What does it take to stand out from the pack in 2026 when our dining scene is broader than ever?
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scene → take → 2026
The finalists for The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s three biggest awards – celebrating chefs, front-of-house and definitive restaurants – prove that excellence comes in many forms.
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excellence → celebrate → forms
It might mean pouring warm cups of barley tea for the line of guests queueing patiently outside your restaurant.
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It → mean → restaurant
Going deep on time-honoured French technique, or taking Greek dining to places it’s never been before in this city.
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it → go → city
It could be the simple act of consistently helping diners build the perfect meal, or the very complicated one of grinding fish bones into noodles with enviable spring and bounce.
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diners → help → spring
Whatever their stripe, these 16 individuals and venues have turned heads this year.
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individuals → turn → heads
They’re vastly different, but one thing they do share is that they all make this state a far better place to eat and drink.
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state → ’re → ?
The winners of all three awards – the Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award, T2 Tea Restaurant of the Year and Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year – will be announced at the Good Food Guide Awards on Monday, October 26.
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winners → announce → Monday
It’s hard to imagine Haymarket’s Porkfat without the beautiful, warm and sincere service of Boonyalit Boonprakong, or “Boon”, as everyone calls him.
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everyone → ’ → him
Boonprakong says he inherited his skills from his mum, who ran a restaurant in Thailand, and he later worked under Sydney Thai legend David Thompson at Long Chim.
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he → say → Chim
He always knows how to guide you to a suite of dishes to make a perfect meal, and even manages to get a restaurant full of diners to sing Happy Birthday and not feel silly.
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restaurant → know → Birthday
Justin Shin, Yeodongsik
Not every Korean soup restaurant in Sydney has a queue like Yeodongsik’s, and the move to larger digs in Eastwood has seemingly only increased demand.
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move → have → demand
No matter, since owner Justin Shin even turns standing in line into a pleasure.
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Shin → turn → pleasure
The system is elite, and Shin is known for handing out warm cups of barley tea to guests as they wait.
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they → know → guests
Inside, he keeps eyes on everything, answering questions, and advising first-timers on how to season their soup or shake their makgeolli.
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he → keep → makgeolli
A business run with love – that’s a model for small operators everywhere.
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that → run → operators
Gianluca Esposto, Maestro Hospitality
You see him here; you see him there.
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you → see → him
You see him at a’Mare pounding tableside pesto; at Vineria Luisa seating walk-ins from Enmore Road; at Postino Osteria recommending the saltimbocca to Summer Hill long-lunchers.
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Osteria → see → lunchers
You can see Italian-born Esposto everywhere Alessandro and Anna Pavoni run a restaurant through Maestro Hospitality, but perhaps what you don’t see is the executive general manager’s attention to every operational detail, and his commitment to staff development.
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see → see → development
Few front-of-house professionals balance warmth and efficiency like Trinder, who longtime Good Food readers will remember from her years running Buzo and Vincent in Woollahra.
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readers → balance → Woollahra
Today, she makes everyone who visits Osteria Mucca (part of Newtown’s Paisano and Daughters precinct with Continental Deli) feel like an old friend, whether it’s your first visit or fifth dinner that month, while helping the next generation of restaurant talent learn how hospitality is properly done.
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hospitality → make → talent
Monique Guest, Saint Peter
The Saint Peter story is usually about the food, but recently it’s been about how everything else has upped its game.
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everything → up → game
On the floor, that’s down to Monique Guest, who came up in London’s pub scene,
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who → ’ → scene
Under Guest, Saint Peter’s service has become world-class.
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service → become → Guest
There’s personality, but the team doesn’t miss a beat, whether describing dishes, co-ordinating drops, or refreshing a cocktail glass that’s (God forbid) gotten just a little too warm.
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God → ’ → glass
The prawn and jellyfish salad tells you all you need to know about Grandfathers.
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you → tell → Grandfathers
Cool slippery ribbons from the sea, juicy prawn and the tingling hum of Sichuan peppercorns create a what-the-hell-just-happened moment that transforms nostalgic “Friday night Chinese” into something fresh and new.
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that → tingle → something
Glass tanks filled with decorative fish, half-moon booths, cabaret lamps and a clubby bar set the scene.
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tanks → fill → scene
Porcine, Paddington
Nicholas Hill and Matt Fitzgerald’s upstairs bistro has been Sydney’s favourite hangout for terrine, pâté and gougeres (and the occasional whole guinea fowl served over three courses) for the past five years.
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bistro → serve → years
But since turning the former P&V bottleshop below the restaurant into wine bar L’Avant Cave, Porcine feels even more confident and precise without losing the charm.
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Porcine → turn → charm
Saint Peter, Paddington
Saint Peter has gone deep on seafood ever since it opened.
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it → go → seafood
Exactly 10 years later, what’s remarkable is how the rest has evolved.
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rest → ’ → ?
There’s an in-house drinks program, waitstaff who’ll nail the timing on co-ordinated drops, and a world-class wine list.
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who → ’ → drops
On the plate, provenance, sustainability and technique take precedence, from the oyster service to the charcuterie course featuring a pinwheel of tarts almost too pretty to eat.
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provenance → take → tarts
Sixpenny, Stanmore
A subtle renovation has made Sydney’s most senior three-hatter even more essential, as has a menu that builds in natural peaks.
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that → make → peaks
Here’s a pretty plate of vegetables – puntarelle, crystal ice plant – each brushed or smeared or stuffed with a delicious fermented cream, paste or oil.
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each → ’ → cream
Even the signature raspberry-custard dessert has gotten a glow-up.
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dessert → get → up
Vin-Cenzo’s, Darlinghurst
This is a place where time extends and stretches out.
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time → extend → ?
Candles flicker, a sphere of fior di latte gelato melts slowly over warm fig and olive oil cake.
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sphere → flicker → cake
Waiters live and breathe it, too.
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Waiters → live → it
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
