We award stars to restaurants which we have found to be genuinely and consistently exceptional in their food, wine and hospitality. Food is the main criterion, but not the only one. We award only 100 star ratings, so some restaurants which have previously held stars may have been edged out by others lifting their game or by newcomers. The three-star rating labels a restaurant as one of Australia's great restaurants, the equal of the world's best, and a destination in itself. Two stars makes an establishment a genuinely superior dining experience in all respects, worthy of a detour. One star means there is an element of pizzazz as well as professionalism which raises an eatery beyond the everyday.