Yiaga named Visa One to Watch for 2026 at The 50 Best Restaurants
Yiaga has been named the winner of the Visa One to Watch Award for 2026 by The 50 Best Restaurants.
The award "celebrates an emerging restaurant with exceptional potential to become a leading name in the industry in the years ahead", and will be presented at a ceremony in Lima, Peru, on November 4. The 50 Best Restaurants was formerly known as The World's 50 Best Restaurants, before a recent rebrand.
The Fitzroy Gardens restaurant from chef-owner Hugh Allen, opened last October after six years of planning. Allen has been busy over the last 12 months, balancing his duties at Yiaga with his continued service as executive chef at three-hatted Vue De Monde.
Yiaga’s win follows a run of recognition for the venue. In January, The Age's Good Food Guide awarded Yiaga three hats, a rare result for a brand-new restaurant. It also made Allen the first Australian chef to hold three Good Food hats at two restaurants simultaneously.
Rachael Hogg, senior content editor for The 50 Best Restaurants, said the restaurant stood out for its distinctly Australian identity.
"Yiaga stood out because it's a real love letter to Australia," Hogg said. "The team seamlessly connects the food on the plate with the restaurant's natural surroundings, through to the restaurant's design, where Australian materials and local craftsmanship elevate every single touchpoint of the dining experience."
Allen, who became a father three weeks ago, said the news came at the end of a demanding stretch.
"It's been hectic," a sleep-deprived Allen said, having been up all night with a newborn. "But it's amazing to have this happen in our first year."
He credited the wider Yiaga team for the result, including head chef Michael McAuley, and pointed to the artisans behind the venue's fit-out, from the handmade bricks in its walls to the dining chairs, as well as the bespoke pottery made for specific dishes. He also praised the restaurant's setting, calling Fitzroy Gardens "one of the best parks in the world".
Past winners of the award include Barcelona's Disfrutar (2017), later named The World's Best Restaurant 2024; California's SingleThread (2018); and London's Ikoyi (2021), which placed No.15 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list last year. Sydney's Sepia, run by chef-owner Martin Benn and co-owner Vicki Wild, won in 2015 and went on to debut at number 84 on the 51–100 list.
Allen hopes to develop Yiaga into a hub for culinary learning and community.
Jonathan Jackson, 6th October 2026
