Recognizing the best restaurant with delectable food and a delightful ambience.
TAMIL NADU & KERALA
INDIA’S ONLY REGISTERED
RESTAURANT AWARDS
About Restaurant Awards
Restaurant Awards 2026 is the top honour bestowed upon the greatest in the industry who have tirelessly dedicated their lives walking an extra mile to raise the bar of the Food & Beverage Sector. The awards will go to various regions of the country physically,to honor and applaud the great work done by foodpreneurs and chefs around the country.
This is a precious opportunity to excel your food & beverage business and hear the elevating tunes of applause by the whole fraternity. These awards will put spotlight on exemplary contributions made by profound professionals and passionate restaurant brands. This recognition will enhance your business credibility and would help in restructuring your brand image. Submissions are now open for Restaurant Awards 2026, browse through the appropriate category and region and nominate yourself today.
Read more »Awards
Restaurant Awards premium focus is to create recognition for various industry experts.
01Conference
The conference brings new perspective on Scaling up your Restaurant Business.
02Networking
Influential restaurateurs , thought leaders, innovative suppliers and industry titans join the show. They’re all here.
03Knowledge
Hear intriguing insights on the latest insights on Food Industry and visionary experts. Sit back and learn as Restaurateurs.
04-
20+
Editions
-
2900
Delegates
70+
Award Categories
50+
Speakers
25+
Sessions
Explore Award Categories
This Category recognises Night Clubs/Bars that demonstrates the best ambience,food & liquor.
This category recognises the best bakeries which offers outstanding value, excellent food and appropriate service.
This category recognises a Restaurant/Bar/Bakery that has the best interiors
This category recognises caterers/unique concepts/customer experiences and cloud kitchens.
This category recognises restaurateurs/chefs/sommeliers who have demonstrated outstanding qualities.
Chennai Edition Previous Speakers
Anand Krishnan
Director, Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan
Anand Krishnan
Director, Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan
Anand Krishnan is Director at Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan. He did his Diploma in Hospitality Management from American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, (AH&LEI) and BA ( Hon.) in International Hospitality Management from Swiss Hotel Management School Caux/Montreux, Switzerland. As a director, he leads operations and project expansion at the brand and initiated a new concept in-house named VB WORLD global cuisine concept featuring the best vegetarian dishes from all around globe under one roof.
Amrut Mehta
Director, The Little Italy Group
Amrut Mehta
Director, The Little Italy Group
Amrut Mehta, Director at The Little Italy Group has been an active part since 2011. Having taken up various roles in the organization like Management trainee, Projects Associate, Marketing Head before assuming his role as Director in 2019, Amrut carries on the legacy of Little Italy with a vision to add more brands under the portfolio and expand overseas. Currently, he oversees Operations, Marketing, and R&D. As a food enthusiast, he completed his courses at the London School of Economics and Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and is also responsible for the conceptualization of new dishes on the menu, as well as the inception of new brands under the parent company. He travels extensively to Italy and works with Italian chefs to keep up with the trends and create new exciting dishes for the brands.
Shriram Rajendran
Chef and CEO, The Table
Shriram Rajendran
Chef and CEO, The Table
Chef Shriram Rajendaran is Chef and Owner of the popular dessert brand The Table in Chennai. With over 15 years of experience in the culinary and food entrepreneurship industry, he has worked with brands like The Leela, The Dorchester Hotel, and ITC Hotels to name a few. Graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, London, he has also authored “The Table Book of Desserts” , a celebrated guide featuring easy-to-follow artisan recipes that have inspired food enthusiasts and professionals alike. He has also launched commercial Ice Cream brand, Flipped in 2020, a pizza brand, Butter Crust Pizzeria in 2022 and established MAPO Hakka Chinese in 2024.
Tarun Mahadevan
Managing Director, Advantage Foods
Tarun Mahadevan
Managing Director, Advantage Foods
Tarun Mahadevan, 27, is Managing Director, Advantage Foods Pvt. Ltd. Tarun holds a BSc. (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Bath. Advantage Foods Pvt Ltd is the parent organisation of numerous brands such as Hot Breads and Writer's Cafe, which specialises in running Food & Beverage Outlets predominantly in South India. Prior to joining the Family Business, Tarun was working in Financial Services having gained experience with an investment services company before switching over to the buy side and gaining exposure with a UK based mid-market private equity firm.
Shweta Ravi
Director, Nandhana Group
Shweta Ravi
Director, Nandhana Group
Shweta Ravi, the Director of (Nandhana Group) best known for their multi cuisine restaurant catering to Andhra style delicacies at the heart of the city Bengaluru. Shwetha Ravi, was born and brought up in an entrepreneurial family. She completed her graduation from Stella Maris in Chennai and furthermore did her Masters in Finance from Warwick University in England and trained in various hotels too. Besides, she is a sturdy visionary, carrying the twenty five years old legacy forward using innovation as a strong code, as she believes innovation is the only sustaining factor for any industry to progress
Amit Chakraborti
Executive Chef, Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road
Dilip Krishnan
Co-founder and CEO, India of Foodsta Kitchens
Dilip Krishnan
Co-founder and CEO, India of Foodsta Kitchens
A Food and Beverage professional with 12 years senior management experience in Southeast
Asia
• Zest Group - Chief operating officer, Outback Steakhouse - Head of Marketing, Southeast
Asia.
• BEng in Computer Science, MBA in Marketing from IIM Calcutta.
• Avid traveller and a foodie.
Dilip Krishnan, the India CEO of Foodsta Kitchens, brings over a decade of experience from
Southeast Asia to the brand. With a background in computer science and marketing, Dilip has
always been passionate about food and travel. He began his hospitality journey in Indonesia
at one of the largest steakhouses in the world and later worked with brands across various
cuisines in the region. Dilip’s expertise in the food industry and his commitment to
authenticity have been instrumental in establishing Nasi and Mee as a trusted name in Indian
dining.
Maniram Selvaraj
4th Generation Entrepreneur, Ponram Biriyani Restaurant
Maniram Selvaraj
4th Generation Entrepreneur, Ponram Biriyani Restaurant
Maniram Selvaraj is the 4th-generation entrepreneur at Ponram Biriyani Restaurant. A dynamic professional with a background in agricultural sciences and experience in the food and hospitality industry, he specializes in operations management, brand development, packaging technology, and HACCP principles. With a strong strategic vision focused on market research and regional growth, he bring proven leadership in food service and sustainable agriculture, ensuring continuous growth and innovation. He also lead marketing and strategy, including digital media and social media, to enhance brand visibility and engage with customers. He is also the co-founder at Amour Bakes & Café. He has also founded Millipedo, a company specializing in organic manures, including those made using millipedes that was awarded the "New Innovation Award" by NABARD Incubation for a unique approach to sustainable farming.
Chef Nikhil Nagpal
Chef Culinare, Avartana, ITC Grand Chola
Chef Nikhil Nagpal
Chef Culinare, Avartana, ITC Grand Chola
Chef Nikhil has built an 18-year career with ITC Hotels, starting in 2001 after graduating
from the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration. He honed his culinary skills at
ITC Maratha, ITC Grand Central, and Sheraton New Delhi before joining ITC Grand Chola. Nikhil
Nagpal is responsible for the restaurant’s continuing fame and popularity – 10 years after it
was established by a visionary team of chefs, at ITC Grand Chola.
Avartana (used interchangeably for mysticism and iteration) blends innovation with tradition
to present South Indian Peninsula cuisine in a reimagined context. The team at Avartana had a
firm grounding in the pragmatic skills of cooking, an understanding of the universal concepts
of fine dining and the spirit of adventure to create, integrate and surpass the expectations
of the diner. Local spices, delicate broths, infused oils, fresh coconut, aromatic curry
leaves augment the essence of our cooking.
Nikhil’s passion for food began in his family kitchen, influenced by diverse regional
cuisines during his father’s military postings. A pivotal moment in college sparked his love
for South Indian flavors, which now shape Avartana’s unique identity.
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific
Ritu Marya is the Editor- in- Chief for Entrepreneur India-Asia-Pacific and Franchise India Media, a group company of Franchise India Holdings Limited. She is the Group Editor and leads the editorial desk which comprises business magazines including Entrepreneur, The Franchising World and Retailer together with the Digital media arm of Entrepreneur.com, Franchiseindia.com, wellnessindia.com, indianretailer.com and restaurantindia.in. In her tryst with Business Journalism over the last 16 years, Ritu is regarded as an authority on Startups, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Consumer Businesses, Retail, Luxury to Education, Restaurant, Funding and more. In her role as the Group Editor she meets and interacts with Leading Indian and Global Entrepreneurs and thought-leaders while tracking Startup and Entrepreneurial and consumer business landscape in India and Asia-Pacific.
Chennai Edition Previous Jury
Chef Nikhil Nagpal
Chef Culinare, Avartana, ITC Grand Chola
Chef Nikhil Nagpal
Chef Culinare, Avartana, ITC Grand Chola
Chef Nikhil has built an 18-year career with ITC Hotels, starting in 2001 after graduating
from the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration. He honed his culinary skills at
ITC Maratha, ITC Grand Central, and Sheraton New Delhi before joining ITC Grand Chola. Nikhil
Nagpal is responsible for the restaurant’s continuing fame and popularity – 10 years after it
was established by a visionary team of chefs, at ITC Grand Chola.
Avartana (used interchangeably for mysticism and iteration) blends innovation with tradition
to present South Indian Peninsula cuisine in a reimagined context. The team at Avartana had a
firm grounding in the pragmatic skills of cooking, an understanding of the universal concepts
of fine dining and the spirit of adventure to create, integrate and surpass the expectations
of the diner. Local spices, delicate broths, infused oils, fresh coconut, aromatic curry
leaves augment the essence of our cooking.
Nikhil’s passion for food began in his family kitchen, influenced by diverse regional
cuisines during his father’s military postings. A pivotal moment in college sparked his love
for South Indian flavors, which now shape Avartana’s unique identity.
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific
Ritu Marya is the Editor- in- Chief for Entrepreneur India-Asia-Pacific and Franchise India Media, a group company of Franchise India Holdings Limited. She is the Group Editor and leads the editorial desk which comprises business magazines including Entrepreneur, The Franchising World and Retailer together with the Digital media arm of Entrepreneur.com, Franchiseindia.com, wellnessindia.com, indianretailer.com and restaurantindia.in. In her tryst with Business Journalism over the last 16 years, Ritu is regarded as an authority on Startups, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Consumer Businesses, Retail, Luxury to Education, Restaurant, Funding and more. In her role as the Group Editor she meets and interacts with Leading Indian and Global Entrepreneurs and thought-leaders while tracking Startup and Entrepreneurial and consumer business landscape in India and Asia-Pacific.
M. Mahadevan
Chairman & Managing Director– Advantage Foods Pvt Ltd & Hot Breads
M. Mahadevan
Chairman & Managing Director– Advantage Foods Pvt Ltd & Hot Breads
Mr. Mahadevan’s journey began in 1981, while still teaching in a college, he opened China
Garden, a Chinese-food takeaway (in the premises of another restaurant called TicTac) with an
investment of Rs 60,000. Chinese food was becoming a craze in the city. In 1986 he started
Cascade, a standalone restaurant serving gourmet Chinese, Thai and Malay fare. And in the
span of 20 years he has opened, in partnership with like-minded businessmen, 130 retail
outlets in 11 countries, among them USA (New York and San Francisco), France (Paris), UAE
(Dubai), Kuwait, Muscat, Canada, New Zealand, Hongkong, Switzerland, Myanmar, Malaysia and
Australia (Sydney & Melbourne).
Today, the baking industry forms the core of his charity work. He has projects to enlighten
the lives of the underprivileged in the field of baking. His firm belief is to teach one how
to fish & not give the fish. 'The Foundation for Vocational Training', comprising of The
Corporation of Chennai, The Rotary Club of Madras East & Chennai Mission run the 'Winners
Bakery' to train economically deprived youth the art of baking and the addition to his
portfolio is, Writer’s Café, a profit with a purpose initiative, positions itself by being a
friendly neighbourhood ‘cafeteria and bookstore.’ The food served here is made from the
freshest of local produce by victims of domestic abuse and the underprivileged and Rvive Cafe
along with the Institute of Mental Health to help the needy and poor people.
His successful initiative “The Battle of The Buffet” held during the Joy of Giving Week in
October which was first conceptualised more than 10 years ago has in total raised INR 38
Crore benefiting more than 100 NGO’s in India, all together.
Rakesh Raghunathan
Celebrity Chef | Food Historian Masterchef India, Tamil Judge
Rakesh Raghunathan
Celebrity Chef | Food Historian Masterchef India, Tamil Judge
Rakesh Raghunathan is a South Indian culinary
ambassador, whose vision is to showcase the rich
heritage of the region to audiences across the world.
He brings a unique perspective and experience of the
south Indian cuisine, while also seeking to turn the
spotlight on the custodians of these traditional
knowledge systems.
A food raconteur, armed with a wealth of anecdotal
history, and a deep insight into socio cultural
practices, Rakesh has taken food to the realm of the
performative. His presentations are a multi-sensory
and aesthetic experience with an element of romance
and drama thrown in, as he draws his audiences into a
space where food and art converge seamlessly.
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