Five eateries went from one to two hats, many won a hat for the first time, including a small gyros shop, and Sydney has its first Filipino hatted restaurant.

Which restaurants gained and lost hats in the latest Good Food Guide? Dion Georgopolous; James Brickwood

Restaurants didn’t need silver service, expensive wine pairings or even table reservations to receive a coveted chef’s hat at the 42nd annual Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards at Carriageworks on Monday as critics’ recommendations evolved to reflect the needs of contemporary Australian diners.

More than 160 restaurants across NSW were recognised with at least one hat, many for the first time, after a team of anonymous restaurant critics spent six months independently reviewing more than 500 venues for the quality of their food, setting, value and hospitality.

Among that number were five Sydney restaurants which rose from one to two hats - a four-fold increase from the previous year - including French bistro Porcine in Paddington,…