Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has announced the winners of the 2022 NSW Restaurant & Catering HOSTPLUS  Awards for Excellence, including accolades for best bars and clubs.

The Awards for Excellence program formally recognises hospitality operators across a broad range of categories who consistently provide exceptional service and demonstrate culinary excellence in their respective fields.

The 2022 NSW Awards for Excellence ceremony was held on 19 September 2022 at Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Among the best bars and clubs announced at the ceremony were Flame at Dee Why RSL, which took out Best Restaurant in a Pub/Club; while the Best Wine Bar/Brewery & Boutique Spirits award went to Vernon’s Bar in Summer Hill. In the regional category, Best Restaurant in a Pub/Club was awarded to The Valley Restaurant – Easts Leisure & Golf, East Maitland; Best Restaurant in a Winery went to The Gates Restaurant at Leogate Estate Wines, Pokolbin; and Best Wine Bar/Brewery & Boutique Spirits was won by The Grain Store, Newcastle East (above).

R&CA CEO Belinda Clarke said: “R&CA’s Awards for Excellence is one of the most important nights in the hospitality calendar. It is always such an amazing experience to recognise some of the state’s finest hospitality businesses who showcase the very best our industry has to offer.

“This year’s winners include household names such as Quay Restaurant, which won Sydney’s Restaurant of the Year; Bistro Molines in Mount View, which took out best Regional NSW Restaurant; and Charlie & Franks in North Sydney, which won Best Cafe.

“After two years of hardship, the industry is now facing new challenges that require new solutions to fix them. Among others, rising cost of business and staffing shortages have made it so hard for hospitality to do what it does best.

“Tonight is a true display of what it takes to survive and thrive in such trying times and all the winners should be immensely proud.”

Click here to view the full list of award winners.