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The inaugural The World Restaurant Awards has unveiled its longlist of nominations as well as the judging panel ahead of its February 2019 launch.
A new departure in the world of awards for culinary excellence, The World Restaurant Awards is an approach that celebrates the excellence, integrity, diversity and rich culture of the restaurant world. Rather than awarding for the pinnacle of achievement, The World Restaurant Awards is a progressive global awards that celebrate the excellence, integrity, diversity and rich culture of the restaurant world across a range of 18 categories.
Fine Dining Lovers is onboard as Media Partner for The World Restaurant Awards and looks forward to bringing you exclusive coverage and content leading up to the announcement of the winners in Paris on February 18th 2019.
The judging panel, with a 50/50 gender split, consists of some of the leading lights of the fine dining world and beyond, including some of the world’s best chefs, food writers and professionals. Chefs on the panel include such luminaries as Elena Arzak, Alex Atala, Massimo Bottura, David Chang, Hélène Darroze, Daniel Humm, Dan Barber, René Redzepi, Ana Roš, Yotam Ottolenghi and Clare Smyth. The longlist has been compiled through many months of hard work travelling the world to create a list as diverse and as rich as the cultures of the 36 countries they represent.
Creative Director Joe Warwick and Chair of the Judging Panel Andrea Petrini announced the longlist today which includes exciting and disruptive newcomers as well as establishments with a storied past. Categories recognise a new and global food movement of inclusivity and diversity; ‘Arrival of the Year’, ‘No Reservations Required’, ‘House Special’, ‘Original Thinking’, ‘Atmosphere of the Year’, ‘Off Map Destination’, 'Ethical Thinking’, ‘Enduring Classic’ and more.
Exciting newcomers such as London newcomer Sabor, Lima’s Kjolle, Oakland’s Nyum Bai and Paris’s Virtus appear in the ‘Arrival of the Year’ category.
Affordability and accessibility are recognised in the category of ‘No Reservations’, which features Tokyo fishburger bar Deli Fu Cious; Mumbai’s Bombay Canteen; Brown Sugar Kitchen in San Francisco; London’s Black Axe Mangal, Double Dragon in Paris and Singapore’s Burnt Ends.
The ‘House Special’ award looks at iconic dishes from the likes of Belle’s Hot Chicken in Sydney and their famous fried chicken as well as the unusual hot dogs of Porto’s Cervejaria Gazela, the grilled skewers of Glover Court Suya in Lagos, San Sebastian tortilla at Bar Nestor; and reputedly Italy’s greatest pizza at Pepe in Grani.
The ‘Off Map Destination’ category takes us to The Crazy Pomegranate, located in a Georgian winery and 20-seater Wolfgat on a South African beach. Restaurants that are trying to make a difference are recognised with their own category ‘Ethical Thinking’, which includes Cala, San Francisco and Emma’s Torch, New York. LA’s Vespertine makes the longlist in both the ‘Original Thinking’ and ‘Atmosphere of the Year’ categories.
It’s not all about the new, the ‘Enduring Classic’ category reflects the restaurant world’s rich heritage with nominations for Dooky Chase, New Orleans, 550-year-old soba shop in Kyoto Honke Owariya and French institutions such as La Mère Brazier and Paul Bocuse’s L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges.
Other ‘outside-the-box’ categories include 'Instagram Account of the Year', 'Tattoo-Free Chef', 'Tweezer-Free Kitchen' and 'Long-Form Journalism'.
Reflecting a new and vibrant global gastronomy The World Restaurant Awards is a next-generation recognition of culinary excellence in the rich and diverse world of restaurants today.
The World Restaurant Awards will take place in Paris on February 18, 2019.
For a full list of the longlist nominations and the complete list of judging panel members, visit restaurantawards.world
Follow the awards on social media #worldrestaurantawards @worldrestawards
