Sage takes out fine dining gong
Posted on
Everyone’s a critic these days. But there are some reviews and rankings all restaurateurs sit up and take notice of—such as the largest social travel website in the world, Tripadvisor.
Canberra’s Sage Dining Rooms has come second in Australia in Tripadvisor’s 2019 Traveller’s Choice Awards for Fine Dining.
It is the only Canberra restaurant to make the list—with no other Canberra restaurants listed in Everyday Dining or Fast Casual.
Tripadvisor’s website has about 500 million reviews of restaurants, hotels and attractions—generated by members of the public.
Sage was set up the Harrington brothers—Peter and Michael of AKIBA and Kokomo’s fame—in the historic confines of Gorman House Arts Centre in Braddon in 2009 and has built a reputation as an innovative and cutting-edge fine dining experience in Canberra.
Photography: Adam McGrath
Head Chef, Thomas Heinrich, said it was a proud moment to see the ratings come out.
“My passion for being cutting edge in fine dining has always been motivated by the value of our guests themselves.
“We are committed to delivering an extraordinary experience – we want all guests to feel touched, moved and inspired through our food and their interactions with our whole team. “This award is a real measure of what people are saying about us and a testament to what we value most,” Mr Heinrich said.
Photography: Adam McGrath
Peter said it was a great accolade to receive in the same week they were celebrating owning the restaurant for ten years.
“Sage has managed to stand the test of time by always staying at the forefront of modern dining trends. We pride ourselves on carefully listening to our guests to provide them with the best experience possible,” said Mr Harrington.
This includes the very popular Taste and Test Experience where new dishes are sent out for diners to rate out of ten before they make it to the actual menu.
Sage was ranked second after Perth’s restaurant, ‘Friends’ with Bacchaus in Brisbane, and China Doll in Sydney also making the top ten.
Sage Dining Rooms also made TripAdvisor’s list in 2014 and is the only Canberra restaurant to have ever made the list.
Peter said the ratings confirmed that Sage had a proud place in Canberra’s ever-evolving restaurant scene and hinted that a make-over was in the works, pending consultation with the heritage authorities in charge of the historic building.
“We want to refresh the look and feel of the place to keep pace with the innovation of the food we present there.”
Feature image photography: Adam McGrath
Leave a Reply