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
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
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.
Gåte is a fine-dining restaurant situated at Quoin Rock Wines, a short drive from Stellenbosch, South Africa.
This was hands down the best restaurant experience I have ever had in my life. I have travelled and wined and dined at various places around the world, however Gåte is more than exceptional.
From the stupendous views, to the divine interior and architecture, Gåte is absolutely magical. Their wine is first class, in fact it is some of the best wine I have had. The food encapsulates the true essence of the creative Michelin Starred Chef Rikku’s travel experiences.
I do not even have the words to describe how amazing my experience was. In fact, I left with literal happy tears in my eyes. To all the chefs and staff in general – you are inspirational and more than sensational. I will see you in The World’s 50 Best…
Reviewed by Digital Marketing Manager of The World Luxury Awards: Ms. Kayla Lourens
On 14th July participants from the World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards gathered at the magnificent Galgorm Resort & Spa in Northern Ireland for the annual event, recognising and celebrating their success for exceptional service in the luxury wellness and fine dining industries. The red carpet was rolled out down the stairs and between the wide pillars and high arches of the impressive venue – The Great Hall. Guests were welcomed at the entrance by the sound of Irish Uilleann pipes and a single reel Irish dance performance as they were led into an ‘Enchanted Forest’ reception area with exotic cocktails and canapes on arrival. The theme for the evening was Irish with a mythical feel, guests were immersed in a truly memorable celebration of Irish culture, fine food and ‘craic’. Over 200 guests from 42 countries across the globe attended this unforgettable occasion filled with opulence, glitz and glamour.
This truly unique experience was enhanced by the symphony of tastes from award winning produce representing the best of Northern Ireland’s cuisine on the flavourful 5-course menu. Resort Head Chef, Donna X with x years of experience, oversees the menu selection of all the resort’s outlets and proudly presented the best on offer for the evening’s enjoyment, this included local goat’s cheese, prawn bisque, followed by lamb (2 ways), locally sourced honey and dairy for the buttermilk panna cotta, and was finished off with a selection of Irish Cream Fudge and Coffee Macaroon’s.
To accompany the sensational food were the awe-inspiring, national and world champion Irish Dancers, The Hooley, who provided world class entertainment which was specially choreographed for the event.
All guests were thrilled to receive a generous gift bag with products supplied by Voya, Bioeffect, Aromatherapy Association, Vita Liberata, Bushmills and Bacardi-Brown Forman.
Galgorm the Resort, in conjunction with their spa partners created a Spa Festival for attendees to enjoy, this included a pop-up Wellness Bar by Aromatherapy Associates and Finishing Bar by Vita Liberata (the world’s first non-toxic and organic tan). Attendees were invited to experience the products, tan before the event and relax with complimentary treatments after their travels, before preparing to attend the evening’s event.
All attending the event were impressed with the entire evening, especially with the representation of each attending country’s flag outside the entrance of the Great Hall. All awards were well received and the evening flowed smoothly from start to finish, culminating with the much anticipated Global awards, followed by the winners of the Global Spa and Restaurant of the Year winners.
The 2018 Global Spa of the Year award was awarded to Este Fitness & Spa. This sought-after award goes to a luxury spa that has stood out among the worlds’ most advanced, respected and trusted treatment centres. The award was accepted by Nadia Halacheva, Spa Director.
The 2018 Global Restaurant of the Year award was awarded to Le Grand Restaurant. This coveted award goes to a luxury restaurant that has showcased outstanding and original creativity, ambience, service and fine dining, among the world’s most respected restaurants. The award was accepted by Yohan Jossier, Restaurant Director and Alexandra Madesclair Freud, Development Manager.
Guests were invited to remain and celebrate their success together in the Grand Hall with lively music from the 7-piece band, The Coves, which rounded off a perfect evening of celebration.
World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards Honour 2017 Winners
The scene is set; it’s a warm, exotic summer’s evening in Vietnam, the sun begins to set over the bustling and intriguing city of Hanoi, excited participants gather at the event of the year, the event that will later that night honour them as the crème da la crème of the luxury wellness and fine dining industries. Champagne flows, canapés travel on beautifully decorated trays to guests, and the air of anticipation grows. Proudly hosted by the spectacular JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi, who with a red carpet welcome invite over 180 guests from more than 50 countries to a dazzling evening of luxury, glamour, and style.
“Over 100,000 votes brought our winners here tonight; 100,000 times the public voiced their opinion on who of the 1,000 entrants are deserving of these accolades. Tonight we honour the staff of these fine establishments, who through their immeasurable service delivery have brought success to the proud brands of which they are a part.” says Marna Lourens, Executive Manager for the World Luxury Spa Awards.
Setting the basis for service industry standards around the globe, the World Luxury Spa Awards and World Luxury Restaurant Awards pride themselves on providing true recognition to luxury spas and restaurants in their relevant categories during its annual voting phase. Votes are garnered through various marketing channels from guests, showcasing yet again the true value of service excellence.
“The most coveted award on the evening is our Global Spa and Global Restaurant of the Year awards. Each year the task to determine these top establishments begins after voting has closed and we announce to our winners if they have been successful. We are six senior managers who take weeks to decide, as voting is not the only criteria we look at to bestow this prestigious award. A multitude of factors come in to play; brand, location, overall guest satisfaction from online reviews, services and facilities, design, and even menu offerings whether spa or restaurant. It is important to look at each establishment as an individual as well, some are on an island, some are in cities or in a desert, it is not always possible to compare apples with apples when defining luxury. This year the focus was on unique design with a touch of classy elegance, and we were as such proud to award Global Spa of the Year to Harnn Heritage Spa at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, and Global Restaurant of the Year to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Both of whom encompass the ethos of luxury and supreme service.” says Joanna Evans, Marketing Communications Manager for the World Luxury Awards.
The evening was as glamorous as one would expect from a JW Marriott brand hotel; a delectable 6-course fine dining menu adorned each table throughout the night and was paired with fine wines and champagne from Moët et Chandon. Entertainment fitting of the destination included a Dragon Dance, a Vietnamese based string quartet performance by Độc Cầm – Toxic Quartet, and a local Ao Dai Dance, all of which added to the evening’s Asian flair.
“The food tonight was exceptionally impressive, and has been during our entire stay at the hotel. Executive Chef Brendon Partridge and his team receive full honours from the World Luxury Awards and all our guests for the tireless effort of crafting these delicious plates of exquisite foods we received this evening.” says Linda Cooper, Executive Manager for the World Luxury Restaurant Awards. “I am proud to know that the awards they themselves received tonight are so well deserved.”
After all awards were received and each representative had an opportunity for exclusive photos and interviews on the red carpet, guests were welcomed to the chic and ultra-stylish Cool Cats Jazz Club, a name so apt for the warm red glow it provides, while live musicians entertained crowds late into the night with some fabulous classic jazz music.
Luxury establishments from around the globe are welcomed to participate in these exciting awards, to proudly show the world what they have to offer in terms of luxury and excellence.
