India’s most definitive rating of the best restaurants is again! The Condé Nast Traveller x District Top Restaurant Awards might be introduced on the night time of Monday, 29 September. But forward of that, right here’s crucial query: who selected what restaurants made the record this 12 months?
This 12 months’s record is formed by a 100-member jury drawn from throughout the nation, spanning voices who know meals and tradition inside out, from cooks and writers to entrepreneurs, designers, and tastemakers. Their votes have been solid over two rounds between June and August. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP are the method advisors for this version of the Top Restaurant Awards.
From Bengaluru, the panel featured writers Priya Bala, Ruth Dsouza Prabhu and Shivani Unakar, who researches the intersections of meals and tradition. Ruma Singh, one in every of India’s most revered wine journalists and educators, lent her experience alongside Manju Sara Rajan, a author, editor, and design guide, and poet–author Joshua Muyiwa and hospitality veteran Aslam Gafoor. Multi-hyphenates included Anurag Arora, designer, chef, and baker finest recognized for his ‘Apartment’ dinner sequence, and aesthete Vinita Chaitanya. The group additionally featured Sahil Khan, Nikhil Kini, CEO of LiveLoveLaugh Anisha (*50*), author–editor Rosella Stephen, creator Sumana Mukherjee, and businessman Sanjiv Shanmugham.
Chennai’s jury blended culinary voices with cultural ones. Lifestyle journalists Shonali Muthalaly and Ashwin Rajagopalan have been joined by researcher and curator Yogita Uchil and philanthropist Vidya Gajapathi Raju Singh. From the kitchen got here cooks Koushik Shankar of Eatitide and chef Adhira Swami, together with MasterChef Tamil 2024 winner Akash Muralidharan, who additionally works as a marriage designer. Culinary educator Payal Rajankar, sports activities doctor and Chennai Super Kings group physician Dr Madhu Thottappillil, and Sruti Nakul of the meals present Oorum Unavum rounded off the panel.
Spanning central and north India, the jury had tradition curator Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Juggernaut Books founder Chiki Sarkar, veteran meals author Sourish Bhattacharyya, journalist Neha Prasada, and literary critic Nilanjana Roy. Baker Shivesh Bhatia introduced a candy notice to the combination, whereas author–historian Pragya Tiwari joined PR guru Dilip Cherian and photographer Pia Sodhi. Also within the combine have been style entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi, designer Gaurav Gupta, and Samrath Bedi, government director of Forest Essentials. Artist Punit Jasuja, whose work explores the intersection of artwork and meals, additionally picked his favourites.
Goa’s line-up showcased a mixture of culinary voices and cultural entrepreneurs. Drinks business leaders included Anand Virmani, co-founder of Greater Than gin, and Kasturi Banerjee, creator of Maka Zai rum. They have been joined by cookbook creator Odette Mascarenhas, author–journalists Joanna Lobo and Insia Lacewalla, and photographer Rohit Chawla. Other panellists included author Vivek Menezes, influencer Larissa D’Sa, communications skilled Srimoyi Bhattacharya, creator Fahad Samar, journey curator Mackinlay Barreto, and enterprise chief Swati Salgaocar.