Author: Linda Cooper

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Zahli is a must-visit Lebanese restaurant located in Sydney.

In a recent visit to Australia I spent a few days in Sydney where I had the pleasure of dining at Zahli and was thoroughly impressed with the experience.

I was dining alone, and Mohammad, the owner, personally hosted the evening for me, he was incredibly welcoming, making me feel right at home from the moment I arrived.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the food. I am not familiar with Middle-Eastern cuisine, so this was all a very new experience for me. I was served an abundance of dishes, a banquet, all of which were beautifully presented and bursting with color.The flavors were robust and authentic, providing a true taste of Lebanese cuisine. I surprised myself by even trying the raw meat dish “Kibbeh Nayye” made from fresh lamb, mixed with crushed wheat and various seasonings, it was rather more-ish.

I must admit that in the end it felt like Mohammad was trying to feed me to death with the sheer number of dishes, but this is just a testament to his enthusiasm and passion for bringing ancient Middle-Eastern recipes to life, with a modern twist, there was so much, I just wish I had space for more.

In terms of drinks, I typically prefer beer over wine, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Lebanese beer on offer at Zahli. It was light, refreshing, and the perfect accompaniment to the flavorful dishes.

Overall, I would highly recommend Zahli to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience in Sydney. The food is outstanding, the service is top-notch, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting.

Thank you, Mohammad and the team at Zahli, for a memorable evening.

Reviewed by World Luxury Awards representative, Angelo Henry.

For more information visit Zahli’s website: www.zahlirestaurant.com

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2022 World Luxury Restaurant Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the annual World Luxury Awards were announced on 22 October 2022 at a glitzy affair at Swandor Topkapi Palace, Antalya, Turkey. This was the sixteenth event of its kind and more than 300 guests flew in from around the world to celebrate their awards.

The World Luxury Awards recognize Hotels, Spas, Restaurants and Travel establishments for world-class service excellence. Awards are presented on a country, regional, continent and global basis. Winners are selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff.

“The most coveted awards are the overall winners,” says Jana Stoman, Executive Manager of the World Luxury Awards, “many factors play a part in determining the winner; brand, design, unique facilities and overall guest satisfaction as fed back via online reviews as well as what reflects in the votes received during the annual three week voting period. This year the focus was on outstanding environment, elegant design and international service excellence.

The Global Restaurant of the Year Award went to M.B at The Ritz-Carlton Abama in Spain. All winners are highly deserving of these prestigious awards, epitomizing as they do the ethos of luxury and fine service.

Master of Ceremonies Nelly White skillfully guided proceedings and entertained guests, who also enjoyed a taste of quintessential Turkish hospitality. The menu was inspired by Turkeys unique cuisine; the gala experience included locally produced dishes and guests also had the privilege of enjoying true Turkish entertainment throughout the evening.

Fire of Anatolia, a synthesis of hundreds of folkdance figures and music from different regions who introduce the world to the fire that arises from the ancient mosaic of love, cultural history and peace in Anatolia, allowed guests to experience diverse elements of Turkish culture. The Xone provided the ideal setting for the after party to end the evening, resulting in an experience of a lifetime which ended as Kubbe Disco.

“We congratulate this year’s winners. True luxury is not easily attained. It takes highly efficient and dedicated staff who are willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and no challenge goes unresolved. This is the definition of luxury. It is what makes the winners shine.” says World Luxury Awards Marketing Director, Michael Hunter-Smith.

Special thanks went to France24 for their continued support of the awards over the years, Turkish Airlines, Agoda and 7/24 Transfers who assisted guests in arriving safely at the event destination.

It was an honour and a privilege to have every establishment present, and the World Luxury Awards looks forward to another successful year in 2023.

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2021 World Luxury Restaurant Awards Winners Announced

The Annual World Luxury Awards gala ceremony was hosted by the Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa in Mauritius on 9th October 2021. The awards attracted almost 1000 participants, eagerly awaiting the results which were officially released shortly after the conclusion of the evening’s festivities.

The Global Restaurant of The Year was awarded to Ocean Restaurant – VILA VITA Parc Resort & Spa in Portugal.

All winners are highly deserving of these prestigious awards, epitomizing as they do the ethos of luxury and fine service.

The World Luxury Awards recognize establishments for world-class service excellence. Awards are presented on a country, regional, continent and global basis. Winners are selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff. “The most coveted awards are the global property of the year awards,” says Jana Stoman, Executive Manager of The World Luxury Awards, “many factors play a part in determining these top winners – brand, location and overall guest satisfaction as fed back via online reviews, amongst other criteria.”

Mr. Sandro Julie guided proceedings and entertained guests, who also enjoyed a taste of quintessential Mauritian hospitality. Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa is located on the most desirable coastline on the west coast of the country. The menu was planned according to the sustainable values of the hotel; the dining experience included locally produced culinary delights such as Crabe & Tamarin, Foie Gras de Canard and Langouste & Bergamote and guests also had the privilege of enjoying true Mauritian entertainment allowing guests to experience diverse elements of the Mauritian culture. La Caravelles restaurant at the Hotel provided the ideal ambience for the event.

“We congratulate this year’s winners. True luxury is not easily attained. It takes highly efficient and dedicated staff who are willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and that no challenge goes unresolved. This is the definition of luxury. It is what makes the winners shine,” says The World Luxury Awards Marketing Director, Michael Hunter-Smith.

Special thanks went to France 24 for their continued support of the awards, especially as we celebrate 10 years of our valued partnership this year. Thanks also to other supporters including, Alto Wines, Ernie Els Wines, Destination Golf and Spa & Wellness International, for their contributions.

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2020 World Luxury Restaurant Awards Winners Announced

11 November 2020

To celebrate the 5th year of the World Luxury Restaurant Awards the winners of these prestigious awards have been announced representing more than 61 countries and 365 restaurants.

The World Luxury Restaurant Awards recognizes establishments for world-class service excellence. Awards are presented on a country, regional, continent and global basis. Winners are selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff.  

We started the 2020 award year with great excitement, planning two very special and unique events in Indonesia and Mauritius. We adapted to the ever-changing circumstances, and to make up for being unable to host an event, we decided to do our utmost to provide all participants with a special winner package, including individual personal video clips, a video message from management and a set of winner images announcing their win.

The 2020 Global Restaurant of the Year Award went to ESCĀ Cairo in Egypt, congratulations to Ahmed Heggy and his team on receiving this prestigious award. Winners are highly deserving of this prestigious award, epitomizing as they do the ethos of luxury and fine service. Many factors play a part in determining the global restaurant of the year winner, such as brand, location and overall guest satisfaction as per feedback via online reviews, among others. This year the focus was on those that showed true determination during a year never experience in our industry before.

“We congratulate this year’s winners. It speaks volumes to your dedication and commitment to our industry in this challenging year. True luxury is not easily attained. It takes highly efficient and dedicated staff, who are willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and no challenge goes unresolved. This is the definition of luxury, it is what makes the winners shine.” says World Luxury Awards Marketing Director, Michael Hunter-Smith.

As the year draws to an end both FRANCE 24, our official sponsor, and ourselves are confidently optimistic that 2021 will see the international travel and tourism industry start its growth and recovery. We look forward to sharing this journey with you all.

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Idiom Restaurant – The perfect place to enjoy Italian-South African wines and panoramic views of the cape vineyards.

The friendly hostess greeted us and showed us to our table which had uninterrupted views of the mountains. We ordered the 3-course menu with a wine pairing.

The chef served a delicious bacon jam crostini as an amuse bouche while we were enjoying our glass of prosecco. As a pre-starter to share, we had the Cape bream and tomato ceviche paired with an easy-drinking pinot grigio wine. We then had the lamb paccheri as our starter which was paired with a sangiovese wine.

For mains we had the Beef short rib which was perfectly paired with their cape blend wine.

For dessert we had the coconut panna cotta which was paired with their dessert wine. The chef also treated us to a delicious lemon macaron after our dessert.

Each course was perfectly paired with Idiom’s finest wines. The sommelier was extremely passionate about wines and gave us a tour of their tasting room and cellar after our lunch.

What a stunning property, thank you so much to the Idiom Team for this great food experience, I will be back soon!

Reviewed by Digital Marketing Manager of The World Luxury Awards: Ms. Kayla Lourens

For reservations, please email reservations@idiom.co.za or call +27 21 858 1088

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YU Asian Restaurant – a contemporary Asian dining experience in the heart of Cape Town…

YU Asian Restaurant is located in the ONYX Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. Yu offers contemporary Asian dining in a relaxed setting with dishes like sushi and dim sum.

My partner and I booked for dinner at the restaurant and received a lovely table with a view of the chefs and close to the bar. The restaurant was dimly lit and had a warm and cozy ambience.

The friendly waiter recommended their top dishes and assisted us to choose the perfect bottle of wine.

The menu is tapas style, so we ordered a bunch of different dishes and sides and shared it all. We had the most delicious sushi, dim sum, calamari, bao buns, Asian fries and more.

We ended off our dinner with a coconut sago pudding to share and it was divine!

YU is a true hidden gem in the heart of Cape Town and is a must-visit when looking for an Asian meal in the mother city.

Reviewed by Digital Marketing Manager of The World Luxury Awards: Ms. Kayla Lourens

For reservations, please email yu@newmarkhotels.com or call +27 211110453

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2019 World Luxury Restaurant Awards Winners Announced

The winners of the annual World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards were announced last night at a glitzy affair at The State Hermitage Museum Official Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia. This was the fourth event of its kind and more than 200 guests flew in from around the world, representing more than 90 countries, 450 spas and 270 restaurants.

This year’s Spa of the Year award went to Bio-Spa Victoria Gran Lujo in Spain, and the Restaurant of the Year award went to Gåte at Quoin Rock in South Africa’s famous winelands. Both winners are highly deserving of these prestigious awards, epitomizing as they do the ethos of luxury and fine service.

The World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards recognize establishments for world-class service excellence. Awards are presented on a country, regional, continental and global basis. Winners are selected by public vote online, providing true recognition that reflects the hard work and dedication exhibited by staff.

“The most coveted awards are the Global category of awards,” says World Luxury Awards Brand and Events Manager, Michelle Creus. “Many factors play a part in determining the winners – brand, location and overall guest satisfaction as fed back via online reviews, among others. This year the focus was on unique design with a touch of classy elegance.”

Masters of Ceremony Anastasia Razzorenove and Timofey Zudin skilfully guided proceedings and entertained guests, who also enjoyed a taste of quintessential Russian culture by way of music by Chopin, Tchaikovsky and others, performed by Marinsky orchestra, while ballet soloists from the Marinsky Theatre performed excerpts from Rimski-Korakov’s Sheherezade, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and more.

“We congratulate this year’s winners. True luxury is not easily attained. It takes highly efficient and dedicated staff, who are willing to go the extra mile and stop at nothing to ensure that every guest feels cared for and no challenge goes unresolved. This is the definition of luxury. It is what makes the winners shine,” says World Luxury Awards Group Marketing Director Michael Hunter-Smith.

In his speech to welcome guests, St Petersburg Tourism and Development Committee Chairman Evegeny Pankevich said the luxury hospitality, wellness and restaurant industries are the most promising areas of the tourism sector in the city.

“St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has been recognized by various international organizations as a top tourist destination in Europe. I hope tonight’s participants will truly experience our city’s unique atmosphere,” he said.

Guests enjoyed a Russian Imperial-inspired six-course dining experience, paired with the finest of wines, while the Rooftop Bar and Restaurant provided the ideal ambience for the after-party.

Next year’s award ceremony will take place in Bali in July. The event will be hosted by Conrad Bali Hotel. Applications to host the event in 2021 are now open.

The event was sponsored by France 24, Copenhagen Traveller, Caviar Spoon, Destination Golf, Santé Magazine, Singapore Brides, Spa and Wellness International and Healing Earth. The World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards would like to thank them for their continued support over the years. We also thank the St. Petersburg Convention Bureau, The State Hermitage Museum, Hermitage Media and DWFI for their support.