Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards 2011

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One year after moving on from Sydney dining institution Tetsuya's to open his own restaurant, Marty Benn has been honoured with the coveted title of 2011 'Chef of the Year'. Irrefutable proof that Sydney's dining scene is as multicultural as ever, our best chef is now an Englishman who cooks Japanese food.

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There was a sense of inevitability about Marque winning the 'Restaurant of the Year' award. The service is polished, the wine list numbers among the best in Sydney, and the kitchen produces food that often becomes the stuff of legends (try the chocolate mousse ecrase and see if you can remember what a snow egg is). The team at yourRestaurants are tipping head chef Pasi Petanan's cuttlefish risotto to become the next big dish for contestants to butcher on MasterChef series three.

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Proving once and for all that taste is a subjective thing, Tetsuya's managed to simultaneously slip from its coveted three-hat rating at this year's awards and also pick up the top gong for 'People's Choice'. It seems that the people of Sydney think that Tets is as good as ever, even if the judges don't agree.

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Arguably the most prestigious award for young chefs in Australia, this year's 'Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year' is Quay's up and comer, Jason Saxby. Along with a trip overseas, a stage in one of Europe's top restaurants and $15,000 in prize money, Saxby also joins the lofty ranks of previous JP winners, including Mark Best (Marque), Dan Puskas (Sepia) and Phil Wood (Rockpool).

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With a career spanning almost 40 years, which includes some of the best restaurants Sydney has to offer, Peter Doyle has achieved what many chefs will only ever dream of. It is therefore only fitting that the man who has given so much to the Sydney dining scene takes out the 'Professional Excellence Award' at this year's night of nights.

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Neil Perry may be understandably more famous for his food than his wine but this is quickly changing. Not only did Perry nab five hats between his three restaurants, his flagship restaurant Rockpool has taken out the award for 'Wine List of the Year', and with a cellar boasting some 3700 drops at an estimated $40 million value it's hard to disagree with the judges.

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Aria's Matthew Dunne is a truly unique personality. He combines an irrefutable knowledge of wine with a charm and accessibility that is rare among serious wine boffins. Dunne now adds the 2011 'Sommelier of the Year' award to his previous nods for the 2009 'Best Wine List' and entry into the Australia s Wine List of the Year Awards 08 and 09 Hall of Fame.

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Proving that the best wine list isn't just about how big your ahem cellar is (and nabbing another wine win for Neil Perry), Spice Temple stood out among a field of worthy lists to take home the 'Small Wine List of the Year'. Eligible restaurants had to have a list of 100 wines or less and Spice Temple's is a glorious combination of refinement, food-matching and brevity.

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Not only did Lochiel take out this year's 'Regional Restaurant of the Year' award but rumour is it was also a top contender for the 'Sustainability Award'. This fine diner is the complete package, pairing superb modern cuisine with the long-term plan to make the restaurant completely carbon neutral.

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There are few icons in the Sydney dining scene more deserving of winning the 'Vittoria Legend Award' than Michael McMahon. Introducing the world to a chef named Neil Perry was just the start of McMahon's career, which has seen him charming patrons at Berowra Waters and Bilson's before opening Catalina in Rose Bay some 16 years ago.

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One of the pleasant surprises from this year's awards, instead of the 'Best Seafood Restaurant' gong falling to one of Sydney's many fine diners it has been given, deservingly, to this casual seafood noshery. It may not be haute cuisine but when it comes to Piscean dishes, this restaurant is without peer.

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Proving that being eco-friendly doesn't mean compromising on taste, Margan is the very deserving winner of this year's 'Sustainability Award'. Name a buzzword in the green movement and chances are these guys are already doing it or something even better. Seasonality and recycling are taken to the nth degree at Margan (the menu changes every four weeks and even kitchen oil is recycled into bio-diesel fuel) all in the name of leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible.

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Fitting doesn't even begin to describe the worthiness of this family trattoria picking up an award this year, and for 'Best BYO' restaurant no less. Family-run and in its second generation, Il Perugino is the epitome of homemade charm. The BYO policy is just one indication that this restaurant puts the customer's enjoyment ahead of profits. The fact that there is no corkage charge is just the icing on the cake.

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Nabbing the gong for 'Best New Restaurant' is the one-of-a-kind Manly Pav. It may technically be the new kid on the block, but the award has been 10 years in the making. Planning for the restoration of this grand old dame began back in 2000 but the unrivalled views and service paired with Jonathan Barthelmess' incomparable food have made it an instant success.

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Manager, sommelier, front of house — Alon Sharman does it all and does it with style and aplomb. The fact that he is this year s winner of the 'Silver Service Award' is recognition for the outstanding work he has been doing for a number of years. The service he provides at Arras is second to none and is evidenced by the smiling faces of each and every satisfied customer.