Regional Restaurant of the Year: EXP. Restaurant

Hunter Valley

EXP. is running a celebratory lap thanks to the twin milestones of marking its 10-year anniversary and winning two hats in this year’s Guide for the very first time. Now it has one more feather in its cap: it’s our Regional Restaurant of the Year.

The business that Emma and Frank Fawkner started in 2015 has done it the long way, moving from the original site at Oakvale Wines into Pokolbin Village, adding a bakery-cafe, then going all-in on fine-dining.

Today, the room is temple-like, but there’s a sense of enjoyment radiating from the open kitchen, right from an elaborate and intricate snack course through to dishes that present simply and elegantly, but reveal layers on the palate.

The team is just as impressive: head chef Josh Hannan is an emerging talent in the kitchen, and Isabella Stibbard-Ribeiro runs the floor and pours wine – classic and not-so-classic, from near and far – with aplomb.

The Fawkners say that this year they’ve refined the space, operation and team at EXP. to a point they’re finally satisfied with. Doing so might have made them happy, but we’re all reaping the rewards.