The winners of the first-ever Scottish Restaurant Awards across a variety of categories were announced in a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Catering professionals and foodies flocked to Edinburgh’s EICC on Monday 28 January 2008 for the first-ever Scottish Restaurant Awards, created to celebrate the best restaurants and most talented chefs in the country across a variety of categories.

The dining scene of the city of Edinburgh walked away with five awards, followed by Glasgow with three winners.

The Nomination Process

Nominations for the Scottish Restaurant Awards were gathered via the online form from restaurants, customers and suppliers. A special panel then selected three finalists in each category, which were visited by a dedicated testing team of experts who evaluate the restaurants against a set list of criteria before the judges selected one winner from each of the categories.

Scottish Restaurant of the Year

This category recognizes the best of the best within the Scottish restaurant trade. All restaurants were eligible for entry. Key features that the judges considered in this category included customer service, imagination in menu creation, use of local produce, value for money and ambience.

The winner of this much coveted was The Grill at Dakota (Forth Road Bridge), which also walked away with the Best Hotel Restaurant Award.

Here is the full list of the other awards, with the three businesses shortlisted for each category.

Chef of the Year

• Martin Wishart, Edinburgh
• winner: Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles
• Tom Kitchin, Edinburgh

Best Speciality Restaurant

• Dusit, Edinburgh
• winner: The Seafood Restaurant, St. Monas
• Sushiya, Edinburgh

Fine Dining Experience

• Brian Maule at Chardon d'Or, Glasgow
• 29, Glasgow
• winner: Number One, Edinburgh

Best Rural Restaurant

• The Three Chimneys, Skye
• Champany, Linlithgow
• winner: The Peat Inn, Fife

Best City Restaurant

• Herbe Bistro, Edinburgh
• winner: The Sisters, Glasgow
• Oloroso, Edinburgh

Best Pub Grub

• Stravaigin Bar, Glasgow
• winner: Kings Wark, Edinburgh
• Hamiltons Bar & Kitchen, Edinburgh

Health Conscious Restaurant of the Year

• Urban Angel, Edinburgh
• winner: Alfies, Uddingston
• Grassroots Café, Glasgow

Best Hotel Restaurant

• Michael Caines, Abode, Arthouse Hotel, Glasgow
• Rhubarb, Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
• winner: The Grill at Dakota, Forth Road Bridge

Best Family Friendly Restaurant

• The Loft, Glasgow
• winner: Di Maggios, Glasgow
• Howies, Aberdeen

Best Customer Service

• 2 Fat Ladies, Glasgow
• The Glasshouse at Eskmills, Musselburgh
• winner: Silver Darling, Aberdeen

Best Design

• winner: Tigerlily, Edinburgh
• The Seafood Restaurant, St. Andrews
• Corinthian, Glasgow

Best International Cuisine

As the diners' best loved specialty restaurants, Italian, Indian and Chinese deserved a category in their own right:

Best Italian

• winner: La Parmigiana, Glasgow
• Amarone, Glasgow
• La Favorita, Edinburgh

Best Chinese

• Ho Wong, Glasgow
• Amber Regent, Glasgow
• winner: Wok & Wine, Edinburgh

Best Indian

• Calvary Club, Edinburgh
• Mother India, Glasgow
• winner: The Roti, Edinburgh

Promoted through Business 7 and supported by 5pm.co.uk, the Scottish Restaurant Awards were established to reward and celebrate Scotland’s outstanding dining scene.

Looking for more quality dining tips in Scotland and elsewhere Britain? Please check also:

• More outstanding Scottish Restaurants
• The Cornish Accredited Restaurants scheme