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The Time Out Food & Drink Award 2026 winners have just dropped, revealing the most sought-after and exciting dining and drinking hotspots across Australia. For more than 15 years, our awards have been celebrating wow-factor restaurants and bars in both Editors' Choice as well as People's Choice categories. And, for the first time, People's Choice voting was opened up to all of Australia (not just New South Wales and Victorian venues).
The results arrive alongside Time Out Australia’s 2026 Dining Trends Report, which offers further insight into the themes and tastes defining the Sydney and Melbourne dining scenes. The report highlights several overarching trends for this year, including a shift towards "specific authenticity" over broad menus, high-concept affordable eats and a rise in hyper-specialised drinks.
The judging process
Time Out’s 2026 Food & Drink Awards are split into two categories: Editors’ Choice and People’s Choice. In case you’re wondering how Time Out goes about reviewing for the Editors' Choice nominations and winners, we never write starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences, or as part of paid partnerships. Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so readers can trust our recommendations.
Based on this system, we’ve been running awards that celebrate Australia’s hospitality industry for more than 15 years. We truly believe we have some of the most delicious dining scenes in the world, and we love being able to celebrate this hard-working industry.
“Hospitality is a challenging business, made no less challenging by the fact that the field in both Sydney and Melbourne is strong and competitive – so narrowing down the final list of Editors' Choice awards was a tough task," says Alice Ellis, Editor in Chief of Time Out Australia. "When selecting winners, our team looked at factors including excellent value, unique selling points, diversity and wow factor.”
Then there are Time Out’s People’s Choice awards, which were decided based on more than 10,000 votes, from every state and territory, making it Time Out’s biggest public vote for the awards to date.
To find out winners of both categories, read on...
Time Out Sydney Food & Drink Award 2026 Editors' Choice winners:
- Best Restaurant: South End, Newtown. This local favourite which opened in late 2025 features a “European in spirit” seasonal menu paired with a fun and delicious drinks list.
- Best Affordable Eat: Olympic Meats, Marrickville. This hot Inner West Greek grill house serves authentic, flavour-packed dishes with most plates around $21.
- Best Bar & Pub: The Dry Dock, Balmain. This historic, heritage-listed venue (it’s the oldest licensed pub in Balmain!) underwent a huge renovation before reopening in 2023 and is now a local haven, with spaces for all tastes.
- Best Destination Venue: Arno Deli, Newcastle. This Italian-style deli and sandwich shop is known for its cracking Florentine panini, cannoli and award-winning wine list.
- Legend Award: Bathers’ Pavilion, Mosman. A true Sydney institution, this beachside icon remains a gold standard for refined, sun-soaked dining by the water.
- Impact Award: Kolkata Social, Newtown. This Newtown venue combines culinary storytelling with a dedicated mission to educate, employ and train people from marginalised communities, and give back to those in need.
Avril Treasure, Editor of Time Out Sydney, comments on the Editors’ Choice winners: “We’re seeing a beautiful balance between the new guard and the old, where a fresh, exciting bistro like South End can share the stage with a literal icon like Bathers’ Pavilion. From the community-first mission of Kolkata Social to the regional Greek soul of Olympic Meats, these awards celebrate the venues that aren't just serving great food, but are actively shaping the culture and character of our city.”
Time Out Melbourne Food & Drink Award 2026 Editors' Choice winners:
- Best Restaurant: Zareh, Collingwood. This popular 40-seater by star chef Tom Sarafian dishes up the flavours of Armenia and Lebanon.
- Best Affordable Eat: Suupaa, Cremorne. Elevated (and delicious) takes on Japanese convenience store classics.
- Best Bar: Suze, Fitzroy North. A stylish yet welcoming wine bar with an ever-evolving menu and interesting vino list.
- Best Destination Venue: Barragunda Dining, Cape Schanck. This sustainability focused spot has created a hyper-local culinary experience that feels rooted in place.
- Legend Award: France-Soir, South Yarra. This icon of the Melbourne dining scene has been nailing French fare for 40 years.
- Impact Award: All Things Equal, Balaclava. A social enterprise providing vital hospitality training for people with disabilities.
“The Melbourne winners have created something really specific – and they deliver that flawlessly. The venues that rose to the top – like Zareh and Suupaa – have all honed in on doing something niche very well. These venues have picked a lane and they’re absolutely owning it,” said Leah Glynn, Managing Editor of Time Out Melbourne.
Time Out Social Club events
For the first time, Time Out is hosting reader events at two of the award-winning venues: at Zareh in Melbourne, and Olympic Meats in Sydney.
To find out more about these events (and check if anymore seats are available), click here for Olympic Meats and here for Zareh.
People's Choice winners
Australian diners have had their say – and in record numbers. More than 10,000 votes were cast in this year’s Time Out Australia Food & Drink Awards People’s Choice categories, making it our biggest public vote yet.
While Time Out Editors crown the industry’s best in the Editors' Choice categories, the People’s Choice Awards celebrate the places locals genuinely love – the neighbourhood haunts, date-night staples and group-chat go-tos Sydneysiders return to time and time again. They define how Sydney likes eating and drinking right now.
To see all the People's Choice winners across Australia for 2026, click here.