2021

Each Thacks Awards panelist may only award a handful of their top food, drink or travel choices per year as a Top Winner. A hearty congratulations to these fine establishments for catching the eyes of the Thacks Awards panel in 2021.

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Introducing
THE BEST OF THE BEST
for 2021:

If you haven’t already experienced these fine offerings, PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR and visit these cities to experience them!!
Global winning cities for 2021 included Stellenbosch, Sliema, Syracuse, Alba, Dubai, Cape Town, Somerset West, Valencia, Vienna, Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Doha.

If you already live in any of these winning cities and have not yet experienced this offering, make a booking today.

Each of these fine entities caught the fine eye of a discerning panelist for reasons encompassing the fine quality and service offering you will want to experience for yourself. They will have scored 9 or 10 out of 10 in the five Thacks Awards categories: Ambience, Exclusivity, Overall Experience, Service and Value for Money.

2021 WINNERS –

Wine Bars: 5
Dining: 9
Airlines: 1
Game Lodges: 1

TOP WINE VENUE IN SPAIN
L’Ozzi Wine Lounge
City, Country: Valencia, Spain
Category:  Wine
Varied wine list in a luxurious cosy setting with top quality service by the attentive and kind owner, Ian. Anyone who loves wine, will love this intimate place and its ambiance in a Valencian side-street of the old city. 
-jjt’s full blog post here.

TOP WINE BAR IN ITALY
De Gustibus
City, Country: Alba, Italy
Category: Wine
A warm, welcoming team with extensive snack platters (not a restaurant, but the shrimp/parma focaccia is also amazing!), great cheeses and meats, accompanying a MASSIVE by-the-glass wine list in a great setting. Cosy Italy at its best and a worthy winner – in the summer you can enjoy their terrace but be sure to book during winter as seating is limited – but never disappointing.
-jjt’s full blog post here.

TOP WINE BAR IN AUSTRIA
Pub Klemo Wine Bar
City, Country: Vienna, Austria
Category:  Wine
Thoughtfully selected wine list, with wines from around the globe and weekly curated wine tastings. The staff are absolute gems, with plenty of information and useful tips.
-aw

TOP WINE BAR IN SOUTH AFRICA
Culture Wine Bar
City, Country: Cape Town, South Africa
Category:  Wine
At the top of a staircase, off Cape Town’s foodie street (Bree street), sits an oasis of relaxed chic with two added bonuses: excellent value for money wine tastings, at a fraction of international prices; and staff that truly love what they do.  Here the truism “less is more” applies, since they don’t stock everything, but the wines they do stock are thoughtfully curated by expert sommeliers – some bottles rare and hard to find.
-bm’s full blog post here.

TOP WINE BAR IN SICILY
Enoteca EVOÈ
City, Country: Syracuse, Sicily (Italy)
Category:  Wine
Nestled on an island connected to mainland Syracuse by bridge lies Evoè, a wine bar that will blow your mind. The ‘modern meets old’ interior is a favourite place to sample some of Sicily’s wine and the owner’s plethora of wine knowledge is super impressive and put to good use when sampling vino from their extensive range of wines by the glass to unWINEd and experience wines and delicious Sicilian cuisine.
-hm

TOP INTERNATIONAL EATERY
Rust en Vrede Restaurant
City, Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Category:  Food/Drink
Chef Fabio who hails from Brazil will tickle your taste-buds with his creative French-flair cuisine. Housed at one of Stellenbosch’s prestigious wineries, Rust en Vrede Restaurant offers diners nothing but perfection with attention to detail and top-notch quality makes this a favourite all-time restaurant especially if you try the ‘Experience Menu’.
-hm’s full blog post here.

TOP EATERY IN ABU DHABI
Peppermill
City, Country: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Category:  Food/Drink
Overlooking the Eastern Mangroves, this restaurant specialises in the most amazing curries. Initially we loved the kataifi prawns and seafood curry, and then migrated to the paneer curry, butter chicken curry and murgh malai tikka…. totally sublime!
-cjt

TOP EATERY IN MALTA
Fernandõ
City, Country: Sliema, Malta
Category:  Food/Drink
Fussy diner, no problem: you’ll find an extensive range of wines and food from the Mediterranean and around the world at this exclusive wine restaurant. Its intimate setting will make you want to spend hours catching up with loved ones while you drink your way through their impressive wine list – as an importer for Riedel in Malta you’re sure to drink your wines out of the correct glass made for each wine style. 
-hm

TOP EATERY IN AUSTRIA
Mama Liu & Sons
City, Country: Vienna, Austria
Category:  Food/Drink
Attentive staff make sure that your experience at this reasonably-priced Asian Hot Pot restaurant is a memorable one before you’ve even tasted the delectable food! It’s a treasure.
-aw

TOP EATERY IN AUSTRALIA
Boronia Kitchen
City, Country: Sydney, Australia
Category:  Food/Drink
Each plate perfectly presented and made with the best produce Australia has to offer; they consistently place before you a perfectly balanced and delightfully delicious dish. From the moment you enter to when you leave the premises you are treated like a long time friend with staff taking the time to remember who you are and recommending you try something different to your favourite lunch or dinner time Pork Belly.
-mmt’s full blog post here.

TOP CORPORATE DINNER VENUE
Teatro Dubai
City, Country: Dubai, UAE
Category:  Food/Drink
The spread for evening meals is amazing as is the quality of the food and wine – following several visits, there are loads of different meals: always deliciously mind-blowing. This is the restaurant where everyone orders a couple of things from the menu, and you share just to taste… and everything is fantastic.
-cjt

TOP EATERY IN DUBAI
Bussola Dubai
City, Country: Dubai, UAE
Category:  Food/Drink
Best pizza in the UAE: authentic Italian pizza in a great location adjacent to the Dubai Marina enjoyed with a cold beer and/or a good selection of wines. The view seated upstairs especially in the evening overlooking the Gulf waters and lights with the Dubai Big Wheel is a spectacular backdrop.
-cjt

TOP EATERY IN SPAIN
Bouet Restaurant
City, Country: Valencia, Spain
Category:  Food/Drink
Friendliest and knowledgeable team, with an amazing sommelier… The food is all consistently great with a fusion twist and the chef’s KNOW what they’re doing – whatever you do: have the cheesecake for dessert (apparently it’s brie and goat, but ask them to ensure it’s warm throughout… yes it’s on a wooden board, but is it warm in the middle to one of the best soft spots ever?!)…
-jjt’s full blog post here.

TOP SUSHI RESTAURANT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Oceans 8 Seafood & Sushi
City, Country: Somerset West, South Africa
Category:  Food/Drink
Think thickly cut salmon; freshest yellowfin tuna and other line-fish, recently fished from Africa’s southern-most bay (False Bay) combining generous cuts and freshness, and you have Oceans 8, an understated seafood restaurant in the winelands town of Somerset West, about 60km east of Cape Town along the N2 highway. Oceans 8 offers traditional sushi dishes and unique sushi innovations (hint: try their “sushi shots”) with exceptional value for money, not overcharging and under-offering with more-rice-less-fish, as sometimes happens with other sushi establishments.
-bm‘s full blog post here.

TOP INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE
Qatar Airways
City, Country: Doha, Qatar
Category: Travel
Although already having received multiple international awards, Qatar remains a top favourite airline after multiple trips with them. Their product, service and overall offering never disappoints – even through the pandemic… and if you can only ever fly one Business Class flight in your lifetime, ensure that it’s with Qatar!!
-mmt’s full blog post here.

TOP INTERNATIONAL GAME LODGE
Impodimo Game Lodge
City, Country: Wonderboomgate, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa
Category: Travel
Nestled in the northwest part of South Africa on the Botswana border, Impodimo is one of a few unfenced lodges, meaning wild animals can (and do) roam freely. Their all-inclusive package is a fraction of the price of the exclusive Kruger Park private lodges offering impressive big game viewing, luxury accommodation and brilliant gastronomical experiences.
-bm’s full blog post here.

Have you experienced any of these superb offerings?
If not, MAKE A PLAN TODAY… Book a trip or make a reservation today. You won’t regret it.