The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards for 2007 were announced at Guillame at Bennelong last night. Drumroll please…

Restaurant of the Year: Becasse, City
Chef of the Year: Katrina Kanetani, pastry chef – Pier, Rose Bay
Best New Restaurant: Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Surry Hills
Best Regional Restaurant: Fins, Byron Bay

Bilson’s, Claude’s, est., Guillaume at Bennelong, Marque, Pier, Quay, Tetsuya’s.

Aria, Becasse, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Bistro Moncur, Buon Ricordo, Iceberg’s Dining Room & Bar, Lucio’s, Omega, Pello, Pier Tasting Room, Pilu at Freshwater, Rockpool, Sean’s Panaroma, Yoshii.

Alchemy 731, Assiette, Astral, The Bathers’ Pavilion Restaurant, Billy Kwong, Bird Cow Fish, Bistro CBD, Bistro Moore, Bistrode, The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, buzo, Catalina Rose Bay, Coast, Fish Face, Flying Fish, Forbes & Burton, Forty One, Galileo, Grand National, Il Piave, Jonah’s, La Sala, Longrain, Lo Studio, Lotus, Mezes at Omega, Milsons, Otto, Restaurant Atelier, Restaurant Balzac, Restaurant Sojourn, Sailors Thai Restaurant, Three Weeds, The Wharf, Ying’s.

Good Food Guide Editor Picks
Favourite bistro: Bistrode, Surry Hills
Favourite Mediterranean: Vini, Surry Hills
Favourite Asian: Billy Kwong, Surry Hills
Favourite pizza: La Disfida, Haberfield
Favourite yum cha: Marigold Citymark, Haymarket
Favourite bar: Bambini Wine Room, city
Favourite cafe: Brasserie Bread, Banksmeadow

Compare this with the winners list of 2006. There’s quite a few newly opened restaurants that have hit the top tiers, and that can only be a good thing. The new comers to the ranks include Bentley, Alchemy 73, Assiette, Billy Kwong, Bird Cow Fish, Bistro Moore, Bistrode, Forbes & Burton, La Sala, Lo Studio, Mezes at Omega, Soujourn, with Sailors Thai returing to the one-hat tier. Pier Tasting Room and Mezes at Omega are defined as new, and separate entries, even though the premises are shared with their siblings, the menus are certainly separate.

And to balance the equation, there’s quite a few that have lost hat status this year, with Perama, Golden Century, sushi e, Manta, Post and Sea Treasure all hatless, with Bistro Lulu having closed.

I’ve also neglected to mention the regional hatters, and once again our favourite regional eat, Solitary at Leura Falls is adorned with two hats. With Marque in our sights in a few weeks time, plus some more interstate guests, and further birthday celebrations impending, I’ll have to start getting my 2007 list prepared!