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Which city is Australia's real gourmet destination? This FACT indicates the proportion of acclaimed restaurants in each city by 100,000 people, where acclaimed restaurants are defined by an allocation of 12 to 20 Chef Hats awarded by the Australian Good Food Guide. The criteria for selection include both the facilities and services of each establishment. While there are other sources of restaurant ratings, for example those in guidebooks, newspapers, lifestyle magazines and online forums, criteria for these reviews differ greatly, and are thus less reliable for statistical analysis.
According to the Australian Good Food Guide, the city with the highest number of quality restaurants per 100,000 persons is Hobart, at 6.14. The city with the lowest proportion is Sydney, at only 1.82 per 100,000 persons. This is interesting because Sydney also has the highest number of acclaimed restaurants in total. Perhaps having the lowest proportion per 100,000 persons challenges its image as one of Australia's top food destinations. Hobart, on the other hand, has the third lowest number of acclaimed restaurants in total, but the highest per capita.