The fine dining establishment won their category of best restaurant in a hotel/resort at the awards ceremony in late September.

For owners Michelle and Tom Bishop, the win is a welcome morale boost for their team, after challenging times for the hospitality industry as a whole.

"It's certainly been a tough couple of years, a trifecta of catastrophic fires, Covid-19 and floods has been a huge drain on us all," Mrs Bishop said.

"So, to be recognised and take home a win in such a prestigious category reinforces that we're doing something right, and we couldn't do it without our amazing Bangalay Luxury Villas family."

More than 250 hospitality businesses were represented at the awards ceremony in Sydney.

In total there were more than 80 categories for awards, including a variety specialist cuisines and services, and both regional and metro awards.

The Awards for Excellence is a nationally recognised, program that celebrates exceptional service and culinary talent across the state.

Judging is determined by consumers who rank what is important to them in the dining experience.

Bangalay's executive chef Simon Evans said he was immensely proud of his team in the restaurant, and their efforts to keep up high standards.

"This win really is a testament to hard work, our amazing team and the abundance of local produce right on our doorstep - we are spoilt for choice on the beautiful South Coast.

"I'm so proud of the staff we have here, we have a small, young team who are all eager to learn and progress.

"The staffing crisis in Australia has been widely reported and is no secret but I'm so lucky with the staff we have found, watching their abilities grow and the standard of food they serve up makes me extremely proud."

The Awards for Excellence are presented annually by the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia, and are held in each state.