The shortlist of finalists for the Glasgow Restaurant Awards was announced today by Glasgow Restaurant Association chairman Ryan James.
The public voted in their thousands to nominate their favourite city eatery, with over 17,000 votes cast and almost 90 different restaurants put forward.
In total, 27 restaurants made the final three in each of the nine categories open to the public vote. Amongst them were Glasgow institutions such as Rogano and Cafe Gandolfi, but joining them were newcomers to the dining scene such as Lychee Oriental and Cup, Tea Lounge.
Secret judging panel
The next phase will see a secret panel of industry judges visiting each institution before deciding on a winner for each category. The judges, who are the very best chefs, owners and industry specialists, will be assessing each finalist on a range of criteria, ranging from ease of booking, quality of service and produce, right through to the quality of their toilets. Who the judges are will remain secret until the awards presentation on Monday 10 December at the Citizen’s Theatre.
Announcing the finalists, chairman Ryan James commented:
‘This is the second year of these awards and it seems that the dining public are keen to ensure that their favourite establishment gets the recognition it deserves. Glaswegians are spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out in the city. In return, restaurant owners and chefs are creating outstanding dining experiences by using the freshest ingredients, served by enthusiastic staff, in the best surroundings.’
Bigger than before
Organised by the Glasgow Restaurant Association (GRA) in partnership with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, this year’s awards are bigger than the inaugural 2010 event, with 19 categories ranging from Best Newcomer to Restaurant of the Year. This year, the public also voted for the new Spirit of Glasgow award – the person in a Glasgow restaurant that they believe has gone that extra mile.
Ryan James added:
‘It is very exciting to see so many diners get behind their favourite restaurant. The Spirit of Glasgow award really brought home how passionate the city’s restaurant staff are for customer service. We have heard some wonderful tales of staff members going above and beyond to ensure their patrons have a memorable meal. Another hotly contested award, the Outstanding Maitre D’ of the year, again demonstrates the high calibre of staff in Glasgow’s dining establishments.’
This year’s award finalists are as follows (note – these are in alphabetical order, not by the number of votes received):
Posh Nosh – sponsored by Inverarity Morton
Brian Maule @ Chardon D’or
The Butcher Shop Bar & Grill
Two Fat Ladies @ The Buttery
Smart but Casual – sponsored by Inverarity Morton
29 Grill on the Square
Amarone
La Bonne Auberge
Casual – sponsored by Paramount Design and Print
Art Lovers Cafe at House for an Art Lover
Shandon Belles
Soho on Miller Street
Family Dining – sponsored by Martin Aitken & Co
Di Maggios City Centre
Di Maggios Theatreland
La Vita George Square
5pm People’s Choice – sponsored by 5pm.co.uk
Guys
Number 16
Rogano
Best Newcomer – sponsored by First Drinks Brand Ltd
Cup, Tea Lounge
Le Bistro Beaumartin
Lychee Oriental
Best Italian – sponsored by Conetta Wholesale
La Fiorentina
La Lanterna
Piccolo Mondo
Best Breakfast – sponsored by Rodgers Butchers
Cafe Gandolfi
Restaurant at Blythswood Square
Stravaigin
Non-European – sponsored by Goldstar Chefs
Mister Singh’s
Sapporo Teppanyaki
Dhabba
Outstanding maitre d’ of the year – sponsored by Glasgow Service with Style
Ali Mohammed – Charcoals
Sheonagh Struthers – Grosvenor Cafe
Steven Whitbread – Brian Maule at Chardon D’or
Thomas Salmon – Rogano
Other awards which will be announced on the night include those as voted by the industry themselves. These are
· Glasgow’s Greenest Restaurant – sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland
· Lifetime Achievement – sponsored by The Cook School Scotland
· Entrepreneurial Spirit of the year – sponsored by Auchentoshan
· Overall best restaurant of the year – sponsored by Inverarity Morton
· Spirit of Glasgow – sponsored by Auchentoshan
· Aspiring Front of House Manager – City of Glasgow College
· Young Apprentice Chef – Unilever
· Best use of Social Media – Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
· Best Kitchen Porter – Scottish Fishmonger
The Awards ceremony will be held at the Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow on Monday, 10 December. Over 550 guests, including the finalists of each category, are expected to be in attendance at the event, which is to be hosted by Michelle McManus.
Details on the finalists can be found at www.glasgowrestaurantawards.com