30 Best Restaurants announces its fourth season along with this year’s news
Today, voting for the 30 best restaurants has started. This is the fourth time that the competition has been held. During a special event, the Good Food Academy of Lithuania, together with the main project partner – the tableware, cookware and home interior design brand Iittala – has announced the short list of restaurants from which over 100 members of the Good Food Academy will elect their 2019 favourites. The short list contains 60 restaurants from across Lithuania. This is clear evidence that the project has spread well beyond the boundaries of the capital city Vilnius, with 12 geographical locations throughout Lithuania represented in this year’s short list.
During a press conference at the event, three other awards were also announced. “The restaurant business is very dynamic, so each year we have newcomers along with some that we cross off the list,” explained Linas Petrukaitis, founder of the Good Food Academy. “There are also places that do not fall within the category of a restaurant but are making a noteworthy contribution. And there are people without whom Lithuanian gastronomy would be far blander. For this reason, there are new additions to the project.”
Everyone can vote
At the special dinner at Džiaugsmas Restaurant, recognised as the best restaurant in last year’s ranking, the Council of the Good Food Academy presented exciting news about this year’s project. For the last three years, the project has focused solely on ranking the 30 best restaurants. This year, however, some special nominations have been introduced to recognize more broadly the developers of food culture in Lithuania.
“The restaurant business is entirely dependent on people’s work and talent. Therefore, at this year’s award ceremony for the 30 best restaurants, an award for services to Lithuanian gastronomy will also be made for the first time,” commented Evalda Šiškauskienė, member of the Council of the Good Food Academy and President of the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants.
This year, the Council of the Good Food Academy has also proposed a second award. This will go to a food catering enterprise which falls outside the definition of a restaurant, but which has strongly contributed to the diversity of Lithuanian gastronomy this past year.
Finally, the long-awaited people’s choice nomination will also be offered this. Until now, in order to maintain the highest quality standard, the country’s restaurants have been evaluated only by the Academy, which consists of industry professionals (such as sommeliers, chefs, food bloggers, writers, etc.). This year, ordinary restaurant diners will be able to vote for their best restaurant from the short list.
30 Best Restaurants is the most representative restaurant guide in Lithuania
Voting in the Academy for the 30 Best Restaurants 2019 has already begun, and the results, starting from position number 30 and working down, will be published at the end of May. The award ceremony is scheduled for the end of June, shortly after The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Restaurant evaluations and rakings happen across the globe, and some countries have their own restaurant ratings. This is the fourth such event in Lithuania, and the ranking is becoming more and more popular not only domestically, but also abroad. It often serves as a guide for tourists visiting the country.
The competition is organised by the Good Food Academy of Lithuania together with the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants, the Association of Lithuanian Restaurant Chefs and Confectioners, and the food magazine Geras Skonis.
International publicity about the 30 Best Restaurants ranking is carried out in cooperation with the tourism promotion agency Lithuania Travel, and the project’s main partner, the tableware, cookware and home interior design brand Iittala.
Iittala creates original Nordic-design tableware and accessories for home interiors. Since 1881, this Nordic brand has promoted the expression of individuality. This year it is presenting its latest tableware collection, Raami, which creates a subtle and cosy atmosphere for food and interesting conversations at the table.
