2026 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards (ft. Pitt & Giblin)
The 2026 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards were held in August, celebrating the best of Australian hospitality.
A bunch of the venues and chefs also happen to have excellent taste in music and speakers ☺️
Congrats to the winners!
Christian Ryan
Chef of the Year
Aløft & Restaurant Maria / Brooke Street Pier, Hobart TAS 7000
Hobart chef Christian Ryan was named Chef of the Year, acknowledged for his contribution to Tasmania’s culinary evolution through restaurants including Aløft and Restaurant Maria, as well as his work with Dark Mofo’s Winter Feast.
Products at Restaurant Maria:
Eight Flare American Oak loudspeakers with linen grills
Four 12” veneer matched subwoofers with brass grills
Zareh
Restaurant of the Year / National Winner
368 Smith St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Melbourne restaurant Zareh has been named Gourmet Traveller’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year.
Zareh was praised for its exuberant approach to dining, bringing together Lebanese, Armenian and Egyptian influences in a lively restaurant where music, energetic service and a packed room are as integral to the experience as the food.
Products at Zareh:
Pair of Flare loudspeakers with a custom brass patina baffle
Scholé
Restaurant of the Year / State Winner / Tasmania
227 Liverpool St, Hobart TAS 7000
Scholé, the intimate Hobart restaurant of chef Luke Burgess, was named Tasmania’s state winner. Housed in a former lolly shop, Scholé combines hyper-local Tasmanian ingredients with Japanese and European influences in a highly considered dining experience.
Products at Scholé:
Four bespoke 8” coaxial loudspeakers
Chef Luke Burgess
Bistro Livi
Restaurant of the Year / State Winner / New South Wales
Cnr Brisbane St &, Proudfoots Ln, Murwillumbah NSW 2484
Bistro Livi, in Murwillumbah, took the New South Wales award, with the judges recognising the Northern Rivers restaurant’s close relationship with local producers and its inventive use of fermentation, pickling and preserving.
Products at Bistro Livi:
Four Livi loudspeakers (namesake)
