Palazzo Parisio & Gardens – The Luna Collection, has won the Top Overall Fine Dining Restaurant, and scored the highest for Food, Service and Ambience for Malta on the basis of food, service and ambience this year in the annual survey conducted by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants supported by MTA, HSBC and Marsovin.
More than 1,350 regular diners took part in the survey – the largest response to-date, voting for their favourite restaurants on the islands. As respondents eat out at least twice a week on average, this is the equivalent of more than 140,400 individual dining experiences.
The results were revealed on Monday, 14 December when the CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, Mr Josef Formosa Gauci, presented awards produced by Villeroy & Boch at the Guide’s Gala Dinner – which has established itself over the last ten years as the most prestigious food event in Malta – at The Grand Master’s Suite, Hilton Malta.
The guide lists the 150 most highly rated of Malta’s 1,000-plus dining venues based on food, service and ambience, the number of satisfied customers responding, and their comments. For the 2010 edition, launched last night, the new Guide sees 17 new restaurants entering the Guide. Commemorative plates supplied by Villeroy & Boch were presented to the highest rated among the 150 that were listed.
The It-Tmun Victoria wine list was rated for three awards including The People’s Choice wine list rated from the survey, best Presentation & Accessibility wine list and best Overall wine list. The Ta’ Frenc wine list was voted best for fine wines and Maji Wine & Dine had the best list of Maltese wines. The wine awards were supported by Marsovin, who, with MTA and HSBC, support the guide.
In conjunction with the guide’s 10th anniversary, special consistency awards were also presented to those restaurants that have been highly rated over the past 10 years. These were:
de Mondion; Blue Elephant; The Arches; Ta’ Frenc; Phoenix; Oceana; The Lord Nelson; Fra Martino; Barracuda; The Carriage and Kon Tiki.
The restaurants that received awards based on food, service, ambience and overall ratings in the Fine Dining Category were:
Palazzo Parisio – The Luna Collection; de Mondion; Blue Elephant; The Arches; Ta’ Frenc; Rebekah’s; Eastern Breeze; Zest; Quadro and Phoenix.
The restaurants that received Malta & Gozo Restaurant Awards included:
Oceana; The Medina; Tarragon; It-Tmun Victoria; Grill 3301; Nuvo Art & Dine; Gazebo; TemptAsian; Zeri’s; Essence; Can Thai; The Lord Nelson; Le Bistro; Hibiki; Giuseppi’s; Zen; The Terrace; Trabuxu; Fusion 4; Fra Martino; The Edge; Barracuda; Point Break; Spice Island; Palazzo Santa Rosa; Maji Wine & Dine; Villa Corinthia, The Carriage; Bottega del Vino; Terrazza.
Additional presentations were made to Ta’ Marija – best Maltese Food Restaurant (sponsored by the Ministry for Tourism and Culture); Blue Elephant – top rated for Romantic Dining and best Restaurant Restroom and Cloakroom (sponsored by Satariano Ltd). Tarragon – top rated best for Business Entertaining; Mamma Mia – rated Best Value for Money Restaurant (sponsored by Malta Gold) and was also voted Most Children-Friendly Restaurant sponsored by Malta Baby & Kids Directory. The Kitchen – rated Best Restaurant offering Healthy Options sponsored by Ame at Good Earth.
The results of the Restaurant Survey can be found in the 2010 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo now available online at www.restaurantsmalta.com which will also entitle you to a free subscription and the Guide online. It is also available at leading stationers and bookshops in Malta & Gozo.