Share

SA's top ten restaurants

In recent years, there has been a food revolution in South Africa. Today, the country boasts dozens of restaurants, offering world-class cuisine, and diners can enjoy dishes prepared by phenomenal culinary talent. The team from Eat Out recently took on the difficult task of deciding which of the country’s restaurants deserve a spot on the Top 10 list.

1. The Test Kitchen

Woodstock, Cape Town

Tel: 021 447 2337

Taking the title of Restaurant of the Year for the fourth year running, Luke Dale-Roberts’s edgy fine dining restaurant continues to display utter brilliance.

“Creativity, talent, innovation and oh, the food! This is what places The Test Kitchen at the forefront of South African dining,” said judge Abigail Donnelly, editor of Eat Out magazine.

Top-notch servers patrol the buzzing space in Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill, and tables book up many months in advance.

The contemporary menu is an eclectic blend of east and west. Think – if your imagination can manage it – shiitake in squid-ink chawanmushi with chestnuts, or a springbok rose of liver, chestnuts, beetroot and cocoa nibs.

2. La Colombe

Constantia, Cape Town

Tel: 021 795 0125

Chef Scot Kirton took home the title of S.Pellegrino Chef of the Year at this year’s awards – and the restaurant leapt from being a nominee in 2013, to the number two spot this year.

At the new venue on the Silvermist Estate in Constantia, the restaurant is perched on the side of the mountain like a modern, elegant lodge.

Scot is taking the opportunity to experiment and add a playful touch to his pretty plates.

Lift the lid of a tuna tin to find a Lilliputian seared tuna tataki, or sample the hen’s egg with poached salmon, asparagus velouté, peas and black forest ham.

Pastry chef Glen Williams is full of imagination – and the dessert of ginger curd, cashew cake with mango sorbet, black sesame brittle and buttermilk is not to be missed.

3. The Tasting Room

Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek

Tel: 021 876 2151

Margot Janse celebrates 20 years at the restaurant in 2015, and dining here is an experience to savour.

Set aside three hours for the eight-course menu, which is constantly evolving but always pays homage to our country.

Dishes like “A day at the beach” – a fish dish with seaweed, eugenia, buchu and Natal wild plums – uses local ingredients to set the scene for a proudly local story.

The restaurant also took home this year’s Service Excellence Award (for the second year running) thanks to its superbly trained storytellers that serve the diners.

4. Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort

Constantia, Cape Town

Tel: 021 795 6226

The menu at this Constantia restaurant is full of drama and detail, and each artfully dabbed dot on the menu is packed with flavour.

Standout dishes include a masterful cheese course displaying Dalewood’s Huguenot as a soufflé, in its pure form; in a panna cotta; and as a creamy, magnificent ice cream.

The restaurant has recently been refurbished and took home the 2015 Boschendal Style Award for its stylish charcoal walls, bare timber tables and comfortable leather chairs.

5. Five Hundred

Sandton, Johannesburg

Tel: 011 292 6000

Undoubtedly the brightest star on the Johannesburg skyline, the Saxon Hotel’s flagship restaurant delighted the judges with inspired technique and seasonal produce-driven creations from the hotel’s rooftop garden.

Executive chef David Higgs has announced his departure at the end of 2015, and will be succeeded by head chef Candice Philip.

Highlights include kabeljou pickle with a chorus of sultanas, broad beans, raw pea juice and toasted nori and the kudu loin with sherried gooseberries. Sommelier Lloyd Jusa took home the 2015 Wine Service Award.

6. The Restaurant at Waterkloof

Somerset West, Western Cape

021 858 1491

This wine estate restaurant makes the Top 10 list for the first time this year – and chef Gregory Czarnecki is cooking his socks off, creating fare as light and ethereal as his glasshouse lair in the Helderberg mountains.

Dishes might include a farmed Mulloway kabeljou with pistachio, broccoli and endive, or Joostenberg Vlakte duck with orange confit and a sultana fritter.

“Gregory’s cooking has never been this good. The flavours are incredible and his attention to colour and styling are just phenomenal,” said Donnelly.

7. Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient

Elandsfontein, Pretoria

Tel: 012 371 2902

Presided over by the supremely talented Chantel Dartnall, this restaurant turns out dramatic, emotion-led dishes, offset by precise attention to detail.

The salmon ceviche might be topped with caviar, gold leaf, lemon oil and buttermilk; and a purple glass plate in the shape of a shell holds a luscious plump oyster on a bed of seaweed, in Champagne foam with caviar and a hand-crafted ‘pearl’.

A charming and magical menu in this sumptuous space make for a supremely memorable journey.

8. Terroir

Stellenbosch

Tel: 021 880 8167

Chef Michael Broughton serves unpretentious but uncompromisingly delicious cuisine.

A starter of prawn risotto with sauce Americaine is so good, it may spoil you for the rest of the meal.

The parmesan risotto, topped with succulent sautéed prawns is a marvel of balanced flavour and textures.

The menu may appear simple, but brace yourself for the depth and technique. A relaxed, country-atmosphere makes this the perfect venue for a winelands lunch.

9. The Pot Luck Club

Woodstock, Cape Town

Tel: 021 447 0804

The Test Kitchen’s younger sibling makes the Top 10 list for the first time this year.

At the top of the Old Biscuit Mill’s silo building, with wraparound views of the Mother City, head chef Wesley Randles, under the guidance of Luke Dale-Roberts, turns street food into fine dining, in a thrilling array of tapas dishes.

Don’t miss the springbok carpaccio with pine nuts or the smoked beef fillet with truffled café au lait sauce.

A generous wine menu is complemented by outstanding cocktails like a ‘Thai green curry’ and the perennially popular pineapple-vanilla Cosmo.

10. Jordan Restaurant

Stellenbosch

Tel: 021 881 3441

Chef George Jardine and his head chef Kyle Burn are turning out food bursting with flavour – high on technique and low on flash-in-the-pan trends.

Moreish smoked Kroon duck breast with sautéed duck liver and cauliflower jus, or a honey and poppy-seed soufflé will comfort even the most seasoned diner.

The tranquil views over the lake and distant mountains make this a stellar spot for a warm, spectacular lunch. 

This article appeared in the 3 December 2015 edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.87
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.86
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.37
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders