Is it true that an Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant nod is a licence to print money? It certainly seems so, especially the nearer the restaurant is to the top of the list, and if the length of time to get a booking is a measure!

Calling today, we checked the prices of the Tasting Menus (three of the Top 10 Restaurants do not offer Tasting Menus), calculated the average cost per course, and checked the first available table dates.

five hundred is our country’s most expensive restaurant in terms of price per course, while Mosaic at The Orient is the most expensive restaurant in terms of absolute price of its 10-course Tasting Menu.  Table availability is as early as tomorrow, and as far into the future as May.

We have listed the 2015 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants, in order from 1 to 10, with their Tasting Menu prices:

The Test Kitchen:

Lunch Discovery:  R 525 for 7 courses/R825 with wine pairing (first availability 16 March) R75 per course

Dinner Gourmand:  R 975 for 9 courses/R1375 with wine pairing (first availability 17 May) R108 per course

La Colombe

Spring Lunch Special : R295 for 4 courses (until end November)  R74 per course

Gourmand Lunch Menu: R 595 for 8 courses/R895 with wines (first availability 14 January) R74 per course

Gourmand Dinner Menu: R 790 for 8 courses/R1190 paired with wines/ R1600 paired with Fine & Rare wines (first availability 31 January) R99 per course

The Tasting Room

African-inspired Surprise Tasting Menu: R850 for 8 courses/R1335 with wine pairings (first availability 24 December) R106 per course

Greenhouse

Spring: R590 for 5 courses/R870 paired with wines R118 per course

African Origin: R 860 for 7 courses/R1250 paired with wines (first availability 24 November) R123 per course

The Virtues of Dom Pérignon: R1800 for 7 courses each paired with Dom Pérignon

five hundred

R900 for 4 courses/R1500 paired with wine R225 per course

R1125 for 6 courses/R1800 paired with wine (first availability 30 December) R187 per course

The Restaurant at Waterkloof

Degustation Menu Lunch and Dinner: R700 for 6 courses/R900 paired with wines (first availability 24 November for lunch, 25 November for Dinner) R117 per course

Mosaic at The Orient

Market Menu: R735 for 5 courses/R1110 paired with wines R147 per course

Grandé Degustation Menu: R1200 for 10 courses/R1665 paired with international wines (first availability 16 December) R120 per course

Terroir

No Tasting Menu, but can be arranged. (first availability 24 November for Lunch, 25 November for Dinner)

The Pot Luck Club

No Tasting Menu (first availability 11 January for Lunch, 18 January for Dinner)

Jordan Restaurant

No Tasting Menu (first availability 27 November for Lunch, 12 December for Dinner)

Anyone wishing to eat at one of the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants clearly needs to book immediately!

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here