The Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co held its annual Restaurant Award Ceremony Gala Dinner together with the launch of the latest edition - 5th Anniversary of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort last Monday.
This prestigious event, serving fine food catered by Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort and wines supplied by Emmanuel Delicata Winemakers Ltd, was the occasion when the top 38 survey rated restaurants, voted from the 2004 Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants Survey, were presented with commemorative plates by MHRA president Justin Zammit Tabona, standing in for Minister for Tourism and Culture Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, who left after delivering his speech, due to other commitments.
Award restaurants are chosen from the highest rated restaurants, both overall, and in the various price categories for Malta and Gozo. This takes 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. Mange Tout scored highest for food, The Arches, The Blue Elephant, Qui-si-Sana and The Terrace rated joint top for service; The Blue Elephant rated top for ambience and joint overall winners were The Blue Elephant, Mange Tout and The Terrace. Awards were given to the following restaurants in Malta and Gozo: -
Malta
The Blue Elephant – Hilton
Mange Tout
Terrace –The Westin
Oceana – Hilton
The Medina
The Arches
Bottego del Vino – Hilton
Pembroke – ITS
Christopher’s
Nostalgia
Phoenix – Le Méridien Phoenicia
Qui-si-Sana – Fortina Spa Resort
Zest – Hotel Juliani
The Lord Nelson
The Carriage
Corinthia Room – Corinthia Palace
Ta’ Marija
Ambrosia
FraMartina – Corinthia San Gorg
Frejgatina – Corinthia San Gorg
Zen
Barracuda
Rickshaw – Corinthia Palace
Bufallo Bill’s
Kon Tiki – Radisson SAS
Bayview – Corinthia Marina
Mezé – Hotel Juliani
La Sibylle – Dolmen Resort Hotel
Le Bistro – Radisson SAS
Da Pippo
Bouzouki 11
De Mondion – Xara Palace, Relais & Chateaux
Eastern Breeze – Intercontinental
The Avenue
Gozo
Il Carrubo – Hotel Ta Cenc
It-Tmun 11- Victoria
Ta’ Frenc
L’Imgarr Hotel Restaurant
Additional awards were also given to the Best Maltese Food Restaurant – Ta’Marija – sponsored by the Ministry for Tourism and Culture; the top rated Business Entertainment restaurant – The Carriage - sponsored by Michael Attard Ltd; Most Romantic Restaurant -The Blue Elephant – sponsored by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co; Best Value for Money – The Avenue – sponsored by Medairco; ‘Most Children Friendly’ Restaurant – The Avenue – sponsored by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co and the Best Restaurant Restroom Award – The Blue Elephant – sponsored by Josies Bathroom & Tile Centre.
For the first year The Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co., in association with Emmanuel Delicata Winemakers, presented five Wine Awards to highlight the best wine lists in Malta and Gozo. The top rated restaurants were invited to enter their wine lists for consideration for five wine awards. An impressive 54 restaurants entered their wine lists which were judged according to different criteria. Restaurant Wine Awards presented included ‘The People’s Choice’ award which goes to the top rated survey restaurant wine list presented to The Arches; Best Overall Wine list – It Tmun 11 Victoria, Gozo; Fine Wine List – It Tmun 11 Victoria, Gozo; Largest Wine list – The Arches and Wine List Presentation and Accessibility – Zest, Hotel Juliani.
The 5th edition of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo includes the results of the 2004 restaurant survey received from over 600 regular restaurant enthusiasts who eat out on average twice a week – equivalent to 60,000 dining experiences.
Among the 54 changes in the list of 150 restaurants (out of over 1000 restaurants in the Maltese Islands), there are 28 new additional restaurants and 26 who no longer are in the guide and who were listed last year. This follows the normal pattern of roughly 20 per cent of restaurants exiting the guide and being replaced by new ones.
Buyers of the guide will be encouraged to join the “Club” of reviewers by registering for the
next survey and sending in their ratings and comments. As in previous editions, the guide costs Lm3.95 and includes Lm4 worth of restaurant vouchers as well as the
opportunity to earn Kmiles with Flypass.