The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 is poised to launch, marking its 40th edition. The guide, a stalwart of the Australian culinary scene, has been recognising the country's best chefs and restaurants since 1984. This year's edition is a compilation of 500 independent reviews visited by a team of critics over the past eight months.

Saint Peter was named Victoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at an awards ceremony held at the Sydney Opera House. Paul Farag from Alalia won the Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year award. The inaugural Cultural Change Champion award was given to Women and Revolution. The late Bill Granger was posthumously awarded the Victoria Coffee Legend Award.

The Good Food Guide is also launching a new app, available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, or as a standalone subscription. The app will feature more than 900 reviews from the SMH and Age guides, serving as an interactive digital home for food and drink lovers.

The guide awarded 152 restaurants one or more hats, with four restaurants receiving three hats, 36 restaurants receiving two hats and 113 restaurants receiving one hat. A new award for Cultural Change Champion was introduced this year, with the inaugural award going to Women and Revolution. Bill Granger was posthumously awarded the Victoria Coffee Legend Award. The Bill Granger Trailblazer Award was given to Baba’s Place in Marrickville.

Firepop in Enmore was named New Restaurant of the Year, while You Beauty in Bangalow was named Regional Restaurant of the Year. The Critics’ Pick Of The Year was awarded to Gursha Ethiopian in Blacktown. Luke Bourke, sous chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill, was awarded Young Chef of the Year. The Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award was given to Maureen Er from The White Horse, in Surry Hills. Stonefruit restaurant and wine bar in Tenterfield was awarded Oceania Cruises Drinks List of the Year. Ona Coffee in Marrickville won Cafe of the Year, Double Deuce Lounge took out Best Bar, and Sommelier of the Year was awarded to Caitlin Baker from Such and Such in Canberra. The Food for Good award was given to Rice Fund, Soul of Chinatown.

Callan Boys, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide editor, said, “Baba’s Place is a celebration of the suburban Sydney experience, grounded in the stories of immigrant families and their shared experiences of food and cooking. Like Bill Granger’s cafes embodied a particular sense of Australia, Baba’s Place does the same, proudly drawing on the Lebanese, Macedonian and Greek heritages of its co-owners.”

Sarah Norris, Head of Food for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAToday, added, “While the Good Food Guide is the home of the hats, it continues to evolve across various price points, cuisines, styles and suburbs, offering an annual snapshot of the most exciting, outstanding venues you need to know about.” She further stated, “With money tighter than ever for most diners, people want to know where they should spend their money, and be able to trust those recommendations. The guide, and the new Good Food app, takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect spot for you to eat, no matter what the occasion.”