South Africans are still reeling after hearing the speech broadcast by President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday evening in how the government is implementing measures from today onwards in combatting and containing the Corona Virus in our country, with drastic consequences for every one of us, including every business. News of the first event cancellations and temporary restaurant closures is being announced already. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Baxter Theatre
David Kramer’s ‘Kalahari Karoo Blues’ a cultural treasure!
It was an incredible experience to attend the opening night last night of David Kramer’s newest show ‘Kalahari Karoo Blues’, which runs at the Baxter Theatre until 19 January. It follows ‘Karoo Kitaar Blues’, which Kramer staged for the first time ten years ago, and features a number of the artists of the past shows too.
Kramer should receive an award for his contribution to the cultural treasure of our country, in taking to the road and finding our unique musicians, playing unique instruments, and singing as yet unpublished folk music. For the first time Kramer travelled to Botswana, in search of Ronnie Moipolai, of whom he had been sent a YouTube clip, an amazing talent. His first attempt to find him failed, but with a connection he found Ronnie, and travelled back to Kapong village in Botswana to include him in the show.
Against a backdrop designed by Kramer, he paid tribute to the artists he had featured in earlier shows, who had passed away, and acknowledged the contribution to his show of Hannes Coetzee and the Sonskynsusters, who have performed with him before. He warned the audience that he cannot predict how the show will go, and what makes it so charming is that the performers get up to dance while someone is singing or playing an instrument. Mary Kriel was a hoot, dressed in typical Namaqua dress, with a ‘kappie’, and getting up on a number of occasions to dance. Last year Hannes and Kramer travelled to the USA, where he had been invited to demonstrate his ‘Teaspoon Slide Technique’ of playing the guitar, and teach his method. They met Dolly Parton’s band’s slide guitarist, and he was most impressed with Hannes. He also recorded with Grammy Award winning band Carolina Chocolate Drops, whilst in the USA. Hannes is the first person in the world to play 
the guitar with a teaspoon in his mouth. Hannes and Mary danced the typical Karoo Rieldans (the oldest dance form in Southern Africa) on the stage, enjoying the beat of the music.
Ronnie impressed with his guitarmanship, using unusual ‘upside down guitar styling‘ hand 
movements to create cords, including a number of his fingers, his elbow, and even played the guitar behind his back, to great applause. His fellow Kalahari performers were Babsi Baralong playing a guitar with a bow made from a branch, the instrument sounding like a violin, and Ondong Piet, who spoke English well and was dressed in an outfit made from buck skins, playing an instrument called a ‘kakao segaba’, through which he could replicate a conversation via notes, and create music too, focusing on educating listeners about safe sex.
Kalahari Karoo Blues is highly recommended, in representing the cultural treasure of our country’s folk music history.
Kalahari Karoo Blues, Baxter Theatre, 9 – 19 January. R130. www.computicket.com
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Reserve Brasserie: more than a restaurant, fiery and spirited entertainment too!
Earlier this month the Reserve Brasserie opened in the space which has housed Brio, Riboville, and a Standard Bank, in a building going back to the 1830’s. It is now part of the larger Reserve, spanning Adderley Street to St George’s Mall, in a beautifully renovated building. A visit a week later was a most enjoyable evening, with great service, comedy entertainment, and generous food servings.
I was invited to the opening party, at which canapés were served, but they did not really do justice to the type of food served. I could only stay for a short time, having to also attend the opening night of ‘Queen at the Ballet’ at the Baxter Theatre. The PR consultancy CSA invited me to return a week later, to try the menu, and to see the Reserve facilities. I invited Bettie Coetzee-Lambrecht to join me, and we were treated royally from the minute we set foot into the Reserve Brasserie, which has its opening on Adderley Street.
I was a regular visitor to Brio, having loved what the previous owners Skippy and Lauren had done to restore the interior. Louise van Niekerk did the interior of the Brasserie, we were told. The band stand and dance floor have been removed, and the space has been filled with more tables and chairs. The lounge area near the bar has different furniture, and is more Indian-styled. This is where we had a sherry to start with, and we were entertained and informed by the very knowledgeable waiter Francois Marais, who has worked for Riboville, Brio and now the Reserve Brasserie. We were told that the Stander gang conducted their only unsuccessful bank heist in the building, not managing to steal any money. The name for the Riboville restaurant came from the name of a horse on which owner George Sinovich had bet his last R10000, which was an outsider and paid out 100:1, allowing him to invest in the creation of the restaurant! Riboville once was Cape Town’s largest seller of caviar and of champagne, and also was known for having the largest restaurant wine collection of about 15000 bottles.
I was fascinated by the story of the ghost in the building, which Francois has experienced first hand, when he lived in the building’s 3rd floor for a while, and saw a shadow walking past the stained glass door on numerous occasions, but could never find any sign of a human being, knowing that he was
the only person in the building after lock-up time. He showed us the granite block, which looks like a tombstone, engraved with the name of Alfred Tattersall, born in 1910, and who was such a dedicated bookkeeper on the 3rd floor that he died in the office in 1953. The spirit has made itself felt by the lift going up to the 3rd floor, even though it is locked to not proceed beyond the first floor, the lights swaying, and bottles of wine stored in the old bank vaults in the basement having been found open and drunk! It reminded me of the spirit at Kitima, which we wrote about earlier this month.
Other changes to the Reserve Brasserie are the blue lighting around the bar, and a ceiling grid with mock ivy and
flowers, the ‘hanging gardens’ bringing a more ‘outdoor’ and Italian feel to the inside of the restaurant, not having any windows to outside. Red lighting attracts attention to the ceiling, but its colour can change. A large wall canvas of a beautiful lady facing the restaurant is striking, and is backlit by the candelabra. Francois told us that it is the late wife Anja of the owner of the building, her German husband Harald Sieck having put it up in the Reserve Brasserie in her honour.
The staff are passionate about the special space in which they work, and Creative Director Justin Paul Jansen and Francois took us to see 
The Reserve Club, separated from the Brasserie by a full length curtain. The decorator who did the Club is Andy Graff, and she used beautiful paintings from Occulus for the alcoves, created seating corners, as well as a smoking and a non-smoking bar. The Club is pure ‘theatre’. Using lighter fluid, we were shown how they use pyrotechnics to add extra fun and fire to the experience at The Club. Nellie, the mobile elephant, is ready to do service, being wheeled in, with a pretty girl on it, to serve a bottle of ordered champagne.
Justin demonstrated, by jumping onto the smoking bar, how he uses midget Papi to pour drinks from the top of the counter, direct into the mouths of his clients. Events are held for upmarket beverage brands, and the couches allow clients to dance on top of them. Strobe lighting is incorporated in a beautiful chandelier, and various colours light up the floor. VIP clients have included Denzel Washington, Ryan Gosling, various sheiks, and more.
As it is not very light in the building, Francois organised a table lamp, to allow for better quality photographs. Seating for the 94 guests is a mix of red and gilded chairs, as well as black mock-snake wall couches. A serviette with ‘R’ embroidered on it looked smart. Empty champagne bottles serve as candleholders on the tables, a little Italian old-world. The GM and Chef of The Reserve is Seelun Sundoo, who was in charge of La Perla for fifteen years, followed by The Grand in Camps Bay. As an amuse bouche we were served a chicken, lentil, pea, and Indian spice soup in a small bowl, with home-baked honey bread, described as a ‘winter warmer’. The large classy menu offers a large range of items divided into sections Italian style, e.g. Anti-Pasti, Zuppa, Primo, Secondi.
As a starter I ordered the Vitello Tonnato Tartare, which was a deconstructed interpretation 
of the dish, being raw minced veal prepared with olive oil, capers, herbs, tuna, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and gherkins, to which some Indian spices had been added for an ‘exotic feel’. One can also order mussels, scampi, baby calamari, mini lobster buns, salmon cakes, beef carpaccio, and crostini, in a price range of R50 – R95. Pizza is available at the prices of R40 and R65. Soup options are a bisque (R80), or the lentil one we started off with, at R50. Salads cost between R50 (rocket, fennel and parmesan) and R80 (The Reserve Club salad). Pasta Primos are reasonably priced between R65 – R85, and include ravioli and linguini options, as well as lasagne.
The Secondi list offers 14 options, and I chose the pan fried baby salmon trout, with almond, lemon, and capers (R135). 
Francois was sweet enough to fillet it at the table, and to organise Basmati rice. The ‘Reserve’ steak of the day, Cape lobster, and Mozambique Queen Prawns are SQ. Linefish (kingklip on that evening) costs R98, baby kob R110, salmon with curry sauce R130, baby chicken R96, Fillet R115, and veal is available in two options, at R125 and R140. One can order vegetables and fries as extras for R30/R40.
The dessert list offers a fruit plate, a chocolate torte, tiramisu, chocolate eclairs and cake of the day, in two sizes, at R35 and R50. The Torched marshallow meringue 
sounded unusual and interesting, which one dips into the chocolate sauce.
Francois’ witty banter throughout the evening coupled with his excellent service will be remembered for a long time to come, and he wins our vote for ‘Waiter of the Year’, if there were to be such a recognition. It is a pity that he will be leaving for the Marriot in Dubai at the end of September. A night out at The Reserve is highly entertaining, and affordable, with a large food choice. Some of the items and some ingredients specified on the menu were not available on the evening.
POSTSCRIPT 23/9: Reserve Brasserie now offers a Business Lunch from Wednesday – Fridays, 3 courses plus beer or mineral water costing R140.
Reserve Brasserie, The Reserve, 130 Adderley Street, Cape Town. Tel (021) 422-0654, www.the-reserve.co.za (not updated with details of the new chef and menu). Twitter: @ReserveCapeTown. Tuesday – Saturday dinner. Reserve Club Friday and Saturday evenings from 23h30. 25+ year olds, R100 cover charge, but waived if guests have had dinner at the Brasserie. Special midnight menu for the Club on weekends.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Whale Cottage Portfolio celebrates 16th anniversary on Women’s Day!
Whale Cottage Hermanus celebrates its 16th birthday today, being the first of our Whale Cottages to be opened. Our first guests were welcomed on the Women’s Day weekend in 1996.
Initially located on Main Road in Hermanus, in a Victorian Cottage, we moved the guest house into a seafacing property ten years ago, to offer our guests the ultimate opportunity to see the magnificent Southern Right whales from our terrace, the lounge, breakfast room, and three of our bedrooms. Whale Cottage Camps Bay opened in 1998, and Whale Cottage Franschhoek in 2004.
To celebrate the 16th anniversary of the establishment of the Whale Cottage Portfolio, we 
have sponsored accommodation for the ‘Queen at the Ballet’ ‘Freddie Mercury’ singer Cito at Whale Cottage Camps Bay. The show opened last night, and runs at the Baxter Theatre until 18 August.
We are a proudly-women company, and only employ women to look after our guests. I salute my team of Carole, Teresa, Anna, and Hadjira for their contribution to our success. For Women’s Day we salute our lady guests in particular, and all the women who work for the supplier companies we deal with, and thank them for their support. We also admire the work done by our Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille and the Premier of our province Helen Zille, and all women who have broken through corporate glass ceilings, or who have started their own businesses, against tougher odds!
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
Hot new Cape restaurants opening: Burrata, Orphanage, Bruce’s Boat House, and more!
Our list of latest restaurant openings and closures fortunately lists more openings than closures, and will be updated continuously, as we receive information.
Cape Town
* Neil Grant, ex-sommelier of Rust en Vrede, has opened Burrata, a new restaurant in the Old Biscuit Mill. They will introduce a new 3-course food and wine pairing menu at the end of April.
* Luke Dale-Roberts, Eat Out Top Chef, is to open a real test kitchen, called The Kitchen of Dreams, a private experimental place to develop new recipes, at the Old Biscuit Mill in June
* Chef Bruce Robertson (ex-The Showroom) has opened Bruce’s Boat House for lunches, in Scarborough
* La Belle Café & Bakery has opened in the Alphen Boutique Hotel.
* 5 Rooms Restaurant has opened at the Alphen Boutique Hotel
* Sabrina’s, which opened about two months ago where Depasco was, at the corner of Kloof and Long Street, has also closed down
* Chef Craig Paterson has started as Executive Chef at Dash (Queen Victoria Hotel), the V&A Hotel, and Dock House
* Mitico has opened a pizzeria and ’spaghetteria’ on Kloof Street, where St Elmo’s used to be (son of the original Luigi from Hout Bay)
* Don Pedro’s in Woodstock has re-opened, under Madame Zingara management
* Myög has opened as a frozen yoghurt outlet, at 103 Kloof Street
* Thai Café has opened in the old Cape Quarter
* On a Roll has opened in Mowbray as a gourmet hot dog restaurant
* The Dog’s Bollocks has opened as a burger pop-up restaurant
* Jackal & Hide has opened on Kloof Street
* Graham Beck’s Gorgeous bubbly bar has opened at Catharina’s at Steenberg.
* Col’Cacchio is opening new outlets in Claremont and Westlake
* Dale Thebus is the new chef at Salt restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel.
* A new Vida é Caffe is opening on Prestwich Street
* A cupcake shop is said to be opening on Ebenezer Street, next to T & Co/Table 13, in Green Point
* Il Cappero is moving from Barrack Street to Fairway Street in Camps Bay, opening on 2 June.
* Saints on 84 Kloof has opened on Kloof Street
* Sushibox has opened at Newlands Village
* Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro has opened on Main/Glengariff Roads in Sea Point, as a dinner theatre (from May), and Bistro restaurant, owned by Richard Loring and Roland Seidel
* ‘I ♥ my Laundry‘ restaurant has opened on Buitengracht Street
* West Street Café has opened in the new Woodstock Foundry, owned by Chef Alan West
* Orphanage has opened as a cocktail and tapas emporium on Bree Street
* Valora on Loop Street has closed down
* ACT Restaurant and Play Bar at the Baxter Theatre closed down
* Philip Arno Botes is the new Chef at Pure Restaurant at Hout Bay Manor.
* Maz Sushi has closed down on Main Road Sea Point
* Planet Green Salad Bar has opened on Kloof Street
* Vanilla in the Cape Quarter has closed down.
* Madame’s on Napier has opened in De Waterkant
* Moyo is to open where the Paulaner Braühaus was in the V & A Waterfront.
* Sinn has closed down its Deli at Wembley Square
* Table Thirteen is closing down in Green Point and moving to Paarden Eiland at the end of May
* Slug & Lettuce has opened on Kloof Street, where Mason was.
* Pizza Vezuvio has opened in the Tygervalley Waterfront
* Bistrot Milano has opened on Blaauwberg Road, Table View
* Forneria Italia has opened in the Bayside Centre, Table View
* Maharajah is selling food at the Baxter Theatre on a take-away basis prior to shows.
* Hussar Grill is to open at Steenberg
* Chef Fred Faucheux is the new Executive Chef at Nobu.
* Cassis is opening a new Salon de Thé in the Gardens Centre in May
* De Grendel has opened De Grendel Restaurant, with Chef Ian Bergh and owner Jonathan Davies
* Toro Wine and Aperitif Bar has closed down
* Piroschka’s Kitchen has moved from Bree Street to Waterkant Street, De Waterkant.
* Honest Chocolate is opening a second outlet with a ‘production kitchen’ in the Woodstock Industrial Centre next month
* The Fez is reopening as a nightclub on Friday, to be called Sideshow
* MasterChef SA finalist Guy Clark, who was eliminated in episode 9, has started as a chef at the Madame Zingara restaurant group next week.
* Josephine’s Cookhouse is to open in Newlands, where Caveau at Josephine’s Mill used to be, belonging to Societi Bistro owner
* A new Vida e Caffe is to open on Maindean Place in Claremont.
* Vovo Teli has opened in the V&A Waterfront, in half of the original Vaughn Johnson shop. They have branches in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg already. The name is Portuguese, and means ‘grandfather’s place’.
* Orinoco has opened on Bree Street, serving Mexican and Venezualean food
* Rotisserie 360° has changed its name to Café Frank
* Gesellig on Regent Road in Sea Point is standing empty, closed down or undergoing a major renovation
* Sapphire has closed down in Camps Bay
* A new McDonalds is opening in the Sanlam Centre
* Salt Deli has chanegd its name to Salt Café
* Keenwa has opened the P.I.S.C.O Bar above its restaurants, open Thursdays – Saturdays from 5 pm
* Characters has opened on Roeland Street
* TRUTH Coffee has opened on Buitenkant Street
* The V&A Food Court is closed for renovations until November. A sign outside the construction area lists the following businesses moving into or returning to the area: Primi Express, Anat, Carnival, Nür Halaal, Royal Bavarian Bakery, KFC, Boost Juice, Simply Asia, Steers, Debonairs, Subway, Marcel’s, and Haagan Dazs.
Franschhoek
* Leopard’s Leap has opened its Tasting room and Liam Tomlin Food Studio and Store outside Franschhoek, and the new Deli will open at the end of June
* Reuben’s, which was said to be opening a Franschhoek branch in a building off the main road, when his Huguenot Road branch lease expires this year, appears to now be looking for an alternative restaurant venue on the main road, as the building purchase close to Place Vendome appears to have fallen through.
* Donovan Dreyer is the new Restaurant Manager of Indochine at Delaire Graff.
* Cheyne Morrisby is the new chef at the Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz
* Chef Vanie Padayachee has joined Le Quartier Français
* Chef Darren Roberts is leaving Grande Provence for a new appointment in the Seychelles at the end of April. Chef Darren Badenhorst steps into his shoes.
* Alton van Biljon has been appointed as Restaurant Manager at Haute Cabriere.
* Wicked Treat has opened.
* FEAST is to open where Franschhoek Food Emporium was, in Place Vendome
* Deluxe Coffeeworks has opened, where the Reuben’s Deli used to be.
* The bubbly Inge Hoffman has left Leopard’s Leap, and is the new Brand Manager for Boekenhoutskloof
* Ryan’s Kitchen is now offering cooking classes on Friday mornings, starting on 1 June
* Okamai Japanese restaurant has opened at Glenwood wine estate
* Chef Shaun Schoeman of Fyndraai Restaurant at Solms Delta has the amazing honour to be working at Noma in Copenhagen for two weeks in July. He also shared that Fyndraai will move to another building on the wine estate in November, and will offer fine dining. The current restaurant will serve light lunches and picnics.
* Taste South Africa, belonging to Cybercellar, has closed down in The Yard off the main road. They have Tweeted that they are looking for new premises.
Stellenbosch
* Cavalli restaurant is said to open on the stud farm on R44, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, this year or next
* Dorpstraat Deli has opened, where Cupcake used to be.
* De Oude Bank Bakkerij has opened a bar, serving Bartinney wines, and craft beers.
* David Higgs has resigned as Executive Chef from Radisson Blu Gautrain in Johannesburg (previously with Rust en Vrede). He starts at The Saxon in Johannesburg in May.
* Slug & Lettuce is to open where Beads is on Church Street
* Stables at Vergelegen Bistro has opened as a lunch restaurant in Somerset West. Its Lady Phillips Restaurant is being given a make-over by Christo Barnard, and will open in June, with a new name called The Vergelegen Restaurant.
* Warwick wine estate’s new chef is Dane Newton (ex-Chamonix, Cascade Manor).
* Chef Bjorn Dingemans is to open up The Millhouse Kitchen restaurant on Lourensford wine estate in July
* Chris Olivier has opened SimpliciTea Deli in Somerset West
* Chef Jonathan Heath has left Indochine, and will be opening a restaurant at Coopmanshuijs on Dorp Street in June.
* A new Hussar Grill is said to be opening in Stellenbosch
Wellington
* Chef Johan van Schalkwyk has left the Stone Kitchen at Dunstone Winery. He opens his own restaurant Twist Some More in Wellington in July.
Hermanus/Overberg
* Rivendell Estate and Bistro has opened as a restaurant and winetasting venue on the road between Hermanus and the N2, near the Kleinmond turn-off.
* Grilleri (ex-Mediterrea) has closed down, and Chef Shane (ex-La Vierge) is now heading the re-named La Pentola restaurant.
Riebeek Kasteel
* Mama Cucina has opened
Robertson
* Emile Fortuin has been appointed as Executive Chef at Reuben’s Robertson
Garden Route
* Katarina’s has opened at the Kurland Hotel.
Restaurant breaks
* La Colombe is closing for renovations from 17 May – 16 June.
* Constantia Uitsig is taking a winter break from 25 June – 24 July.
* The River Café is closing for a winter break from 13 August – 4 September.
* Tokara closes for a winter break from 22 April, re-opens on 4 May
* Nguni in Plettenberg Bay closes from 1 May – 31 July
* The Foodbarn will be closed for renovations on 7 and 8 May
* Bientang’s Cave in Hermanus is closed for renovations until 21 June.
* The Kove in Camps Bay will be closed from 1 May – 30 August
* The Test Kitchen will be closed from 13 – 28 May
* Burgundy in Hermanus will be closed for dinners until 17 June
* Makaron Restaurant at Majeka House will be closed in June
* Olivello at Marianne Estate will be closed from 30 July – 21 August
* Grande Provence is closing on Sunday evenings until the end of September.
* Pierneef a La Motte will be closed from 18 June – 13 July.
* The main Delaire Graff restaurant closes from 3 -24 June, but Indochine continues to trade.
* Blues will be closed from 1 – 30 June
* Waterkloof in Somerset West is closing for all June.
* The Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz is closed for all of June
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage
Cape Town & Winelands Restaurant closures bad sign for winter to come!
Capetonians are still reeling from the news that the country’s and our city’s largest restaurant, Paulaner Bräuhaus, closed down on Sunday evening, after ten years of operating in the V & A Waterfront. Our blogpost about this closure has received more than 1000 unique views in the past 48 hours, an unheard of high readership demonstrating the interest in this story. Kloof Street appears to be experiencing a particularly bad series of restaurant closures, the street having the most restaurants in Cape Town. Our list of latest restaurant openings and closures will be updated continuously, as we receive information.
Cape Town
* Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room has opened on Bree Street, as an American-style diner, owned by Lyndall Maunder, ex-Superette
* Chez Chez Espresso and Cheesecake Bar has closed down off Kloof Street, Tamboerskloof.
* The Black Pearl (ex-Seven Sins) on Kloof Street has closed down
* Andy Fenner (JamieWho?) and friends have opened Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants in Metal Lane, 8 Kloof Street, opposite McDonald’s. They are stocking Farmer Angus McIntosh’s beef, Richard Bosman’s pork, and eggs and chicken from Simply Wholesome. A barista will make coffee, and Jason will bake special chorizo muffins and bacon brioche for them.
* Neil Grant, ex-sommelier of Rust en Vrede, has opened Burrata, a new restaurant in the Old Biscuit Mill
* Societi Brasserie has opened in Constantia
* Luke Dale-Roberts, Eat Out Top Chef, has opened the Pot Luck Club, a Tapas Bar next to The Test Kitchen (photograph above). He will also open a real Test Kitchen, a private experimental place to develop new recipes
* The Bungalow has opened as a 400-seater restaurant where La Med used to be, part of the Kovensky Group, also owning Pepenero, Paranga, The Kove and Zenzero.
* La Belle Café & Bakery has opened in the Alphen Boutique Hotel.
* 5 Rooms Restaurant has opened at the Alphen Boutique Hotel
* Gypsy Café has opened in Observatory
* Kuzina in the Cape Quarter has been sold, and is now called Rocca.
* Sabrina’s, which opened about two months ago where Depasco was, at the corner of Kloof and Long Street, has closed down
* Arts Café has opened at Artscape.
* Chef Craig Paterson has started as Executive Chef at Dash (Queen Victoria Hotel), the V&A Hotel, and Dock House
* Caveau at the Josephine Mill has closed down
* Café Sofia in Green Point has become Slainte
* Knead has opened a large outlet in Lifestyle on Kloof, Gardens
* Mitico has opened a pizzeria and ’spaghetteria’ on Kloof Street, where St Elmo’s used to be
* Mamma Mia in Steenberg has closed down
* Don Pedro’s in Woodstock has re-opened, under Madame Zingara management
* Madame Zingara is said to be re-opening in its original building on Loop Street
* Tong Lok on Kloof Street has closed down.
* Mason on Kloof Street has closed down (to become a Slug & Lettuce)
* Buzz on Kloof Street has closed down
* Myög has opened as a frozen yoghurt outlet, at 103 Kloof Street
* Thai Café has opened in the old Cape Quarter
* Paulaner Bräuhaus in the V&A Waterfront has closed down!
* The Fez is closing down.
* Giorgio Nava’s Down South Food Bar has closed down
* Fat Back Soul has been renamed South China Dim Sum Bar
* On a Roll has opened in Mowbray as a gourmet hot dog restaurant
* The Dog’s Bollocks has opened as a burger pop-up restaurant
* Saints Burger Joint has opened on Kloof Street
* Cape Bubble Tea, which recently opened in Camps Bay, has closed down
* Dear Me has opened its Pantry
* Chef Jannie Melis has left French Toast
* Jackal & Hide has opened on Kloof Street
* Eat on Breda Street has closed down
* Graham Beck’s Gorgeous bubbly bar has opened at Catharina’s at Steenberg, with Jenna Adams as the Manager.
* Operator Pamela Trevelyan and Chef Lana Doyle have left Sunbird Bistro in Camps Bay.
* Col’Cacchio is opening new outlets in Claremont and Westlake
* Chef Daniel Botha, who started at Salt restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel in November, has left. Dale Thebus is the new head chef.
* Vaudeville has closed down
* Shin Tai Asian Kitchen is opening on Regent Road in Sea Point
* Bistro 1682 Manager Juergen Welp has left, and has been replaced by Marc Cowen. Assistant Manager Jenna Adams has moved over to Catharina’s to run Gorgeous by Graham Beck. New assistant managers are Cable Ermstrom and Hilton Klassen.
* A new Vida é Caffe is opening on Prestwich Street in April, and a cupcake shop is said to be opening around the corner, on Ebenezer Street, next to T & Co/Table 13, in Green Point
* GM Nigel Pace has left the Cape Grace Hotel
* Il Cappero will moving from Barrack Street to Fairway Street in Camps Bay, opening in May.
* Saints on 84 Kloof has opened on Kloof Street
* Sushibox has opened at Newlands Village
* Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro has opened on Main/Glengariff Roads in Sea Point, as a dinner theatre (from May), and restaurant, owned by Richard Loring and Roland Seidel
* ‘I ♥ my Laundry‘ laundry restaurant has opened on Buitengracht Street
* West Street Café has opened in the new Woodstock Foundry, owned by Chef Alan West
* Orphanage has opened as a cocktail and tapas emporium on Bree Street
* Valora on Loop Street has closed down
* ACT Restaurant and Play Bar at the Baxter Theatre closed down overnight on the last March weekend, without paying its rent for the past three months.
* Philip Arno Botes is the new Chef at Pure Restaurant at Hout Bay Manor.
* Take & Bake German Bakery has closed down on Main Road Sea Point
* Maz Sushi has closed down on Main Road Sea Point
* Planet Green Salad Bar has opened on Kloof Street
* Burrata will introduce a new 3-course food and wine pairing menu before the end of April.
* Vanilla in the Cape Quarter has closed down.
* Chef Bruce Robertson has opened Bruce’s Beach House for lunches, in Scarborough
* Cake designer Martin Senekal has closed Cafeteria in De Waterkant, now only selling on order and at the Old Biscuit Mill market
* Madame’s on Napier has opened in De Waterkant
* Moyo is to open where the Paulaner Braühaus was in the V & A Waterfront.
* Sinn has closed down its Deli at Wembley Square
* Table Thirteen is closing down in Green Point and moving to Paarden Eiland at the end of May
Franschhoek
* Leopard’s Leap has opened its Tasting room and Liam Tomlin Food Studio and Store 
outside Franschhoek
* Reuben’s is opening a Franschhoek branch in his self-owned building off the main road, when his Huguenot Road branch lease expires this year
* Dieu Donné in Franschhoek has leased its restaurant to Martin and Marco from Durban, and they have renamed it Roca.
* The sushi restaurant has closed down
* MCC Franschhoek has opened in the Village Square, opposite the church, stocking 34 MCC’s from Franschhoek and serving food as well
* Babel Tea House has opened at Babylonstoren, serving sandwiches, cake and teas.
* Donovan Dreyer from Grande Provence has resigned, and started as Restaurant Manager of Indochine at Delaire Graff. Aldo du Plessis has taken over as Restaurant Manager at Grande Provence.
* The Franschhoek Food Emporium has closed down.
* Bijoux Chocolates has closed down its chocolate manufacture, will continue selling chocolates.
* Chef Bjorn Dingemans has left The Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz, to open up a new restaurant on Lourensford wine estate in spring. Cheyne Morrisby is the new chef at the Franschhoek Kitchen.
* Chef Vanie Padayachee has joined Le Quartier Français
* Chef Darren Roberts is leaving Grande Provence for a new appointment in the Seychelles at the end of April.
* Alton van Biljon has been appointed as Restaurant Manager at Haute Cabriere.
Stellenbosch
* Cavallo restaurant is said to open on the stud farm on R44, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, this year or next
* Cupcake on Dorp Street has closed down, and Dorpstraat Deli will open
* De Oude Bank Bakkerij has opened a bar, serving Bartinney wines, and craft beers.
* Bruce von Pressentin has been appointed as Executive Chef at The Restaurant @ Longridge
* David Higgs has resigned as Executive Chef from Radisson Blu Gautrain in Johannesburg (previously with Rust en Vrede), and was said to be headed for his home country Namibia. He starts at The Saxon in Johannesburg in May.
* Slug & Lettuce will open where Beads is on Church Street
* De Huguenot, with its Harry Q Bar and wedding reception facilities, will be auctioned on 14 March.
* Stables at Vergelegen Bistro has opened as a lunch restaurant in Somerset West. Its Lady Phillips Restaurant is being given a make-over by Christo Barnard, and will open in June, with a new name called The Vergelegen Restaurant.
* Warwick wine estate’s new chef is Dane Newton (ex-Chamonix, Cascade Manor).
* Tokara closes for a winter break from 22 April, re-opens on 4 May
Paarl
* Chef Matthew Gordon has opened Harvest, a new restaurant at Laborie
* The Spice Route Restaurant has opened on the ex-Seidelberg, now belonging to Fairview.
Hermanus/Overberg
* Simone’s Restaurant has opened in Napier
* Tipples Bar and Grill has opened in Hermanus
* Rivendell Estate and Bistro has opened as a restaurant and winetasting venue on the road between Hermanus and the N2, near the Kleinmond turn-off.
* Grilleri has closed down
Garden Route
* Katarina’s has opened at the Kurland Hotel.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.comTwitter:@WhaleCottage