Blue Elephant Malta makes it on The Daily Meal’s 101 Best Restaurants in Europe

The restaurant taking the number one spot is Osteria Francescana a three Michelin starred restaurant in Modena, Italy. Though the top ten restaurants included entries from Paris and London, there were a number of less likely candidates including restaurants from Wolfsburg, Germany, Kruishoutem, Belgium and Ljubljana, Slovenia, and though not in the top 10, eateries from countries that do not usually make the foodie lists including Latvia, Estonia and Croatia as well as Malta.

Blue Elephant was selected as one of the Top 10 Best Restaurants in the Eastern Mediterranean and included restaurants from Croatia, Greece and Slovenia as well as Malta.

Despite stating that Blue Elephant Malta is located in Mdina, The Daily Meal describes the restaurant as "one of the most romantic venues in Malta... with lush greenery, tropical flowers, and waterfalls. Chef Khun Nooror Somany Steppe and her team have crafted four set menus, an à la carte menu, and a vegetarian menu with dishes created from ingredients flown in from Thailand. Based on traditional Thai recipes, the choices include familiar Thai favorites like deep-fried fish cakes with red curry paste served with a sweet cucumber sauce, spring rolls with minced lamb stuffing, massaman lamb curry, and nua phad kiew wan (stir-fried sliced beef with green curry paste, Thai eggplant, and coconut milk)."

The seven-month nomination process included The Daily Meal's editors compiling a preliminary list of more than 100 restaurants and then reaching out to a panel of more than 200 knowledgeable judges, including restaurant critics, food and lifestyle writers and bloggers with wide-restaurant-going experience.

Panelists voted in two categories: cuisine and style/décor/service. From innovative menu options to plating and presentation to freshness, quality, and taste, panelists evaluated each restaurant's cuisine and only voted for the restaurants which they believe are extraordinary.

For the second category, panelists evaluated the dining experience, from the restaurant's interior and dining room ambiance to the service, voting for the restaurants which they believe offer an unrivaled experience. Each restaurant had the chance to be voted on twice during the survey. Finally, the percentage scores from each category were averaged to arrive at the final ranking.

While other Best of Europe lists like Zagat have covered similar areas, The Daily Meal has covered 31 countries and enlisted the help of food and dining experts to reduce the 1,450 strong nomination list to a more manageable 101.