By Joseph Steele
It’s easy to talk about the perpetual tightrope of running a fine dining restaurant in a climate that increasingly seems to favour fast and casual. However, this year’s Chef Hat Awards tell a more nuanced story - one of ambition, resilience and an Australian dining scene that isn't just surviving, but evolving into one of the world’s most exciting.
Across the board, standards have lifted. Kitchens are more precise. Menus more thoughtful. There’s a deliberate refinement to the food, a matured sense of place. Provenance is no longer a buzzword but a baseline. Sustainability isn’t an afterthought, but a blueprint. Whether it’s closing the waste loop, leaning into hyper-local souring or rewriting the rules of what a modern Australian restaurant can look like, Chefs across the country are pushing.
This year’s Chef Hat movements reflect that shift. A shift not just in numbers, but in narrative.
Image: Sixpenny Sydney
The state of the industry may feel tough - and for many it is - but the results tell a story of creative momentum. Sixpenny in Sydney, already revered for it’s minimalist brilliance has ascending to the top of the Australian dining scene. One of only two restaurants to hit the rarefied heights of a 19 score.
In South Australia, the momentum is impossible to ignore. Maxwell’s Restaurant in McLaren Vale rises from a 16 to an 18 - bringing with it a new confidence in regional fine dining. LVN, nestled in the Adelaide Hills makes a serious leap from a 14 to 17, driven by a clear sense of place, while Luma, part of the new guard of Adelaide’s CBD, jumps from a 12 to 14 - proof that hotel dining, when done right, can deliver beyond expectations.
Queensland holds its own with Exhibition in Brisbane taking out the top spot for the state, climbing from a 17 to 18 while continuing to redefine the city’s narrative as a genuine fine-dining contender on the national scale.
Notable jumps:
Sixpenny, Sydney from an 18 to 19,
Luma, Adelaide from a 12 to 14
LVN, Adelaide Hills from a 14 to 17
Maxwell's Restaurant, McLaren Vale from a 16 to 18
Exhibition, Brisbane from a 17 to 18
Image: Anvers Wines
It’s not just established players making waves this year. This year’s debuts are arguably the most exciting aspect of the list. Restaurants that are walking into the industry with no ego, but with clarity and confidence.
Anvers Wines in McLaren Vale makes a historic entrance with a 17. A debut that hasn’t been seen in South Australia. Excelling in refined elegance and delivering exceptionally bold flavours, this is cooking with intent done right.
Garaku at Prefecture brings refined Japanese minimalism to Sydney and earns a sharp 14 right out of the gate. Part of the Prefecture 48 precinct, this is experiential Japanese dining at its most exciting.
Malin in Melbourne quietly asserts itself with a 14, delivering a journey of taste and imagination. It’s the crossroads of traditional techniques and modern expression, creating a tasting menu well deserving of the award.
Barragunda Dining on the Mornington Peninsula - a region fast becoming a culinary destination in its own right - has debuted with a 14. With a keen sense of place and an upmost respect for the produce being used, it is the absolute essence of modern Australian cuisine.
Suum in Brisbane makes its debut at a stellar 15, showcasing a stunningly refined take on Korean cuisine. With an ambience that commands attention and elegantly plated dishes that linger in your memory, Suums brings a new sensibility to Brisbane.
Oirthir in Bream Creek makes an impressive debut at 16. Marrying hyper-seasonality with storytelling. From perfectly planned architecture to deeply rustic dishes, this is a truly unique dining experience.
De’sendent in Margaret River lands at a 14, adding a new voice to the Western Australian dining narrative. Sleek and thoroughly modern without losing soul and warmth, de’scendent benefits from incredible local produce and knows exactly how to deliver it.
Image: Suum Brisbane
Notable Debuts:
Anvers Wines, McLaren Vale - 17 (a historic SA debut)
Oirthir, Hobart - 16
Suum, Brisbane - 15
Garaku at Prefecture, Sydney - 14
Anvers Wines, McLaren Vale - 17 (a historic SA debut)
Oirthir, Hobart - 16
Suum, Brisbane - 15
Garaku at Prefecture, Sydney - 14
Malin, Melbourne - 14
Barragunda Dining, Mornington Peninsula - 14
de'sendent, Margaret River - 14
What links all these movements, jumps and debuts is a shared sense of purpose. This isn’t an industry chasing trends, it’s one setting the tone. Chefs are looking inward - exploring terroir, collaborating with producers and building restaurants around ecosystems.
Refinement is not being used as a synonym for luxury. It’s about intent. Restraint. Creativity.
This year’s Chef Hat Awards are more than a list- they’re a map of where Australia’s culinary culture is heading. Whether you’re chasing quiet excellence, coastal indulgence or boundary-pushing fire and fermentation, the 2026 list is a guide worth savouring.
Find a venue near you. Book a table. Taste the momentum.
