A hidden Canberra wine bar has found itself named among some of the best in the country.
Kingston's 11e Cave was named as one of the six nominees for Wine Bar of the Year in the annual Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards on Monday.
Hidden behind a red door, 11e Cave is the brainchild of the team at Onzieme and takes up a small space once held by a bank vault. It's inspired by the small French cellar bars serving simple snacks and great wines and cocktails, perfect for a pre- or post-dinner drink.
The Gourmet Traveller nomination said the tiny bar was a space for lovers.
"Named for Paris' grungy-chic 11th arrondissement, this basement wine bar behind an unmarked red door channels the spirit of Parisian cellar bars without succumbing to cliché," the nomination read.
"The smart wine list, on-theme cocktails and solid snack menu is as much about new Canberra as it is about Old World with the low-ceilinged, candle-lit room creating a clandestine vibe that suggests the ACT, too, is for lovers.
"In short: a French love affair."
Onzieme was named ACT's Best Restaurant of the Year in the 2023 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.
The other five wine bars in the 2024 Wine Bar of the Year category are Bar Olo in Melbourne, Havilah in Launceston, Poly in Sydney, Otherness in the Barossa Valley and the South West Wine Shop in Busselton, Western Australia.
The other categories in Australia's longest-running restaurant awards include Best New Talent, Best New Restaurant, Best Destination Dining, Restaurant Personality of the Year, and the return of the Readers' Choice Icon Award.
The winners will be announced on August 19 at an exclusive ceremony at Sydney's iconic waterfront restaurant Catalina, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this September.
Other awards presented on the evening will be the peer-voted Chef of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, and the night's top award, Restaurant of the Year.
Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin says the awards are more important than ever this year as the hospitality industry navigates a series of challenges.
"It's important we continue to lift up the industry and take time to celebrate these milestones and achievements," she says.
"There is no question 2024 is proving a tough year for hospitality, with many restaurateurs forced to make difficult decisions. At the same time, there are still plenty of success stories and new experiences to discover; the awards are here to remind Australians of the exceptional dining on offer across the country and to celebrate the joy of dining out."
