Sydney seafood institution Saint Peter has claimed the top honour in Gourmet Traveller‘s Annual Restaurant Awards, with chef-owner Josh Niland accepting the prestigious Restaurant of the Year accolade with his signature humility.
“With a menu that honours the ocean’s bounty, and a commitment to superb service, Saint Peter is a shining example of what it means to be a world-class restaurant,” says Nicky Briger, Head of Luxury at Are Media (publisher of Gourmet Traveller).
For the first time in its 45-year history, the Awards were held in Tasmania, with the glittering gala event in The IXL Atrium at Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart attended by many of the country’s leading chefs and restaurant personalities.
Another Sydney restaurant, the waterfront Berowra Waters Inn, was awarded the Readers’ Choice Icon Award — the only award decided by public vote — with executive chef and owner Brian Geraghty accepting the honour for his riverfront cottage that has enamoured Sydneysiders for decades. The Best New Restaurant is the Lucas Group’s multi-level Parisian wonderland Maison Bâtard, and Brisbane’s small-but-stellar +81 Aizome Bar was named Bar of the Year.
Leaders of Australia’s restaurant landscape were acknowledged, from Tony Tan (Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality) for his decades-long career cooking and sharing knowledge, to Ozge Kalvo (Best New Talent) running the ever-packed Sydney restaurant Olympus. The peer-voted Chef of the Year went to Nik Hill of Porcine, and Melbourne’s Angie Giannakodakis was recognised as Restaurant Personality of the Year for her multidisciplined vision of hospitality at Taverna in Melbourne.
As the country’s only national restaurant awards program, state winners are awarded in addition to Restaurant of the Year. In 2025, these include Ross and Sunny Lusted’s Marmelo, in Victoria, solidifying the case for hotel restaurants; Phil Marchant’s sophisticated Essa in Queensland; the glamorous Gibney in Western Australia; and architectural icon Lunetta in the capital.
In South Australia, Clare Falzon’s Staġuni in Barossa took home State Winner and the award for Best Destination Dining, and last year’s Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year, The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant, retained its place as Tasmania’s State Winner. Founder Rodney Dunn was on hand to prepare the night’s menu, alongside the teams from noted local restaurants Fico and Omotenashi, with each venue presenting a course centred on exceptional Tasmanian produce.
Top Australian chefs, including Peter Gilmore, Analiese Gregory, Brent Savage, Christian Ryan, Massimo Mele, Daniel Puskas and Matt Breen, enjoyed the evening’s menu and celebrations of Australian hospitality’s industry standouts.
Congratulations to all winners of this year’s Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Awards.
State winners
- ACT: Lunetta, Canberra
- NSW: Saint Peter, Sydney
- VIC: Marmelo, Melbourne
- QLD: Essa, Brisbane
- SA: Staġuni, Barossa Valley
- TAS: The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant, New Norfolk
- WA: Gibney, Perth
The winners
Restaurant of the Year: Saint Peter
Sydney, NSW
Josh and Julie Niland’s globally acclaimed seafood restaurant continues to dazzle, with its upsize providing room for even more creativity.
Chef of the Year: Nik Hill
Porcine, NSW
As the only peer-voted award issued by Gourmet Traveller, this acknowledgment speaks to Hill’s steadfast commitment to executing excellence.
Best New Restaurant: Maison’s Bâtard
Melbourne, VIC
Delivering four levels of French extravagance is exactly how you might expect the Lucas Group to celebrate 30 years in the game.
Readers’ Choice Icon Award: Berowra Waters Inn
Sydney, NSW
Our only award to be determined by a public vote proves the enduring appeal of this riparian destination.
Best New Talent: Ozge Kalvo
Olympus Dining, NSW
As head chef at Sydney’s 200-seat Greek taverna, Kalvo shows she can manage scale with soul.
Giannakodakis has championed the art of hospitality (and every element of it) for over three decades.
Bar of the Year: +81 Aizome Bar
Brisbane, QLD
Japan’s love for artisan details meets a boundary-pushing approach to beverage development at this 10-seat expression of vibrant creativity.
Best Destination Dining: Staġuni
Barossa Valley, SA
Chef Clare Falzon’s Maltese heritage mingles with memories of a simpler time on the plate at this charming and authentic regional kitchen.
Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality: Tony Tan
Tony Tan’s Cooking School
From neighbourhood restaurants to his popular cooking schools, Tony Tan has been shaping the way we eat for over 40 years.
Full profiles of each of the winners, along with the Annual Restaurant Guide, feature in the September issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale Monday, 25 August 2025.
The Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards are presented by Lexus, with support from Tourism Tasmania, Wedgwood, PorkStar, Scanpan, MACq01, Petaluma Wines and LARK.
To see the full list of finalists in this year’s Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Awards, head over here.
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