Subscribe 
Sitchu Awards 2026: Vote for NSW’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 NSW, 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 NSW
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.
Tilda, Sydney CBD
Palazzo Salatto, Sydney CBD
Arthur, Surry Hills
20 Chapel, Marrickville
Bistecca, Sydney CBD
Best Neighbourhood Bar
A glass of local vino, a crafted cocktail or the easy hum of your favourite haunt.
Dear Sainte Éloise, Potts Point
Bar Copains, Surry Hills
Jane, Surry Hills
The Dry Dock, Balmain
Meadow Music Room, Cronulla
Best Deli or Sandwich Spot
Where the sandwiches are stacked high, the flavours bold and tomorrow’s cravings are guaranteed.
Salumerie, Potts Point, Sydney CBD, Manly & Bondi Beach
Raineri’s Continental Delicatessen, Five Dock
South Dowling Sandwiches, Darlinghurst, Alexandria, Sydney CBD
Cross Section, Darlinghurst & Bondi Junction
Good Ways Deli, Redfern & Alexandria
Best Coffee Spot
From perfectly pulled espresso shots to artisan brews, the cafes that get it right every single time.
FLOUR, Caringbah South
Algorithm, Marrickville & Potts Point
Genovese Coffee House, Alexandria
Single O, Surry Hills
Martha’s, Wareemba
Best Cafe or Bakery
The spots doing morning rituals right, from flaky pastries and fresh bakes to breakfasts worth lingering over.
FLOUR, Caringbah South
Wholegreen Bakery, Alexandria, Sydney CBD, Bondi Junction
A.P Bakery, Surry Hills, Newtown, Eveleigh, Sydney CBD, Darlinghurst & Potts Point
Flour and Stone, Woolloomooloo
Lode Pies & Pastries, Sydney CBD, Surry Hills, North Sydney, Rozelle & Chatswood
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)
Bowral, Southern Highlands
Berry, South Coast
Mudgee, Central West
Mollymook, South Coast
Leura, Blue Mountains
Best Boutique Hotel
Character-filled stays with beautiful details, thoughtful touches and a reason to stay a little longer.
(Boutique hotels under 100 rooms)
Osborn House, Bundanoon
Ardour Milton Park Bowral, Bowral
Paramount House Hotel, Surry Hills
Medusa Hotel, Darlinghurst
The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale
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.)
Hands, Newtown & Paddington
Ariel Booksellers, Paddington
JUMBLED, Orange
Casa Amaria, North Sydney
Provider Store, Surry Hills
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.)
Fayshell, Neutral Bay & Bondi Junction
Girl With A Pearl, Mudgee
Peggy Concept Store, Avalon Beach
Trading in Style, Randwick & Bondi Beach
Girls With Gems, Double Bay
Best Health & Wellness Business
Fitness studios, treatments and wellness spaces helping us switch off, recharge and feel good in our own skin.
Soak Bathhouse, Alexandria & Bondi Junction
Nature’s Energy, Glebe, Balmain & Newtown
MODE PILATES, Mosman, Manly, Brookvale, Collaroy & Mona Vale
Capybara Bathing, Surry Hills
Studio Red, Manly
How to Vote in the Sitchu Awards 2026
Our editors have counted your nominations and curated five NSW 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 NSW finalists span ten categories, celebrating 50 venues and businesses across Sydney and regional NSW, with five finalists in each category. Best Restaurant finalists include Tilda, Palazzo Salatto, Arthur, 20 Chapel and Bistecca, while Best Neighbourhood Bar features Dear Sainte Éloise, Bar Copains, Jane, The Dry Dock and Meadow Music Room. Other categories recognise standout delis and sandwich spots, coffee shops, cafes and bakeries, small-town escapes, boutique hotels, independent homewares, beauty and fashion businesses, and health and wellness destinations.
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.
