Pink Moon Saloon Wins Bar of the Year, SA Restaurants Hold Steady in National Awards

In a massive coup for Adelaide’s small-bar scene, the locally-designed Leigh Street icon Pink Moon Saloon has picked up the prestigious Bar of the Year award ahead of the two Melbourne finalists, Smalls and Bar Liberty in only its first year of operation. Other Adelaide nominees in the Maitre’D of the Year  and Wine List of the Year  categories (Africola’s Nikki Friedli and Restaurant Blackwood respectively) failed to win.

The Leigh Street bar is known for its unique design and high quality service

In the list of Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants, Orana has held its no. 10 spot for the second year in a row, while Magill Estate dropped from no. 11 to 13. In the middle of the pack, this year sees Hentley Farm leap over Africola in the rankings, moving from no. 67 to no. 54, though Africola did also see a bump from no. 60 to no. 57. Momofuku Seiobo took out top honours in the Sydney and Melbourne dominated list, beating out Attica and Brae. Botanic Gardens Restaurant was a new entrant to the list, placing at no. 86, while previous place-getters have dropped out. Appellation, which sat at no. 54, and Peel Street, which held no. 81, have fallen out of the top 100 entirely, but still hold places in the South Australian city and regional top 10 lists.

Read our review of Restaurant Orana

On the weekend The Australian also announced its top 50 restaurants nation-wide, including Restaurant Orana, Africola, Magill Estate, FINO Seppltsfield, Peel Street and Osteria Oggi which was also named SA’s Hottest Restaurant. The Australian named Sydney’s The Bridgeroom as Australia’s hottest restaurant and Clayton Wells from Automata as the country’s hottest chef. Top 10 of Gourmet Traveller’s Top 100 Restaurants nation-wide:

1. Momofuku Seiobo, Sydney
2. Attica, Melbourne
3. Brae, Birregurra
4. Quay, Sydney
5. Sepia, Sydney
6. Vue de Monde, Melbourne
7. The Bridge Room, Sydney
8. Bennelong, Sydney
9. Bentley, Sydney
10. Orana, Adelaide

Gourmet Traveller’s Top 10 Adelaide Restaurants

1. Orana
2. Penfolds Magill Estate
3. Africola
4. Botanic Gardens Restaurant
5. Osteria Oggi
6. Peel Street
7. Press Food & Wine
8. Chianti
9. Jolleys Boathouse
10. Blackwood

Gourmet Traveller’s Top 10 Regional South Australian Restaurants

1. Hentley Farm
2. Leonards Mill
3. The Lane Vineyard
4. Fino Seppeltsfield
5. Ferment Asian
6. Appellation
7. Salopian Inn
8. d’Arry’s Verandah
9. The Currant Shed
10. Ellen Street Restaurant

Gourmet Traveller’s full 2017 Australian Restaurant Guide is available now on newsstands.