Why Canberra's AKIBA is one of the top restaurants in ACT and NSW

​The people have spoken and they love Canberra's AKIBA. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide has announced the People's Choice awards for the top 10 restaurants in NSW and the ACT.

More than 20,000 people voted in the People's Choice awards and AKIBA came in firmly at number two, behind the scenic Catalina in Sydney's Rose Bay.

It's another feather in the cap for brothers and restaurateurs Peter and Michael Harrington, who opened the buzzy, pop-electric Japanese eatery just nine months ago. "It's really great to be recognised throughout the entire state through this award," Peter Harrington says. "We opened AKIBA knowing it was going to be a restaurant for the people and we're doing 2500 people through there every week."

The brothers have been travelling through the United States with Sage head chef Damien Brabender and returned to learn of the award last week. Harrington says AKIBA has been so successful there are even talks of taking the concept to Los Angeles.

And what does he reckon is the secret for AKIBA's popular appeal? "It's a very atmospheric, it's fresh, interesting food and it's in a really unpretentious environment and it appeals to so many different people, there's not a set demographic [that's the AKIBA diner]," he says.