Penfolds Magill Estate Wins Two Stars in South Australia’s First Michelin Guide
Penfolds Magill Estate earned two stars as Michelin revealed its first South Australia selection in Adelaide on 14 October, with 16 Bib Gourmands.
The Michelin Guide revealed its first South Australia selection on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, making the state the first in Australia to feature in the guide. Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant won two stars, and ten other venues received one star each.
The selection covers Adelaide and regional South Australia, including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills and the Clare Valley. Beyond the starred restaurants, the guide names 16 Bib Gourmand venues and 50 Michelin Selected venues, according to InDaily. The reveal was to be livestreamed on YouTube.
Eleven Starred Restaurants Span Adelaide and the Wine Regions
Magill Estate Restaurant, at Penfolds Magill Estate in the Adelaide foothills, is the only two-star venue. Chef Scott Huggins told InDaily that winning two stars was “a dream come true.”
The one-star venues are Restaurant Botanic, Arkhé, Esmay and Aurora at ILA in Adelaide; Anvers, Restaurant Aptos and LVN Restaurant at Bird in Hand; Hentley Farm in the Barossa Valley; Skillogalee Barrel House in the Clare Valley; and Maxwell in McLaren Vale. Coverage differs. Time Out lists Maxwell and LVN as one-star venues, while Australian Traveller lists Maxwell as both one-star and Bib Gourmand.
Time Out also names special awards: Shakaan Abillion of Shobosho for Young Chef, Melissa Pisanelli of Allegra Dining Room for Service, and Maxine Martin of Hardy’s Verandah for Sommelier.
The Starred Count
Eleven South Australian restaurants hold stars: Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant with two, and ten with one, according to Time Out, and Australian Traveller also counts 11 starred restaurants.
A State-Backed Entry With Confidential Costs
Michelin says the guide’s arrival is supported by the Government of South Australia. InDaily reports that the state government paid to bring the guide to the state and that the amount is commercially confidential. Premier Peter Malinauskas declined to disclose the figure, saying it was less than the amount Tourism New Zealand reportedly paid for its guide, which InDaily gives as $6.3 million.
Michelin says anonymous inspectors judge only the cooking, using five criteria: ingredients, cooking technique, flavour harmony, personality of the cuisine and consistency. InDaily reports that stars go to restaurants rather than chefs, that inspectors have been judging since May, and that restaurants cannot pay to be included or to win an award.
Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin’s International Director, called the debut very impressive, citing a food culture with real depth and its use of wood and charcoal cooking, InDaily reported.
Tourism Expectations Reach Beyond the Starred Kitchens
Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the announcement would put South Australia at the top of travel lists for food lovers worldwide. She expects bookings to extend beyond the awarded restaurants to airlines, hotels, tours, experiences and wineries, according to the state’s tourism release.
The release gives no South Australian visitor or spending figures. It cites Michelin’s reach of more than 62 million website visitors a year, 3.9 million Instagram followers and 3.8 million app users. Bourke also referred to reports of a booking surge at newly starred restaurants in New Zealand, without giving numbers.
Venues on the lists are spread across Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, the Clare Valley and Kangaroo Island, the last through the Bib Gourmand listing of Tirage on Kangaroo Island.
Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant is the only two-star venue in the first South Australia selection.
What Travellers Will Find, and What Is Still Open
Michelin says the full selection is free to access, digitally only, on its website, apps and social channels. It describes one star as “high-quality cooking that is worth a stop,” while a Bib Gourmand marks good-quality food at a moderate price.
The Bib Gourmand list includes Africola, Sunny’s Pizza, Parwana Afghan Kitchen and Tirage on Kangaroo Island. The Michelin Selected list includes venues such as Coriole Vineyards, St Hugo and Hardy’s Verandah.
InDaily reports that the Premier has stayed tight-lipped about the state’s payment to Michelin.
Photo: Rhododendrites · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
