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Sitchu Awards 2026: Vote for Queensland’s Finalists For Your Chance to Win
Five finalists across ten categories, nominated by you. Now it’s time to back your favourites.
The Sitchu Awards celebrate the restaurants, bars, cafes, boutique hotels, small businesses, wellness spots and weekend escapes that have become part of how we live.
Across ten categories in Queensland, the 2026 finalists are in: five per category, curated by our editors from your nominations. They’re the places you keep going back to and can’t stop recommending, the ones you’d queue for, drive for or secretly want to gatekeep. You’ve helped shape the shortlist. Now you can help decide who takes home the title.
Voting runs from 10am AEDT on October 23 to 11.59pm AEDT on November 4. If you nominated earlier, vote with the same email address to go in the draw to win $1,000.* Scroll down to back your favourites.
New to the Sitchu Awards? Meet past winners and more here.
Sitchu Awards 2026 Key Dates
Finalists announced and voting opens: 10am AEDT, October 23
Voting closes: 11.59pm AEDT, November 4
Winners announced: November 25
Sitchu Awards 2026 Finalists in Queensland
This year’s ten categories celebrate the places we eat, drink, stay, shop and unwind.
Best Restaurant
The tables worth booking, from buzzy new openings to tried-and-true favourites that never miss.
sAme sAme, Fortitude Valley
ESSA, Fortitude Valley
Marlowe, South Brisbane
Mosconi, Fortitude Valley
Agnes, Fortitude Valley
Best Neighbourhood Bar
A glass of local vino, a crafted cocktail or the easy hum of your favourite haunt.
Ruby’s Wine Shop, Albion
Noir, Paddington
Patio by Range, Paddington
Wineism, Albion
Flying Colours, West End
Best Deli or Sandwich Spot
Where the sandwiches are stacked high, the flavours bold and tomorrow’s cravings are guaranteed.
New Farm Deli, New Farm
Sunny Side Sandwiches, Windsor, Paddington & East Brisbane
wilburs., Holland Park
Sarni, Ascot
Ham on Rye, Paddington
Best Coffee Spot
From perfectly pulled espresso shots to artisan brews, the cafes that get it right every single time.
Bellissimo Coffee, Coorparoo, Fortitude Valley, Bulimba & Brisbane Airport
Salt, Newstead
Coffee Anthology, Brisbane CBD
Anytime Coffee, Brisbane CBD
KIMINO, Ashgrove
Best Cafe or Bakery
The spots doing morning rituals right, from flaky pastries and fresh bakes to breakfasts worth lingering over.
Darvella Patisserie, Bulimba
Idle, New Farm
RISER, Toowong
Danny’s Artisan Bakery, Teneriffe, Fortitude Valley, Harris Farm West End & Harris Farm Markets Clayfield
Flour & Chocolate, Morningside & Northgate
Best Small Town for a Weekend Escape
Where country charm, good food and a change of pace make for the perfect weekend away.
(Australian towns with a population under 30,000 that provide distinctive travel experiences such as food, accommodation, activities)
Stanthorpe, Granite Belt
Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast
Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Tamborine Mountain, Gold Coast Hinterland
Samford, Moreton Bay
Best Boutique Hotel
Character-filled stays with beautiful details, thoughtful touches and a reason to stay a little longer.
(Boutique hotels under 100 rooms)
The Inchcolm, Spring Hill
Spicers Hidden Vale, Grandchester
Miss Midgley’s, New Farm
The Tamborine, Tamborine Mountain
Beechmont Estate, Beechmont
Best Small Local Business (Lifestyle & Homewares)
Independent names bringing personality to our homes, from considered pieces to those finds you’ll want to keep forever.
(Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations.)
Highgate House, Albion
Mumbleberry, Brisbane CBD, Wilston
Brookfield Gardens, Brookfield
White Grove House, Clayfield
The Plant Bunker, Grange
Best Small Local Business (Beauty & Fashion)
The independent labels, boutiques and beauty businesses putting their own stamp on style.
(Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations.)
Perci Salon, West End
Camargue, Fortitude Valley
Neo-Generalist, West End
Glo Haus, Bulimba
Soja Studios, Woolloongabba
Best Health & Wellness Business
Fitness studios, treatments and wellness spaces helping us switch off, recharge and feel good in our own skin.
The Bathhouse, Albion
Soak Bathhouse, West End & Mermaid Beach
TotalFusion, Newstead, Morningside, Springfield, Chermside & Mt Gravatt
Merse Wellness Spa, Coomera, Holmview & Virginia
SOL Elements, Tamborine Mountain
How to Vote in the Sitchu Awards 2026
Our editors have counted your nominations and curated five Queensland finalists in each category. Now it’s over to you.
Back your favourites using the voting form below. You can vote in as many categories as you like.
Use the same email you nominated with to complete your entry in the draw to win $1,000.* Entries made with different emails can’t be linked.
Get your votes in before 11.59pm AEDT on November 4.
Winners and runners-up will be announced on November 25.
*The prize winner will be drawn on or after November 5. Full terms and conditions, including finalist eligibility and prize details, are available here.
Voting closes at 11.59pm AEDT on November 4.
Sitchu Awards 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
The Sitchu Awards 2026 Queensland finalists are 50 venues and businesses across ten categories, with five finalists per category curated by Sitchu editors from reader nominations. Best Restaurant finalists include sAme sAme, Essa, Marlowe, Mosconi and Agnes, while Best Neighbourhood Bar features Ruby’s Wine Shop, Noir, Patio by Range, Wineism and Flying Colours Bar. Other categories cover delis, coffee, cafes and bakeries, small towns, boutique hotels, independent homewares, beauty and fashion businesses, and health and wellness. Voting runs from 23 October to 4 November, with winners announced on 25 November.
The winners of the Sitchu Awards 2026 will be announced on Wednesday 25 November 2026, after voting closes at 11.59pm AEDT (11.29pm ACDT) on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Winners will be revealed on the dedicated Sitchu Awards 2026 South Australia winners page, alongside runners-up and a short note on what makes each place worth the visit. Until voting closes, share the finalists with friends and back your favourites in every category. Subscribe to the Sitchu newsletter or follow Sitchu on Instagram to be among the first to know when the results go live.
To be eligible for the $1,000 cash prize, you must take part in both the nominations and the voting for the Sitchu Awards 2026. Nominations ran from 4 to 13 October 2026, and voting runs from 23 October to 4 November 2026. The winner will be drawn and notified on or after 5 November 2026. The Sitchu Awards are presented in partnership with Poco Vino. Full terms and conditions, including entry requirements and prize details, are available on the Sitchu Awards 2026 terms and conditions page, so check them before you vote.
Voting for the Sitchu Awards 2026 opens at 10am AEDT on Friday 23 October 2026, when the finalists are announced, and closes at 11.59pm AEDT on Wednesday 4 November 2026. You can vote on the Sitchu Awards 2026 South Australia finalists page by choosing your favourite finalist in each category. Nominations closed on 13 October 2026, so voting is your chance to back the places you love. Share the finalists with friends and rally behind your local picks before voting closes.
Sitchu editors counted every reader nomination submitted between 4 and 13 October 2026, then curated five finalists in each of the ten state categories, so every finalist began as a reader recommendation. To be eligible, businesses and venues must have been operating prior to 1 July 2026. Some categories, including Best Small Town for a Weekend Escape, Best Boutique Hotel and the Best Small Local Business categories, carry additional eligibility criteria, which are outlined in the full Sitchu Awards 2026 terms and conditions.
