Signature dishes, perfectly pitched drinks and impeccable service are an integral part of the eating and drinking experience, but a venue’s interior is an equally important ingredient. Design provokes an emotional response in us, whether it be a feeling of nostalgia, of delight, or a satisfying sense that we’re in the know. Good design is good for business – it attracts patrons (and keeps them coming back) and creates an efficient working environment for staff.

The annual Eat Drink Design Awards supports innovation and excellence in the design of hospitality premises of all scales and types, retail environments for the sale of food and beverages and visual identities for both. The program recognizes and celebrates Australia and New Zealand’s best projects, rewarding design achievement in seven categories. From high-end restaurants and bars to offbeat hole-in-the-wall cafes and pop-ups, the awards are a unique forum for architects, designers and their clients to present their best new projects. It is the only awards program in Australasia dedicated to this specialist area.

Entries present a wide range of environments, including bars, nightclubs, fine-dining restaurants, hotels, cafes, retail spaces and pop-up installations and survey architecture and design practices of all scales, specializations and locations.

The Eat Drink Design Awards are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia.