World Culinary Awards – the global initiative to recognize and reward excellence in the culinary industry – has announced the winners of its 2021 programme, with Valletta’s Naan Bar crowned as Malta’s Best Restaurant 2021. The 2nd annual World Culinary Awards was recently concluded at an awards function held in Dubai at which Naan Bar was declared the winner from the ten local restaurants nominated in Malta for the prestigious Best Restaurant award.
The World Culinary Awards serves to celebrate and reward excellence in the culinary industry through its annual awards program. The results follow a year-long search for the world’s leading culinary brands and Naan Bar Malta is proud to join exclusive community of the finest brands in the culinary industry. Votes were cast by culinary industry professionals and the general public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner. Rina van Staden, Director, World Culinary Awards, said: “Our World Culinary Awards 2021 winners represent those brands pushing the boundaries of culinary excellence. My congratulations to each of them.”
As Valletta’s only Indian restaurant, Naan Bar was created to introduce modern Indian cuisine to capital city of Valletta in 2019 – the year when Valletta was the E.U. Culture Capital. The restaurant was launched by a Master Chef finalist and is owned by third-generation hotelier Amruda Nair, from the family that founded the luxury hotel group Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts in India. The restaurant is thus helmed by Indian chefs from India’s finest luxury hotels, adhering to traditional cooking methods while experimenting with local ingredients and modern presentation.
Inspired by the diversity and rich history of Indian cuisine, the Naan Bar kitchen creates modern dishes using traditional techniques and finest quality ingredients.The menu is a culinary balance of signature dishes and seasonal specials, exclusively crafted using ingredients and techniques that showcase the culture and cuisine. “Our goal at Naan Bar is to create a truly social dining experience, presenting a contemporary take on nostalgic dishes yet honouring age-old tradition and technique”, says Owner Amruda Nair.
Inspired by local Maltese cuisine and locally sourced ingredients, Naan Bar has introduced a Sunday Brunch menu designed by Chef Arvind Dangwal that includes innovative dishes such as Ravioli Samosa, Biryani Arancini, Horse Masala and Tawa Rabbit. Reservations are recommended but not required to be made at the restaurant, which promotes a casual and upscale dining experience. The restaurant is also able to accommodate up to 40 people for exclusive events in the private dining room.
In its quest to support the community, Naan Bar is also a proud supporter of its neighbour Foodbank Lifeline Foundation, also located in Valletta, that has doubled the number of families it serves during the pandemic.
Naan Bar is based in Valletta, Malta and their emphasis is on Modern Indian food, blending authentic, well-researched recipes with contemporary influences for the creation of their culinary delights. For more information regarding the restaurant and the launch of their new menu, please visit naanbar.com