The rate of new and planned restaurant openings seems slower than at the beginning of previous summer seasons.   Restaurateur Michael Townsend of the Harbour House Group continues unabated in opening new restaurants. Exciting news for Franschhoek is the ownership change today of Le Quartier Français by the Leeu Collection!  Today’s date of 1 September appears a number of times below!  We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously.

Restaurant Openings

*     Vicky Cristina’s tapas bar y restaurante espanol has opened in Camps Bay (photograph).

*   De Warenmarkt has opened in Stellenbosch, a mix of market, deli, bar, and pop-up restaurant 

*   Open Door has opened at Constantia Uitsig, the third restaurant to be opened by Neil Grant and his business partner Barry Engelbrecht (of Burrata and Bocca), previously the River Café.

*   Michael Townsend of the Harbour House Group is planning to open two new restaurants on the Muizenberg beachfront: a 160-seater Live Bait, and Howlin’ Wolf, a burger and beer quick service restaurant.

*   Baked in the Wood is to open on Bree Street, offering craft beer and tapas, owned by Zahir Mohamed of Baked Bistro.

*   Blacksmith’s Kitchen has opened in Paarl.

*   Inside and You’re Out Burgers has opened in the Cape Town city centre.

*   Max Bagels has opened on Bree Street.

*   Chef Cheyne Morrisby is to open Lucky Boa and Asian Shake Bar in Hout Bay.

*   Chef PJ Vadas is to open The Hog House on The Werf craft Bakery and Café at Spier in October.

*   Chef Luke Dale-Roberts is to open Naturalis, an ‘incubation hub’ and venue for occasional dinners and events.

*   Hudsons has opened a burger restaurant in Stellenbosch.

*   El Burro Taqueria has opened on the corner of New Union and Kloofnek Road in Tamboerskloof.

*   Del Mar Mexican restaurant has opened in Camps Bay, with former El Bulli Chef Leopoldo Moreno

*   Melissa’s is opening in Franschhoek.

*   Charango Grill & Bar Peruvian restaurant has opened on Bree Street.

*   Café Royale has opened in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel

*   Reverie Social Table opens in Observatory in October.

*   Chateaubriand is opening in Franschhoek in September.

*   Lebanese restaurant Ranoush is to open in the V&A Waterfront

*   95@Morgenster 100-seater restaurant by Chef Giorgio Nava has opened in Somerset West

*   David Higgs is leaving five hundred at The Saxon to open his own 250-seater restaurant in Rosebank in Johannesburg in January, with an as yet undisclosed name. His  business partner in the venture is architect Gary Kyriakou. Candice Philip will take over from David at five hundred in November.

*   A new Kauai concept store has opened on Kloof Street.

*   Sundoo Indian tapas bar is to open in Sea Point.

*   Tiger’s Milk is to open in the SanClare Building in Claremont.

*   La Belle is to open next to Pepenero in Mouille Point.

*   Easy Tiger (fast food casual burger outlet) is opening on Bree Street (former Lucky Fish) mid-October, in Kalk Bay in mid-November, in Sea Point (former Lucky Fish) in mid-November, and in Muizenberg in mid-December, all owned by Michael Townsend.

*Mon Desir is opening in Hermanus.

*Betty Blue has opened in Hermanus.

Restaurant Closures

*   Peter’s House opposite Power & Glory has closed down.

*   Thornton Wines Gastro Bar has closed down.

*   The Grill Room in Franschhoek has closed down on the main road, to make way for new developments. It is said to be re-opening in the former Allora building.

*   The Banting Kitchen at Cape Royale Luxury Hotel has closed down.

*   The Stall in Franschhoek has closed down.

*   The new The Stack of Nigel Pace and Sarah Ord burnt down one week after opening in the former Leinster Hall.

*   Mejaune Interior, Lifestyle, and Eatery has closed down in Somerset West.

*   Il Cappero in Camps Bay has closed down.

*   KOI restaurant has closed down in The Ambassador.

*   Royal Bavarian Bakery has closed down in Portside FNB Building on Bree Street.

*   I Love my Laundry Bree Street has closed down.

*   GourmetBoerie has closed down.

*   Celtic Cove in the Cape Quarter has closed down.

*   Bootleggers on Victoria Road Bantry Bay has closed down.

Restaurant changes.

*   La Parada and Harbour House are opening in the former Constantia Nek restaurant building.

*   Villa Mia has opened in the Cape Quarter.

*    The Lucky Fish on Long Street has been transformed into Tiger’s Milk.

*   Jerry’s Burgers has opened where Mano A Mano operated in Park Road.

*   The Creamery is expanding the size of its Newlands outlet and is opening in Mouille Point.

*   Nineteen Sixty One Grill has opened where Salzburger Grill operated on St John’s Road in Sea Point.

*   Rustica has opened at Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, where The Banting Kitchen operated.

*   The Leeu Collection takes over the ownership of Le Quartier Français and its The Tasting Room on 1 September.

*   The Salmon Bar is looking for new premises in Franschhoek.

*   Belsol Portuguese restaurant has closed down in Camps Bay.  Next-door restaurant Ocean Blue is moving into the Belsol space.  The Butcher steak house has moved into the Ocean Blue space.

*   The Deckhouse Crabshack has opened on Kloof Street, where Jackal & Hyde used to be.

*   Theo’s in Mouille Point has sold, and has been taken over by Hussar Grill Green Point

*   Rumours persist that Jamie’s Italian will open in Cape Town!

*   The Kitchen has opened inside The Company’s Garden Restaurant.

*   Chef Suzi Holtzhausen has sold Gaaitjie in Paternoster to Chef Jaco Kruger.

* Giulio’s Café has opened where My Bazaar was located.

Chef and Restaurant staff changes

*   Chef Constantijn Hahndiek from OSA Restaurant at Fairmont Zimbali has moved to Hartford House.

*   Allée Bleue Bistro has appointed Beau du Toit as chef.

*   Chef Chris Papayannes has joined Chalk & Cork.

*   Chef Adrian Boll is the new Chef at Wild Peacock.

*   Pastry Chef Christine de Villiers from Le Quartier Français has moved to Open Door.

*   Lee-Ann du Plessis has been appointed as Head Chef of Dornier Bodega Restaurant.

*   Adele Grewar has been appointed as Head Chef at Overture.

*   Vicky Gurovich has been appointed as Senior Sous Chef (Pastry) at Pierneef à La Motte. She previously worked at the Belmond Mount Nelson.

*   Chef Kevin Grobler has joined Jan Restaurant in Nice, from Delaire Graff Restaurant.

*   Chef Julia Hattingh has left Holden Manz, opening her own restaurant in Cape Town. Bird Gernot has taken over her position.

*   Tinashe Nyamudoka has been appointed as Beverage Manager and Sommelier at The Test Kitchen.

*   Joakim Blackadder is moving from Rust en Vrede to Hog House on the Werf at Spier as Sommelier, while Isabella Immenkamp will move across from Jardine at Jordan as Front of House, both on 1 September.

*   Chef Patrick Moreau, previous co-owner of Cassis, is opening Patachou Patisserie in Johannesburg.

*   Chef Liam Tomlin has been appointed as a restaurant consultant to the Singita Group.

*   Chef Kyle Hickman has been appointed as Head Pâtissier at the One&Only Cape Town.

*Grande Provence Restaurant Manager and Sommelier Khuselo Mputa is moving to The Westcliff

*   Pastry Chef Amoré Botha has joined Hartford House, from The Twelve Apostles Hotel

*Maritz Jacobs of Reuben’s Franschhoek is moving to The Restaurant at The Werf at Boschendal.

Restaurant News

*   Open Door at Contantia Uitsig now serves Breakfast.

*   Imibala restaurant in Somerset West serves dinner on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings from 2 September onwards.

We welcome all restaurant news: whalecot@iafrica.com

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Tel (021) 433-2100 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here