Hugh Allen makes Good Food Guide history with double win as Yiaga claims top honours

Chef Hugh Allen has become the first chef in 13 years to take out both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year at The Age Good Food Guide Awards, with his three-hatted Fitzroy Gardens fine diner Yiaga leading a night of Victorian hospitality celebrations.

Allen collected the Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year and T2 Tea Restaurant of the Year awards at the Guide’s 46th annual ceremony, held on Monday afternoon at The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne. The last chef to win both in the same year was Ben Shewry of Attica in 2013.

Yiaga was also awarded three hats, joining Amaru, Brae, Minamishima and Vue de Monde as the state’s fifth triple-crowned restaurant. Allen is also executive chef of Vue de Monde, making him the first chef in Australia to lead two three-hatted restaurants at the same time. In 2022, aged 27, he became the youngest chef in three decades to earn three hats.

Guide co-editor Emma Breheny said Yiaga was a standout. “To me, Yiaga feels like a once-in-a-generation restaurant opening,” she said. “It’s not even 12 months old and it’s already getting global recognition.”

“It was such a big, bold gamble to invest so much in a fine-dining restaurant in the current climate, and it’s just so well realised,” Breheny said.

Co-editor Frank Sweet said Allen’s leadership set him apart. “His is a name that’s making waves around the world at the moment,” he said.

Other major winners

Nearly 500 chefs, restaurant owners and food personalities attended the ceremony. Key awards included:

• New Restaurant of the Year: Roma, Con Christopoulos’ CBD trattoria

• Regional Restaurant of the Year: Barragunda, Cape Schanck

• Bar of the Year: Three Horses, from the team behind Caretaker’s Cottage

• Pub of the Year: Alpine Hotel, Warburton

• T2 Tea Cafe of the Year: Cham, West Melbourne

• Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Ainslie Lubbock, Pt Leo Estate

• Legend Award: Joseph Abboud, founder of Rumi, which opened 20 years ago

• Trailblazer Award: Samuel Fraraccio, known as The Brick Chef, who builds wood grills and ovens for many of the city’s kitchens

• Critics’ Pick of the Year: Sagye, a casual city eatery dedicated to Korean gomtang beef soup

Breheny said Roma’s confidence set it apart. “This one really stood out against the same-ification we’re seeing in so many parts of our lives, including restaurants,” she said.

Sweet said the Guide rewards excellence at every price point. “We’re looking for excellence all across the price spectrum,” he said. “The cheapest bill in this year’s Guide was $68, and that got you a feast of Indonesian dishes.”

Full list of winners

• T2 Tea Restaurant of the Year: Yiaga

• Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year: Hugh Allen, Yiaga

• New Restaurant of the Year: Roma

• Regional Restaurant of the Year: Barragunda

• Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Ainslie Lubbock, Pt Leo Estate

• Young Chef of the Year: Kimberly Tang, Ca Com

• Katie McCormack Young Service Talent Award: Kye Connors, Carnation Canteen

• Sommelier of the Year: Charles Duan, Restaurant Gaea

• Legend Award: Joseph Abboud

• Drinks List of the Year: Cote Basque

• T2 Tea Cafe of the Year: Cham

• Bar of the Year: Three Horses

• Pub of the Year: Alpine Hotel Warburton

• Critics’ Pick Award: Sagye

• Trailblazer Award: Samuel Fraraccio, The Brick Chef

• Food for Good Award: Combat MSA

• Cultural Change Champion: Safe Staff, Safe Venues

Jonathan Jackson, 13th October 2026