Nominees for 2013 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards announced

The nominees are: Bread & Wine; Camphors at Vergelegen; Delaire Graff Estate Restaurant; DW Eleven-13; Five Hundred; The Greenhouse; Hartford House; Indochine; Jordan Restaurant; The Kitchen at Maison; La Colombe; Makaron; Overture; Pierneef à La Motte; Planet Restaurant; The Restaurant at Waterkloof; Rust en Vrede; The Tasting Room; The Test Kitchen; and Tokara.

Amongst the above candidates will be the winners of the following categories: Restaurant of the Year, Eat Out San Pellegrino Chef of the Year, Service Excellence and the Top 10 restaurants.

For the third consecutive year, the winners of the "Best of" categories will also be announced at the awards. They are the Jacobsdal Best Steakhouse Award, Best Asian Restaurant, Best Italian Restaurant, Best Country-style Restaurant and Best Bistro, as well as the winner of the Boschendal Style Award.

Aileen Lamb, GM of Eat Out, said: "We're confident in our new approach to the judging process and the subsequent audit of the results. In the interest of transparency, which has been our focus from the outset, we will make the scores available to all the nominees."

Anonymous South Africa-based judges

Apart from a lavish gourmet experience and celebrations of peers in the industry, the awards event will also include the revelation of the anonymous South Africa-based judges, who worked alongside editor of Eat Out and chief judge Abigail Donnelly to determine the winners.

Donnelly said of the nominees: "This year we have definitely seen a bit of a shake-up. There are some new additions to the list, as well as the consistently great restaurants that continually push boundaries through innovation."

As for the atmosphere in the judged restaurants, Donnelly said that a polished yet casual scene has emerged. "High-quality food is being served to diners who are encouraged to be comfortable and relaxed." Ultimately, however, it's the food that counts. "Taste is the emotional component of a dish, making it the most vital element. The scorecards show which restaurants excel in flavour and not just the fussy stuff. Many of our native ingredients have been celebrated, making them the future of South African food," Donnelly concluded.

For tickets to attend the Eat Out Dstv Food Network Restaurant Awards, contact Julie Potgieter at az.oc.stneveaidemwen@eiluj or +27 (0)21 417 1257. Tickets are priced at R1450 per person and seats are limited. Go to www.eatout.co.za for more information.

Follow @Eat_Out on Twitter to join the conversation and see live updates on the night (#eatoutawards #DStvfood) and like the Eat Out Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EatOutMag.