennelong, Circular Quay
- Berowra Waters Inn, Berowra Waters
- Cafe Paci, Newtown
- Eleven Barrack, CBD
- Ester, Chippendale
- Firedoor, Surry Hills
- Garaku, CBD
- Gran Torino, Double Bay
- Grandfathers, CBD
- The Grill at The International, CBD
- Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi
- King Clarence, CBD
- LuMi Dining, Pyrmont
- Margaret, Double Bay
- Omakase by Prefecture 48, CBD
- Ormeggio at The Spit, Mosman
- Pilu at Freshwater, Freshwater
- Porcine, Paddington
- Porteno, Surry Hills
- Rockpool Bar & Grill, CBD
- Shell House Dining Room & Terrace, CBD
- Sushi Oe, Pyrmont
- Vin-Cenzo’s, Darlinghurst
- Woodcut, Barangaroo
- Yellow, Potts Point
- Yoshii’s Omakase, Barangaroo
One hat
- 10 William St, Paddington
- 20 Chapel, Marrickville
- Abhi’s Indian Restaurant, Strathfield
- Amuro, Darlinghurst
- Ante, Newtown
- Attenzione! Food & Wine, Redfern
- Baba’s Place, Marrickville
- Bar Copains, Surry Hills
- Bessie’s, Surry Hills
- Bistro George, CBD
- Canvas, Circular Quay
- Catalina, Rose Bay
- The Charles Brasserie & Bar, CBD
- Cho Cho San, Potts Point
- Cibaria, Manly
- Civico 47, Paddington
- Clam Bar, CBD
- Continental Deli, Newtown
- Corner 75, Randwick
- Cricca, Windsor
- The Dry Dock, Balmain
- Firepop, Enmore
- Fontana, Redfern
- Gildas, Surry Hills
- Haco, Sydney
- Ho Jiak Town Hall, CBD
- Infinity by Mark Best, CBD
- Ito, Surry Hills
- Jane, Surry Hills
- Kiln, Surry Hills
- Kindred, Darlington
- Kisuke, Potts Point
- Loulou Bistro Milsons Point, CBD
- Maiz, Newtown
- Matkim, CBD
- Maydanoz, CBD
- Mister Grotto, Newtown
- Mu Omakase, Canberra
- Neptune’s Grotto, CBD
- Nour, Surry Hills
- Olympus Dining, Redfern
- Osteria di Russo & Russo, Enmore
- Osteria Mucca, Newtown
- Otto Ristorante, Woolloomooloo
- Palazzo Salato, CBD
- Pellegrino 2000, Surry Hills
- Poly, Surry Hills
- Porkfat, Haymarket
- Postino Osteria, Summer Hill
- RAFI, North Sydney
- Restaurant Ka, Darlinghurst
- Sala, Pyrmont
- Sean’s, Bondi
- Sinclair’s, Penrith
- Taste of Shunde, Hurstville
- Viand, Woolloomooloo
- Vineria Luisa, Enmore
- White Horse, Surry Hills
- Yan, Wolli Creek
- Yeodongsik, Eastwood
The lost hats
The Good Food Guide recorded a net increase in Sydney’s hatted restaurants this year, but not every venue came out on top. The CBD was among the hardest hit, with several city restaurants, including The Gidley and Loulou Bistro, losing their hats.
Here’s the full list of restaurants that lost their hats this year.
From two to one
- Spice Temple, Sydney CBD
From one to none
- Bastardo, Surry Hills
- The Cut Bar & Grill, The Rocks
- Da Orazio, Bondi
- The Dining Room (formerly The Dining Room by James Viles), The Rocks
- The Gidley, Sydney CBD
- Ibushi, Sydney CBD
- Kuon Omakase, Sydney CBD
- Loulou Bistro Martin Place, Sydney CBD
- R by Raita Noda, Redfern
- Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant, Haymarket
- Sokyo, Pyrmont
- Sydney Common, Sydney CBD
- Tilda, Sydney CBD
The other big winners
- Oceania Cruises Chefs of the Year: Hussein Sarhan and Alex Tong, South End, Newtown
- Bar of the Year: Vespertine, CBD
- Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Monique Guest, Saint Peter, Paddington
- T2 Cafe of the Year: Taguan, Darlington
- Sommelier of the Year: Zoe Brunton
- Drinks List of the Year: Saint Peter, Paddington
- Pub of the Year: The Carlisle Castle Hotel, Newtown
- Young Chef of the Year: Peter Fiander, Osteria Luna, CBD
- Bill Granger Trailblazer Award presented by SevenRooms: Ahana Dutt, Kolkata Social
You can check out the official Good Food Guide Awards here.
