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Fine Dining Restaurants in Australia

Fine Dining in Australia consists of a high quality products and services, typically matched with a high price, promoting the highest standard of dining experiences. A Fine Dining restaurant is considered a prestigious and reputable hospitality establishment whereby a high standard of food, service and ambience are notable. The target market of Fine Dining establishments are affluent customers who choose to indulge in the experience of the restaurant as well as the food.

Definition of Fine Dining

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of the adjective ‘fine’ is something of “very high quality” Additionally, the definition of the noun ‘dining’ is the “activity of eating a meal" and therefore, the concept of Fine Dining is considered the activity of eating a meal of a very high quality. Fine Dining restaurants target an affluent market due to their exceptional products and services, thus demanding a higher price. Factors which contribute to a more costly experience in comparison to a casual dining restaurant, include exotic dishes created with quality ingredients, methods and skill, alongside an exceptional overall dining experience as apposed to a restaurant which offers "moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere". By offering these facets of what makes Fine Dining so exclusive, more labour is required to provide this standard of hospitality and resultantly generates a higher regard to which Fine Dining establishments are associated with. It is also imperative that the service of food is plausible to the calibre of the restaurant whereby there is a certain standard of service in a Fine Dining establishment whereby employees must be exceptionally skilled.

What qualifies as a 'Fine Dining' establishment in Australia

Fine Dining Restaurants in Australia are determined as exceptional restaurants by organisations such as The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide and The Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide. These institutions award high achieving establishments with Chef Hat Awards for their products and overall performance as a restaurant. The scale of Chef Hat awards begins with a One hat award, being a commended establishment, then Two hat award, for highly commended establishments and Three hat award, which indicates the highest calibre of food in an outstanding overall restaurant experience. The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide follows a specific criteria to which sets the standard of a restaurant’s eligibility to receive the Chef Hat Awards. Adjudicators remain anonymous to the public to ensure the most accurate and fair judgement is made on the restaurant. By remaining anonymous, chefs are unaware of the judges and therefore present an authentic meal without additional precision. The criteria followed by the adjudicators of The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide consists of 6 aspects:

1. Ingredients[edit]

This is a quality which must be present in award winning restaurants whereby "The integrity and use of first rate ingredients is essential." However according to The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide, it is not the ingredients alone which resonate the establishment's prestige, but the way they symbiotically compliment one another, promoting "outstanding results".

2. Taste[edit]

This is a quality which must be evident in Fine Dining restaurants as the ingredients must "harmonise" to one another thus creating a distinct taste. This is achievable when "Great chefs consistently demonstrate an aptitude for bringing out the integrity of ingredients and successfully marry those flavours as a complete dish". The taste must be coherent and enjoyable.

3. Presentation[edit]

This facet of judgement depends on the fact that one's first impression is usually prompted by visuals and therefore, "Food selection is primarily guided by the visual system". This aspect of the criteria is imperative as "The sight of food elicits a range of physiological and cognitive responses".

4. Technique[edit]

As The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide indicates, "individuality is at the heart of cooking". This criteria is indicative of the style of cooking which makes the food unique, which is dependent on "A chef's creativity and individual interpretation of a dish is what makes for an exciting and memorable experience". The technique must be of a professional calibre and distinguishable in comparison to other establishments. This fosters an overall outstanding and sophisticated product.

5. Value[edit]

Value is a standard which must be met in order for a restaurant to be considered as 'Fine Dining'. Value indicates the style in which the food must correlate to the standard of restaurant. This is reinforced as The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide states that "AGFG inspectors are mindful in their evaluations to measure restaurants by what they are attempting to be (and determine) whether the quality of the experience fits the price and meets with customer expectations". Product which do not hold their value will be received poorly by the customer.

6. Consistency[edit]

The maintenance of standards is imperative within a restaurant when "Award winning restaurants effectively synchronise their entire operation and successfully repeat their efforts time and time again". This indicates their work ethic alongside the attempt to present a constant standard and therefore continuous pride in their work.

Australian Fine Dining Chefs[edit]

Matt Moran[edit]

Australian Celebrity Chef Matt Moran, owner of Aria Restaurant in Sydney, Australia

Australian Celebrity chef Matt Moran, owner of Aria Restaurant in Sydney.

Matt Moran is an Australian chef, most commonly recognised as the co-owner of the fine dining restaurant Aria Restaurant, alongside pub baron, Bruce Solomon, in Circular Quay, Sydney. Moran is considered as "an Australian chef and restaurateur and the tour de force behind some of Australia’s most celebrated dining establishments" and has achieved an immense success throughout his culinary career. Since Aria's establishment in 1999, the restaurant has received numerous awards highlighting it's impressive successes and has been classed as a 2 Chef Hat Restaurant by The Gourmet Traveller . The restaurant has also received 16 additional awards since opening from organisations including The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide , The Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide, Australian Financial Review Australia's Top 100 Restaurants , Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence, and The Tucker Seabrook Wine List of the Year.

Aria offers a modern Australian cuisine with an average set menu price of $115-$205 per person. They offer a "world class wine list" which further showcases the restaurant as one of the most prestigious establishments in Australia.

Peter Gilmore[edit]

Peter Gilmore is a celebrated Australian chef and the Executive Chef of exclusive Sydney restaurant, Quay. The restaurant is well known for it's famous Snow Egg, as featured on Masterchef Australia. The establishment has been classed as a 3 Chef Hat restaurant by The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide and awarded the 2018 Restaurant of the Year Award by The Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide.

Quay offers a "nature inspired cuisine" and aims to present an ambience which is an "ode to the Australian landscape". This indicates the establishment's nationalism and 'Australianism', thus gaining popularity amongst both a domestic and international market. Both a 10 course menu is offered alongside a 6 course menu consisting of a degustation style of dining. The menu prices range from $210-$275 per person.

Neil Perry[edit]

Australian chef Neil Perry is recognised as one of the country's "leading and most influential chefs" and owns several successful restaurants across Australia. These restaurants consist of Rockpool Bar and Grill, Spice Temple and Rosetta Ristorante. His most highly commended establishment is Rockpool Bar and Grill which received 2 Chef Hat awards in 2017 by The Good Food Guide. It has also been ranked 20th in the Top 100 Restaurants in Melbourne by The Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide in 2017 , 11th in the Top 100 Restaurants in Sydney by The Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide, and ranked 13th in The Sunday Telegraph Delicious 100 Awards 2017.

Rockpool Bar and Grill specialises in steaks whereby a variety of 12 beef cuts are available. This specialty is reinforced as owner Neil Perry states "I believe this restaurant offers a great opportunity for you to taste the beef types and different cuts to see which you enjoy most" and "whether you want to look at different cuts or grass versus Wagyu – here is the best place to do it. The establishment also offers an extensive wine list with a selection of over 3000 wines, a product that fine dining restaurants commonly possess. The average price for Rockpool Bar and Grill is an average of $145 per person.

The Future of Australian Fine Dining[edit]

A decline in Popularity[edit]

Fine Dining Restaurants in Australia are expected to experience a decline due to changes to lifestyle normalities across society. According to the Eating Out in Australia Respondent Summary, the future of Australian fine dining is growing to become less 'exclusive' and the popularity of fast food dining is increasing. This is as 'Fine Dining' is increasingly recognised as simply 'good' food and not solely sophisticated. Customers are evidently now seeking good quality food for a lower price. Australian chef Stephen Lech stated that "Consumers are still looking for amazing quality food that they can relate to, but they are looking for affordable options and are spoiled for choice,”. An article published by Open For Business.opentable.com.au featured an interview of London-Born, Australian Executive Chef, Richard Duff. He indicated that "People just don’t have that sort of time to spend in a restaurant anymore, particularly younger people and that really is the future of the market". It was also stated in an article by news.com.au that eating out has become a common practice within Australian culture whereby it isn't abnormal to dine on multiple occasions each week. This is increasingly prominent due to the rise of affordable establishments which offer quality food, as the extract states that “We now have so much more ability to eat really well at every level of the price range. The article also notes the popularity of home delivery services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and MenuLog are gradually becoming prominent as the leading dining trends due to it's accessibility and convenience. These characteristics are contrary to what 'Fine Dining' stands by as it resonates a sophisticated and time-consuming experience.

An increase in environmental sustainability[edit]

As times progress, an awareness in preserving nature increases. In response to society's concern in promoting environmentally friendly products, fine dining in Australia can see an "emphasis on sustainable food practices".

This trend is growing in prominence due to the priorities of future generations such as Generation Y, Generation Z and the Millennials, who are showing greater interest on "what is important to them and that’s health, the planet and putting their money where they see value". It is acknowledged that "of Generation Z, the youngest generation, are willing to pay more for products that are committed to positive social and environmental impact proving there is not only positive gains for the environment but also for business if sustainable practices are part of the operating model".

It is also increasingly prominent for Australian restaurants to support the growth of local produce and purchase ingredients from Australian producers. Australians prefer to purchase locally sources ingredients which indicates their standards when eating out.

Prominence of multiculturalism

Australian cuisine consists of a plethora of international cuisines due to the multicultural population. Current fine dining establishments in Australia adopt multicultural inspirations in their output however this trend will continue to grow “more closely linked with fusion food combining these different flavours and techniques on the one plate.” This will appeal to a wider market due to the versatility of Australian culture and it's citizens. Although already prominent, immigration in Australia is expected to increase, thus stressing it's growth in the future.