A number of Canberra restaurants have been recognised for their excellence at the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) Chef Hats awards handed out earlier this week.
Six ACT restaurants were awarded two hats, with Pilot in Ainslie topping the list with a score of 15, while another 16 local eateries were awarded one hat.
OTIS Dining Hall in Kingston was awarded two hats for a remarkable third year in a row, with Executive Chef and Owner Damian Brabender saying it was a testament to the restaurant’s continued excellence.
“OTIS is incredibly proud to have been awarded 2 Chef Hats by the Australian Good Food Guide for the third year in a row,” said Brabender.
“The awards represent and acknowledge strong commitment, high standards and consistency. These are three of the main focuses of the team at OTIS so we hold these awards in the highest esteem.
“The judging focuses so strongly on the food on offer in the country’s top venues, so this really is a well deserved acknowledgment of the hard work by our head chef Adam Wilson and sous chef Jason Gould who are currently releasing new menus for the restaurant.
“We are so grateful to our staff and our amazing customers, who even after six years continue to pour in the door for yet another OTIS pepper steak. As mentioned earlier, consistency is key after all.”
The other Canberra restaurants to receive two hats were The Boat House, Raku Dining, Table by Canberra Gourmet, and Pavilion Dining at Pialligo Estate.
For any Canberrans interested on a road trip or are simply passing through, there were seven restaurants in the NSW Southern Highlands region to receive honours, with Eschalot and Birch receiving two chef hats.
AGFG Chef Hats have been around since 1982 and are awarded for the food alone with restaurants scored out of 20. Scores between 20 and 16 are awarded three hats, 15 and 14 receive two hats, while 12 and 13 receive one hat. Click here to see all Chef Hat winners across Australia.
Full list of ACT Chef Hat award winners:
Two hats
- Pilot – 15
- OTIS Dining Hall – 14
- The Boat House – 14
- RAKU – 14
- Table by Canberra Gourmet – 14
- Pavilion Dining – 14
One hat
- Brunello – 13
- Monster Kitchen & Bar – 13
- Les Bistronomes – 13
- Courgette – 13
- Water’s Edge – 12
- Pomegranate – 12
- Vincent – 12
- Italian & Sons – 12
- Morks – 12
- Bar Rochford – 12
- Inka – 12
- XO – 12
- Temporada – 12
- Onzieme – 12
- Corella – 12
- Mu – 12
NSW Southern Highlands Chef Hat winners:
Two hats
One hat
- Grazing in Gundaroo – 13
- Paste Australia in Mittagong – 13
- Hordern’s in Bowral – 12
- Berrima Vault House – 12
- Mount Ashby Estate in Moss Vale – 12
What’s your favourite restaurant in Canberra? Tell us in the comments below or email [email protected]