Johannesburg-based interior designer Tristan du Plessis has bagged this year’s International Restaurant and Bar (IRB) design award.

Du Plessis’s masterpiece, Sandton club Alice and Fifth, was announced as the best overall restaurant at the IRB design awards.

Du Plessis outperformed 500 of the world’s best designers to claim the coveted accolade.

“As a South African designer, to be in the same room as my international design icons is an honor in itself but to be recognised on a global level in front of peers that I’ve looked up to since the beginning of my career is almost unbelievable,” Du Plessis said.

Some other projects done by Du Plessis are Mesh club, Fyn African x Japanese, Hell’s Kitchen all of which are highlights of their work.

Notably, this is the first time the award is bestowed to a South African design studio.

Restaurant & Bar Design Awards is a global competition dedicated to the design of food and beverage spaces.

The awards are given based on best works as voted by a panel of internationally distinguished judges.

“The judges are the most influential global personalities from hospitality, design and lifestyle media,” IRB design awards say.

Over 70 countries took part in this year’s competition with entries covering restaurants from ships to airports, museums and burger vans to pop-ups.

South Africa’s architectural industry is growing at a rapid pace and experts say the current business practices will be vague a few years from now.

Featured Image Courtesy: Restaurant And Bar Awards