The 2007 Eat Out Restaurant Awards are coming up soon, and we have been hard at work reviewing our wonderful restaurants.

In order to be as fair and informed as possible, we have four judges in total, two from Johannesburg and two from Cape Town – who will give the final nod for our Restaurant and Chef of the Year, as well as our Top 10 winners.

The awards will be held on October 28 at The Rotunda at The Bay Hotel in Cape Town.

Who are our taste detectives?
Our judges are experts in their fields who know what the culinary buzz is at any given time. They will take into account opinions from our independent critics, eat their way through the country, thrash it out in a debate with us, blend it with their knowledge and expertise – and then have the final say, along with Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly.

We will announce who they are at the awards – we don’t want to give anything away!

Eat Out Magazine 2008
The next Eat Out magazine edition (2008), packed with 800 restaurant reviews and featuring winning chef profiles, will also be unveiled at the awards ceremony in October. In order to compile this credible and definitive guide to eating out, we have enlisted the help of an independent countrywide team of food critics, who have been eating out as if there was no tomorrow.

The reviewed restaurants were visited unannounced and all meals were paid for.

Yes, taste is ultimately subjective. But sometimes restaurants just have that added edge and quixotic combination which makes it feel as though the elements harmoniously combine. To top it off, the service and wine list could be extraordinary and you know you have just spent a blissful few hours in an excellent eatery.

HOW DOES OUR JUDGING WORK?
We have a set list of critera for our judges to follow when eating out and judging a restaurant. In fact, we are the first and only magazine guide in South Africa to introduce these criteria. Our judges follow it strictly and our reviewers use it as a guide.

At the table
When our judges sit down to eat, there are a myriad of things to take into account, such as the following. 

o Menu composition
o Seasonality of ingredients
o Food presentation
o Food taste
o Specific dishes eaten
o Value for money
o Wine choice and service
o Service
o Ambience

Judging criteria
There are certain judging criteria that we stick by:
1. The restaurant must be open and have been operating since November 2006.
2. The restaurant owners and chef should show an absolute passion for their business.
3. The restaurant owners and chef should show a dedication to uplifting the industry.
4. The chef should care where their produce comes from.
5. There should be consistency and excellence in every aspect of the business.

Holding thumbs! Watch this space.

Click here to view last years winners.