Scottish Restaurant Awards Finalists Announcement

Following weeks of public voting, 5pm.co.uk, the online lifestyle booking site, has announced the finalists of the fifth Scottish Restaurant Awards.

A dedicated testing team with expertise in the particular sector they’re judging will perform site visits to the finalists over the next month. Each team will evaluate the restaurant against a set list of criteria.

There are two new categories this year:

• Most Innovative Restaurant of the Year goes to restaurants that push forward the boundaries of cooking in Scotland. Novelty for its own sake is not enough but this award aims to recognise thoughtful, creative kitchens that explore new flavours, techniques and textures.
• Best Takeaway Restaurant reward the takeaway restaurant that offers the finest cuisine.

The crème de la crème of the Scottish restaurant industry will come together to battle it out for the coveted gongs at the winners’ ceremony at Glasgow Science Centre on 27th February, 2012.

Ronnie Sommerville of 5pm.co.uk: "It’s great to have such a wide variety of venues chosen by the public and finalists are spread across the length and breadth of the country.

"These awards highlight the very best of what the Scottish dining scene has to offer and we congratulate each of the finalists on getting this far, and wish them good luck with the final judging."

The finalists are:

Best Italian Restaurant of the Year

• Cucina at Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh
• Italian Caffe, Glasgow
• Osteria, North Berwick

 Best Indian Restaurant of the Year

• Mithas, Edinburgh
• Mother India, Edinburgh
• Punjabi Tadka, East Kilbride

 Best Oriental Restaurant of the Year

• Nahm-Jim, Fife
• Opium, Glasgow
• Yorokobi by CJ, Aberdeen

 Best Family Restaurant of the Year

• Cruize, Auchrannie Resort, Isle of Arran
• Di Maggios, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow
• Room, Largs

 Chef of the Year: The winner will be announced at the event

 Most Innovative Restaurant of the Year

• 21212, Edinburgh
• Castle Terrace, Edinburgh
• Restaurant Mark Greenaway, Edinburgh

 Best Pub Grub of the Year

• Caley Sample Rooms, Edinburgh
• Cock & Bull, Aberdeen
• The Fox & Hounds, Houston
• The Sun Inn, Edinburgh

 Best Hotel Restaurant of the Year

• Airds Hotel, Argyll
• Chez Roux – Greywalls, Gullane
• The Albannach, Inverness

 Best Customer Service of the Year

• 29 The Grill at the Square, Glasgow
• EH15, Edinburgh
• The Scottish Café & Restaurant, Edinburgh

 Best Rural Restaurant of the Year

• Braidwoods, Dalry
• Gordon’s Restaurant, Angus
• The Whitehouse, Argyll

 Best Takeaway Restaurant of the Year

• Dining In, Bearsden
• Mhor Fish, Perthshire
• The Wee Hurrie, Troon
• Zen Kitchen, Edinburgh

 Best Seafood Restaurant of the Year

• Café Fish, Edinburgh
• Crabshakk, Glasgow
• Mhor Fish, Perthshire

 Newcomer of the Year

• Barolo Grill, Glasgow
• Kanpai Sushi, Edinburgh
• The Honours, Edinburgh

 Restaurant of the Year: the winner will be announced at the event

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