Melbourne's Armenian-Lebanese eatery Zareh named Australia's restaurant of the year
Melbourne's Armenian-Lebanese restaurant Zareh won Gourmet Traveller's restaurant of the year award, with several winners at the ceremony highlighting migrants' contribution to Australia's dining scene.
Melbourne restaurant Zareh has won Gourmet Traveller magazine's restaurant of the year title, a category historically dominated by European-style fine dining. Opened in August 2025, Zareh draws its menu from the Armenian, Egyptian and Lebanese heritage of co-owners Tom Sarafian and Jinane Bou-Assi. Dishes include aish baladi, an Egyptian flatbread made with flour milled on the Mornington Peninsula, kafta nayyah made with raw lamb from Tasmania and Victoria, and hummus topped with spanner crab. The restaurant is named after Sarafian's grandfather.
Previous winners of the award include Saint Peter, Attica, Orana and Quay. Sarafian referenced the Armenian genocide, describing the restaurant as a tribute to Lebanon for having welcomed Armenians.
Migration a recurring theme
At Monday night's ceremony in Sydney, several winners spoke about migrants' role in shaping Australia's restaurant industry. The reader-voted enduring excellence award went to Beppi's, a 70-year-old Sydney Italian institution founded by Beppi and Norma Polese; owner Marc Polese thanked immigrants, noting recent negative political rhetoric toward them.
Best new talent went to Saavni Krishnan and Aditya Suresh of Melbourne's Saadi, known for modern Indian cuisine. Sam Young of Sydney venues Young's Palace and S'more was named restaurant personality of the year, recalling his start in Australia as an immigrant kitchen hand. Chef and author Stephanie Alexander received the outstanding contribution to hospitality award, marking the 30th anniversary of her cookbook The Cook's Companion. Melbourne's Yiaga was named best new restaurant, and Christian Ryan of Hobart was named chef of the year. The ceremony also marked Gourmet Traveller's 60th anniversary.
