Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and the Michelin Guide has paid tribute to the Top 16 Women Chefs in the world which own and head up the kitchens of one-, two-, and three-star Michelin Restaurants.

It is also a good opportunity to pay a final tribute to our country’s only Top 10 Chef Chantel Dartnall, who is soon to close down her Restaurant Mosaic outside Pretoria.

Women Chefs have always been in the minority in general, but also at the top echelon of restaurant ownership.

The Michelin Guide pays tribute to the following top women Chefs and Michelin-starred restaurant owners :

Three star restaurants:  

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic of Pic Restaurant in Valence, France. She also owns Michelin two-Star Restaurant Anne-Sophie Pic in Lausanne, and one-Star La Dame De Pic in London and Paris.(Photograph above)

Chef Elena Arzak of Arzak in San Sebastián in Spain,

Chef Annie Féolde of Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Italy

Chef Hélène Darroze of Hélène Darroze at The Connaught in London. She also owns two-star Marsan in Paris

Chef Dominique Crenn of  Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, USA. She also owns one-star Bar Crenn in San Francisco (Photograph right)

Chef Nadia Santini of Dal Pescatore, in Runate, Italy.

Chef Clare Smyth of CORE by Clare Smyth, in London. (Photograph left)

 

Two star restaurants 

Chef Suzette Graham, of Acquerello in San Francisco, USA

Chef Stéphanie Le Quellec, of La Scène in Paris

Chef Niki Nakayama of n/naka in Los Angeles, USA

Chef Vicky Lau of Tate, in Hong Kong

Chef Douce Steiner of Hirschen in Sulzberger, Germany

 

One star restaurants 

Chef Fanny Rey of L’Auberge de St-Rémy-De-Provence – Fanny Rey and Jonathan Wahid in Saint-Rémy-De-Provence in France.

Chef Caterina Ceraudo of Datillo, in Strongoli in Italy

Chef Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao in Los Angeles and of one-star Nahm in Bangkok in Thailand.

Chef Mariangela Susigan of Gardenia in Caluso, Italy.

 

Chef Chantel Dartnall 

At the end of this month Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient outside Pretoria is to close down after fifteen years, our country’s leading female chef, not only locally but also internationally acclaimed. She has announced that she will be writing a cook book, spending some family time in the southern Cape, as well as at La Ville Lumière in Paris, where she will learn French and enhance her European cuisine knowledge. She will be sorely missed.

Another internationally recognised Top 10 Restaurant to close its doors: Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient!

 

Cape Town and Winelands Women Restaurateurs.

For Women’s Month last year I compiled the first ever list of women restaurant owners in Cape Town and the Winelands. The list contains only 16 women Restaurateurs.

A Women’s Day salute to Women Restaurant Owners and Top Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands, sadly only a handful!

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com  www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide