September has seen the opening of new restaurants Restaurant at Villa 47, La Parada and Harbour House at Constantia Nek, Wolfgat, Tiger’s Milk Claremont, Tea in the Park, Open Wine Pair Shop and more, with a number of October openings imminent.

We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously, and welcome information.

Restaurant Openings

#    Villa 47 has opened on Bree Street, with Locanda restaurant on the ground floor.  Stuzzico Italian finger-food and bar has opened on the second floor. Cool contemporary The Restaurant at Villa 47 on the third floor has opened, with an Asian touch (photograph).

#   Burger & Lobster has opened on Bree Street.

#   The Stack has re-opened as a restaurant and members’ club, after stunning renovations due to fire damage last year.

#  Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ Shortmarket Club, with Chef Wesley Randles, former Pot Luck Club Chef, has opened

#    Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of one Michelin star JAN restaurant in Nice could open a restaurant in Cape Town!  Chef Jan-Hendrik’s first step is to host occasional dinners at his Higgovale home.

#   Chef Luke Dale-Roberts opened Naturalis as an ‘incubation hub’, for lunches, and a venue for occasional dinners and events. (NOTE: Naturalis is currently closed for lunches, and will re-open as a Wine Bar in the evenings when it has received its liquor licence).

#   Melissa’s has opened in Franschhoek, and is to open in Camps Bay.

#   Charango Grill & Bar Peruvian restaurant is to become a franchise operation.

#   Chef David Higgs’ 250-seater Marble restaurant in Rosebank in Johannesburg, with business partner Gary Kyriakou, has finally opened! Chef Werner Spöhr has joined them, as has Wikus Human, the Wine & Associate Manager.

#   Tiger’s Milk has opened in the SanClare Building in Claremont, in Century City, and is opening in Stellenbosch, in Bryanston in Johannesburg in September, and in Dubai.

#   Mon Desir has opened in Hermanus.

#   Harbour House is to open in Johannesburg

#   Hard Rock Café is said to open in the V&A Waterfront.

#   Marigold Indian restaurant is to open in Franschhoek in December.

#   ASH restaurant has opened inside Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants/Publik, with Chef Ash Heeger and the former chef of Culture Club Cheese.

#   Restaurant Jardine has opened in Stellenbosch, the kitchen headed up by Chef Brendan Thorncroft, owner Chef George Jardine alternating between the new restaurant and Jordan Restaurant.

#   Jason’s Bakery has opened a new branch Bardough’s on Loop Street

#   Jamie’s Italian is to open in Cape Town next year.

#   Dunkin’ Donuts will open 250 outlets in our country, the first four in Cape Town.

#   [spasie] Upstairs has opened on Bree Street, as an art gallery and cocktail bar.

#   An interesting rumour is that Chefs Liam Tomlin and Ivor Jones are to jointly open a restaurant at The Silo hotel development in the V&A Waterfront. The Silo hotel is due to open in March 2017, and will have the Rooftop Restaurant, Rooftop Champagne Bar, and The Silo Café as its offering. Chef Liam is consulting to The Silo.

#   Baked Bistro has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point.

#   La Colombe Executive Chef Scot Kirton and Pastry Chef Glen Williams have opened an additional more informal restaurant Foxcroft, at High Constantia.

#   Shego Turkish restaurant has opened in Cape Royale Luxury Hotel in Green Point.

#   Idiom Wines has opened its new Restaurant and Wine tasting room.

#   Papa San, previously of Takumi, has opened his own restaurant Obi in conjunction with Ben Bettendorf, on Long Street.

#   The Catch Fish & Chips has opened in Hout Bay.

#   Cheyne’s is opening a cocktail sake bar, to be called Fire Monkey.

#   Chef Ivor Jones has teamed up with Chef Liam Tomlin, to open a second Chef’s Warehouse at Beau Constantia wine estate.

#   Easy Tiger has opened in Kenilworth.

#   Chef Cheyne Morrisby is opening a Ramen and Japanese Grill House called SHIO in Green Point.

#   I Love Coffee, the first deaf-run coffee shop in SA, has opened inside the X-Body Fitness Gym in Claremont

#   The Salt Yard restaurant has opened in Mowbray.

#   The Harbour House Group has taken over The Grand on the Beach, and has re-opened.

#   Chef Garth Almazan, previously of Catharina’s at Steenberg, is opening a restaurant in Paternoster.

#   Jarryd’s is opening a second branch, on Hout Street. It has also opened a bakery section, called Bentleys Bakery Co.

#   Three Wise Monkeys Izakaya and Ramen Bar has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point.

#   Unframed Ice Cream Parlour has opened on Kloof Street.

#   Coco Safar has opened in Cavendish Square.

#   Tre Steampunk Club Restaurant and Bar has opened.

#   Chef Bertus Basson is opening new restaurant Spek & Bone off Dorp Street in Stellenbosch.

#   Chef Bertus Basson is the new Chef Patron of the Bertus Basson @ Ritz Hotel Revolving Restaurant in Sea Point.

#   House of H has opened.

#   Villains Pub and Ale House is to open in October.

#   Baconville is to open in Willowbridge in November, a second restaurant by Richard Bosman.

#   Terra Madre has opened in Elgin, for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays from 10h00 – 16hoo, owned by Nicole Precoudis.

#   Mangata has opened in Simon’s Town.

#   Tea in the Park has opened in the Green Point Urban Park.

#   Cabana will open in The Ritz in November

#   Black & Co will open in Constantia as a coffee and gift shop.

#   Pikant has opening at Uitkyk as a pop-up restaurant, operating until 29 January.

#   Chefs has opened in Gardens, with Chef Jenny Ward in the kitchen.

#   The restaurant at Glenelly has opened, with Chef Christophe de Hosse.

Restaurant Closures

#   Rafiki’s has closed down.

#   Takumi has closed down

#   Tuscany Beach in Camps Bay is closed for renovations. The new restaurant The 41 will open in October.

#   Chandani has closed.

#   Borage Bistro has closed down at its Bree Street premises, to relocate to new premises.

#   [spasie] on Church Street has closed

#   The Nunnery has closed on Bree Street. A new bar The Station will open.

#   Palma has closed on Bree Street.

#   Isola on Wale Street has closed down.

#   Mimmi to Go in Hout Bay has closed.

#   Café Dijon in De Waterkant has closed down

#   Ravish on Bree Street has closed down.

#   Chef Conrad Gallagher appears to have closed down Café Chic and have left Cape Town!  He is reported to have opened a restaurant Gallagher’s on Stanley in Port Elizabeth, despite not having paid suppliers in Cap[e Town!

#   Baked Bistro Bakoven has closed down.

#   Orinoco on Bree Street has closed, said to be reopening elsewhere next year.

Restaurant changes

#   La Parada and Harbour House have opened in the former Constantia Nek restaurant building.

#   Reuben’s Franschhoek will move to new premises, and its past space is to become a Woolworths.  It has closed for renovations, and reopens at its new location at 2 Daniel Hugo Street in March 2017. It will operate as a pop-up restaurant at the Riffel-owned Racine at Chamonix.

#   OYO at V&A Hotel has re-opened after a complete renovation, and is now called Ginja.

#   Chef Johann Breedt has bought Viva Cafê in Green Point, which is to be renamed Bernie’s.

#   Tiger’s Milk Smokehouse is opening where Emily’s used to be on Kloof Street.

#   The Long Table Restaurant and Café at Haskell Vineyards closed in March, and will re-open after an extensive renovation, upgrade, and general maintenance, to be run by the winery itself when it re-opens.

#   La Cuccina is to open an outlet in the former Andiamo in the ‘old’ Cape Quarter.

#   Kan10 has opened in De Warenmarkt, offering lunches, ‘grab-and-go’, and dinners, with Chefs Nic van Wyk and Westley Muller.

#   Chef Liam Tomlin is on a major expansion spree. He is taking over and renovating the former Takumi space as an Indian tapas bar, on two floors, opening in about three months. His chef Sheldon Raju will head up Thali restaurant, and the project partner is Dimo Papa Christodoulou of Fat Cactus and Long Street Cafe. They will not take reservations.

#   Chef Warwick Taylor, ex-Creation, has opened SOURCE restaurant in Hermanus,where Season and Biga used to operate.

#   The Village Tart has opened where Gideon’s Pancakes used to be in Franschhoek.

#   Chef Eric Bulpitt and his team have left The Restaurant at Newton Johnson, and have opened Faber at Avondale.

#   Chef Bertus Basson is renovating Overture in winter 2017.

#   The Fat Butcher has opened in Stellenbosch.

#   The Creamery is to open in Claremont.

#   OpenWine Taste Pair Shop has opened on Wale Street.

#   The Mess has opened in The Rockwell, previously Café Dijon

#   Adam Whitehead of The Power & Glory is said to take over the Rafiki space

#   Birds Café on Bree Street has undergone a transformation, and reopened as Mink & Trout

#   Five Rooms at the Alphen Hotel has been transformed into a contemporary art gallery restaurant blanko.

#   Chef Kobus Van Der Merwe has moved out of his Oep ve Koep venue in Paternoster, and reopened at Wolfgat.

#   Orinoco is closing at its current premises on Bree Street on 15 October, and reopens next year at an as yet unidentified location.

#   Original Deli in Hermanus has changed its name to Soul Cafe Hermanus.

#   The Grand Camps Bay will open as La Parada at the beginning of November.

#   A seafood restaurant is to open on Bree Street, where Palma used to operate.

#   La Tête is to open where Orinoco operated on Bree Street.

#   Chefs Nik van Wyk and Westley Muller have taken over the restaurant at Haute Cabriere, retaining the name of the restaurant.

Chef and Restaurant staff changes

#   Chef Angelo Scirocco has left Chef’s Warehouse, opening a new restaurant Urbanologi in Johannesburg, as its Head Chef

#   Leopard’s Leap Culinary Manager Martell Smit has left Leeu Estates.

#   Marie-Louise Oosthuizen has moved from Café BonBon to Leopard’s Leap as its new Culinary Manager.

#   Chef Duncan Doherty is consulting to the restaurant at the Century City Hotel.

#   Chef Thomas Sinn has left Rivendell Restaurant, exploring new opportunities.

#   Calim Anderson is the new Chef at Equus at Cavalli Estate.

#   Manager Julian Smith has left Maison, for Cavalli. Alice Mfundisi is the new Maison Manager.

#   Chefs Scott and Mel Shepherd have left Le Franschhoek hotel, and have moved to Café BonBon.

#   Chef Maritz Jacobs has left Boschendal and moved to Longridge.

#   Chef Adele Grewar has left Overture, but is said to be returning to Bertus Basson at Spice Route. Chef Alistaire Lawrence has left Bertus Basson at Spice Route.

#   Chef Garth Johnson is the new executive chef at The Maslow.

#   Carl Habel is the new Manager of Nobu at the One & Only Cape Town.

#   Ben Kirsten is the new Restaurant Manager at Tokara.

#   Chef Jochen Heathcote is now the Head Chef at The Restaurant at Villa 47, formerly at Myoga and Open Door.

#   Chef John van Zyl has left Urbanologi, to return to Liam Tomlin as Head Chef of his new Indian restaurant Thali

#   Chef Nick Oosthuizen from Swellendam is taking over the running of The Restaurant at Newton Johnson.

#   Isabella Immenkamp has left Hoghouse at Spier.  Andre van der Merwe has taken over as manager.

#   Martell Smit has left Leeu Estates, and is the Manager of the new Melissa’s in Franschhoek.

#   Chef Dennis Strydom has left Haute Cabriere.

Restaurant News

#   A complete list of the 40 restaurants on Bree Street can be seen here.

#   Borage Bistro:  Closed for winter hibernation

#   Reuben’s Franschhoek: Closed for move to new building. Open as a pop-up at Racine (Chamonix).

#   Four&Twenty Café has opened for Tapas dinners, on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

#   Massimo’s is now open for Lunch and Dinner Mondays to Sundays.

#   The Test Kitchen closes for six weeks from 15 August, reopening on 10 October for Dinners only, for extensive renovations.

We welcome all restaurant news: chrisvonulmenstein [at] gmail.com

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein