WA Good Food Guide Awards 2014 – Winners!

Last night the announced the 2014 WA Good Food Guide award winners. The crème de la crème of the West Aussie restaurant scene assembled and I was lucky enough to head along and rub shoulders with some of my favourite Perth chefs. So that was a bit of fun.

It has been an exciting year for new venues in Perth from cafes to restaurants and an exciting tidal wave of new small bars dotted through the suburbs. There is plenty of choice and everyone is trying to establish their point of difference with a new venue, but as guest speaker Scott Taylor said new venues are not without their challenges in Perth.

Scott’s venues include Beaufort Street Merchant, The Trustee and Enriques School For To Bullfighting. In his passionate address he urged government and legislative bodies to reduce red tape and make opening a new restaurant/bar easier than the onerous current process, because he stressed that current practices could prove overly restrictive for Perth venues and we’d be stuck with cookie cutter venues and we definitely don’t want that. So I hope his impassioned address was heard by the right ears.

On to the awards and The West Australian’s Food Editor, the straight shooting Rod Broadfield who leads the reviewing of venues for the guide, stepped up to make the announcements.

And the winners are!

Awards

One Star Restaurants (Score of 15.5 and Above)

• Balthazar
• Bib and Tucker
• Bistro Guillaume
• Co-op Dining
• Cullens
• Divido
• Friends
• Fuku
• Gala
• Galileo
• Matilda bay
• Millbrook
• Must
• Nine fine foods
• No 4 Blake Street
• Nobu
• Numan
• Pata Negra
• Studio Bistro
• The Trustee

Two Stars Restaurants (Score of 17.0 and above)

• Cape Lodge
• Clarkes of North Beach
• Knee Deep
• Leeuwin Estate
• Petite Mort
• Print Hall
• Red Cabbage
• Restaurant Amuse
• Rockpool Bar and Grill
• Vasse Felix
• Wills Domain

All very worthy recipients, though I do believe a few restaurants deserve three stars against their name, maybe next year for them. Plus I can think of a few newbies who I am sure will be on the list in 2015.

Congratulations to all the winners. As an enthusiastic eater I love dining out in Perth. Spoilt for choice, amazing local produce being served up and some real creativity in the kitchen. So a big thank you from me for making eating out in Perth such a delicious and diverse experience.

The Good Food Guide can be ordered here or should be available in newsagents in the next few weeks. Not a bad stocking stuffer for the foodie in your life.