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Australian Gourmet Pages Restaurant of the Year 2008
Acres of rich food, gallons of wine and barrels of the finest whiskey. Poor old Franz Scheurer battles the best and worst of Australia's restaurant industry (well, mostly the best, to be honest) to bring his eager readers the (not-so) skinny on what's hot in the world of food and booze.
Each year, this committed gastronome shortlists his favourite food meccas in the country, finally awarding his chosen restaurant of the year on August 1. This year's lucky winner is Aria, which Scheurer described as having "consistently superb food, personal service and one of the best views in Sydney, ergo the world."
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1
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Aria
Sydney
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Aria's not a new restaurant on the food scene, but Matt Moran's delicately balanced cuisine continues to strike a chord with Scheurer. He was particularly impressed by the portion sizes, noting that, while many of Aria's contemporaries seem to associate glamorous food with microscopic portions, Moran has a blessedly heavy hand with the ladle.
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2
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Astral
Pyrmont
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Casinos are better known for painfully flashing lights and the pervading aroma of desperation than for beautifully elegant dining, but Astral is a heck of an exception. Scheurer reckons this place is a bit of a secret foodie fave, but he willingly spills the beans on Sean Connolly's modern French food.
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3
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The Bentley Restaurant and Bar
Surry Hills
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Scheurer describes chef Brent Savage's food as "sometimes confronting but never boring or bland." When you eat out as much as this hard-working critic, haute cuisine such as this must offer a refreshing difference, particularly when served with the spot-on wine matches of sommelier Nick Hildebrandt.
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4
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Bistro Guillaume
Southbank
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Guillaume at Bennelong in Sydney took the top gong in 2004 and now chef Guillaume Brahimi's new Melbourne venture is in the running. Scheurer was impressed enough to consider relocated his office to the downstairs bar, so I'd say Guillaume's chances are strong.
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5
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Bistro Vue
Melbourne
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Another younger sibling makes the cut with chef Shannon Bennett's bistro making a good impression. Vue de Monde won the title in 2005, but Bistro Vue is much more relaxed, a very different kettle of fish to Bennett's big-name fine diner.
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6
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Icebergs Dining Room and Bar
Bondi Beach
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Icebergs has been around for awhile, but has so far been pipped at the post by other high-profile diners. However, the restaurant's glitzy beach views haven't gotten less impressive with age and the kitchen's deceptively simple food had Scheurer singing its praises.
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7
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Pilu at Freshwater
Harbord
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Pilu's glamorous beachside location made a great first impression with Scheurer, but it was chef Giovanni Pilu's Sardinian-influenced cooking that had the critic raving, "This is one of the pasta dishes that I will remember many years from now".
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 flagging ...
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