Golden Dawn voted city's best

Golden Dawn bar. Photo / Babiche Martens

Ponsonby's Golden Dawn bar has been voted the city's best in the latest hospitality awards.

The bar scooped the prize at this evening's Lewisham Awards, which sees Auckland's eateries, bars and caterers battle for 17 prizes each year.

While Mt Eden's Rad Cafe and its barista Duke Tran took out the best coffee establishment and barista prize, several other Ponsonby chefs and restaurants featured on the winners list.

Sid Sahrawat of Three Lamps restaurant SIDART won the evening's outstanding chef award, while Ponsonby Road's Blue Breeze Inn restaurant won in the outstanding new establishment category.

Lewisham Foundation chairman Chris Upton said this year's winners list represented a "cross-section of styles, not just those on the edge of the latest trend".

"There are a lot of businesses doing great things in the current Auckland scene and it is great to see both old and new being recognised for their merits," he said.

Some of the well-known winners this year included O'Connell St Bistro, which took out the outstanding wine list award, as well as The French Cafe, which won the outstanding existing establishment category.

Mint Kitchen was deemed Auckland's best caterer at the awards.

This evening's Lewisham Awards event took place at Shed 10.

Winners list, Lewisham Awards 2014:

• Angostura Outstanding Bartender: Barney Toy
• Beam Suntory Outstanding Bar: Golden Dawn
• Caffe L'affare Outstanding Coffee Establishment/Barista: Duke Tran, Rad Café
• Crombie Lockwood Outstanding Waiter: Nick Harding, Baduzzi
• EuroVintage Outstanding Wine List: O'Connell St Bistro
• General Digital Outstanding Maitre d':Brandon Lela'ulu, Prego
• Gilmours Outstanding Chef: Sid Sahrawat, SIDART
• Menumate Outstanding New Establishment: The Blue Breeze Inn
• Moana Pacific Seafood Emerging Talent: Elizabeth Birch, Eight.Two
• Moet Hennessy Outstanding Hospitality Personality: Judith Tabron, Soul Bar & Bistro
• Negociants Outstanding Wine Service Professional: Piers Haszard, Botswana Butchery
• One Music Outstanding Existing Establishment: The French Café
• Pernod Ricard Outstanding Restaurateur: Mark Wallbank, The Blue Breeze Inn
• Restaurant Association of New Zealand Outstanding Sales Representative: Ben Longhurst, EuroVintage
• Rubbish Direct Outstanding Caterer: Mint Kitchen
• Telecom NZ Outstanding Supplier: Neat Meat
• Waterfront Auckland Outstanding Local: Elbow Room.