The world’s most high-profile restaurant rankings, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, this year takes place in Melbourne, Australia. It's only the second time since the awards began in 2002 that the event is being held somewhere other than London.

On its own, the arrival of the controversial but deeply influential list, which uses an international panel of voters to rank the world’s restaurants, is news enough. That it dovetails with the 25th Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has laid the foundations for a food party the likes of which Australia may never see again.

Like any office of mildly obsessed restaurant stalkers, team Broadsheet has been impatiently counting down the weeks to the awards. We will be sharing news with you each day, from updates on what all the talented locals are doing this week, to behind-the-scenes images from guest chef dinners, to the big night itself.