Arrana Restaurant in Springwood has received two Chef Hats for the third year in a row in the Australian Good Food Guide Awards.
The fine dining venue was the top scoring restaurant in the Blue Mountains with a rating of 15 out of 20 in the annual awards which were announced on January 18.
Seven Blue Mountains venues were awarded coveted hats in the awards, including Megalong Restaurant in the Megalong Valley (14), The Wintergarden at the Hydro Majestic Hotel (14), No.1 Sublime Pt at the Fairmont Resort (13), and Darleys at Lilianfels Resort (14).
Ates in Blackheath and Echoes in Katoomba were each awarded one hat, scoring 12 points.
Arrana, which started the year 2024 with a new menu, said that to receive the highest ranking in the Blue Mountains was a "huge achievement for our executive chef, Daniel Cabban, and our hardworking and talented team".
"We are ever so grateful to our community who continues to support our venue," the Macquarie Road restaurant posted on social media.
The Fairmont Resort restaurant said it was an honour for No.1 Sublime Pt to be featured in the list.
"This remarkable achievement is a testament to the culinary excellence and dedication of the entire team at No.1 Sublime Pt, led by executive chef, Emilio Llausas," the resort posted on social media.
The Hydro Majestic Hotel said it was "a lovely surprise to hear Wintergarden Restaurant" was featured in the Good Food Guide Chef Hat Awards again
"We have an incredibly passionate team both front and back-of-house who work hard to ensure our guests have an exceptional and memorable experience, from the moment you enter the building," the hotel shared.
Echoes and Darleys both pointed to their consistency in featuring among the hatted restaurants again.
"We are so grateful to our guests, suppliers and team for making this possible and we look forward to everything 2024 has to offer," posted Echoes.
Lilianfels Resort, where Darleys Restaurant is located, made a point to share the spotlight with other Blue Mountains dining destinations.
"We stand amidst many other incredible restaurants in the Blue Mountains, so you will always be spoilt for choice - in saying that, thank you to our guests for choosing to dine with us," the resort posted on social media.
'Result of careful deliberation'
Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) chef hats have been awarded since 1982. AGFG says the awards are the "result of careful deliberation". "Inspectors appointed by AGFG dine anonymously. Their reviews and the opinions of the dining public, who generously send in their comments throughout the year, determine these results," the guide states on its website.
AGFG explains its Chef Hat ratings this way:
19-18: Comparable to among the world's best. The experience they afford is so remarkable that a trip to Australia is worth co-ordinating.
17-16: Worthy of interstate travel, including the organisation of accommodation/a weekend away solely for the dining experience
15-14: A road trip from outside the area is worthwhile solely for the dining experience.
13-12: These restaurants exhibit standards which consistently exceed expectations, and satisfaction is guaranteed.
