New restaurant openings continue, especially in Cape Town.  The most amazing new opening success has been Locanda Restaurant at Villa 47 on Bree Street, which became the city’s favorite within its first week of opening!   Very interesting news is Chef Ivor Jones’ departure from The Test Kitchen* at the end of the month and his future (see below).

We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously.

Restaurant Openings

#    Villa 47 has opened on Bree Street, with Locando restaurant on the ground floor.  Stuzzico Italian finger-food and bar has opened on the second floor, and The Restaurant ‘fine dining with a twist‘ on the third floor, with Chefs Clayton Bell and Vittorio Bianchi. (photograph)

#   The Orangerie has opened at Le Lude in Franschhoek 

#    Benguela on Main has opened in Somerset West, with Chef Jean Delport

#    Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of one Michelin star JAN restaurant in Nice could open a restaurant in Cape Town!

#   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).

#    Live Bait  has opened in Muizenberg

#   Chef Luke Dale-Roberts has opened a pop-up Luke Dale-Roberts at The Saxon inside five hundred, becoming a permanent restaurant from 4 May onwards.

#   Melissa’s is opening in Franschhoek in May, and in Camps Bay later this year.

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

#   David Higgs is opening his 250-seater Marble restaurant in Rosebank in Johannesburg in May, with business partner Gary Kyriakou. Chef Werner Spöhr has joined them, as has Wikus Human, the new Wine & Associate Manager.

#   Sundoo Indian tapas bar has opened in Sea Point, by Seelan Sundoo.

#   Tiger’s Milk is to open in the SanClare Building in Claremont, in Century City, in Stellenbosch, in Bryanston in Johannesburg, and in Dubai.

#   Mon Desir has opened in Hermanus.

#   Betty Blue Bistro has opened in Hermanus

#   Springfontein Bar(n) has opened outside Stanford, at Springfontein, serving German bar food.

#   Bread & Butter Co has opened in Paarl

#   Chef Bertus Basson is opening a new informal open-fire restaurant on Hidden Valley, alongside Overture.

#   Yours Truly has opened new branches on Hout Street and on Loop Street.

#   Raya Kitchen by Kitima has opened in the city centre.

#   The Kove Collection has opened Dalliance Restaurant & Bar in the V&A Waterfront

#   Floreal Brasserie has opened at Marianne Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

#   The Tasteroom and Brewery has opened at Darling Breweries

#   The Press Burgers and Craft Beer has opened in Sea Point

#   Nooka Café vegetarian restaurant has opened.

#   Harbour House is to open in Johannesburg

#   Sexy Food has opened on Bree Street

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

#   Big Box Board Games Café has opened in Gardens.

#   Little Saint has opened on Bree Street

#   A Mexican-style tapas restaurant has opened inside Tuk Tuk craft beer microbrewery in Franschhoek.

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

#   Chef Luke Dale-Roberts is to open Short Market Club in June

#   Dapper has opened on Bree Street

#   Honeybadger has opened on Loop Street.

#   Barney’s Deli has opened in Hout Bay.

#   Nomad has opened in Stellenbosch, with Chef Marile van Niekerk

#   ASH restaurant is opening inside Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants/Publik, with Chef Ash Heeger, returning to Cape Town.

#   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.

#   Folk Coffee Anthropology has opened on Bree Street.

#   La Petite Ferme has opened a Tapas Bistro.

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

#   Café Pavé has opened at Camberley Wine Estate, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch, with Chefs Sidwell Yarrow and Angelique Dreyer.

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

#   Knus Karoo Kombuis is opening in Paarl

#   Guts & Gizzards has opened on Loop Street.

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

#   Crumbs & Cream has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point.

#   [spasie] Upstairs has opened on Bree Street

#   Madison Ave Night Club is opening in April

#   ONE Wine Bar and Bistro has opened in Riebeek Kasteel

#   Manor House Restaurant has opened on the Stanford Valley Guest Farm.

#   A most interesting rumour is that Chefs Liam Tomlin and Ivor Jones* (Test Kitchen, who has already been rumoured to have resigned) are to jointly open a restaurant at The Silo hotel development in the V&A Waterfront.   The Silo website states that the hotel is due to open in March 2017, and that it will have the Rooftop Restaurant, Rooftop Champagne Bar, and The Silo Café as its offering.  Chef Ivor has just confirmed* his departure on Facebook, and has now left The Test Kitchen.  Interesting is the implication for The Test Kitchen in the 2016 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards!

#   Baked Bistro is opening a second branch on Regent Road in Sea Point in June.

#   Mulberry & Prince has openede on the corner of Bree and Pepper Street, with owners American Cynthia Rivera and local Cornel Mostert.

#   La Colombe Executive Chef Scot Kirton and Pastry Chef Glen Williams are opening an additional more informal restaurant at High Constantia in Spring,

#   Shego Turkish restaurant has opened in Cape Royale.

#   Nomad Bistro Fusion has opened on Waterkant Street

#   Jerry’s Burger Bar is to open another branch in Sea Point

#   The Tea Bar opens on Long Street on 4 May

Restaurant Closures

#   Rafiki’s is to close down at the end of May..

#   Takumi has closed down

#   The Flagship in Simonstown, formerly the restaurant of the late Bruce Robinson, is closing on 15 April.

#   Beau Vine in Constantia appears to have closed down.

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

#   Ranoushe restaurant has closed down, after only three months!

#   Crisp in Franschhoek has closed, to make space for the new Woolworths.

#   Freres Bistro has been sold, and is currently closed.

#   Active Sushi in Portside on Bree Street has closed.

#   Vida e Caffe in Portside on Bree Street has closed.

#   Chandani has closed.

#   Dudley’s Larder in McGregor will stop trading on 23 April.

Restaurant changes

#   La Parada and Harbour House are opening in the former Constantia Nek restaurant building.

#   The Salmon Bar has closed temporarily, until it can find new premises in Franschhoek.

#   The General Store has opened on Bree Street

#   Breakaway Café has opened where Keenwä used to be

#   Reuben’s Franschhoek will move to new premises when its lease expires, and its space is to become a Woolworths.  It will close for renovations at the end of May, and reopens at its new location at 2 Daniel Hugo Street in September. They will operate a pop-up restaurant at the Riffel-owned Racine at Chamonix in June and July.

#   OYO at V&A Hotel will close in May, for a few months, for a complete renovation.

#   Dropkick Murphys has opened on Kloof Street, where GourmetBoerie used to be.

#   The Stack will re-open mid-2016, after renovations due to fire damage.

#   The Harbour House Group is to take over The Grand Camps Bay.

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

#   SMAK Deli has opened where Tribakery used to be, on Bree Street.

#   You are There has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point.

#   Maggie’s Café has opened in Green Point, where 65 on Main operated, owned by Chef Riaan Burger, previously of Mondiall.

#   Sababa has changed the name of its Bree Street branch back to its original name, after trading as Olami for a short while.

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

#   Chef’s Warehouse’s Streetfood has closed, and has been replaced by their No ReservationsBar!

#   The Long Table Restaurant and Café at Haskell Vineyards closed on 27 March, and will re-open after 4 – 6 weeks of 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 in April.

#   Strolla is the new restaurant in the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel, operated by the notorious Brendon Crew

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

#   The Bakery @ Jordan will no longer be operated by Chef George Jardine from 3 May onwards.  It will be taken over by Jordan Winery.

#   Rivendell Restaurant has moved to the Wine Tasting venue on the wine estate.

Chef and Restaurant staff changes

#   Chef Lucas Carstens of Cuvée has moved to Makaron, with Chef Pete Goffe-Wood appointed as Consultant.

#   Chef Ryan Shell is now at Vergenoegd wine estate.

#   Carolize Coetzee is the new chef at Cuvee at Simonsig.

#   Chef Andres Condé has left the Harbour House Group.

#   Chef Adrian Buchanan is the new Head Chef at 96 Winery Road.

#   Chef Stefan du Bruyn has joined Café BonBon

#   Restaurant Manager Martin Drotsky has left the Cape Grace hotel, to join Katsuya by Stark in Doha in Qatar as GM.

#   Chef Hylton Espey has left Equus restaurant at Cavalli, as has his Sous Chef Anwar. Chef Calun Anderson has taken over.

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

#   Chef Garth Almazan has left Catharina’s at Steenberg, and Chef Archie Maclean has taken over, having left Neethlingshof.

#   Chef Warwick Taylor has left Creation, with Chef Jaco Grové being the new Executive Chef.

#   Neill Beningfield and Kyle Gray are the new owners of Eat @ Altydgedacht.

#   Chef Dean Correia has left Chef’s Warehouse, and is the Head Chef at Bliss Boutique Hotel.

#   Taj Cape Town GM Michael Pownall has left the hotel!

#   Chef Henrico Grobbelaar heads up the kitchen at Southern Sun The Cullinan.

#   Louise Starey, former Manager of  The Bakery @ Jordan, is joining Bertus Basson at Spice Route.

#   Luis Pinheiro as been appointed as GM of the new Silo hotel in the V&A Waterfront as of September.

#   Jeremy de Matteis is the new chef at Grape Vine Eatery at Silvermist.

Restaurant News

#   Open Door at Contantia Uitsig now serves Breakfast.

#   Imibala restaurant in Somerset West now serves dinner on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings.

#   Tokara Delicatessen now serves Dinner on Saturday evenings.

#   The Belmond Mount Nelson has introduced evening High Tea, from 18h00 – 21h30, at R295.

#   Pierneef à La Motte now offers Sunday Family Lunch at R 295.

#   La Petite Ferme is now open for dinner on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

#   Leeu House in Franschhoek now is available for meals to non-residents, subject to availability.

#   Haute Cabriere will open for lunch on Mondays from 29 February.

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

#   Le Quartier Français will be closed for maintenance from 19 June – 15 July.

#   Reuben’s Franschhoek closes from end May, operating as a pop-up at Racine at Chamonix in June and July.

#   La Mouette is closing for a winter break from  13 – 27 June.

We welcome all restaurant news: whalecot@iafrica.com

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