How the Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide works

Welcome to the Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide, celebrating the best dining experiences to be found in Australia for the year ahead. Our team has travelled far and wide to visit — and revisit — dozens of restaurants, seeking out the most exceptional meals and memorable experiences in each state,

To earn a place in this guide, a restaurant must deliver on multiple fronts: service, ambience, décor, value, and of course, what's on the plate. Creativity and consistency are valued in equal measure. From dégustation-only fine-diners to casual wine bars serving sensational snacks, this guide is not limited to a single style of dining. Those featured represent the very best of what they do and deliver on what they promise.

More is more. That would appear to be the motto for restaurateurs in 2023, which has seen a glut of new openings take over our biggest cities as established operators continue to expand their empires. State borders are no longer an obstacle when it comes to how far hospitality groups can stretch, with several groups opening interstate — and more still to come. Not only are restaurant groups expanding, so too are the spaces they operate.

Both Sydney and Melbourne have welcomed a number of grand new dining rooms and multi-venue precincts, with capacity to serve more than 100 guests at a time.

While these new openings have dominated headlines and social feeds, you'll find only a handful have made it into this guide as many have yet to meet our requisite standards of excellence and consistency.

Not everyone is caught in the race to get big quick, however. A number of talented chefs have made a move to the regions, where they are taking a more considered, connected approach to cooking and hospitality with exciting results.

Meanwhile, many of Australia's most beloved establishments continue to evolve and adapt to diner demand, offering more affordable entry points and accessible menus. Our inside tip for those looking to keep costs down? Beware the snack menu, which never fails to inflate your bill with every delectable bite.

The guide is divided by states, with an individual winner leading each. All remaining entries are listed alphabetically and not ranked. Rather, every restaurant featured in this guide should be considered gold standard. All of the restaurant reviews were visited anonymously between March and June 2023 with reviewers paying their own way.

Average cost per diner, not including drinks.

$ = under $100
$$ = $100 to $175
$$$ = 175 to $250
$$$$ = $250 to $325
$$$$$ = $325+

Editor: Joanna Hunkin
Guide Editor: Matty Hirsch

State & territory editors
VIC & TAS: Michael Harden
NSW & ACT: Matty Hirsch
SA: Katie Spain
WA: Max Veenhuyzen

Reviewers
Elliot Baker, Alexandra Carlton, Gemima Cody, Fiona Donnelly, Larissa Dubecki, Michael Harry, Nicholas Jordan, Jordan Kretchmer, Tristan Lutze, Joanna Savill, Maggie Scardifield, Cordelia Williamson.