German Gymnasium cleans up in Blue Badge Style Awards

By Emma Eversham

- Last updated on GMT

German Gymnasium won the greatest number of awards at the first Blue Badge Style Awards
German Gymnasium won the greatest number of awards at the first Blue Badge Style Awards

Related tags Art deco

D&D London's German Gymnasium has been honoured twice in the first Blue Badge Style Awards for its efforts in making the restaurant welcoming to guests with disabilities. 

The restaurant at King's Cross, which opened less than a year ago in a building originally constructed for the German Gymnastic Society, won Best High End Restaurant and Best Loo in the awards at Lutyens in London last week. 

Judges said the 13,000 sqft venue was 'easy to access' with an internal lift ensuring anyone could access any part of the restaurant. 

“Too often people with disabilities don’t go out because they don’t know what to expect when they get there. Places like the German Gymnasium make it easy and elegant," said Blue Badge Style founder, Fiona Jarvis. "They won the Best Loo award for having all the right facilities, but getting away from the clinical style of most disabled toilets. The design of their loo is as stylish as the rest of the restaurant and even has cool music and wallpaper.” 

Eleven awards were given in total to stylish hotels, restaurants and bars which go out of their way to attract disabled guests.

Those awarded included Dakota Hotel in Glasgow (Best Boutique Hotel) and The Beaumont (Best Listed Building) for its combination of art deco style and accessibility. 

There was also an award for Most Ludicrous Loo - awarded to Tom's Kitchen in London. The restaurant was criticised for using its disabled toilet as a store room on the day it was judged. 

"This loo was a real disappointment. It is well-designed, but made totally unusable by being filled with chairs and boxes. It’s such as waste," said Jarvis, who campaigns to help make help the less-able lead an exciting social life through her blog Blue Style. 

A Blue Badge Style Award was also given to Charlie Lyons of Sesame who 'designed elegant access into previously inaccessible buildings'. 

All award-winning venues and those nominated for an award receive an 'As Recommended by Blue Badge Style’ ticks.  

Blue Badge Style Awards 2016 winners: 

  • Best Budget Bar - ​No.1 Duke St., London
  • Best High End Bar - ​Bellanger, London
  • Best Budget Restaurant – ​Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias, Cornwall
  • Best High End Restaurant –​ German Gymnasium, London
  • Best Boutique Hotel – ​Dakota, Glasgow
  • Best High End Hotel – ​South Place Hotel, London 
  • Best Loo – ​German Gymnasium, London
  • Best Listed Building​ – The Beaumont
  • Best European Venue​ - Restaurant Steirereck 
  • Above and Beyond -​ The Bank of England
  • Most Ludicrous Loo – ​Tom’s Kitchen, London

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