Gault&Millau Croatia has proclaimed 360 Dubrovnik the country’s best restaurant and Danijel Đekić of Monte in Rovinj its best chef for 2020. The awards dinner, held March 4 in Zagreb’s Esplanade hotel, was prepared by onsite Zinfandel restaurant’s head chef Ana Grgić and Coline Faulquier of Signature in Marseilles.
In 1970s France, Gault&Millau was founded by nouvelle cuisine champions Henri Gault and Christian Millau. Nouvelle shies away from the hearty and heavy, focusing on light and natural fare with smart presentation. The ten Gault&Millau culinary commandments for nouvelle cuisine range from Thou shalt not overcook and Thou shalt use fresh, quality products to Thou shalt eliminate rich sauces and Thou shalt be inventive.
Over 50 years after its founding, Gault&Millau has expanded to dozens of countries reviewing tens of thousands of restaurants each year. The influential guide awards one to five toques (traditional French chef’s hats) along with a numerical rating from 1 to 20. Five toques have been sparingly bestowed throughout the years, but a 20/20 score has never been achieved – the founders held that perfection is only God’s domain.
We bring you 2020's Gault&Millau Croatia victual victors; find out how close they get to flawless.
Chef of the Year
Danijel Đekić, Monte, Rovinj
Great Chef of the Future
Sandra and Dane Tahirović, Zora Bila, Split
Robert Benzia, Ganeum Food&Wine Bar, Lovran
Best Restaurants in 2020
360, Dubrovnik 17.5/20, 4 toques
Monte, Rovinj 17.5/20, 4 toques
Laganini, Palmižana, 17/20, 4 toques
Pelegrini, Šibenik, 17/20, 4 toques
Best Chef of Traditional Cuisine
Silvija Horak, Terbotz, Štrigova
Best Chef of (Nouvelle) Traditional Cuisine
Tvrtko Šakota, NAV, Zagreb
Young Talents
Floriana Ružić, San Rocco, Brtonigla
Matija Jagić, Brokenships Bistro, Zagreb
Special Recognition for the Promotion of Croatian Gastronomy and Confectionary
Dragica Lukin, Villa Soši, Umag
Best Hall Chef
Drago Majsak, Vinodol, Zagreb
Best POP Restaurant
Buffet Kamenice, Dubrovnik