The verdict is in and Canberra is still a foodie's paradise, according to the country's definitive food guide.
Twenty-two restaurants made the cut for this year's Good Food Guide, and seven scored a hat, with Pilot maintaining its two-hat status for another year. You'll find a full list of those restaurants at the end of this article.
And last year's new restaurant of the year, Such and Such, this year picked up an award for Sommelier of the Year, for Caitlin Baker.
Guide editor Callan Boys said several new restaurants didn't make the cut due to low scores, and newish Manuka bar Oh No! dropped out of this year's guide due to a lower score than last year.
But the roll-call of inclusions was testament to the eclectism of Canberra's food scene, including Canteen, Terra, Bada Bing, Lamsheds Food + Wine, Beltana Farm and Compa.
All up, Boys said Canberra was consistently punching above its weight as one of the most interesting places to eat in Australia.
"The most exciting restaurants in Canberra continue to come from young, independent operators with their own point-of-view, such as Paranormal Wines, Pilot, Onzieme, Minima and Dada, rather than deep-pocketed hotel and restaurant groups," he said.
"You can't underestimate the influence of Bar Rochford in creating a fresh, vibrant food scene in the capital when it opened in 2016, building on what Hotel Hotel and Monster started when they launched in the NewActon precinct in 2013.
"It's a shame that Hotel Hotel's new owner, Ovolo, hasn't quite maintained its level of style and quality, but at least NewActon still has the excellent Rebel Rebel."
He had high praise for Such and Such's wine list, and for the woman in charge of it.
"The intent of Such and Such's wine list is clear from the get-go - 'Wine should be accessible, not used to create exclusion or draw boundaries of superiority'. Indeed," he said.
"Baker's support of independent producers who respect the land is unwavering, plus she's a gun on the floor, always finding the precise pour for each guest.
Baker is also the founder of Venus Vinifera, a not-for-profit for women, non-binary people and those with trans experience based in Canberra, running specialised education events and creating safer spaces.
Boys said he was keen to check out AK's, the new food cart at Nishi opened last month by Anand Kumar, the former chef at XO, which closed last year, but it hadn't opened in time for the guide's print deadline.
Another conspicuous absence is Louis, the new venture by Ben Willis, whose high-end restaurant Aubergine was consistently hatted throughout the years, but closed in 2022.
Sadly, one restaurant that did make the list, Miss Van's, closed abruptly last month, after the print deadline.
It's one of several recent high-profile closures, in what has been a difficult period for the industry. Just last week, French bistro Ondine announced it would close by the end of the year.
But with several high-profile openings in the past few months that would be contenders for next year - including Lunetta and Carlotta - Boys said Canberra had plenty going for it.
"It remains my favourite city to eat and drink and gallery-hop in Australia, but please - can someone please open a great boutique hotel?" he said.
"I don't want to go on about it, but Hotel Hotel is dearly missed."
Canberra restaurants featured in this year's guide
Click or touch on the restaurant's name to read our review of it.
- Canteen
- Miss Vans (which sadly closed after our print deadline)
- Terra
- Wine Room
- Bada Bing Dining Club
- Minima
- Paranormal Wines
- Corella
- Eightysix South
- Lamsheds Food + Wine
- Beltana Farm
- Compa
- Dada
- Peonee
