There’s no romanticised “cooking with nonna” backstory for down-to-earth Sydney chef Clayton Wells. The 34-year-old head chef of Automata, in inner Sydney’s Chippendale, announced today as The Weekend Australian Magazine Hottest Chef of 2016, simply knew he’d found his passion during work experience.

The new Kensington Street precinct in Chippendale launched with plenty of hype surrounding at least two of its three marquee restaurants. Ironically, for us it’s the least pumped that has stood tall among the trio. Automata finds a sweet spot somewhere between creativity, youthful energy, genuine hospitality and simply delicious food you can’t forget.