Just In: The 2025 Eat Drink Design Awards Shortlist Is Here

It’s not scientifically proven, but there’s something about a sexy-looking cafe, bar or restaurant that makes everything taste better. But savvy material, furniture and lighting choices aren’t just for looks – a venue’s design can make or break the hospitality experience.

That’s where the Eat Drink Design Awards come in. It’s our yearly guide to the most outstanding venue designs in Australia and New Zealand – and the 2025 shortlist has just been revealed. It includes 64 newly designed restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and shops in both countries, chosen by a jury of industry leaders from the hospitality and design sectors.

The year’s jury includes Entrecote and Hopper Joint founder Jason M Jones, Good Food’s national restaurant editor Callan Boys, Ritz and Ghougassian director Jean-Paul Ghougassian, Nice Projects co-founder Simone McEwan, and Interiors AU editor and jury chair Cassie Hansen.

Notable in this year’s shortlist was the “strong presence of regional venues; the dominance of industrial interiors; a patriotic embrace of local materials and the Australian identity; and an expanded vision of what hospitality venues can be – both as destinations and as community hubs,” according to a statement.

Where timber has been a dominant design trend in previous years, Hansen suggests we might be entering our silver and steel era.

“We’re getting a bit more practical. We want interiors that are going to last a lot longer; something that can stand up to a lot of traffic. But also, [metal] gets a nice patina over time. It doesn’t look tired. It just keeps looking better and better.”

Social media is now front of mind for many operators when designing menus. But Hansen says sustainability trumps virality when it comes to designing (and judging) venues.

“For well-intentioned designers, creating a space for Instagram is less important than making a space that will continue to make customers feel welcome for years to come. They want to create something that stands the test of time.”

The full Eat Drink Design Awards shortlist is below. Winners will be announced on Wednesday October 29.

Best Bar Design

Bar Julius – SJB (Redfern, NSW)
Brooksy – Like Minds Studio (Sydney, NSW)
Caness – Squillace (Paddington, NSW)
Kincumber Hotel – Fabric Architecture Studio (Toowoon Bay, NSW)
Burly Bar – Studio Plenty (Currumbin Waters, QLD)
Cru Bar and Cellar – Blueprint Architects (Fortitude Valley, QLD)
Ballet Wine Bar – SMFA (Glenelg, SA)
Coopers Brand Home – Studio Gram (Regency Park, SA)
Tolpuddle Tasting Pavilion – Tanner Architects (Richmond, TAS)
Rambler – CTRL Space (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Best Restaurant Design

Lunetta – Acme (Canberra, ACT)
Centennial Homestead – Five Foot One Design (Centennial Park, NSW)
The Joey – Co: Aika (Palm Beach, NSW)
Central – J.AR Office (Brisbane CBD, QLD)
Cucina Regina – Tom Mark Henry (Brisbane City, QLD)
Haven, Mondrian Gold Coast – Alexander & Co (Burleigh Heads, QLD)
Lito, Mondrian Gold Coast – Alexander & Co (Burleigh Heads, QLD)
Norte – J.AR Office (Mermaid Beach, QLD)
Supernormal – Acme (Brisbane, QLD)
Mensa – Sans-Arc Studio (Kent Town, SA)
Sofia Bistro – Sans-Arc Studio (Adelaide, SA)
Scholé – Taylor and Hinds Architects with Luke Burgess (Hobart, TAS)
Elio's Place – Studio Co & Co (Melbourne, VIC)
Harriot – Studio Esteta (Melbourne, VIC)
Inverloch Esplanade Hotel – Studio Heck (Inverloch, VIC)
Maison Batard – Mitchell and Eades (Melbourne, VIC)
Marmelo – Mitchell and Eades (Melbourne, VIC)
Suupaa – IF Architecture (Cremorne, VIC)
Tombo Den – DKO (Windsor, VIC)
Billy's, Ayrburn – Alexander & Co with SA Studio (Arrowtown, New Zealand)
Bistro Saine, Hotel Indigo Auckland – Ingram Advisory, Title Hospitality, Ewert Leaf, Chroma Group and Neoscape (Auckland CBD, New Zealand)

Best Cafe Design

Recess Coffee – Mymymy Architecture (Canberra, ACT)
Iftar – Killing Matt Woods (Merrylands, NSW)
S'wich Surry Hills – Studio Shand (Surry Hills, NSW)
Reno's – Rads (Adelaide, SA)
Baker Bleu Cremorne – IF Architecture (Cremorne, VIC)
Casa Nata Chadstone – Pepper and Well in collaboration with Vania Marotta Architect (Chadstone, VIC)
Green Cup Chadstone – Hecker Guthrie (Chadstone, VIC)
Kobo – TA Square Architects (Melbourne, VIC)
Lucci Eatery – Studio Esteta (Melbourne, VIC)
Milkbar Docklands – Elvin Tan Design (Docklands, VIC)
Palace Coffee – Kerry Kounnapis Architecture Practice (Melbourne, VIC)
The Observatory – Chris Connell Design and Benjamin Hutton (Melbourne, VIC)
Toby's Estate Fitzroy – And Alpha (Fitzroy, VIC)
Top Tea, Chadstone – Wall Architects (Malvern East, VIC)

Best Hotel Design

The Eve Hotel Sydney – SJB (Redfern, NSW)
Melbourne Place – Kennedy Nolan (Melbourne, VIC)
The Standard X – Hecker Guthrie (Fitzroy, VIC)
Drifter – CTRL Space (Christchurch, New Zealand)

Best Retail Design

Gelato Messina Cronulla – Sans-Arc Studio (Cronulla, NSW)
Gelato Messina Newtown – Sans-Arc Studio (Newtown, NSW)
Baker Bleu Cremorne – IF Architecture (Cremorne, VIC)
GLO Gelato – Bergman & Co (Melbourne, VIC)
Hanks Chadstone – Leftfield Studio (Chadstone, VIC)
Huff Bagelry – Hot Black (South Melbourne, VIC)
Lovabowl Camberwell – Modl Office (Camberwell, VIC)
Suupaa – IF Architecture (Cremorne, VIC)
Vic's Meat, Chadstone – Platform by Design Office (Chadstone, VIC)

Best Identity Design

Bammi – Hue Studio (Melbourne, VIC)
Juni – A Friend of Mine (Melbourne, VIC)
Melbourne Place – Studio Round (Melbourne, VIC)
Suupaa – A Friend of Mine (Cremorne, VIC)
Vic's Meat – Studio Round (Melbourne, VIC)
Common Bakery – Janice Law Design (Fremantle, WA)

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