London Restaurant Festival award winners
The first ever London Restaurant Festival (LRF) drew to a close last night at an exclusive awards ceremony at The Street at Tea Building in Shoreditch, where new restaurant, Pizza East also opened its doors to selected guests for the first time.
The ceremony was attended by over 250 chefs, celebrities and restaurateurs to celebrate the culmination of the six-day festival.
Hundreds of members of the public voted via toptable.com for their favourite LRF Festival Menus which have been available in 560 restaurants for the last six days. Each menu showcased a range of wonderful courses at a discounted, fixed price, which started from £10 for lunch and £15 for dinner.
The awards covered Best London Festival Menu in each price category (lunches from £10, 15 and £25 and dinner from £15, £25 £40). The awards, held in association with the London Evening Standard, were hosted by Shoreditch House and supported by the official champagne of the London Restaurant Festival Champagne G.H. Mumm, alongside toptable.com and Ketel One vodka.
Chris Wood, MD of toptable.com presented the awards to the following winners.
Best Festival Menu: two course lunch for £10: St Germain
Best Festival Menu: two course dinner for £15: Village East
Best Festival Menu: two course lunch for £15: Quo Vadis
Best Festival Menu: two course dinner for £25: Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room
Best Festival Menu: two course lunch for £25: Hélène Darroze at the Connaught
Best Festival Menu: two course dinner for £40: L'Anima
The winners of the six special categories are below:
The Award Celebrating “Bravery”: Wapping Food
This award was given for a person or company celebrating taking a bold step – breaking new ground – doing something new and different - colonising an area where no-one had previously had dared to tread – changing the face of a neighbourhood – rescuing a valuable building from destruction.
The Award For “Warmth & Welcome”: Angelus
The winner has a good attitude from the moment the phone is answered to taking a booking. No question of “Have you booked?” when standing in front of an empty restaurant. Willingness to suit the table to the customer. No snootiness about the dishes or the wines. An obvious love of the job and of being hospitable.
The Award For “One Person’s Passion”: Mourad Mazouz
The judges were looking for someone with a driving force, with no understanding of compromise who stays involved with an enthusiasm that never flags.
The Award For “Understanding Of Ceremony”: Launceston Place
Restaurants as theatre and meals as elegant, well-choreographed performances. Waiting staff that move fluently, work cohesively and take pride in presenting dishes – maybe even carving at the table – and without having to interrupt diners to ask, “Who’s the rabbit?”
The Award For “Discovery”: Wahaca
A restaurant that shows us something new and likeable about a cuisine that might have been ignored or traduced in the past. It broadens horizons and leaves you wanting to visit the country, find out more and eat more.
The Award For “Fun”: Portobello Pizzeria
All too often fun gets left out of the equation. When chefs and waiters enjoy their job and that feeling is transmitted to the customers, a meal out is life-enhancing. Food sometimes runs the risk of being taken too seriously.