A Closer Look at the Restaurant Awards: The Best Upscale Non-Chinese New Restaurant?

In the Best New Restaurant (Upscale, Non-Chinese) category of the Beijinger 2016 Reader Restaurant Awards, competition was intense, but after voting by you, our readers, we welcomed The Georg, Florentina (now known as Fiorentina), and N'Joy at NUO Hotel into the ranks, and into our city.

The Georg took the prize in this category, and this comes at no surprise. Located along a peaceful stream just off bustling nightlife hotspot Houhai, just The Georg's location in a beautiful renovated courtyard home makes it worth a visit. And we haven't even gotten to the food (pictured on top: vanilla, green bean, and pear, Chef Talib Hudda's creation). 

The Georg's menu is very easy to navigate: you get a list of dishes, for RMB 130 each, and you can choose any you want, as many as you want. If you prefer the chef to make your choices for you, you can choose the RMB 450 set menu, which is put selected from four dishes, including a dessert. Although the menu is ever-changing to keep things interesting, we really enjoyed everything we have tried so far. Delicate flavor combinations and beautiful plate settings, the latter to be expected at a restaurant opened by a silversmith and housewares brand Georg Jensen, round off the experience.

Fiorentina, which was still known as Florentina during our Restaurant Awards, took home Outstanding Best New Non-Chinese Restaurant. Although there has been a handover of ownership (Fiorentina is now 100 percent Italian-run), the new offerings are still worthy of the prize in our opinion, with beautiful ingredients and dishes, an amazing terrace out front, and a great wine list. 

We went up to Lido to check out Fiorentina not long ago, as chronicled in this recent review. And if you're looking for a Latina ladies night, every Thursday live band Savor Latino and a DJ Paolo Della Valle keep the place lively into the evening.

As for N'Joy, another Outstanding winner in this category, and everyone's new favorite hotel brunch destination, you'd be advised to make the most of dining here with the current great weather in their expansive outdoor dining area. We, and apparently you, especially appreciate their sushi section, as well as the carvery, featuring traditional British Yorkshire puddings. You can read here for more about their buffet brunch.

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of the Georg, courtesy of Fiorentina, courtesy of N'Joy, Margaux Schreurs