To qualify as a restaurant nominee:

• A representative from the restaurant must nominate the establishment in order to be considered
• All restaurants in Nova Scotia are eligible
• Nominees can apply for multiple categories
• All qualified nominees must be in Nova Scotia
• Nominees must be operational
• Nominees can be seasonal or year-round businesses

Each nominee will be reviewed by the Restaurant Association to ensure they meet the requirements. All qualified nominees will be included in a public vote. The top finalists in each category are based on the public vote. A panel of industry expert judges will then determine the winner in each category.

Judges will evaluate the winner based on (but not limited to) public feedback, rationale provided by the nominee, judges experience/expertise, local awareness.

More details on the qualifying criteria by category: Category Criteria

The Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards has 4 stages:

1. The restaurant completes the nomination form and enters any of the relevant categories. *The nomination form must be filled out by a representative of the restaurant. Restaurants can be recommended through a restaurant recommendation form.
2. Public voting is open. Anyone can vote once and restaurants are encouraged to share the ballot with their patrons
3. The Judges Panel will evaluate the winner based on (but not limited to) public vote, rationale provided by the nominee, judges’ experience, expertise, and local awareness
4. The awards will be announced at the Nova Scotia Restaurants Awards Gala