Edinburgh eateries to be praised at Evening News Restaurant Awards

And in a bid to showcase just how valued the independent restaurant scene is to Edinburgh the Evening News is holding a glitzy awards ceremony to celebrate all, and crown those voted cream of the crop.

It’s just over three weeks until the city’s gastronomic glitterati gather on April 30 for the event, which will be hosted by Forth One’s Arlene Stuart and held at The Principal on George Street.

A slap up three course meal will coincide with the evening’s award ceremony as well as entertainment by Edinburgh’s own singing superstar, The Voice UK contestant Saskia Eng.

Edinburgh’s premier brewer Innis and Gunn and city cider gurus Thistly Cross will be on hand during the night for drink sampling.

Nominations are still open for the “hidden gem” category in which readers are invited to vote for their favourite restaurant.

The shortlist includes: La Petite Mort, Bodega, Good Brothers, Boston & Hawthorne, Bross Bagels, Kenji, Papilio, Forage and Chatter, Tapa and Polentoni.

Tony Kenmuir, chairman at Central Taxis, the award’s headline sponsor, said that the pace of the Edinburgh food scene is so rapid even taxi drivers struggle to keep up.

He said: “It isn’t easy even for a taxi driver to remember every restaurant in Edinburgh and keep track of all the openings because there is such a staggering choice and variety.

“I’ve heard that Edinburgh has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the UK and it isn’t hard to believe.

“Compared to other cities and countries I’ve been to the standard is also amazingly high, I think because they need repeat business from locals in between the tourism peaks and there’s such competition.

“I rarely go anywhere without bumping into another Central taxi driver and that includes restaurants but it’s not surprising as there are nearly 1200 of us in the company.”

Tony said he was particularly I’m especially looking forward to the hidden gem award because it’s voted for by the public.

“We have the opportunity to make sure that some of our hidden gems don’t stay quite so hidden.

“If you can afford prominent premises on a high street and perhaps your business is part of a chain, you still deserve to be recognised but if we can support a local business that’s perhaps a little off the obvious tourist tracks there’s something special about that.”

To vote for the hidden gem award visit www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/restaurantawards.

And to book your place at the dinner table visit, www.eventstop.co.uk/event/1911/edinrestaurantawards#!/purchase/registration

[email protected]