There have been a number of restaurant openings, and no restaurant closures have been reported this year to date, a good sign of recovery.  A very strong tourism February as well as many weddings and general Valentine’s celebrations mean business is booming for restaurants. This list of restaurant openings and closings is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*   The Pot Luck Club has re-opened in its new venue at the top of the Old Biscuit Mill.

*   Café Blanc de Noir has opened on Brenaissance wine estate in Stellenbosch

*    Latitude33 has opened on Bree Street

*   Baked Bistro has opened in Bakoven, where Marika’s and Saboroso used to be

*   Orphanage Cocktail Emporium has expanded into an adjoining property, opening on Orphan Street, creating The Dining Room downstairs.  It is opening Orphanage Club upstairs, with 1920’s style music by live performers, later this year.

*   Antipasto Bar has opened at the new Anthonij Rupert Wines tasting room, where Graham Beck used to be, outside Franschhoek

*   Kloof Street House has opened where Opal Lounge used to be.

*    Honest Chocolate has opened a second outlet, with a ‘production kitchen’, in the Woodstock Industrial Centre

*   Cavalli restaurant is said to open on the stud farm on R44, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, this year or next

*   Camphors at Vergelegen has opened, with Chef PJ Vadas.

*   Cousins has opened in the Parliament Hotel, where Il Cappero used to be.

*   Thai Café has opened on Plein Street, Stellenbosch

*   It’s a House has opened on Jarvis Street, as a bar, coffee shop, and design art space.

*   Lion’s Head Bar opened on Bree Street, selling craft beer and food

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

*   Chef Nic van Wyk, previously with Terroir, has opened The Eatery at Diemersdal in Durbanville.

*   Jimmy Jimanos sports bar is opening on Long Street

*   Burger King will open its first South African branch in Cape Town later this year!

*  A coffee shop, chocolaterie, bar, and fashion boutique will open in a 3-storey building on Long Street, as yet unnamed.

*   Wilderer Distillery and La Grapperia at Spice Route restaurant have opened at Spice Route wine estate, in addition to their existing location

*   TriBakery has opened near Moyo in the V&A Waterfront

*   Luke Dale Roberts appears to be continuing his expansion trail, and is said to be opening on Long Street.

*   Mischu: The Coffee Showroom has opened on Regent Road in in Sea Point.

*   Deluxe Urban Café has opened in the old Cape Quarter.

*   Gourmet Cakes has opened on Kloof Street

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

*   Le Venue has opened at The House of JC le Roux

*   The Harbour House group is opening a new restaurant at 107 Loop Street.

*   Goloso Pizzeria has opened in Regent Road Sea Point.

*   Frères Bistro has opened next door to Col’Cacchio on Hans Strydom Avenue in the city centre.

*   De Dorf Krug has opened in Hermanus as a Bavarian/Austrian restaurant.

*   La Parada has opened in Kalk Bay.

*   The Crypt at St George’s Cathedral has opened as a jazz restaurant.

*   Cheyne’s has opened in Hout Bay.

*   Chef Reuben Riffel is to open an artisanal beer bar.

Restaurant Closures

*   Wale Rose Lifestyle has closed down in Bo-Kaap.

*   Café Sofia in Camps Bay has closed down.  None of the other branches are answering their phones, so they may have closed down too.

*   Rhapsody’s in Green Point has closed down.

*   Cape Town Fish Market has closed down in Somerset West

*   Café Le Chocolatier has closed down in Franschhoek.  The owner has taken over Apprentice in Stellenbosch.

* Pepperclub on the Beach has closed down in Camps Bay, to make way for a luxury boutique hotel.

*   Eastern Palace has closed down.

*   Urban Garden has closed down

*   The Reserve nightclub and Brasserie have closed down.

*   St Yves in Camps Bay is closing down on 4 May, to make way for the new Boutique Hotel in The Promenade.

*   Bar1 in Camps Bay, which was planned as a summer ‘pop-up’ bar and restaurant, has closed down.

Restaurant staff/venue changes

*   Fyndraai Restaurant will move to another building on the wine estate, and will offer fine dining.  The current restaurant will serve light lunches and picnics.

*   De Oude Bank Bakkerij is expanding, and will open a retail section selling charcuterie, fresh meats, home-made ice cream, and wines, collectively called De Companje.

*   Taste Restaurant has moved to Bilton Wines

*   Bar1 has opened where Sunbird Bistro was in Camps Bay.

*   Chef Reuben Riffel and his colleague Maritz Jacobs have been contracted to design the menus and prepare the food for weddings and events at Allée Bleue.

*   Thai Café is to open where the coffee shop was at the entrance to Piazza St John in Sea Point

*   Sensei Deon de Jongh has left Okamai at Glenwood wine estate in Franschhoek.

*   The Urban Garden Restaurant has opened where Bistro on Rose was.

*   Isabella Immenkamp, the excellent service-orientated hostess at Burrata, is leaving for Jordan Restaurant at the end of February.

*   Chef Alessandra Masciadri and her husband Chris Kennedy from Milan have taken over Goloso Deli and Restaurant on Regent Road, Sea Point.

* Bukhara is said to be opening in the V&A Waterfront, where Passage to India was

*   Jewel of India has opened upstairs in the ex Wale Rose Lifestyle building in Bo-Kaap.

*   Josephine’s Cookhouse has closed down in Newlands (ex Caveau), and Toad & Josphine has opened in its space.

*   Awestruck is said to open in the ex-Caveau space on Bree Street.

*   Sinn’s Ice Cream Emporium has re-opened in the Camps Bay Promenade, with a reduced space, and much cleaner interior and new furniture.

*   Wild Peacock Emporium has named its restaurant The Larder for dinners.

*   Patty September (ex-Boschendal) has taken over as the Manager of Haute Cabriere Restaurant from Lasse Presting.

*   Bayside Café has closed down in Camps Bay after 24½ years, and has moved to Portico Building, corner Marine Drive and Athens Road, Blouberg.

*   Flatteur is to open where Gesellig was, on the corner of Regent Road and Church Street in Sea Point.

*   Sage Restaurant has moved to Chabivin Champagne and MCC Farm on the Blaauwklippen Road.

*   Massimo’s in Hout Bay is changing its name to Amici di Massimo’s for 10 – 12 months, to be run by Johan, while Massimo undergoes medical treatment in Italy. It will revert back to Massimo’s when they return.

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