The first taste of the Cape winter this weekend is likely to be felt by the restaurant industry, which will see hard times in the next two months, if close to zero accommodation bookings in the Cape are anything to go by.  Other than Hermanus FynArts and the Wacky Wine Weekend kicking off next week, ‘Cook Franschhoek‘ running over the Youth Day long weekend, and the Bastille Festival weekend on 13 – 14 July, no significant events are planned to attract visitors to Cape Town and the Winelands.  A number of restaurants are closing for an annual break in the next two months.

This list of restaurant openings and closings isupdated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*   The Crypt Jazz Restaurant has opened below St George’s Cathedral.

*   Frères Bistro has opened next door to Col’Cacchio on Hans Strydom Avenue in the city centre.

*   Orphanage Cocktail Emporium is opening Orphanage Club upstairs, with 1920’s style music by live performers, later this year.

*   Cavalli restaurant is said to open on the stud farm on R44, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, this year or next

*   Shake your Honey is to open in the original Madame Zingara building on Loop Street next year, after renovations commence later this year, according to an iolTravel report.  The ‘vibrant spirit of India’ is to be reflected in the 5-storey building, with a theatre, markets, restaurants, and shops.

*   Chef Nic van Wyk, previously with Terroir, has opened The Diemersdal Farm Eatery in Durbanville.

*   Burger King has opened its first South African branch on Adderley Street in Cape Town. The Tygervalley branch has also opened. Branches at Cavendish and at Grandwest are to open soon.

*  A coffee shop, chocolaterie, bar, and fashion boutique will open in a 3-storey building on Long Street, as yet unnamed.

*   A new restaurant and micro brewery is to open next door to The Bromwell in Woodstock (name not yet known).

*   Le Venue has opened at The House of JC le Roux

*   The Harbour House group is opening a new restaurant at 107 Loop Street.

*   Goloso Pizzeria has opened in Regent Road Sea Point.

*   Cheyne’s has opened in Hout Bay.

*   Chef Reuben Riffel is to open an artisanal beer bar.

*   The Re:Public has opened in Hout Bay.

*   Lounge on Main is to open in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel in Green Point

*   Nuri Sushi Factory has opened on Parliament Street.

*   Sinns on Long Street has opened.

*   Slaley Bistro has opened on Slaley wine estate in Stellenbosch.

*   BBQ has opened within Simon’s at Groot Constantia, only open on Friday and Saturday evenings, with braai and live music.

*   Four & Twenty Café has opened in Wynberg.

*   Woodcutters Arms has opened in Hout Bay.

*   Bukhara has opened in the V&A Waterfront.

*   Haiku has opened in the V&A Waterfront.

*   RJ’s Grill Express Diner has opened in Sea Point.

*   Pomo Doro Pizzeria & Ristorante has opened in Steenberg.

*   Reuben’s Paternoster is opening at Abalone House in October!

*   Tours Brasserie is said to open in the ex-Green Dolphin in the V&A Waterfront.

*   Four & Twenty Café has opened in Wynberg.

*   The Clubhouse has opened in Constantia

*   Platform 1 Eatery has opened at Winters Drift Tasting Station in Elgin.

*   Pure Good opens on 8 July in the Associated Magazines building opposite Parliament, and is owned by Shannon Smuts, the first MasterChef SA Finalist to have been eliminated.

*   Vida e Caffe is opening in Belvedere Square in Claremont.

*   The Creamery Café is opening in Newlands Quarter in Dean Street in August.

Restaurant Closures

*   Eastern Palace has closed down.

*   The Urban Garden has closed down

*   The Reserve nightclub and Brasserie have closed down.

*   St Yves Beach Club in Camps Bay has closed down, to make way for the new Boutique Hotel in The Promenade.

* Café Benedict has closed down in Franschhoek.

*   Sofia’s at Morgenster in Somerset West has closed down.

*   Cotage Fromage at Vrede en Lust has closed down.

*   Caviar is closing down in the V&A Waterfront on 22 July.

*   Umami in Stellenbosch has closed down.

*   Gorgeous Bubbly Bar has closed down at Steenberg.

Restaurant staff/venue changes

* De Oude Bank Bakkerij is expanding, and will open a retail section selling charcuterie, fresh meats, home-made ice cream, and wines, collectively called De Companje.

*      Café Le Chocolatier has closed down in Franschhoek.  The owner Daniel Waldis has taken over Apprentice in Stellenbosch.

* Bukhara is said to be opening in the V&A Waterfront, where Passage to India was

* Jewel of India has opened upstairs in the ex Wale Rose Lifestyle building in Bo-Kaap.

*  Awestruck has opened in the ex-Caveau space on Bree Street.

*   Wild Peacock Emporium has named its restaurant The Larder for dinners.

*  Dane Blignaut has taken over as the Manager of Haute Cabriere Restaurant from Lasse Presting.

*   Flatteur Café has opened where Gesellig was, on the corner of Regent Road and Church Street in Sea Point.

*   Sage Restaurant has moved to Chabivin Champagne and MCC House on the Blaauwklippen Road.

* Massimo’s in Hout Bay has changed its name to Amici di Massimo’s for 10 – 12 months, to be run by Johan, while Massimo undergoes medical treatment in Italy. It will revert back to Massimo’s when they return.

* El Burro is expanding, by taking a section of the downstairs ex-Rhapsody space for a bar, whilst retaining its current location.

*   The Odyssey Gastropub has opened where French Toast & Wine Bar was on Bree Street, now run by Blues’ owners.

*   Wakame is not moving into the Salt Restaurant space at the Ambassador Hotel on 1 July, as originally confirmed by their staff and the hotel.  A sister restaurant from Johannesburg, called Koi Restaurant, will be opening at the Ambassador Hotel.

*   Sensei Deon de Jongh has moved from Okamai at Glenwood to Funiki Japanese Eatery at L’ermitage in Franschhoek.

*   James Penlington is the new owner of The Stall in Franschhoek, managed by Mark Fourie.

*   Wolfgang Leyrer is handing over to Ansgar Flaatten as MD of Allée Bleue in Franschhoek.

*   Luke and Jessie Grant (ex-Nook in Stellenbosch) have taken over The Table at De Meye.

*   Peter Veldsman’s Emily’s, previously in Woodstock and the V&A Waterfront, is opening at 55 Kloof Street.

*   Chef Henrico Grobbelaar has left the Twelve Apostles Hotel, and Christo Pretorius is the new Acting Executive Chef.

*   Jocelyn Myers-Adams is the new Executive Chef of the Table Bay Hotel.

*   Ronel Smidt is the new Manager at Catharina’s at Steenberg.

*   Roberto’s on Long Street has closed down, Chef Roberto de Carvalho having returned to the One&Only Hotel as Executive Chef.

*   The Common Room at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek closes down, to become a bar.

*   The Tecklenburgs have closed down their No 6 Restaurant at Welbedacht, and have re-opened Oude Wellington Restaurant.

*   Concepts in Flavour is taking over the catering at Creation in Hermanus from 13 July.

*   Chef Eric Bulpitt has left The Roundhouse, and is consulting for the next two months before opening his own restaurant outside Cape Town.

*   Chef Stefan Louw has left Heaven restaurant at Newton Johnson in Hermanus.

*   Chef Chris Maree of Blaauwklippen is moving to the Twelve Apostles Hotel as Executive Chef.

*   Koi restaurant is opening where Salt restaurant was in the Ambassador Hotel.

*   Chef Louisa Greeff has moved from Guardian Peak Restaurant to Durbanville Hills Winery Restaurant.

*   Chamonix‘s Franschhoek restaurant is to have a new operator from August.

*   Morgenster is planning a new restaurant with an (very big name) international partner, a Café, a Deli, and accommodation, a project which is still in development phase, but is planned to roll out over the next 13 months.  Sofia’s closed down on the wine and olive estate earlier this year.

*   Eleanor Niehaus and Warwick Taylor have been appointed as in-house chefs at Creation wine estate.

*   Trinity is to change its name to Bennett Street Complex.

Restaurant winter breaks

* Waterkloof is closed on Mondays from April – September.  Closed from 13 May – 11 June.

* The Kitchen at Maison in Franschhoek will be closed from 3 June – 31 July.

* L’ermitage Restaurant, Franschhoek: closed for dinner from 1 April – end winter

* Makaron will be closed on Wednesdays in winter, and for all of June.

* Overture will be closed in June.

* Oasis Bistro at The Mount Nelson will be closed from May – end September.

* Dornier Bodega Restaurant: closed for dinner in winter, but open for lunch and tapas daily.

*   Aubergine is closed for lunch from May – August.

*   The Spice Route restaurant is closed on Tuesdays until end August.

*   Bistro Sixteen82 is closed from 1 – 24 July.

*   The Restaurant at Grande Provence is closed from 15 July – 5 August.

*   Pierneef à La Motte is closed from 17 June – 12 July.

*   The Delaire Graff Estate restaurant closes from 3  – 22 June (Indochine is open however).

*   Indochine at Delaire Graff is closed from 9 – 22 July (but the Delaire Graff Estate restaurant will be open).

*   Dear Me is closing from 17 – 21 June.

*   Buitenverwachting is closed from the beginning of July –  mid August.  However, Coffee Bloc will remain open throughout this period.

*   Aubergine will be closed from 22 June – 16 July.

*   Le Quartier Français is closed from 18 June – 18 July.

*   The Test Kitchen is closed until 2 July.

*   Creation is closed for lunch from 18 – 21 June

*   Allée Bleue Bistro will be closed during July.

*   Charly’s Bakery is closed from 22 June – 15 July.

*   The Class Room in Hermanus is closed from 24 June – 16 July.

*   The Boat House in Scarborough is closed from 24 June – 7 July.

*   Heaven restaurant will be closed for renovations for two months, opening with a new owner in September.

*   Orinoco is closed until 18 July.

*   Rust en Vrede is closed from 7 July – 7 August.

*   Jordan Restaurant is closed from 8 – 18 July.

*   Wijnhuis in Stellenbosch is closed until 5 August.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage