Australia’s Best Cafe and Restaurant Design Winners Have Been Announced

Playing with light and meticulously showing attention to detail are the biggest lessons to learn from this year's Australian Interior Design Awards. Entering its 11th year as one of Australia's premier design events, the Design Institute of Australia-backed awards handed their highest hospitality accolades to Melbourne's light-filled coffee roasters and Penfolds' stunning flagship outside of Adelaide.

Competition was fierce for the Hospitality Design award, with commendations given to Melbourne's Chinese spot Ruyi and Canberra's sleek bakery bar A. Baker. Among the 31 shortlisted entrants were Woolloomooloo's Riley Street Garage, Surry Hills' Single Origin Roasters, Brunswick warehouse venue Howler, rustic Manly spot Donny's Bar, Prahran's Japanese gem Mr Miyagi, the new Sydney CBD chapter of The Local Bar, Bondi's groundbreaking Sensory Lab, buzzing live music venue Newtown Social Club, Degraves St's elegant cafe The Quarter, Southbank Japanese restaurant Gochi and more new additions to the Australian bar and restaurant family.

But there can only be two top dogs. Taking out the award for Hospitality Design, Fitzroy's Industry Beans was applauded for turning a factory shell into a light-filled, timber-clad cafe and specialty coffee roastery. "The use of the ubiquitous timber pallet creates a strong and defined interior," said the jury citation. "The pallets give the cafe an overall industrial aesthetic and add a surprising amount of warmth to the design."

Use of light won the jury over in the end, with winning design firm Figure Ground Architecture's louvres letting in the final votes for the top spot. "The quality of light in what could have been a dark and dreary space shows a consideration of the connection between the interior and the exterior," said the jury. "The designers have exhibited a simple and clear concept that has realized the interior’s true potential while weaving it into surrounding street life."

South Australia's Penfolds' flagship Magill Estate Restaurant took out the restaurant top spot in the Hospitality Design category, with the jury applauding Melbourne-based archtiect Pascale Gomes-McNabb's All Boxes Ticked finish. "Beautiful lighting, sophisticated use of colour and a thoughtful composition of elements create a delightful and intriguing interior at Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant," said the jury, praising Gomes-McNabb's attention to detail, custom furniture and bespoke glass lighting. "The designer has tailored shapes and forms specifically to the space, creating a refreshing take on a winery restaurant."

Co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke magazine, this year's awards saw more than 400 projects entered; increasing the entrants by 11 per cent from last year. Event manager Jacinta Reedy told The Australian that back to basics was highly favoured this year. “The jury recognised in these projects’ new directions in interior design, including clever use of raw materials, a love of simplicity and restrained approach to design,” she said.

Check out the rest of the Australian Interior Design Awards winners over here.