31 August, 2011
2011 People’s Choice Restaurant Winner Announced
Take 60 central city restaurants, three weeks of great eating and thousands of amateur Auckland
foodies-turn-food-critics and you have the perfect recipe to determine the 2011 BIG little City People’s Choice
Restaurant Winner.
From Thursday 28th July until Sunday 14th August 2011, kitchens across Auckland’s central city put their best plates
forward to participate in the first-ever BIG little City Restaurant Month and ultimately be named the 2011 BIG little
City People’s Choice Restaurant.
With an outstanding 5,215 People’s Choice votes received during the course of the month, Ebisu was today named the
overall 2011 BIG little City People’s Choice Restaurant winner.
It therefore comes as no surprise that Ebisu, who provides a sophisticated twist on traditional Japanese cuisine, have
also taken away the award for Best Experience and Best Food, making this new Britomart haunt one to watch.
Along with indulging in the abundance of specials and set menus on offer during Auckland Restaurant Month, diners were
presented with further reason to get involved and have their say on the Auckland dining scene by participating in the
People’s Choice vote. Everybody who did so gained entry into the prize draw for a trip to New York City Restaurant Week
2012.
Alex Swney, CEO Heart of the City, was overwhelmed with the success of Auckland Restaurant Month and the number of
people who got involved. He thanks and supports Aucklanders who celebrate and enjoy the great food and service on offer
in the BIG little City.
“The fact we got so many Aucklanders to embrace their inner foodie, try something new in the city and be inspired to
cast a vote for the most deserving eateries, is a great start on our mission of making the BIG little City the place of
choice that people must go to eat.“
In addition to the overall winner, two further restaurants have been recognised under the categories for Best Ambience
and Best Service.
The environment created at Elliott Stables’ La Bruschetteria has received exceptional praise from the city’s diners and
as a result has been awarded for their ambience. O'Connell St Bistro has unsurprisingly had their consistently
outstanding service acknowledged as being the best in town.
The winner of the trip for two to New York City Restaurant Week in January 2012 is Yipeng Liang. Their prize includes
return airfares, 4 nights’ accommodation, USD$1000 spending money and two dining experiences for two people.
To find out more, go to www.biglittlecity.co.nz
ENDS