Delaire Graff |

Last week I wrote that Eat Out has announced that it is changing to a Top 30 Restaurant shortlist for its 2017 Awards. As is customary. I have tried to predict which top South African restaurants will make the Top 30 Restaurant shortlist, which should be announced by Eat Out shortly! I have struggled to find more than twenty worthy restaurants to make the Top 30 list! (more…)

Tags: Arno Janse van Rensburg, Benguela on Main, Boschendal Werf Restaurant, Camphors at Vergelegen, Cavalli Estate, chef's warehouse beau Constantia, chef's warehouse Bree street, Chris von Ulmenstein, Darren Badenhorst, De Grendel, Delaire Graff, DW Eleven-13, Eat Out, faber at Avondale, fabio Daniel, Foliage, Foxcroft, Grande Provence, Greenhouse, guy Bennett, Hartford House, Indochine, jan, Janse & Co, Jason kosmas, John Shuttleworth, Jordan restaurant, Karoux, La Colombe, la petite colombe, Le coin Français, Le Quartier Francais, Le Tête, Luke Dale Roberts x The Saxon, Marble, Michael Deg, Mosaic, Mulberry & Prince, Nice, Overture, Pierneef a la Motte, Restaurant at Waterkloof, restaurant hardline, Reubens, Rust en verde, terroir, Thali, The Kitchen at Maison, The Pot Luck Club, The Stack, The Test Kitchen, thecshortmarket club, Tintswalo, Tokara, Top 30 restaurants, villa 47 Locanda, warwick king, WhaleTales blog, Wolfgat

After seven years at Grande Provence, Chef Darren Badenhorst is set to leave the wine estate to open his new restaurant Le coin Français By Darren Badenhorst on the Franschhoek main road. Stepping into his shoes from today is new Executive Chef Guy Bennett. (more…)

Tags: Bertus Basson, Buitenverwachting, Cavalli Estate, Chris von Ulmenstein, Darren Badenhorst, Delaire Graff, Equus, Franschhoek, GC Communications, Grande Provence, guy Bennett, Le coin Français, Michael Deg, One & Only Cape Town, Reubens, revolving restaurant, Ritz, Robertson Small Hotel, Savoy Cabbage, WhaleTales blog

The explosion of restaurant openings in Cape Town and the Winelands in September is flowing into October too. Last month saw the opening of Tiger’s Milk Kloof Street, Marrow, Davy Croquettes, The Yard, Schoon de Companje in its new premises, Pierino Penati at Villa 47, and Firefish, amongst others.

We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously, and welcome such news.

Restaurant Openings

# Tiger’s Milk has opened its restaurant and Bar Splendido on Kloof Street and Rheede Street in Cape Town (photograph) (more…)

Tags: 5th Avenue Restaurant & Tapas Bar, Alice mfundsi, Andre Steyn, Angelo Scirocco, Annemarie robertson, Aromatish, Baked Bistro, Bertus Basson, big dog, Bilboa, Bistro13, Bistrot Bizerca, Blues, Bon Appetit, Bootlegger, Bootlegger Cafe & Grill, Borage BIstro, bosjes Kombuis, Boston burgers, Brad Ball, Cabana, Cafe des Arts, Camps Bay, Cape Town, Carbon Taco Bar, Cavalli, Cheyne's, Chinchilla, Chris Papayannes, Chris von Ulmenstein, coco safar, Col'Cacchio, Conrad Van den Heever, Craig Versfeld, Crazy Horse, Darren Badenhorst, Davy croquettes, Delaire Graff, DJ Rene Tanguy, Duncan Doherty, Dylan van Blerk, Easy Tiger, eats11, El Burro, firefish, flora's eatery, franschhoek beer Co, Fusion Cafe, Ginja, Glenelly, Grande Provence, grant mouton, Green Point, Grill under the milkwood, guy Bennett, Guy Clark, hail pizza, Harbour House, Harbour House group, Harbour Rock, Hard Rock Cafe, Healey's cheesery and deli, Hokey Poké, Hungry herbivore, Hussar Grill, Ital Emporio, Jakobus Lochner, Jamie's Italian, Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, Jason kosmas, Jason's Bakery, jochen Heathcote, Juergen Welp, Kapatee, Karoux, Kieran whyte, Kloof Street, Kove Collection, La Parada, La Paris, la petite colombe, La petite manoir, La Sosta, Laurent Deslandes, Le coin Français, Leeu Collection, little Saint, Long table restaurant, Louis Page, Lynwood bridge, Mangata, Marc's Table, Marco van Rooyen, Margot Janse, Maria, Marrow, Martin Senekal, McGregor, Melissa's, Mezepoli, Mi Casa, Michael Deg, Moreson, Nice, Nico Vorster, Nonna Lina, Now Now, nowNow, One&Only Cape Town, origins at the marine, Oscar Kotze, Osteria Tarantino, oumeul bakery, Palma, Panama Jack, Paradiso, parks restaurant, Pearl Oliver, Pierino Penati, Plant, Protea Hotel, Ragafellows, Raya kitchen, Restaurant openings, Richard's Supper Stage, Ritz Hotel, Roast & Co, Schoon De Companje, Sea Point, seabreeze, Searle's, SETA, Sheldon Raju, Showroom, Sidwell Yarrow, Silo District, simon Rudd, siseko Gubangxa, Slug and Lettuce, solo restaurant, Sorrows Bar & Eatery, SunSquare, swirl, Terbedore, Terra Madre, The Bromwell, The Sunnyside Grill, The Tasting Room, The Yard, Tiger's Milk, Tracy-Leigh Genricks, Tre steampunk, Unframed, Vigor & Verve, Villa 47, Vine Bistro, vista marina, warwick king, WhaleTales blog, Winelands, Woolworths, Zenzero

For a number of years I have attended the Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, sponsored by Standard Bank, but had to decline the awards earlier this week, held at Delaire Graff, due to travel. I received the media release, announcing the Top 10 Chenin Blanc wines. (more…)

Tags: Cathy van Zyl, Cederberg, Chenin Blanc Association, Chris von Ulmenstein, Delaire Graff, DeMorgenzon, Fleur du Cap, James Pietersen, Ken Forrester, Nederburg, Spice Route, Spier, Standard Bank, StellenRust, WhaleTales blog, Willie DJ Plessis, Windmeul

Pastry Chef André Steyn joined La Colombe just over a week ago, having worked at Delaire Graff for over three years. He attracted my attention with his creative desserts as well as forest Amuse Bouche presented in a glass bowl whilst he worked at Delaire. The Chef once had a dream to become an architect, and it is our restaurant industry’s luck that his life path led him to cheffing. (more…)

Tags: Andre Steyn, Antonio Bachour, Aubergine, Bachour bakery & bistro, Capsicum College, Cassis, CCMA, Chris von Ulmenstein, Christiaan Campbell, Delaire Graff, Eric Bulpitt, Ernst & Young, Facebook, Garden Route, Harald Bresselschmidt, James Gaag, John nOrris Rogers, La Colombe, la petite colombe, Michael Deg, Mugg & Bean, One&Only Hotel, Platinum, Table Bay Hotel, The Test Kitchen, Watson, WhaleTales blog, What's On

Yesterday I attended the Chenin Blanc Showcase, a tasting of a selection of 50 Chenin Blanc wines, at the Cape Grace Hotel. Chenin Blanc is a cultivar growing in popularity, and we tasted the different styles of Chenin Blanc. (more…)

Tags: Adam Mason, Adoro, Avondale, Beaumont, Bellingham, Bergsig, Bester, Boland, Bosman, Botanica, Botha, Breeland, Cathy van Zyl, Cederberg, Chenin Blanc Association, Chenin Blanc Showcase, Chris von Ulmenstein, Christina Harvett, Dae, Darling Cellars, Delaire Graff, DeMorgenzon, Diemersfontein, Doran, Fable Mountain, Filia, Ginny Norvall, huis van chevellarie, Ina Smith, Jacaranda, Jeff Grier, Jordan, Josh Crowe, Kaapzicht, Ken Forrester, Kleine Zalze, KWV, L'Avenir, Lammershoek, Land of Hope, Leopard's Leap, Lutzville, Malika van Reenen, MAN, Marvelous, Mont Blois, Mulderbosch, Opstal, Overhex, painted wolves, Perdeberg, Peter Tempelhoff, Raats, Remhoogte, Rijk's, Rudera, Sebastian Beaumont, Simonsig, Stellenbosch Vineyards, StellenRust, The Fledge & Co, Tierhoek, Uniwines Daschbosch, Villiera, Vinum, Vrede en Lust, WhaleTales blog, Wildekrans, Wine Enthusiast, Yardstick, yellow blend

Even if the Cambridge English dictionary definition of a ‘Café‘ as an inexpensive (‘a restaurant where simple and usually quite cheap meals are served‘) eatery is accepted, The Granary Café still does not deserve its ‘Café‘ name, as nothing about the contemporary classic dishes served in the sophisticated dining area is ‘simple‘. It is a showcase of Executive Chef Veronica Canha-Hibbert’s playful interpretation of her favorite classic dishes.

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Tags: Ardmore Ceramics, Auguste Escoffier, Belmond Mount Nelson, Birkenhead House, cheslyn Cornelissen, Chris von Ulmenstein, Colleen Kosoy, Delaire Graff, Delos, Devin Jones, Diana Ferreira, Dom Perignon, Dylan van Blerk, Ellerman House, Ivor Jones, Jan de Wet, Klein Constantia, Kleinood, La Residence, Le Lude, Le Mesnil, Liam Tomlin, Liz Biden, Llewellyn Lambert, Luis Pinheiro, Mervyn Gers, Morena, Royal Malewane, Savoy hotel, Silverthorn, Tamboerskloof, The Granary Café, The Royal Portfolio, The Silo Hotel, The Silo Rooftop, TRUTH Coffee, V & A Waterfront, Veronica Canha-Hibbert, WhaleTales blog

I have rarely written about personal matters on my Blog. I am also long past formulating New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of a year. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine that the universe would present me with a year of years in 2016, to top any I have ever experienced! (more…)

Tags: 2016, 2017, 96 Winery Road, Atera, Barbara Lenhard, Bellingham 1693, Benguela on Main, betty Blue bistro, Blaauwklippen, Bocca, Bouchon Bistro, Burrata, Camerata Tinta Barocca, Camps Bay, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Catharina's, chefs, Chefs who Share, chewton glen, Chris von Ulmenstein, Clayton Bell, coco safar, Constantia Nek, Constantijn Hahndiek, Daniel, David Higgs, Delaire Graff, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, DJ Rene Tanguy, Duncan Bruce, Eat Out Top 20, Eleven Madison Park, Erik Dippenaar, Estela, Exclusive Books Hyde Park, Facebook friend, Flora, Florian Gast, Four & Twenty Cafe, Foxcroft, Giulio's Cafe, Graham Goble, Grand Beach & Cafe, Grant Bacon, Harbour House, Hartford House, Ian Manley, Jacqui Jones, jan, Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, Jean Delport, Jenny Morris, Karoux, La Colombe, La Parada, La Parada Del mar, La Sosta, Le Bernardin, Le Lude, Leeu Estates, London, Luciano Previtera, Marble, Mari-Louis Guy, Matt Manning, McGregor, Melbourne, Melissa's Mantra Cafe, Michele Mirotto, Michelin, Mondiall, Mulberry & Prince, new forest, New Year, New York, Nobu, noby, one ingredient, One&Only Cape Town, Orangerie, Peter Douglas, Reubens, Roger Jones, romance scammers, Ryan's Kitchen, scamwarners, Seth Shezi, Social kitchen and bar, source, Steenberg, Temenos, The 41, The Clove Club, the harrow at little bedwyn, The Ledbury, The Shortmarket Club, The Stack, tinder, Urbanologi, Villa 47, VISI magazine, WhaleTales blog, Whats App, World's 50 Best Restaurants, Yumcious

nick-lander-why-restaurants-should-be-paying-greater-attention-to-their-menus_strict_xxl A new book by Nick Lander, husband of highly regarded wine judge and writer Jancis Robinson, has written a new book entitled ‘On the Menu‘. Lander has been a restaurateur at L’Escargot in London in the ‘Eighties, and has written ‘The Art of the Restaurateur’ previously. He is now a restaurant reviewer. (more…)

Tags: Big Hospitality, Chris von Ulmenstein, Delaire Graff, Heston Blumenthal, Indochine, Jancis Robinson, menus, Nicholas lander, Noma, Rene Redzepi, restaurants, The Fat Duck, The Shortmarket Club, WhaleTales blog

Tomorrow the Eat Out Awards will be held, the culinary highlight of the year. For the second year running the event will be held as a lunch at GrandWest, but tomorrow the Awards event will be held in the show auditorium. The event has been sold out for the past month, the first time ever, a reflection of the keen interest in the 2016 Eat Out Awards. (more…)