Melbourne restaurant Attica named Australia's best in first National Good Food Guide

• Full list of award winners
• Who got the hats?

Victoria's dining reputation has held firm at the inaugural national Good Food Guide Awards, held at the Star in Sydney on Monday night, with Melbourne's Attica taking home the top gong.

Attica was crowned the Vittoria Restaurant of the Year, beating out fellow Victorian restaurant Brae, Adelaide's Orana, and Sydney's Ormeggio at the Spit and Sixpenny.

"There has been significant recognition for Attica before," said Melbourne restaurant critic Gemima Cody, "but its evolution, physically with the recent renovation, and emotionally as owner Ben Shewry tackles the issue of making kitchens more sustainable for chefs keeps it at the top of the game. Plus, it's never been more delicious."

In a double win, it was an Attica chef, Kylie Millar, who took home the coveted Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year award, winning her a valued stage overseas.

"To make it through to the finals was a shock, but to win is incredible," said Millar. "I'm so grateful for the chance to go to Copenhagen and continue my growth."

The Good Food Guide 2018 combines the existing Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Brisbane Times editions of the dining bible and for the first time features 500 restaurant reviews from all corners of the country.

The decision to make the Guide a national edition came about because "Australians are increasingly basing their trips around food," said Guide co-editor Roslyn Grundy. "It made sense to expand the Guide by exploring the best restaurants in every state."

A total of 267 restaurants across the country scored a minimum of 15 out of 20 to be awarded one hat or more.

Newly hatted Melbourne restaurants included Ramblr, Osteria Ilaria, the Recreation and Atlas Dining. The Table at Chris Lucas' Kisume entered the Guide at two hats, while Vue de Monde slipped down to two hats from three. Restaurants Brae, Minamishima and Attica all retained three hats in Victoria.

Western Australia saw nine restaurants enter the guide with a hat, while Cullen Estate in Wilyabrup and Vasse Felix in Margaret River bagged two. South Australia had a strong showing with ten restaurants being recognised with the hat for the first time. Jock Zonfrillo's Orana scored two hats and brought home the Food For Good Award for the Orana foundation.

Tasmania had a formidable first year with six one hat entries. The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, the idyllic restaurant offshoot to Rodney Dunn and Severine Demanet's New Norfolk cooking school claimed two hats and also took the gong for Best Regional Restaurant.

Daniel Puskas of Stanmore restaurant Sixpenny was named Citi Chef of the Year for "his singular devotion and ability to go deeper with his food, while stripping it back" said Good Food Guide co-editor Myffy Rigby.

The hotly contested New Restaurant of the Year award went to Saint Peter in Paddington where seafood-focused young chef Josh Niland serves fish heart, swim bladder and liver alongside more familiar cuts like belly and tail.

"Josh has created a restaurant unlike any other in the country with Saint Peter," said Rigby. "It's gill-to-tail fish cookery that's prepared and served with integrity and smarts."

Jeremy Strode (Bistrode CBD, the Fish Shop), who passed away in July, was recipient of the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award for his nurturing of young chefs, who lovingly refer to him as The Truth because of his honest approach to cooking. Strode's wife, Jane, accepted the posthumous award.

The national Good Food Guide 2018 will be on sale from October 17 in newsagencies, bookstores and via thestore.com.au/goodfood, RRP $29.99.