Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards names Onzieme Canberra's best for 2024

He succeeded and now the Kingston restaurant has been named as the ACT's top restaurant in the 2024 Gourmet Traveller annual awards.

Onzieme was nominated for best new restaurant in the 2023 awards and the judging panel of Australia's longest-running restaurant awards had been keeping a close eye on the venue ever since.

"Nothing appears to work too hard in this handsome 30-seater," the citation read.

"Not the pendant lights, bentwood chairs or trim list of low-intervention wines.

"Yet, it becomes clear pretty quickly just how much padding goes on beneath Onzieme's relaxed surface.

"Chef-owner Louis Couttoupes changes his menu daily, coaxing huge flavours from hyper-local produce at its seasonal peak.

"That same passion for provenance isn't lost on the crack young floor team, who know their cues, and help steer the flexible dining format with generosity and warmth.

"Consider it the platonic ideal of the neighbourhood neo-bistro."

Onzieme takes the mantle of the top spot off Pilot, which had been the Gourmet Traveller ACT No.1 for the past two years.

The Pilot team's new venue, Such and Such, was nominated for best new restaurant, but lost out to Melbourne's Serai. Pilot/Such and Such co-owner Dash Rumble was nominated for restaurant personality of the year, but lost out to Louise Radman, from Hobart's Institut Polaire.

Restaurant of the year went to Agnes in Brisbane, where chef Ben Williamson rules supreme over the multiple fire pits with an equal eye on the menu and service.

National chef of the year was won by Hugh Allen from Melbourne's Vue de Monde. Not yet 30, Allen has been responsible for a revamp of the iconic Melbourne restaurant, with another facelift in the wings.

READ MORE ABOUT ONZIEME HERE:

The new readers' choice icon award, as voted by readers, was awarded to Brae, chef Dan Hunter's paddock-to-plate fine diner from a remote patch of beautiful countryside in Birregurra, Victoria.

Other state winners included Aalia (Sydney); Agnes (Brisbane); Restaurant Botanic (Adelaide); Peppina (Hobart); Etta (Melbourne); and Millbrook (Jarrahdale, WA).

At the awards dinner at Brasserie 1930, inside Sydney's new Capella venue, Sean Moran from Sean's Panorama in Bondi - now known simply as "Sean's" - received a standing ovation as he was honoured with this year's outstanding contribution to hospitality. The industry veteran will celebrate 30 years of his iconic Bondi restaurant this year, which first introduced the harbour city to farm-to-table dining in 1993.

For a full list of winners, stories behind the restaurants and the 2024 Restaurant Guide, purchase the September issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale Monday, August 28.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: