In a week's time, the Audi-Dining Guide Restaurant of the Year Awards Gala, the most prominent event in the Hungarian gastronomic scene awards evente. The Dining Guide since 2005 every year hosts the Restaurant of the Year Gala, where it presents its Restaurant of the Year Awards for the year. Over the past eighteen years, as Hungarian restaurants have modernised, the criteria for restaurant testing methods have also changed.
Year of novelties
New in 2022, that the Audi-Dining Guide TOP100 Restaurant Guide not just restaurants and bakeries, according to its own rating system, alternative will provide guidance on catering facilities. This year it has compiled a TOP10 list of the best bars in the country in its opinion. Another innovation in 2022 is the DINING GUIDE BEST OF THE BEST class. A top-ranked, outstanding and highly rated school for several years balanced performance will be introduced for catering establishments.
How do you test the Dining Guide?
Zoltán Herczeg, the publisher responsible for the Dining Guide: „In recent years, it is safe to say that we are ready, our vision and behaviour is up to the standard of European restaurant guides. The Dining Guide testers use the experience of international consultants to compile their list of Hungarian restaurants and their recommendations based on professional, precise methods and test criteria.”
At the time of this year's publication, around. 600 catering units came into view, due to the restaurant closures and transformations of the period. 454 sites visited. The testing period was from 11 August 2021 to 04 May 2022. Prior to the visits to the restaurants, data on the catering establishments is collected to help us get to know the places. From the chef's biography, the establishment, customer reviews, experiences and all relevant information may apply to. Testing is carried out by anonymous inspectors (restaurant inspectors).
The lists will be updated continuously and the final restaurant ranking will be established by the end of the test period. Restaurants in the TOP25 were tested 4-6 times and there were restaurants that were tested 8 times.
Foreign chefs help the work
The Dining Guide has compiled its TOP10 ranking in recent years with the help of 2-3 Michelin-starred chefs from abroad. They also decide which restaurant will win the Restaurant of the Year Award that year. The foreign chefs came to Hungary in the final phase of the restaurant testing and made their decision after testing the TOP20 restaurants. This task has been done for the last six years and will be done again this year. Fausto Arrighi, the legendary Michelin Guide exdirector who will provide a senior advisory presence to support the work.
Domestic bar culture is becoming increasingly popular
This year's publication features a special chapter, a TOP10 list and the Cocktail Bar of the Year award, to assess the development of the domestic bar scene in recent years. Hungarian bar culture is no longer just about satisfying the needs of foreign guests. It also serves well the growing camp of domestic connoisseurs just getting acquainted with the genre. A Hungarian hospitality has been characterised for years now by many new openings and, unfortunately, many restaurant closures.
Zoltán Herczeg, the publisher responsible for the Dining Guide:“The good news is that in this very difficult situation, the number of TOP restaurants in Hungary has increased and the bar culture in Budapest is booming. We can see that the restaurants that have been the easiest and fastest to regain their positions are those that offer high quality and standards, as well as the more likeable restaurants and bars.”
New category at the event
A major new feature of the Audi-Dining Guide TOP100 Restaurant Guide introduced this year is the creation of a new category, in line with international practice. A DINING GUIDE BEST OF THE BEST rating, best of the best rating. This recognises the exemplary work of those establishments that have achieved the best ranking in their category in the Restaurant Guide for at least 3 years in previous years.
The new category, the DINING GUIDE BEST OF THE BEST rating for restaurants is for Stand Restaurant, winner of the Restaurant of the Year award for the last 3 years, and for patisseries is for Mihályi Patisserie, winner of the Confectionery of the Year award for the last 4 years.
BEST OF THE BEST
A DINING GUIDE BEST OF THE BEST is held by the establishment as long as the management of the professional work of the establishment and the location of the establishment remain unchanged. Of course, an important criterion is that the performance in the tests must be above 90 points in the Dining Guide scoring system. A restaurant that has been awarded Best Of The Best will be singled out from the TOP 10 in its category. The creation of the new category also means that a new establishment will in any case be awarded the AUDI-DINING GUIDE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR AWARD.
Photo by Arteregó PR
