2018 FACT Dining Awards: WINNERS

The ninth annual FACT Dining Awards ceremony took place on November 28 at the iconic, 5-star Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa.

90 awards were given out across 45 categories covering hundreds of venues.

More than 40,000 unique online votes were cast by the public in Bahrain.

Around 400 guests attended the sociable evening of five-star food, drinks and entertainment.

The FACT Dining Awards is part of a wider initiative by FACT M.E. with annual ceremonies in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar, too.

Bahrain, December 2018: FACT Bahrain Magazine hosted another glamorous awards ceremony for the ninth annual FACT Dining Awards, on November 28. The much-anticipated event, which heralds another successful year of operation for the publication in the Kingdom, was held at one of the country’s most renowned hotpots, The Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa. Close to 400 guests were seen socialising and enjoying the laid-back ambience whilst savouring a variety of great food and drinks in the company of their industry peers, as the winners from the 45 categories were announced.

The who’s who of Bahrain’s hospitality sector turned out for the exciting ceremony turned lavish party, with top GMs, F&B Directors, Chefs, Marketing and PR professionals, as well as selected Bahrain bloggers and social media influencers in attendance. Embodying FACT’s down-to-earth and fun approach, the event was a casual and classy affair with lots of fabulous food, free-flowing drinks and a lively vibe.

Speaking after the event, Rami Khalil, Regional Business Development Director at Nans Group Publishing, said: “Now in our ninth year, the FACT Dining Awards has become a highlight on the hospitality calendar in Bahrain, and an event that we are very honoured to host. It’s our privilege to be able to recognise and award the efforts of all the excellent food and beverage outlets here in the Kingdom.

“The dining scene in Bahrain is so diverse and dynamic, with so many loved venues alongside exciting new ventures opening up all the time. As members of the media, it is our duty to give credit to the hundreds of venues that are such a big part of daily life here in Bahrain,” he added.

“I would like to congratulate all the winners, and to every single nominee – you are the heartbeat of this great country and this is just our way of showing appreciation for your continued hard work. It’s incredible to see the mutual support shared and received between the media and the hospitality industry in Bahrain, especially because there are just so many high-quality venues. The competition is tough, which only means that the standard of food gets better and better every year.

“We thank everyone who came out and helped us to commend the best in the culinary game, and we’ll be back next year with more to celebrate,” he said.

The FACT Dining Awards recognises excellence in the food and beverage industry, with winners awarded based on both public vote and critics’ opinion. Each category was given two awards, the BEST and the FAVOURITE. The latter is the result of a popular choice decided through online voting, and the former is the critics’ choice decided by an independent panel of food bloggers, the FACT editorial team and industry experts in Bahrain.

This year, a staggering 40,000 unique votes were cast online by diners in Bahrain. Some of the standout accolades included Best Newcomer which was awarded to Rivaaj at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa whilst the Favourite Newcomer went to San Carlo ​Cicchetti at the very popular dining haunt Al Aali Shopping Complex. For the third year running, the overall Best Restaurant in Bahrain for 2018 went to CUT By Wolfgang Puck at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, and the public spoke once more to award the newly-popular Play Restaurant & Lounge at Jumeirah Royal Saray the title of overall Favourite Restaurant in Bahrain for 2018.Other notable wins included 5-star hotels like The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, Le Meridien and The Westin Bahrain City Centre, ART Rotana Amwaj Islands and the generous host, Gulf Hotel Bahrain Convention & Spa.

A slew of independent and locally-started venues also walked away with a accolade, namely The Florist’s Daughter for Best Casual Dining Restaurant, Saffron by Jena for Best Value For Money Restaurant, and Lumee for Best Family-Friendly Restaurant , amongst others.

Social media was abuzz too as Bahrain’s dining elite shared their photos on facebook, twitter, instagram and snapchat, with the FACT team taking readers behind the scenes of the event on their insta story (@factmagazine).

This month also saw the second annual FACT Dining Awards take place in Dubai at the five-star Dukes Hotel on The Palm Jumeirah. The FACT Dining Awards have also enjoyed four years of successful campaigns in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, with hundreds of venues awarded for excellence over the years.