Best Casual Dining (Regional and Metropolitan)

Minimum Entrants
A minimum of three entrants is required for the category to progress to judging.

National Awards Eligibility
The winner is eligible to enter the AHA National Awards for Best Bistro.

Judging Costs
Venues progressing to the judging phase will be invoiced for the actual cost of the judging process.

About the Award
This category recognises excellence in venues offering a quality casual dining experience through a general pub bistro offer.

Eligible venues can range from approximately 20 to 500+ seats. Food may be ordered and paid for at the bar, bistro or table. Meals may be delivered by staff using table numbers, collected by patrons using a buzzer, or provided through other service methods.

The venue must clearly offer a casual pub dining experience rather than a restaurant-style experience, with a strong focus on customer service.

Judging Process
Judges will assess the venue across the following areas:

Hotel

• Décor, design, ambience, atmosphere, lighting and comfort
• Quality and presentation of the venue, including furniture, table settings, crockery, cutlery and glassware
• Popularity of the venue and alignment with the local market
• Pricing relevant to the local market and overall dining experience
• Hygiene and cleanliness across all areas, including restrooms

Beverage

• Variety of wines, including regional, Victorian and interstate wines
• Variety of wines available by the glass
• Variety of local and imported beers
• Range of non-alcoholic beverages
• Quality and usefulness of wine descriptions on the menu

Staff & Service

• Customer service
• Staff presentation and quality of interactions
• Product knowledge, including the ability to recommend food and wine pairings
• Efficiency of order taking, meal delivery and table clearing
• Staff efficiency, attentiveness and discretion
• Professional grooming and presentation
• Knowledge of Responsible Service of Alcohol requirements
• Telephone technique

Menu

• Presentation and layout
• Seasonal variation
• Value for money
• Integration and presentation of specials

Food

• Pricing relative to the overall offering
• Presentation, innovation, accuracy and composition of dishes
• Originality, selection and variety of the menu
• Quality and consistency of dishes