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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe Age Good Food Guide has named 10 finalists for its 2026 New Restaurant of the Year award, spanning Melbourne and regional Victoria. They are finalists, not a ranked top 10: the guide said it expanded its usual five-name shortlist because critics found this year’s new openings unusually strong. The winner is scheduled to be announced on 12 October 2026; as of 2 October, it had not been announced. The Age Good Food Guide shortlist Award announcement details
The 10 finalists at a glance
The descriptions below reflect the guide’s shortlist coverage. The addresses and food details are useful for comparing the finalists, but the list does not provide a formal rating or ranking.
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| Restaurant | Location | What the guide highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Bistro Merenda | 117 Vincent Street, Daylesford | Upstairs set menus from chefs Oliver Edwards and Bree Smith; downstairs, Bar Merenda offers walk-in dining. |
| Bottarga | 198 Bay Street, Brighton | A larger new premises for a restaurant combining Italian and Thai influences, including a “money bag” cotechino and vitello tonnato with Australian ingredients. |
| Chabela | 832A High Street, Thornbury | Mexican cooking centred on in-house masa preparations such as blue-corn tortillas and huaraches. |
| Cote Basque | 25 Crossley Street, Melbourne | Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann’s Basque-inspired restaurant, where food is cooked simply over a wood grill. |
| Joe Taylor | 7 Errol Street, North Melbourne | A Thai-inflected wine bar with playful dishes and drinks, including tom yum-seasoned fries and a mango sticky-rice martini. |
| Kismet | 217 Carlisle Street, Balaclava | A mezze-sharing restaurant associated with Tulum, featuring Turkish wines and dishes such as hummus with bastourma and braised baby goat. |
| Little Rose | Rear, 274 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy | Rosheen Kaul’s first restaurant as owner-chef, pairing French classics with Chinese influences. |
| Roma | 120 Collins Street, Melbourne | Con Christopoulos’s Roman-inspired restaurant, with a menu by Matt Wilkinson and a focus that includes offal. |
| Taqueria Sin Nombre | 12–14 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne | A small laneway restaurant with a counter facing an open kitchen; the guide mentions a trompo, kangaroo asada tacos, tuna tostadas and fried barramundi tacos. |
| Yiaga | Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne | Hugh Allen’s restaurant, described as a 12-course menu drawing on Australian landscapes, ingredients and culture. |
Source for the finalist details and addresses: Good Food Guide shortlist coverage.
How the shortlist is useful for choosing a visit
For a regional outing
Bistro Merenda in Daylesford is the explicitly regional entry among the supplied addresses. Its two-part setup may help determine the kind of visit you want: a set menu upstairs or walk-in dining downstairs at Bar Merenda.
#1 Best Overall
For distinct culinary influences
The finalists cover varied approaches rather than one shared cuisine. Examples include Chabela’s in-house masa, Cote Basque’s Basque inspiration and wood grill, Little Rose’s French-Chinese combination, and Roma’s Roman focus. Treat these as descriptions from the guide, not as comparable scores.
For a particular dining format
The coverage points to different ways of eating: Bistro Merenda’s upstairs set menus, Kismet’s mezze for sharing, Joe Taylor’s wine-bar format and Yiaga’s 12-course menu. Taqueria Sin Nombre’s counter faces an open kitchen, while Bar Merenda is described as walk-in dining.
Rank #2
Check practical details before setting out
The shortlist article is a snapshot, not a full visitor guide. Opening hours, reservation availability, menus, prices and operating status can change. Confirm those details directly with the restaurant before making plans; the shortlist alone does not establish current availability or provide booking access.
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The article gives 12 October 2026 as the New Restaurant of the Year announcement date. At the time of its 2 October 2026 publication, the result was still pending. Announcement date and award status
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