Here are the 2023 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards winners

by Kim Mathee

The 2023 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards was culminated in an exciting awards event at the GrandWest Grand Arena in Cape Town on Sunday. With over 800 guests in attendance, the ceremony celebrated the culinary excellence of South Africa.

Using the star-rated system, the top restaurants were honoured with 3, 2 or 1 stars through a judging process led by chief judge Abigail Donnelly.

In a special highlight, congratulations to Siba Mtongana of SIBA – The Restaurant at V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for receiving the Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award.

The judges said, “Through her restaurant, our winner tonight not only showcases a unique culinary identity, but her success goes beyond the kitchen, actively promoting inclusivity and diversity in the industry, and inspiring a new generation of chefs.”

Siba extended a heartfelt note saying, “What made this award more significant and special was it being presented by two of some of South Africa’s most powerful women, Zyda Rylands, CEO of Woolworths Food and Aileen Lamb, CEO of New Media Publishing.”

 

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The prestigious La Colombe in Constantia was awarded the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year, as they received the highest score of any restaurant in the country.

The judges said, “La Colombe is an institution on South Africa’s fine-dining scene. It has been a consistent award winner, both locally and internationally, offering a menu that is executed with impeccable precision and attention to detail.”

La Colombe executive chef James Gaag said, “I am so proud of my entire team. We worked incredibly hard for this and all the effort and time they put into it is rewarded. I might be receiving this award on behalf of the restaurant, but it goes to all of them.”

 

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Here are the winners:

1-Star Restaurants 

• Acid Food & Wine Bar (Randburg, Johannesburg)

• Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)

• Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)

• CHORUS (Somerset West)

• Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)

• Eike (Stellenbosch)

• FABER at Avondale (Paarl)

• Farro (Botrivier)

• Fermier (Pretoria)

• Le coin Français (Franschhoek)

• Les Créatifs Restaurant (Bryanston, Johannesburg)

• Madre Stanford (Stanford)

• Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)

• Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)

• Protégé (Franschhoek)

• Proud Mary (Rosebank, Johannesburg)

• Rykaart’s (Stellenbosch)

• Séjour (Houghton Estate, Johannesburg)

• The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)

• The Melting Pot (Elgin)

• The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)

• The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock Cape Town)

• The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Zioux (Sandton, Johannesburg)

2-Star Restaurants 

• Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)

• ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Epice (Franschhoek)

• Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)

• Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)

• Nevermind (Cape St Francis)

• PIER (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• Restaurant Klein JAN (Tswalu)

• Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)

• Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)

• Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)

• The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)

• The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)

• The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)

• The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg (Randburg, Johannesburg)

• Wolfgat (Paternoster)

3-Star Restaurants 

• ARKESTE by Richard Carstens (Franschhoek)

• Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)

• Dusk (Stellenbosch)

• FYN (City Bowl, Cape Town

• La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)

• La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)

• Salsify at The Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)

These are the winners of the Special Awards

  • The Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year award and the Eat Out Birkenstock Chefs’ Chef of the Year Award – Ryan Cole of Salsify at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay.
  • The Eat Out Valpré Rising Star Award – Anwar Abdullatief of The Happy Uncles in Salt River.
  • Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award -The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate in Pinetown, eThekwini.
  • Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Service Excellence Award – Meraki by Charlie Lakin in Hillcrest, eThekwini.
  • Eat Out Woolworths Wine Service Award – Bafana Zondo, Dusk in Stellenbosch.
  • Eat Out Lexus Style Award – Restaurant Klein JAN in Tswalu.
  • Eat Out Retail Capital Best New Restaurant Award – Boma on Bree in Cape Town.
  • Eat Out Highland Park Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award –Germain Lehodey
  • Eat Out Cacao Barry Dessert Award – Motheba Makhetha, The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira in Stellenbosch.
  • Eat Out Patrón Mixology Award- La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek.
  • Eat Out Lexus Best Destination Award – Wolfgat in Paternoster.

 

Also see: Gracia Machel dines at Siba The Restaurant