{"id":209544,"date":"2021-01-07T11:06:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T09:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/?p=209544"},"modified":"2021-01-07T11:08:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T09:08:05","slug":"la-colombe-named-2020-best-south-african-and-african-restaurant-in-inaugural-world-culinary-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/la-colombe-named-2020-best-south-african-and-african-restaurant-in-inaugural-world-culinary-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"La Colombe named 2020 Best South African and African Restaurant in inaugural World Culinary Awards!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"La Colombe has been announced as Best South African as well as African Restaurant in the inaugural 2020 World Culinary Awards. Its sister restaurant Epice at Le Quartier in Franschhoek was named Best New Restaurant in Africa. South Africa was named Best Culinary Destination in Africa.<\/p>\n

The World Culinary Awards \u2018serves to celebrate and reward excellence in the culinary industry through our annual awards programme. World Culinary Awards is the sister event of World Travel Awards, itself inaugurated in 1994\u2019<\/i>, its website states.<\/p>\n

I have been fortunate to eat at a number of the award-winning restaurants.<\/p>\n

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On the website more information is provided: \u2019World Culinary Awards was developed in reaction to overwhelming demand from the culinary industry for a programme that was fair and transparent, a programme with a mission to serve as the definitive benchmark of excellence, and to help to foster a new era of growth on a global scale\u2019. \u00a0<\/i>Odd is the clear finger-pointing at existing restaurant awards such as World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants, probably the best-known international awards for the restaurant industry. There is La Liste, the World Restaurant Awards, and others too.<\/p>\n

There is no information about the methodology of selecting the winners in the World Culinary Awards categories, its website sharing deadlines for entries closing as 17 December 2020, nominees being announced THE FOLLOWING DAY, voting taking place from 19 – 26 December, and the winners announced on 31 December! This gives me a bad feeling about the credibility of these Awards, possibly just a money-making exercise, especially given that World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants did not announce 2020 winners due to the impact of the Corona Virus pandemic on the global restaurant industry. \u00a0Overkill seems to be the description of the winners in the World Culinary Awards website of the winning restaurants being \u2018truly outstanding achievers and leaders in their respective fields – who have risen above the competition to lift the 1st annual World Culinary Awards trophy\u2019, <\/i>given that the organisers did not visit the restaurants, nor did a panel of judges!<\/p>\n

Winners on the extensive World Culinary Awards List, almost \u00a0every country in the world being included in five categories: Best Restaurant, Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, Best Landmark Restaurant, and Best Training Institution, are highlighted as follows:<\/p>\n

#. \u00a0Dubai was named the World\u2019s Best Culinary Destination, a surprise to many.<\/p>\n

#. \u00a0La Maison 1888 at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam was named the World\u2019s Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant.<\/p>\n

#. \u00a0Mirazur in Menton in France was named the World\u2019s Best Restaurant<\/p>\n

Restaurant Review: Mirazur French foraging restaurant in Menton, 6th World’s 50 Best Restaurant, Michelin 2-star!<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n