La Colombe, Silvermist, Constantia Nek

WHO SAW that coming! With Chef Johannes Richter in charge of the kitchen, The Livingroom at Summerhill Guest Estate outside Durban has been named Restaurant of the Year at South Africa’s 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards. Best in the Cape winelands? La Colombe at Silvermist in Constantia Nek, where Chef James Gaag orchestrates the food offering. Eat Out Chef of the Year: John Norris-Rogers of Pier in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. And winner of the Wine Service Award: Victor Okolo of Salsify at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay, Cape Town.

Many foodies would have tipped Peter Tempelhoff’s FYN Restaurant in the Cape Town CBD to take the overall title, following its inclusion among the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants earlier in the year. And unlike the team who chose four wine farm restaurants among the Top 5 as rated in the 2023 Gourmet Guide, just one of the five establishments honoured with 3 Stars at the Eat Out Awards is located among the vines, so to speak – Scot Kirton’s La Colombe being the only place they were in agreement on when it came to best of the best.

For more about Eat Out’s pick of the top restaurants in the Cape winelands, a slideshow and their contact numbers etc, click here. For the names of Eat Out’s 3-, 2- and 1-Star laureates throughout the country, see below.

3 Star

AMONG THE VINES
La Colombe at Silvermist in Constantia Nek, Cape Town

ELSEWHERE IN SA
The Livingroom at Summerhill Guest Estate in Pinetown, outside Durban
Pier in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Salsify at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay, Cape Town
Wolfgat in Paternoster on the West Coast

2 Star

AMONG THE VINES
Arkeste by Richard Carstens at Chamonix in Franschhoek
Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, Constantia Nek, Cape Town
La Petite Colombe at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek

ELSEWHERE IN SA
Belly of the Beast in Cape Town CBD
Ëlgr in Kloof Street, Cape Town
Foxcroft in Constantia, Cape Town
FYN in Cape Town CBD
The Pot Luck Club in Woodstock, Cape Town
Spek & Bone in Stellenbosch CBD
The Test Kitchen Carbon in Rosebank, Johannesburg
Zioux in Sandton, Johannesburg

1 Star

AMONG THE VINES
Beyond at Buitenverwachting in Constantia, Cape Town
Clara’s Barn at Vergenoegd Löw in Faure, outside Stellenbosch
Indochine at Delaire Graff in Banghoek on Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch
Farro at Gabrielskloof in Bot River
The Melting Pot at Oak Valley in Grabouw-Elgin
Rust en Vrede in the Helderberg, Stellenbosch
The Table at De Meye in Muldersvlei, Stellenbosch
The Werf at Boschendal in Franschhoek

ELSEWHERE IN SA
Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic in Hout Bay, Cape Town
Culinary Table in Lanseria, Johannesburg
Emazulwini in V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Epice at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek
Forti Grill & Bar in Menlyn, Pretoria
Hemelhuijs in Cape Town CBD
Les Creatifs in Bryanston, Johannesburg
Marble in Rosebank, Johannesburg
Modern Tailors in Rosebank, Johannesburg
Ouzeri in Cape Town CBD
Post & Pepper in Stellenbosch CBD
RIVA in Cape Town CBD
Rykaart’s in Stellenbosch CBD
Séjour in Houghton, Johannesburg
The Shortmarket Club in Dunkeld, Johannesburg
The Test Kitchen Fledglings in Cape Town CBD
Ukko in Bryanston, Johannesburg
The Waterside in V&A Waterfront, Cape Town