2014 GAULT&MILLAU SYDNEY RESTAURANT GUIDE LAUNCHES

By Thang Ngo

Last night, Australia’s newest restaurant guide, 2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide was launched.

Media Release and list of awarded restaurant below. Note, three hatted Restaurant Atelier* will close 31 December 2013.

MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 12 November: The 2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide (The Yellow Guide), Sydney’s only independent, internationally recognised restaurant guide, has arrived and is now available to the public following last night’s official launch to 300 of Sydney’s best chefs, restaurant owners, media and industry advocates at Salt Meats Cheese in Alexandria.

More than 300 restaurants across Sydney, from casual eats through to fine dining, have been reviewed in the guide and awarded between one and five hats. Momofuku Seiobo, Quay and Sepia took out top honours, each receiving five hats placing them on the same international platform as fellow Gault&Millau five hat recipients in Europe, Hof van Cleve (Belgium), Restaurant Guy Savoy (France), Obauer (Austria) and cementing them as truly exceptional.

As well as offering the Gault&Millau opinion on many of the city’s firm favourites, the guide has uncovered many hidden gems including Bei Amici in Darling Point (three hats), Clareville Kiosk in Clareville (three hats), Bistro Boulevard in Avalon (three hats), Busshari in Potts Point (three hats), and Tastevin Bistro & Wine Bar in Darlinghurst (three hats).

Chief Australian Judge Mark Dorrell gave guests an insight in to what trends the judging team noticed amongst the 300 plus restaurants reviewed this year:
* A heightened passion for sourcing the very best produce amongst our chefs
* A clear divide in restaurants who adopt a strong team spirit between front of house and the kitchen
* Younger chefs pushing the boundaries of taste and presentation

Gault&Millau’s Chief Judge Marc Esquerre travelled from France to Australia to review a number of restaurants himself and said he was particularly impressed with the dedication of younger chefs in Sydney and the quality of menu they are producing.

Publisher Fritz Gubler noted that it is not just fine dining that Sydney does well, with the city playing host to some hidden gems that don’t break the budget.

“We have come across some superb restaurants during the reviewing process and that’s the point of this guide – highlighting where you can find the very best food in Sydney. Whether it’s fine dining for special occasions or casual neighbourhood eateries for a mid-week bite, we trust that we have brought some restaurants out of the shadows and in to the hands of Sydney diners.”

The Guide is divided per suburb, allowing the reader to easily locate great eateries in their desired neighbourhood, as well as offering an A-Z index for diners with a specific restaurant in mind and an index by cuisine. In addition to restaurant reviews, the guide also features Q&As with some of Sydney’s leading chefs, a list of the city’s best providores and a breakdown of the best restaurants based on location.

Established for more than 40 years, Gault&Millau uses the same internationally respected judging criteria world-wide, which places more of a focus on the chefs and their food and less on ambience, décor, location and etiquette than other restaurant guides. Each restaurant is awarded points and those with 11 or more points receiving hats, ranging from one to five.

The 2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide is Sydney’s only independent, internationally recognised restaurant guide and can be purchased exclusively from Salt Meats Cheese in Alexandria until Thursday 14th November when it will also be available from all good bookstores and newsagents. RRP $24.95 for the book or available now online for a $15 online-only subscription at www.gaultmillau.com.au.

About Gault&Millau

Gault&Millau was founded in 1972 by Henri Gault and Christian Millau who were journalists for a Parisian newspaper and built up a following for their various columns and features. They established their first guide to Paris, Le Guide Juillard, in 1962 and in 1969 they launched their own monthly magazine called Gault&Millau, which was devoted to food and wine.

In 1972, they launched their first independent guide to French restaurants, Gault&Millau and it was an instant success, selling more than 150,000 copies in a month.

Gault&Millau guides are now produced in seven countries including Australia, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Austria and Germany with more to follow.

List of Hatted Sydney Restaurants