La Vela won Best Overall Award.La Vela won Best Overall Award.

The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants Awards ceremony held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior on December 5 celebrated the outstanding achievement of Malta and Gozo’s top-rated restaurants. These were chosen by diners who participated in the Malta and Gozo Restaurant Survey online at www.restaurantsmalta.com. Based on popular vote, only 150 restaurants make it to be included in the latest 2017 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo and its official portal.

The results were announced by Lisa Grech, managing director of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co, and presented by Tonio Mallia from HSBC, Ray Zammit from Global Payments  and Mark Ciantar of Continental Purchasing, on behalf of Villeroy & Boch, who supplied the commemorative award plates for the occasion. The event was sponsored by HSBC and Global Payments.

This year’s Malta and Gozo Restaurant Survey, conducted in September 2016, returned an incredibly high number of responses,  with 2,074 participants who dined out on average twice a week – equivalent to 215,696 dining experiences in a year.

This year sees 27 new restaurants in the The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo and on www.restaurantsmalta.com, which was also launched on the evening.

Award restaurants were chosen from the highest-rated restaurants, both overall and in the various price categories for Malta and Gozo, taking into account not only the overall rating but also individual food, service and ambience ratings, the number of people rating, value for money, comments and other data from the survey. Restaurants that won award plates in order from most highly rated included: Ristorante La Vela; Quadro; Rubino; Buddhamann; Giannini; Le Bistro; Paulus; Redwhite; San Andrea; The Chophouse: Giuseppi’s Bar & Bistro; Il-Mithna; Jus Dine & Wine; La Buona Trattoria del Nonno; one80 Kitchen & Lounge; Xpresso Cafe and Bistro; Suruchi; The Villa Brasserie; Tosca; Trattoria, San Lawrenz; Bacchus; The Blue Elephant; Capistrano; Caviar & Bull; Il-Baldakkin Lounge; La Capanna; Palazzo Preca; Palio’s; Patrick’s Lounge & Restaurant; Roots; SALT Kitchen & Lounge; Sepia; Ta’ Marija; Taproom; Tarragon; The Avenue; The Fork and Cork; Umami; Lovage Bistro; and Trattoria A.D. 1530.

Additional awards were made to: Best Food – Ristorante La Vela; Best Service – Ristorante La Vela; Best Maltese Food – Gululu Kcina Maltija; Best Business Entertainment – Caviar & Bull; Restaurant Most Dedicated to Supporting Local – Tal-Familja; Most Romantic Restaurant – Tarragon; Most Children-Friendly – iPlace; Best Restaurant offering Vegetarian options – Tarragon; Best Value for Money – Iplace; Best Newcomer – Redwhite; The Colin Best Award for the Most Consistently Outstanding Restaurant in Malta & Gozo for 2015/2016 (in memory of Colin Best, co-founder of the restaurant guide) – Tarragon ; Best Chef Award – Kevin Bonello; Best Restaurant on Valletta Waterfront – Pintonino; and Most Mentioned Restaurant in Survey – Iplace.

The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants wine awards, in association with Riedel, The Wine Glass Company, were: People’s Choice Wine List – Tarragon; Riedel Wine Experience of the Year – Caviar & Bull; Wine List of the Year – Tarragon; Commended Wine Lists – one80, Chophouse, Ristorante La Vela and Pintonino; and Best Maltese Wine List – Country Terrace.

The results of the survey – found in the 2017 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo – is now available to purchase online for €8 at www.restaurantsmalta.com, which will also entitle you to the Guide online and a free hard copy in the post. It is also available at leading stationers and bookshops in Malta and Gozo.

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