Based in beautiful, sunny Tampa, Florida, Bern’s Steakhouse opened back in 1956 and has been growing ever since. Eating up the adjoining shops, Bern’s went from one to eight dining rooms and 40 to 350 guest seats. The world famous Harry Waugh Dessert Room was built in 1985 using redwood wine casks to create 48 private nooks where diners enjoy delicious desserts and delectable wines to this day. Bern’s founder, Bern Laxer, travelled the world researching and tasting wines he could bring back for his guests to enjoy. Over his many travelling adventures, the cellar grew to be one of the most valued and largest collections in the world. Even today, the cellar contains more than 6,800 different selections with more than half a million bottles. The 2018 judges noted that Bern’s Steakhouse achieves a standard that no one else can possibly meet, claiming that it “just has everything”, and describing it as “poetry for anyone with a sweet tooth” when it comes to dessert and fortified wines. The Wine Director of Bern’s, Eric Renaud, Shares Bern Laxer’s philosophy “that everyone should have the opportunity to drink great wine; his expertise is in knowing that though expensive wine should be great, great wine doesn’t need to be expensive and he excels in choosing the greatest wine at the best price.”