Despite one of  the worst winters ever experienced by the Cape hospitality industry, most restaurants appear to have survived it. A surprise trend is the number of Mediterranean style restaurants opening, with true Spanish and Italian owners and/or staff. This list of restaurant openings and closings is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*   The Harbour House group has opened La Parada Spanish Tapas restaurant on Bree Street, with a subterranean bar/nightclub (above).

*      Café Puerto Cabo has opened on Loop Street, a Spanish eatery and men’s clothing shop.

*    The House of Machines has opened on Shortmarket Street, building motorcycles, offering good Evil Twin coffee, and serving very healthy food.

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

*   Equus restaurant on the Cavalli stud and wine farm on the R44 has opened. Carl Habel left the Mount Nelson Hotel as Restaurant Manager and Sommelier to join the restaurant, but left before it opened. Chef Henrico Grobbelaar from the Twelve Apostles heads up the kitchen.

*   Shake your Honey is to open in the original Madame Zingara building on Loop Street next 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.

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

*   Woodcutters Arms has opened in Hout Bay.

*   Reuben’s Abalone House has opened in Paternoster!

*   The Creamery Café has opened in Newlands Quarter in Dean Street.

*   TriBakery has opened on Bree Street.

*   Vida e Caffe is opening coffee shops at Shell petrol stations, 40 initially and 300 in total.

*   Umi Asian restaurant  opened in December with The Marly hotel in the Camps Bay Promenade, owned by The Kovensky Group.

*   The Black Sheep Restaurant has opened on Kloof Street.

*   Italian Kitchen has opened in the Newlands Quarter.

*   Mumbai Café has opened below Jewel of India on the corner of Wale and Rose Streets.

*   Diesel & Creme, a diner, restaurant, and coffee shop, is opening on the R62 in Barrydale.

*   5 on Lourenford has opened in Somerset West

*   Chef Pieter Vlok has opened Mont Marie Restaurant on the Klein DasBosch wine estate of Shoprite retailer Whitey Basson, on the Blaauwklippen Road in Stellenbosch.

*   Idiom Wines is said to be opening a restaurant in January.

*   The Tap Room has opened at Devils’ Peak Brewery

*   Engruna Eatery is opening in the same block as La Boheme in Sea Point, a ‘sister restaurant to @La Boheme_cpt. Gourmet Pizzas, Burgers, Craft Beer, Milkshakes. Opening soon‘,  its Twitter Bio informs.

*   I ♥ my Laundry has opened another branch on Bree Street.

*   Jordan Wines is launching a Deli and Bakery.

*   Pistachio Bistro has opened in Franschhoek, in the decor shop with the same name.

*   Publik has opened on 81 Church Street, between Bree and Buitengracht Streets, as a wine bar operated by David Cope on weekday evenings, and as a daytime space for Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants.

*   Crème Glaceé Cold Gold  is opening in Huguenot Square in Franschhoek on 1 November.

*   Lucky.Fish & Chips has opened on Bree Street, belonging to Michael Townsend of the Harbour House group.

*   The Roti Indian restaurant has opened on Regent Road.

*   Tümi is opening as a health food café in St John’s Piazza in Sea Point, being part of the Col’Cocchia group.

*   LE ROI has opened in the Camps Bay Promenade, as a cocktail beach bar, with a decor inspired by the art of Tretchikoff.

*   Castella Amere has opened in Melkbosstrand.

*   The Butcher Shop & Grill is opening next to Sotano in Mouille Point.

*   Hallelujah has opened near Power & Glory on Kloofnek Road.

*   Ragafellows has opened on Main Road in Hout Bay.

*   The Dining Room has opened in Woodstock, by Karen Dudley.

*   Lucky Fish has opened in Regent Road in Sea Point.

*   Vida e Caffe has opened in the Garden’s Centre.

*   Knead has opened in the renovated Checkers in Sea Point.

*   The Dogfather has opened in Sea Point.

*   Giancarlo’s Deli has opened in Bree Street

*   The Restaurant at Cape Point Vineyards has opened, with Chef Clayton Bell of the former Constantia Uitsig at the helm.

*   Plant opens as a fully vegan restaurant on Buitengracht Street in February.

*   Overgaauw Restaurant has opened, with owners Russel Wasserfall and Camilla Comins, previously of The Table at De Meye.

Restaurant Closures

*   It’s a House in De Waterkant has closed.

*   Constantia Uitsig is closing down on 30 November.  La Colombe and River Café appear to remain remain open.

*   Deli @ The Square in Paarl has closed down at Frater Square.

*   Leaf Restaurant has closed down, where Showroom and Portofino used to operate.

*   Salt Deli in Bantry Bay has closed down.

*   Club ZAR has closed down at the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel.

*   Piccolo Restaurant has closed down in the Gardens Centre.

*   Awestruck on Bree Street (ex Caveau) has closed down.

*   Simply Wholesome has closed down at the Woodstock Exchange and City Bowl Market.

*   Funiki run by Deon Sensei has closed down at L’ermitage in Franschhoek.

*   New York Bagels in Sea Point is said to be closing down next week.

*   Café Chic in Gardens is closing down on 10 February.

Restaurant staff/venue changes

*  Café Le Chocolatier has closed down inside Apprentice, and has opened on Church Street in Stellenbosch.

*   El Burro has opened Cabrito Bar, in a section of the downstairs ex-Rhapsody space.

*   Wakame sister restaurant from Johannesburg, KOI Restaurant, has opened at the Ambassador Hotel, where Salt was.

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

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

*   Chef Christo Pretorius is the new Executive Chef of the Twelve Apostles Hotel,  and its  restaurant Azure.  Chef Chris Mare of Blaauwklippen has moved to the Twelve Apostles Hotel as Executive Sous Chef.  Chef Stefan Muller has taken over as Executive Chef at Blaauwklippen.

*   Chef Eric Bulpitt has opened The Restaurant at Newton Johnson, with Chef George Jardine of Jordan’s as his business partner.

*   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.

*   Mon Plaisir restaurant has closed down at Chamonix wine estate in Franschhoek. Reuben Riffel is the new operator of Racine.  Chef Nico Pretorius is in the kitchen, previously from Reuben’s at One&Only Cape Town.

*   Joanne and Peter Kunz have bought The Original Deli in Hermanus.  It has been renamed Original Deli & Wine Lab.

*   Mynt Café  has opened where Bar1 used to be in Camps Bay.

*   Chef Lapo Magni has left The Odyssey, and has opened his The Drunken Tuscan stand at the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill.

*   Le Coq has closed in Franschhoek, and Allora has moved into the space.  There will be a hotel at the back of the building.

*   Executive Chef  Scott Shepherd has taken over the kitchen at Le Franschhoek hotel.

*   Chef Neil Norman left Dornier Bodega restaurant, and moved back to Kove and Paranga in Camps Bay, having left there after a very short stint (see note below).  Chef Daniel George Kotzé has taken over as Executive Chef at Bodega.

*   Allée Bleue has leased out its Bistro to Chef Atilla Allmann.

*   Tashas has opened in the V&A Waterfront where Mugg & Bean was.

*   Chef Frederic Faucheux has left Nobu at the One&Only Cape Town.  Chef Jonathan Gargan has taken his position, previously with Bistro 1800 at the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel .

*   Thomas Sinn has sold Sinn’s at Wembley Square, and only has Sinns on Long, a tiny restaurant.   His former restaurant is now called My Sins!

*   Myög Frozen Yoghurt has moved to the Lifestyle Centre on Kloof Street.

*   Voila (in Cape Quarter) has opened in the former Salt Deli space.

*   Madeira Café has opened where Sofia’s was in Camps Bay.

*   The V&A Market on the Wharf is said to be opening seven days a week.

*   LUST is the new name of Cotage Fromage at Vrede en Lust, with Chef and artisanal baker Jean-Pierre Smith having returned.

*   MOYO has just filed for ‘voluntary business rescue proceedings’, Business Day reports.

*   Good Food & Co has opened in Franschhoek, where the Franschhoek Food Emporium used to be.

*   Le Bon Vivant @ Glenwood Bistro has opened where Okamai used to be.

*   Vida e Caffe has taken over the bakery shop space in St John’s Piazza in Sea Point.

*   Fyndraai will be moving into a new restaurant building on Solms-Delta in January, making space for the current restaurant venue to become the tasting room.

*   Haas is moving to Buitenkant Street next year.

*    Casparus in Stellenbosch is changing, dropping its name, with Sgt Pepper moving in and Chef Etienne Bonthuys cooking for them.

*   Mondiall has opened in the former Green Dolphin in the V&A Waterfront, with Chef Oliver Cattermole as Head Chef, and co-owned by Chef Peter Tempelhoff and Patrick Symington.

*   True Italic has opened where Frieda’s used to be.

*   Chef’s Warehouse & Cookery School is moving to 90 Bree Street, in the Cape Heritage hotel building, where Awestruck/Caveau used to be.

*   Adrian Cook, formerly of Bon Amis at Bloemendal wine estate, has been appointed as Executive Chef, and Johann Breedt, previously of Westin Cape Town Executive Club, as Head Chef, both at Shimmy Beach Club.

*   Chef Richie Tewnion has joined Kloof Street House as Executive Chef, having previously been at Woodcutters Arms in Hout Bay.  He has worked for Jamie Oliver in London, at his Fifteen training restaurant.

*   Judi Tewnion has taken over as Head Chef at Zenzero, Chef Neil Norman having left the restaurant again.

*   The Table Bay Hotel is opening Camissa Restaurant in December, replacing the Conservatory Restaurant and Terrace and Palm Court.

*   Bootlegger Coffee Company has opened where Caturra Coffee used to be on Regent Road in Sea Point.

*   The Spur Corporation has bought the six Hussar Grill restaurants, and will expand the restaurant chain.

*   Chef Maryna Frederiksen has left the Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz, and moved to Sacred Ground.

*   Ristorante Posticino has opened a branch in Hout Bay, where Wild Woods used to be.

*   After spending short periods of time at Glenwood and then at L’ermitage in Franschhoek, Chef Deon Sensei moved to the new Umi Japanese restaurant in Camps Bay at the beginning of December.  He has just left, to open his Funiki – Sensei’s Japanese Private Dining Experience.

We welcome all restaurant news – please e-mail us at whalecot@iafrica.com

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