6 First-time RCA Winners for Your Dining Pleasure

Just 12 days ago, AGFG announced your votes for the Readers’ Choice Award winners around the country – great job all you foodies out there!

Not only did your usual favourites take out this prestigious honour voted for by you the diners, there are a plethora of restaurants, cafes and bars making the list for the first time.

Join us on a delicious drive around Australia checking out first-time RCA winners for 2024, here are six for your dining pleasure:

 

Sensory experiences, shared plates and fun wines await discerning foodies at Ates Blackheath on Govetts Leap Road. This Mediterranean dining destination in the beautiful Blue Mountains produces stunning dishes from a 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven, championing local and sustainably farmed produce, locally brewed craft beer and wine.

 

Settle into a rustic vibe of recycled timber, spice-coloured walls and trailing greenery, or head to the covered courtyard where well-worn brick and communal tables set the scene for inspired dining. Start with Clarence River octopus, almond tarator, kipfler potatoes and espelette pepper; then devour wood-roasted free-range duck, grilled mango, white balsamic and sides of baby gem hearts and cumin-roasted pumpkin.

Embark on a palate-tantalising adventure at Paste Australia on Main Street in Mittagong. The Southern Highlands of NSW have been chosen as the Australian stage for Thailand’s famous Michelin-starred culinary institution, Paste Bangkok, as Chefs Bee Satongun and Jason Bailey showcase their bold and masterful approach to Thai cuisine.

 

Step into a light and bright vibe of whitewashed walls adorned with artwork, blond wood and orange-coloured chairs to peruse a menu of fresh Australian ingredients reimagining ancient Thai recipes and unearthing hidden and surprising culinary combinations. Perhaps begin with Tasmanian scallops, lychee, sea urchin and young coconut, then move on to mains like green prawn curry with palm heart, fresh curry paste and Thai apple eggplant, with a side of steamed rice.

Just a short stroll from Terrigal Beach and renowned for dramatic ocean views, find Meribella on Pine Tree Lane. Tourists exploring the Central Coast, along with peckish locals, take in crashing waves while seated among elegant surrounds of broad arches, stylish wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling windows, before delighting in a Mod Oz menu with Mediterranean influence. highlighting the ocean’s wares.

 

Get lost in tantalising à la carte choices paired with a selection from a wine list brimming with Australian vintages; to start try kingfish crudo, coconut, lime and avocado, or Wagyu tartare with Parisian dressing and caviar; aged duck, beetroot and blackberry tempt for the main affair, with truffle fries and grilled broccolini on the side.

Head to bustling beachside eatery Bellyfish Café on Terrigal Esplanade in Terrigal for quality coffee and all-day brunch offerings. Soak up rays alfresco on balmy days with water views and a cappuccino, or head indoors where walls are adorned with caricature-style murals and an aqua-tiled counter sits pride of place as the tantalising aroma of coffee beans wafts in the air.

 

Watch the sun rise over the water while indulging in breaky plates of eggs Benny with poached eggs, spinach, Hollandaise and gin-cured salmon; stop in later for a lunch by the sea of spiced chicken tacos with herbed slaw, corn salsa, harissa aioli and chips, or beer-battered fish and chips with house tartar sauce and lemon.

Find a luxurious restaurant serving classic European cuisine with a modern twist at The Peacock Room on Woodward Street in Orange. Nestled in the Oriana Orange hotel, this stylish dining venue has walls adorned with vibrant murals, including peacocks, while softly glowing table lights and blue velvet chairs add a plush touch, ideal for lingering over a cocktail from the retro-chic bar.

 

Be enticed by starters of BBQ scallop, shellfish mayonnaise, grapefruit and confit fennel, or steak tartare, Dijonnaise soft-boiled quail egg and crouton; for the main, delve into orange roughy, baby onions, soubise, broad beans and sauce Grenobloise, or lamb backstrap, braised neck and navarin of lamb, with Dutch potato salad and braised artichoke hearts on the side.