The Eat Out Restaurant Awards were held for the first time in three years today, an eagerly awaited event, given the impact of the Lockdown on the restaurant industry, and the change in the restaurant awards system, restaurants no longer ranked, but rated with 1, 2 or 3 stars.

It was a surprise to read a year ago that Eat Out would reintroduce its Awards this year, and that Abigail Donnelly was heading up the judging for the awards again, after an absence of a number of years.

Eat Out announces its Awards will return in November 2022! Sadly few Top 10 restaurants still operating!

A total of 42 restaurants received 1, 2 or 3 stars this evening. The number of Johannesburg restaurants receiving awards has grown, to 10 restaurants. Pinetown, Paternoster, Pretoria, Grabouw, and Botriver have only one restaurant each on the 2022 Awards list. Cape Town leads the Award-winning list with 15 restaurants. Stellenbosch has 7 restaurants on the list, while Franschhoek has 4 restaurants on the list.

A number of chefs and restaurant owners will be furious that they have not received 3 stars for their restaurants. Foremost amongst them will be Chef Peter Tempelhoff, whose FYN Restautant achieved a ranking of 37th on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List, but only achieved 2 stars at the 2022 Eat Out Awards! Chef Liam Tomlin will be equally annoyed that his Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia has not made 3 stars. Likewise Chef Luke Dale Roberts has not managed to bring any of his restaurants to the 3 star level, having dominated the restaurant scene with his The Test Kitchen for many years, locally and internationally. La Colombe too will be disappointed that it has not been named Restaurant of the Year. Chef Bertus Basson will be furious to not have Eike receive any award for his restaurant, which was on the Top 10 Eat Out List in 2019. Chef Darren Badenhorst too will be disappointed that his Le Coin Français did not receive any stars.

Of the seven 2019 Top 10 restaurants, only three received 3 stars this evening.

The 2022  3 star restaurants are the following:

•  The Livingroom at Summerhill Guest Estate, Pinetown
• La Colombe, Constantia, Cape Town
• Pier Restaurant, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
• Salsify at The Roundhouse, Camps Bay, Cape Town
• Wolfgat, Paternoster

 

The 2022 2 star restaurants are:

• Pot Luck Club, Woodstock, Cape Town
• La Petite Colombe, Franschhoek
• Spek & Bone, Stellenbosch
• FYN, Cape Town
• Foxcroft, Constantia, Cape Town
• ëlgr, Cape Town
• Arkeste by Richard Carstens, Franschhoek
• Belly of the Beast, Cape Town
• Chefs Warehouse, Beau Constantia, Cape Town
• The Test Kitchen Carbon, Johannesburg
• Zioux, Johannesburg

 

The 2022 1 star restaurants are:

•  Séjour, Johannesburg
• The Table at De Meye, Stellenbosch
• The Melting Pot, Grabouw
• The Shortmarket Club, Johannesburg
• The Test Kitchen Fledglings, Woodstock, Cape Town
• Rykaart’s, Stellenbosch
• Marble, Johannesburg
• Indochine, Delaire Graff, Stellenbosch
• Farro, Gabriëlskloof, Botriver
• Forti Grill & Bar, Johannesburg
• Hemelhuijs, Cape Town
• Epice, Franschhoek
• Emazulwini, Maker’s Landing, Cape Town
• Beyond, Buitenverwachting, Constantia, Cape Town
• Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo
• Clara’s Barn, Stellenbosch
• Culinary Table, Pretoria
• Les Créatifs, Johannesburg
• Ouzeri, Cape Town
• Modern Tailors, Johannesburg
• The Werf Restaurant, Boschendal, Franschhoek
• Ukko, Johannesburg
• Post & Pepper, Stellenbosch
• Riva Fish Restaurant, De Waterkant, Cape Town
• Rust & Vrede Restaurant, Stellenbosch
• Marble, Johannesburg

A number of Special Awards were presented:

• Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year: The Living Room at Summerhill Guest Estate
• Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year: John Norris-Rogers, Le Petite Colombe
• Eat Out Naked Malt Rising Star Award : Mmabatho Molefe, Emazulwini Restaurant
• Eat Out Retail Capital Best New Restaurant of the Year: Dusk
• Eat Out Valpré Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award : Rudi Liebenberg, Mount Nelson Hotel
• Eat Out Woolworths Icon Award: La Madeleine, Pretoria
• Eat Out Woolworths Lockdown Innovation Award: Liam Tomlin
• Eat Out VISI Style Award : Zioux
• Eat Out Stella Artois Best Destination Restaurant Award: Nevermind, Cape St Francis
• Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Service Excellence Award: Forti Grill & Bar
• Eat Out WCellar Wine Service Award: Victor Okolo, Salsify at The Roundhouse
• Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award : Faber at Avondale, Paarl

For the first time in many years I had no interest in attending the Eat Out Awards. The new star-based awards system broadened the awards base, with 42 restaurants, too many, and has taken the excitement away, compared to the Top 10 ranked system used for all Eat Out Awards since its inception!

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide, Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide