The most coveted 2019 Diners Club Winelist Award, its Icon Award, recognising restaurants that meet all the requirements of a Diamond Award, but also feature an extensive collection of international wines, as well as Reserve and vintage wines, having a sommelier on the floor, and having ‘a deep interest in wine curation’, were awarded to Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient Boutique Hotel in Pretoria, and the Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa in Johannesburg. This is the second year that the Icon Awards have been presented, to both restaurants. 

Last week we posted the 2019 Western Cape Diners Club Winelist Awards winners list. Since then the winelist awards have been presented to restaurants around the country. A total of 47 restaurants received Diamond Awards for their winelists. 

Despite a 10% increase in entries received, only 205 restaurants around the country entered for the 2019 Diners Club Winelist Awards. The Awards have been presented for over twenty years. 

JP Rossouw, chairman of the Winelist Awards judging panel, said about the Diners Club Winelist Awards: ‘It’s clear that dining establishments are giving their wine lists ever-more attention, and a trend that I’d really like to applaud is the growing number of wine stewards and sommeliers that curate and present the lists. It’s also encouraging to note the number of establishments offering a wider choice of wines by the glass.’

The Diners Club Winelist Awards judging panel consisted of Rossouw, as well as Chef Pete Goffe-Wood, Spencer Fondaumiere, Karin Visser, and James Mukosi.

The complete list of restaurants receiving Diners Club Winelist Awards follows below:

 

GAUTENG

Icon Award Winners (National Awards)

Restaurant Mosaic, The Orient Boutique Hotel, Pretoria

Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa, Sandhurst

Diamond Award Winners

Budmarsh Country Lodge, Magaliesberg

Carnivore, Muldersdrift

Dolci Café, Craighall

DW 11-13, Dunkeld West

Epicure Restaurant, Sandton

Forti Grill & Bar, Pretoria

Geet Indian Restaurant, Pretoria

Heat Grill Room, Pretoria

Kievits Kroon Country Estate, Pretoria

Luca’s, Sunninghill

Misty Hills, Muldersdrift

Priva Lounge, Pretoria

The Blue Train

Verdicchio, Montecasino, Fourways

Villa Bianca, Kempton Park

Platinum Award Winners

Afrique Boutique Hotel, Boksburg

Amuse Bouche, Fairlawns Boutique Hotel, Sandton

Bellagio, Illovo

Café 41 Eastwood, Hatfield, Pretoria

Café 41 Groenkloof, Pretoria

Café 41 Menlo Park, Pretoria

Casabella Mall of Africa, Midrand

Casabella Montecasino, Fourways

Casabella Woodlands, Pretoria

Chaplin’s Grill, Mellville

Il Gusto Ristorante, Boksburg

Thava Norwood

The Forum Company

The Godfather Restaurant, Pretoria

The Hussar Grill Montecasino, Fourways

The Hussar Grill Morningside, Rivonia

The Hussar Grill The Grove, Pretoria East

The Hussar Grill Waterfall Corner, Midrand

The Residence Hotel, Houghton

Tony’s Spaghetti & Grill, Randburg

Turn ‘n Tender Bassonia, Midrand

Turn ‘n Tender Bedfordview

Turn ‘n Tender Boksburg

Turn ‘n Tender Bryanston

Turn ‘n Tender Cresta, Randburg

Turn ‘n Tender Dainfern, Midrand

Turn ‘n Tender Illovo

Turn ‘n Tender Jean Avenue, Centurion

Turn ‘n Tender Kolonnade, Pretoria

Turn ‘n Tender Loftus Park, Pretoria

Turn ‘n Tender Menlyn Maine, Pretoria

Turn ‘n Tender,Midstream, Centurion

Turn ‘n Tender Parktown North

Turn ‘n Tender Ruimsig, Roodepoort

Turn ‘n Tender Vaal

Turn ‘n Tender Vereeniging

Turn’ n Tender Waterfall, Midrand

Gold Award Winners

011 Gin Bar, Johannesburg

Bowl’d Restaurant, Sandton

Bryanston Country Club

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Atholl

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Brooklyn – Pretoria

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Bryanston

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Centurion

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Dainfern, Midrand

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Eastgate

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Emperors Palace, Kempton Park

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Gold Reef City

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Hyde Park

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Lynnwood, Pretoria

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Mall of the South, Alberton

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Montecasino, Fourways

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Northcliff

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Northgate, Randburg

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Parkview, Pretoria

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Silverstar Casino, Muldersdrift

Doppio Zero, Johannesburg

Erawan Thai Restaurant, Bryanston

Life Grand Café Aspen Hills

Life Grand Café Hazelwood, Pretoria

Life Grand Café Mall of Africa, Midrand

Life Grand Café Woodmead, Sandton

Kraal Restaurant, Glenvista

Le Wine Chambre, Illovo

Saigon Restaurant, Rivonia

Thava Montecasino – Fourways

The Baron Bedfordview

The Baron Fourways

The Baron Kyalami

The Baron Sandown

The Baron Woodmead, Sandton

 

FREE STATE

Platinum Award Winner

De Oude Kraal Country Estate & Spa, Bloemfontein

 

KWAZULU–NATAL

Diamond Awards

9th Avenue Waterside, Durban Harbour

Big Easy Durban by Ernie Els

The Chef’s Table, Umhlanga Rocks

Hartford House Hotel, Mooi River

Surf Riders Café, South Beach Durban

The Oyster Box, Umhlanga Rocks

Platinum Awards

Café 1999, Durban

Casabella Pearl Walk, Umhlanga Rocks

Fordoun Hotel & Spa, Nottingham Road, Midlands

The Hussar Grill Gateway, Umhlanga Ridge

The Hussar Grill Kloof

Three Tree Hill, Bergville

Turn n Tender – Ballito

Umthunzi Hotel & Conference, Umtentweni, Port Shepstone

 

LIMPOPO

Platinum Award Winner

Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa, Welgevonden Game Reserve, Waterberg District

 

MPUMALANGA

Diamond Award Winner

Zest Restaurant, Nelspruit/Mbombela

Platinum Award Winners

Rissington Inn, Hazyview

Turn ‘n Tender,, Nelspruit/Mbombela

 

NORTHERN CAPE

Platinum Award Winner

Kimberley Anne Small Luxury Hotel, Kimberley

 

NORTH WEST PROVINCE

Diamond Award Winner

Kedar Heritage Lodge, Rustenburg

Platinum Award Winner

Casabella Sun City

 

SOUTHERN/ EASTERN CAPE WINNERS

Diamond Award Winners

Umngazi River Bungalows, Wild Coast

Platinum Award Winners

Pumba Private Game Reserve – Bush Lodge, Highlands, Makana Municipality

Pumba Private Game Reserve – Water Lodge, Highlands, Makana Municipality

Chatter’s Bistro, Knysna

De Viswijf Restaurant, Jeffrey’s Bay

Dune Ridge Country House, St Francis Bay

Hacklewood Hill Country House, Port Elizabeth

Hopefield Country House, Sundays River Valley Addo

Hunter Hotel Group, Plettenberg Bay

Laird’s Lodge Country Estate, Jeffrey’s Bay

The Fat Fish Restaurant, George

The Fat Fish Restaurant Plettenberg Bay

The Hussar Grill Walmer, Port Elizabeth

The Hussar Grill George

The Sands @ St Francis Bay

The Verandah Beach Hotel, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth

Gold Award Winner

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Boardwalk, Port Elizabeth

 

WESTERN CAPE WINNERS

Diamond Award Winners

Azure, The 12 Apostles Hotel, Oudekraal, Camps Bay

Bientang’s Cave Restaurant & Wine Bar, Hermanus

Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, Clanwilliam

Casabella at The Sanctuary, Somerset West

Cavalli, Stellenbosch

Delaire Graff Restaurant, Stellenbosch

Ellerman House, Bantry Bay

Grootbos Lodge, Gansbaai

Indochine Restaurant at Delaire Graff, Stellenbosch

Karibu Restaurant, V&A Waterfront

Karoo Art Hotel, Barrydale

La Colombe, Constantia

La Residence Hotel, Franschhoek

Noop, Paarl

The Hussar Grill Camps Bay

The Hussar Grill Worcester

Platinum Award Winners

Casabella GrandWest, Goodwood

Cattle Baron De Waterkant, Cape Town

French Connection Bistro, Franschhoek

Gallery Café, Prince Albert, Klein Karoo

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Gansbaai

Stellenbosch Golf Club (National Award)

Swartberg Country Manor, Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo

The Conservatory, The Cellars-Hohenort, Constantia

The Forum Embassy Hill, Constantia

The Hussar Grill Durbanville

The Hussar Grill Franschhoek

The Hussar Grill Grand West

The Hussar Grill Mouille Point

The Hussar Grill Paarl

The Hussar Grill Rondebosch

The Hussar Grill Somerset West

The Hussar Grill Steenberg

The Hussar Grill Stellenbosch

The Hussar Grill Willowbridge

The Marine Hotel, Hermanus

Turn ‘n Tender Somerset West

Viande Grande Roche, Paarl

Gold Award Winners

Bistro @ La Vierge, Hermanus

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Cape Town

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Cavendish, Claremont

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Paarl

Den Anker, V&A Waterfront

Life Grand Café, Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront

The Shelley Point Hotel & Spa, St Helena Bay

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein