L’Agape, Ristorante La Vela and Joseph Vella, executive head chef at Hilton Malta, were awarded the top honours at the third edition of the WRMC Restaurants Quality Recognition Awards 2015, held at Portomaso Suite, Hilton Malta, on Monday.

More than 260 of the Malta’s top chefs, restaurateurs from 55 top restaurants and hotels, sponsors and their guests, were invited for the gala dinner and presentation ceremony.

This year’s awards were presented by the WRMC executive director and restaurant reviewer Reno Spiteri, and representatives of sponsors M. Demajo (Wines and Spirits) Ltd, Valletta Cruise Port plc, P.J. Sutters Marketing Ltd and AppleCore Foods Ltd, among others.

The chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers, whose creativity, class and craft impressed the WRMC inspectors and panel of adjudicators over the past year, were honoured.

Vella received the first Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding service in the culinary profession, covering 35 years, including the writing of two recipe books, the proceeds of which went to the Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital.

Chefs Roberta Preca of Tal-Familja Restaurant in Marsascala and Paul Buttigieg of Tmun, Mġarr, Gozo, received the newly-introduced Promising Top Chef Award.

L’Agape of Rabat and Ristorante La Vela of Pietà took this year’s two WRMC Silver Spoon Awards and joined the other 10 restaurants that have retained their Silver Spoon Awards from 2013 and 2014.

To be considered for a nomination for the WRMC Silver Spoon Award, of which a maximum of only six can be conferred in a year, a restaurant must have been in operation for not less than two years under the same operators and have the same executive chef.

It would have been inspected and reviewed by the WRMC initial survey team and followed by two additional anonymous inspections by WRMC-appointed inspectors for ambience, restaurant atmosphere and decor, management attitude, service and staff attitude, efficiency and decorum, cuisine quality, cuisine preparation and presentation, and wine list with a good selection of premium wines with a decent mark-up, among other requirements.

WRMC Silver Spoon restaurants must be outstanding in all respects.

The current 12 WRMC Silver Spoon Restaurants are: Blue Elephant, Hilton Malta; Patrick’s, Victoria; Tarragon, St Paul’s Bay; Tartarun, Marsaxlokk; The Arches, Mellieħa; TemptAsian, The Palace, Sliema; The Villa Bras­serie, St Julian’s; Tmun Mġarr, Gozo; Palazzo Preca, Valletta; L’Ortolan, Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, Gozo; L’Agape, Rabat; and Ristorante La Vela, Pietà.

The WRMC Top 30 Restaurants in the Maltese Islands Blue Riband Awards category saw 13 restaurants, which included three Sunday buffet lunch restaurants, retaining the Blue Riband Award from 2014, all of which were presented with a Blue Riband plaque, as well as 17 new restaurants that were conferred with the prestigious Blue Riband framed certificate for the first time this year.

The Blue Riband top three Sunday buffet lunch venues are Oceana Restaurant, Hilton Malta; The Tabloid Restaurant, The Palace, Sliema; The Terrace Restaurant, Westin Dragonara Resort, St Julian’s.

Ten Family-oriented casual dining restaurants were awarded a framed certificate. These are: Don Berto, Vittoriosa Waterfront; Mamma Mia, Ta’ Xbiex; Fratelli La Bufala, Tigné Point, Sliema; Trattoria Cucina del Sole, Tigné Point, Sliema; Vecchia Napoli, Sliema; Nenu the Artisan Baker, Valletta; Il-Baldakkin Bistro, Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz; Bistro 516, Valletta Waterfront; Il Vecchio Forno, Mosta.

Six Valletta Waterfront restaurants were awarded for best concept in this location. These are Pintonino Restaurant, best for fish and seafood; Nan Yuan, best ethnic and Cantonese cuisine; Brown’s, best concept restaurant – family, upscale and casual dining; Q Bar, best concept restaurant, lounge, club and Mediterranean cuisine; Pepe Nero, best for Italian-style pizza and beef dishes; and Bistro 516, best for gluten-free food and value dining.

The main purpose behind the creation of these awards is to create top-level quality awareness among the dining public and the restaurant industry in Malta, in preparation for the introduction of the proposed WRMC Culinary Travel Tourism Initiative, which is planned to be launched later this year. This initiative aims to professionally identify a nucleus of outstanding restaurants of every category and concept which would appeal to gourmands both locally as well as internationally.

For further information and the complete albums of the event’s official photographs visit the WRMC website at www.winesandrestaurantsofmalta.com and at www.facebook.com/groups/restauransinmalta.

The 2015 WRMC Blue Riband Restaurants

Zest Flavours, St Julian’s
Waterbiscuit, InterContinental Hotel, St Julian’s
Pintonino, Valletta Waterfront
Venus Restaurant, Buġibba
Bottega del Vino, Hilton Hotel
Tal-Familja Restaurant, Marsascala
Porto Vecchio, Mġarr, Gozo
The Chophouse, Tigné Point, Sliema
Pepe Nero Restaurant, Valletta Waterfront
Zeri’s Restaurant, Portomaso
Sa Re Ga Ma, Fortina Hotel, Sliema
Caviar & Bull, Corinthia Hotel St George’s Bay, St Julian’s
Paranga, InterContinental Hotel, St Julian’s
Wejla by Tartarun, SmartCity Malta
Commando Restaurant, Mellieħa
San Andrea Restaurant, Palazzo Castelletti, Rabat
Acqua – Terra e Mare, Portomaso, St Julian’s
Ali Baba, Gżira
Nan Yuan, Valletta Waterfront
New Madras Indian Restaurant, Buġibba
Trattoria Cardini, Sliema
Beppe’s Restaurant, Marsalforn
Shiva’s, Paceville
La Nostra Padrona, Marsaxlokk
Q Bar & Restaurant, Valletta Waterfront
Brown’s, Valletta Waterfront
Sciacca Grill, Valletta;
Portomaso Casino Restaurant, St Julian’s

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