A new award ceremony celebrating the best restaurants in the world took place in Paris this week. And while eateries from every corner of the world were honoured, it was a tiny restaurant found in a fishing village in South Africa's Western Cape that took home the top prize.
Wolfgat, run from a 130-year-old cottage, was named as Restaurant of the Year after seriously impressing with its seven-course tasting menu. The Paternoster eatery is headed up by chef Kobus van der Merwe, who described the win as an “amazing honour”.
"There's no kitchen hierarchy so it's all about collaboration and learning from one another,” he told CNN. “I'm incredibly proud of them. They don't come from any formal food background, so this achievement is all the more amazing."
The judges said of Wolfgat: "If mother nature erected a sign saying ‘build restaurant here’, it would surely point to Wolfgat. Chosen from all the inspected big plates, our inaugural Restaurant of the Year is a small, remote haven of purity and good taste in every sense."
The inaugural awards aim to recognise diversity in global dining, and focused on a number of categories away from food such as collaborations, social media use and atmosphere. The judging panel was made up of 100 gender-balanced culinary professionals, journalists and influencers.
The full list of winners are below:
Big Plates winners:
Restaurant of the Year
Wolfgat. Paternoster, South Africa
Arrival of the Year
Inua. Tokyo, Japan
Atmosphere of the Year
Vespertine. Los Angeles, United States
Collaboration of the Year
Paradiso X Gortnanain. Cork, Ireland
Enduring Classic
La Mère Brazier. Lyon, France
Ethical Thinking
Refettorio (Food For Soul). Various locations, Italy
Event of the Year
Refugee Food Festival. Paris, France (and worldwide)
House Special
Lido 84. Lombardy, Italy
Forward Drinking
Mugaritz. San Sebastián, Spain
No Reservations Required
Mocotó. São Paulo, Brazil
Off-Map Destination
Wolfgat. Paternoster, South Africa
Original Thinking
Le Clerence. Paris, France
Small Plates winners:
Instagram Account of the Year
Alain Passard (@alain_passard). Paris, France
Long-Form Journalism
Lisa Abend - The Food Circus. Fool Magazine
Red-Grape Serving Restaurant
Noble Rot. London, United Kingdom
Tattoo-Free Chef
Alain Ducasse. Paris, France
Trolley of the Year
Ballymaloe House. Cork, Ireland
Tweezer-Free Kitchen
Bo.Lan. Bangkok, Thailand