On a night when several stalwart restaurants were stripped of chef hats, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 Awards highlighted the emergence of inner-west suburb Marrickville and neighbouring Newtown as the city’s new dining destinations. “It’s the new Surry Hills, absolutely,” editor Callan Boys says of the rise of talent in the industrial streets of Marrickville, with Baba’s Place and former Rockpool chef Corey Costelloe’s 20 Chapel joining the one-hat club this year. He expects the area will continue to flourish, thanks to a link to Sydney’s new Metro and more attractive rent for emerging talent frozen out of traditional restaurant turf.
It was a similar story in neighbouring Newtown, where Comedor and Maiz Mexican Street Food debuted with hats and Firepop went one better, not only snaring a fedora, but edging out a field of fancied rivals to claim new restaurant of the year. The laws of physics always hover precariously over the Guide , with this year’s falls including stalwarts Fratelli Paradiso , China Doll , Alpha and Marta , which all dropped out of the one-hat category. Franca , Ragazzi , Continental Deli Bar Bistro , Restaurant Leo and cult CBD steakhouse Bistecca also fell out.
On historic Bridge Street in the CBD, high-profile restaurants Clam Bar and the Bentley Restaurant Group’s Brasserie 1930 were demoted from two toques to one. The Bentley crew fared better across town at its Asian eatery King Clarence , which joined new modern K.