Who will make SA’s prestigious Michelin Guide?
Starry-eyed chefs are hoping for the ultimate honour tonight: winning one, two, or three Michelin stars. See who is most likely to make the list.
South Australia’s top dining talent will converge on the Adelaide Convention Centre tonight to find out who will receive coveted Michelin stars or a mention in the globally renowned guide.
CityMag understands that chefs and restaurateurs invited in the first round of invites sent in September will be recognised by Michelin in some way, though that might not be with a star.
The guest list includes all three of hotelier David Horbelt’s venues: Aptos, Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant and The Lane, with Hackney’s Esmay, run by one of the country’s top chefs, Alanna Sapwell, also tipped to be included in some way.
European bistro Thelma in Piccadilly and Prospect favourite Anchovy Bandit are also rumoured to receive some recognition.
Though stars are what the tyre company’s foodie guide is best known for, other awards up for grabs tonight include the Young Chef Award, Service Award and Sommelier Award, and a Green star recognising culinary and sustainability excellence.
The Michelin Guide began as a way for the company to wear out drivers’ tyres, so it should be no surprise it is “all about the detour”, which SA excels in. Expect to see Clare Valley’s Skillogalee get a mention, along with spots in the Barossa, Fleurieu and Hills regions.
Another top gong is the Bib Gourmand – named for the famed Michelin man called Bibendum or ‘Bib’, this award recognises restaurants offering high-quality food for great value for money.
Stars are awarded to restaurants, not chefs, though the “personality” of the chef is part of the judging criteria, and chefs that receive the coveted stars will be gifted a special Michelin chef jacket.
Since May, Michelin inspectors have been on the ground judging restaurants in Adelaide and across the regions to be included in the 2027 edition of the guidebook, with mystery diners keeping staff on their toes.
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The competition is steep, with independent judges assessing five criteria: ingredient quality, mastery of cooking techniques, flavour harmony, personality and overall consistency.
Restaurants cannot pay to be included or win the awards, and even the state government does not know who will make the cut despite the project being a partnership between the state’s tourism commission and Michelin.
The state government has paid to bring the guide down under, but the costs remain commercially confidential. Tourism New Zealand paid $6.3 million to secure Michelin in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the occasion was “historic” as SA becomes the first place in Australia to be recognised by the guide.
“As seen in other destinations, following recognition in the Michelin Guide, foodies from across the world flock to check out the hottest culinary destination, with the benefits anticipated to not only reach our hospitality and tourism sectors, but our regions and producers as well,” Bourke said.
Chefs attending the ceremony tonight range from those offering ambitious degustations to casual dining, and the event will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Top spots tipped to be in Australia’s first Michelin Guide
Restaurant Aptos
Chef Justin James’s ambitious Restaurant Aptos, a multi-level, roving dining experience in an historic church, is widely expected to receive at least one star.
James has grand ambitions: his career goal is to garner three Michelin stars. However, part of the judging criteria is consistency, and since Aptos only opened in May, he may only receive one – maybe two stars.
Maxwell
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The cellar door restaurant doesn’t toot its own horn, but those who’ve dined there will know the incredible, technical talent of chef Fabian Lehmann. Refined plates that still put flavour first. It absolutely deserves a star or two.
Hentley Farm
Kyle Johns has settled into his role leading the kitchen at Hentley Farm. It has received rave reviews in recent months – we expect the Barossa Valley cellar door will be deemed “worthy of a detour”.
Restaurant Botanic
Formerly named “best restaurant in Australia” by food magazine Gourmet Traveller (albeit with a different chef), Restaurant Botanic may impress with having South Australia’s best kitchen pantry right on its doorstep.
A Michelin star would be a coup for the 27-year-old chef Jamie Musgrave, who left school to pursue a cooking apprenticeship and quickly rose in the cooking ranks, working internationally in fine dining and now leading the high-profile restaurant.
Musgrave joined Restaurant Botanic in 2021, and has previously worked at high-profile restaurants such as Vasse Felix, Rockpool Bar and Grill, and Hong Kong’s One Star House Party.
Africola
A rollicking good time, the popularity of Duncan Welgemoed’s Africola never fades. When it’s good, it’s bloody good.
Welgemoed has also done this dance before, earning himself a Michelin star at just 21 years old, working as the Head Chef of The Goose in Oxfordshire, UK.
Wildcard: La Popular Taqueria
Daniella Guevara Muñoz traded in her career as a marine biologist to follow her passion for traditional Mexican cooking, opening her Port Adelaide restaurant La Popular Taqueria. Her authentic handmade tacos have garnered a devout following.
The tortillas are made completely from scratch, using Australian-grown maize in-house, ground on a stone mill, and hand-pressed every day.
It’s not only fine dining establishments that get Michelin stars; the personality of the chef comes into things, too. If not a star, Bib Gourmand!
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