A spate of new restaurant openings is coinciding with the start of the Summer season. Restaurateur Michael Townsend of the Harbour House Group continues unabated in opening new restaurants, achieving a total of 18 or more by December! We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously.

Restaurant Openings

• Chef Julia Hattingh has left Holden Manz, opening her own restaurant Reverie Social Table in Observatory.  (photograph)
• Michael Townsend of the Harbour House Group is planning to open two new restaurants on the Muizenberg beachfront: a 160-seater Live Bait, and Howlin’ Wolf, a burger and beer quick service restaurant
• Blacksmith’s Kitchen has opened in Paarl.
• Inside and You’re Out Burgers has opened in the Cape Town city centre.
• Max Bagels has opened on Bree Street.
• Chef Cheyne Morrisby has opened Lucky Boa and Asian Shake Bar in Hout Bay.
• Chef PJ Vadas has opened The Hog House on The Werf craft Bakery and Café at Spier.
• Chef Luke Dale-Roberts is to open Naturalis, an ‘incubation hub’ and venue for occasional dinners and events.
• Chef Luke Dale-Roberts is opening a pop-up Test Kitchen at The Saxon Boutique Hotel in January 2016.
• El Burro Taqueria has opened on the corner of New Union and Kloofnek Road in Tamboerskloof.
• Del Mar Mexican restaurant has opened in Camps Bay, with former El Bulli Chef Leopoldo Moreno
• Melissa’s is opening in Franschhoek.
• Charango Grill & Bar Peruvian restaurant has opened on Bree Street.
• Café Royale has opened in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel
• Lebanese restaurant Ranoush is to open in the V&A Waterfront
•  95@Morgenster 100-seater restaurant by Chef Giorgio Nava has opened in Somerset West
• David Higgs is leaving five hundred at The Saxon, to open his own 250-seater restaurant in Rosebank in Johannesburg in March, with an as yet undisclosed name. His  business partner in the venture is Gary Kyriakou. Chef Candice Philip will take over from David at five hundred in November.
• A new Kauai concept store has opened on Kloof Street.
• Sundoo Indian tapas bar is to open in Sea Point, by Seelan Sundoo.
• Tiger’s Milk is to open in the SanClare Building in Claremont, and in Century City.
• Easy Tiger (fast food casual burger outlet) is opening on Bree Street (former Lucky Fish) mid-October, in Kalk Bay in mid-November, in Sea Point (former Lucky Fish) in mid-November, and in Muizenberg in mid-December, all owned by Michael Townsend.
• La Belle has opened next to Pepenero in Mouille Point.
•  Mon Desir is opening in Hermanus.
• Betty Blue Bistro has opened in Hermanus.
• Junior has opened on Kloofnek Road, opposite Hallelujah
• Tre Eatery Bakery Bar has opened in Somerset West
• Springfontein Barn has opened outside Stanford, serving German bar food.
• Bread & Butter Co has opened in Paarl
• Benguela on Main has opened in Somerset West
• The Warthog has opened in Rondebosch
• Ton Khoon Thai restaurant has opened in Bellville
• Stella Café has opened in The Cullinan Hotel.
• Lekker has opened in Kalk Bay
• Jarryd’s has opened in Sea Point
• Gautao’s has opened in Tyger Valley
• Field Office has opened in Mowbray
• The Cookie Yard has opened in Observatory
• Celeste’s Deli has opened in Sea Point
• Brick Lane Eatery has opened in Century City
• Beauvine Grill & Wine Cellar has opened in Constantia
• My Sugar has opened in Sea Point.
• Bouchon Bistro is opening in Dorrance Cellar in November.
• The Orangerie and Champagne Bar is to open at Le Lude in Franschhoek in November, with new Chef Westley Muller.
• La Parmigana has opened in Salt River.
• Chef Bertus Basson is considering opening a new informal open-fire restaurant on Hidden Valley, alongside Overture.
• Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants has opened at Palmyra Junction.
• Platform 1 Eatery has opened at Elgin Station.
• Boston American diner has opened on Buitengracht Street
• Yours Truly has opened new branches on Hout Street and on Loop Street.
• Raya Kitchen by Kitima is to open in the city centre.
• The Kove Collection is to open Dalliance Restaurant & Bar in the V&A Waterfront
• Pulled and Roasted pilot store is opening at Speaker’s Corner on Church Square in November
• Velvet Cake Co has opened on Loop Street
• Floreal Brasserie has opened at Marianne Wine Estate
• The Tap Room and restaurant is opening at Darling Breweries in December.
• Restaurant Closures

• The Grill Room in Franschhoek has closed down on the main road, to make way for new developments. It is said to be re-opening in the former Allora building as Chateaubriand (now changed to The Local Grill).
• The Stall in Franschhoek has closed down.
• The new The Stack of Nigel Pace and Sarah Ord burnt down one week after opening in the former Leinster Hall.
• Il Cappero in Camps Bay has closed down.
• KOI restaurant has closed down in The Ambassador.
• Royal Bavarian Bakery has closed down in Portside FNB Building on Bree Street.
•  I Love my Laundry Bree Street has closed down due to the sale of the building..
• GourmetBoerie has closed down.
• Celtic Cove in the Cape Quarter has closed down.
• Bootleggers on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay has closed down.
• 65 on Main Banting Café is closing down on 30 October.
• Rafiki’s Bar is closing down at the end of summer.
• Andiamo in the Cape Quarter has closed down.

Restaurant changes

• La Parada and Harbour House are opening in the former Constantia Nek restaurant building.
• The Lucky Fish on Long Street has been transformed into Tiger’s Milk.
• Jerry’s Burgers has opened where Mano A Mano operated in Park Road.
• The Creamery is expanding the size of its Newlands outlet and is opening in Mouille Point.
• Nineteen Sixty One Grill has opened where Salzburger Grill operated on St John’s Road in Sea Point.
• Rustica has opened at Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, where The Banting Kitchen operated.
• The Leeu Collection has taken over the ownership of Le Quartier Français and its The Tasting Room.
• The Salmon Bar is closing temporarily, until it can find new premises in Franschhoek.
• Belsol Portuguese restaurant has closed down in Camps Bay.  Next-door restaurant Ocean Blue has moved into the Belsol space.  The Butcher steak house has moved into the Ocean Blue space.
• The Deckhouse Crabshack has opened on Kloof Street, where Jackal & Hyde used to be.
• Theo’s in Mouille Point has sold, and will be taken over by Hussar Grill Green Point
• Rumours persist that Jamie’s Italian will open in Cape Town!
• The Kitchen has opened inside The Company’s Garden Restaurant.
• Chef Suzi Holtzhausen has sold Gaaitjie in Paternoster to Chef Jaco Kruger.
• Giulio’s Café has opened where My Basaar was located.
• Twaalf has opened on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch
• The General Store has opened on Bree Street
• Food We Love has opened in Woodstock
• Breakaway Café has opened where Keenwä used to be
• Hands On Street Food by Nic van Wyk of Bistro 13 has opened as a pop-up at De Warenmarkt
• Reuben’s Franschhoek is said to move when its lease expires.
• The Pool Room has re-opened at Oak Valley Wines, with Chef Gordon Manuel.
• Chef Jenny Morris is opening Yumcious for Breakfast and Lunch, where Celtic Cove used to be in the Cape Quarter.
• Bar Bar Black Sheep re-opens in December with new owners John and Susanna Tecklenburg.

Chef and Restaurant staff changes

• Chef Adrian Boll has left Wild Peacock. He has been replaced by a team of four chefs.
• Lee-Ann du Plessis has been appointed as Head Chef of Dornier Bodega Restaurant.
• Adele Grewar has been appointed as Head Chef at Overture.
• Chef Bird Gernot has taken over at The Kitchen at Holden Manz.
• Tinashe Nyamudoka has been appointed as Beverage Manager and Sommelier at The Test Kitchen.
• Joakim Blackadder has moved from Rust en Vrede to Hog House Brewing Co in Ndabeni as Sommelier, while Isabella Immenkamp has moved from Jardine at Jordan to Hog House on the Werf at Spier as Front of House.
• Chef Patrick Moreau, previous co-owner of Cassis, is opening Patachou Patisserie in Johannesburg.
• Chef Liam Tomlin has been appointed as a restaurant consultant to the Singita Group.
• Chef Kyle Hickman has been appointed as Head Pâtissier at the One&Only Cape Town.
• Grande Provence Restaurant Manager and Sommelier Khuselo Mputa is moving to The Westcliff
• Chef Maritz Jacobs of Reuben’s Franschhoek is moving to The Restaurant at The Werf at Boschendal.
• Boschendal Deli Manager Alandi Greeff has left to join Welgevonden.
• Chef Tanja Kruger is leaving Makaron, and the restaurant industry.
• Chef Germaine Esau is leaving Makaron to join Hillcrest Berry Farm.
• Chef David is leaving Makaron.
• Emmarentia and Joey are the new owners of Good Food & Co Deli/Restaurant in Franschhoek.
• Chef Craig Patterson is joining The President hotel.

Restaurant News

• Open Door at Contantia Uitsig now serves Breakfast.reident Hotel
•  Imibala restaurant in Somerset West serves dinner on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings from 2 September onwards.
• Tokara Delicatessen now serves Dinner on Saturday evenings.

We welcome all restaurant news: whalecot@iafrica.com

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Tel (021) 433-2100 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here