Restaurateur's Restaurant Awards

[Andy Lynes]

The winners of the Restaurateur's Restaurant Awards were announced at a ceremony in Olympia MC'd by TV's Richard Johnson:

Restaurateur's Restaurant of the Year

Locanda Locatelli

French Restaurant of the Year

Club Gascon

Seafood Restaurant of the Year

The Seafood Restaurant

Modern European Restaurant of the Year

The Fat Duck

Oriental Restaurant of the Year

Hakkasan

Italian Restaurant of the Year

Locanda Locatelli

Indian Restaurant of the Year

Amaya

Wine Restaurant of the Year

Petrus

Design Restaurant of the Year

Sketch

Hotel Restaurant of the Year

Claridges

New Restaurant of the Year

The Ledbury

London Restaurant of the Year

Tom Aikens

Best front-of-house team

Racine

[MobyP]

Did you go Andy?

[bigorre]

Club gascon still winning awards after 5 -6 years....anyone been lately

[Andy Lynes]

I did attend the ceremony. It was mercifully swift with plenty of time for chatting and meeting people which is what these things are really about. That said, I wouldn't have minded some context for the awards - who nominated and voted and what was the criteria. As much as I like Locanda Locatelli, it would be interesting to understand why the voters think its currently London's best restaurant, why Club Gascon is winning so many awards now and why Petrus is the best restaurant for wine. A longer and more explanatory citation for each award would have helped and need not have slowed the proceeding up too much.

I don't understand the reasoning behind having an award for best design and then giving it to the same restaurant (Sketch) 2 years running, that's just crazy. Similarly, why does The Seafood get best seafod restaurant two years in a row? And why is it one of only two non-London restaurants to win an award?

I had the opportunity to meet Andrew Fairlie who I'm glad to say looked very fit and healthy and apparently fully recovered from his recent illness. Brett Graham appeared quite chuffed with his award and was very graciously congratulated by Jason Atherton from Maze, another shortlisted newcomer. Gordon Ramsay was mobbed as usual but I did mange to say a few words to him. He still won't agree to a eGullet Q&A which is a real shame. I've told him that we'll all be very nice to him but he won't believe me! If anyone else spots him out and about, please feel free to try and twist his arm.

[circeplum]

I don't understand the reasoning behind having an award for best design and then giving  it to the same restaurant (Sketch) 2 years running, that's just crazy.

←

because it has the best design 2 years running?

x

[Andy Lynes]

There have been well over a hundred "new" or re-designed restaurants opened in the last 12 months, surely one of them deserved to be recognised over and above Sketch. Yauatcha is a beautiful room, The Greenhouse is lovely, The Ledbury is great, all would be worthy winners and I'm sure there are many more.

[circeplum]

but they clearly thought sketch was the best. so....

i don't see any reason why the same place shouldn't win the same prize. if it's still considered to be the best. otherwise it's like that episode of the simpsons when homer wins the employee of the month award because they've already given it to everyone else.

x

[Andy Lynes]

I think it shows a complete lack of imagination, but I think we'll have to agree to disagree otherwise we could be at this all night. (You can have the last word though if you like, I'll be a gentleman about it!)

[circeplum]

I think it shows a complete lack of imagination, but I think we'll have to agree to disagree otherwise we could be at this all night. (You can have the last word though if you like, I'll be a gentleman about it!)

←

but it's not about imagination, is it? it's about who's supposed to be the best.

and thanks for my last word

x

[Ian]

it's about who's supposed to be the best.

And what does 'best' mean anyway? :-)

--

Ian

[Marlyn4k]

I was at the awards, they rattled through all of them in less than half an hour, was sad that The Waterside didn't win best front of house - saw Diego Masciaga and Silvano Giraldin sitting together, one place away from Gordon. The invitation said lounge suits...why bother...about 1/2 ignored, including winners.

Had a most satisfying dinner at L'Ortolan (yes, got there by 8.10pm from Olympia) afterwards, although the extent of the freebee drinks had taken their toll.

[Jon Tseng]

Saw that list in the standard last night. My first thought was that it was incredibly boring... Hakkasan... Fat Duck... Locanda Locatelli... Club Gascon... Rick Stein... Tom Aikens.

Hardly news!

A coronation of the established rather than an exploration of the interesting.

Maybe that's just a reflection of how things are - within these discrete categories the order at the top doesn't really change that much year to year.

A bit of variation is all I ask...

J

[MobyP]

Agreed. As much a condemnation of the UK restaurant scene, as it is of the award system.