Hugh Allen becomes first Australian chef to lead two three-hatted restaurants simultaneously

Chef Hugh Allen has again made Australian dining history, becoming the first chef in the country to lead two three-hatted restaurants at the same time.

Now 30, the Yiaga and Vue de Monde chef reached the milestone after Besha Rodell’s Good Food review awarded Yiaga three hats. Allen first made headlines in 2022 when, aged 27, he became the youngest chef in three decades to receive three hats. Three years on, he has repeated the achievement — this time across two venues.

Despite opening only late last year, Yiaga was described by The Age’s chief restaurant critic as “one of the best restaurants in the country”, praising food that is “personal, considered, delicious” and a venue where even the chairs were “by far the most beautiful I’ve encountered”.

“If I had the means,” she wrote, “I’d fly in from just about anywhere to eat here. Isn’t that the very definition of world-class?”

Yiaga received a Good Food score of 18 out of 20, reflecting “excellence in all areas” across food, hospitality, experience, setting and value. It joins Amaru, Brae, Minamishima and Vue de Monde as 1 of only 5 Victorian venues to hold the rating.

Allen credited a wider group for the outcome. “While I’m of course proud, I do find the attention slightly embarrassing because this never is – and never can be – about one person,” he said.

“There’s a big team behind the dining experience: of course the restaurant team, but also the producers, farmers, fishers, architects and craftspeople. It goes on.”

He said he was proud of the culture at Yiaga. “If we can work at the level we aspire to, while also being a fun, rewarding and inspiring place to work, that will be the ultimate win for me,” Allen said.

“It’s taken many years of hard work, and as one of my greatest inspirations, Roger Federer, says, ‘effortless is a myth’. Everyone involved has worked incredibly hard for this.”

Age Good Food Guide co-editor Emma Breheny said the operational and financial hurdles of sustaining 2 top-tier venues mean most chefs pursue more casual offshoots after reaching three hats. “Even the most driven chefs are usually happy to reach the three-hat pinnacle and then open more casual spin-offs,” she said.

Yiaga — meaning “to seek and find” in Woiwurrung — is Allen’s first restaurant as an owner and is backed by Far East Organization, parent company of the Vue Group. The 44-seat venue offers a 12-course experience priced at $295 per person, excluding wine.

Rodell noted Yiaga could still improve, citing an “uneven” drinks program, limited affordable local wines and no cocktails — but its debut three-hat status places it in rare company.

Jonathan Jackson, 28^th January 2026