Tag Archives: The Pot Luck Club

SA restaurants awarded with stars for the first time in 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards!

 

The Eat Out Restaurant Awards were held for the first time in three years today, an eagerly awaited event, given the impact of the Lockdown on the restaurant industry, and the change in the restaurant awards system, restaurants no longer ranked, but rated with 1, 2 or 3 stars.

It was a surprise to read a year ago that Eat Out would reintroduce its Awards this year, and that Abigail Donnelly was heading up the judging for the awards again, after an absence of a number of years. Continue reading →

Twelve SA Restaurants make La Liste 1000 Top Restaurant List, Restaurant Klein JAN receives special award!

 

At a Gala Event held in Paris on Monday, the new La Liste 1000 for 2022 was announced, with 12 South African Restaurants included in this prestigious list of 1000 top restaurants around the world, one sadly included but no longer operating!

In addition, brand new Restaurant Klein JAN at Tswalu in the Kalahari, owned by Chef Jan-Hendrik van  der Westhuizen, received a special Award as World Hidden Gem Restaurant. While his JAN restaurant in Nice has been awarded one Michelin star for the past six years,
it is not included in the La Liste List.  The La Liste accolade for Restaurant Klein JAN, and its inclusion in the world’s Top 1000 List, is the first international recognition for any of Chef Jan-Hendrik’s restaurants. Continue reading →

The Test Kitchen to close down end September, Third Top 10 Restaurant to close down in 18 months!

 

What a shock announcement it was today: The Test Kitchen, South Africa’s best known restaurant internationally, having climbed up (and down) the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ladder over the past 11 years, and having worn the Best South African Restaurant crown for six years running, until 2017, is to close down at the end of September. This was announced in Cape Town today.

Top Ten restaurants which have also closed down since the beginning of Lockdown are Mosaic at The Orient and Waterkloof.  Ironically both Mosaic and The Test Kitchen announced in 2019 that they would no longer accept nominations for The Eat Out Awards, the 2019 awards being the last to have taken place, due to the Covid pandemic and impact thereof on the restaurant industry since the Lockdown commenced on 27 March 2020.

Continue reading →

Is Chef Luke Dale Roberts scaling down his Restaurant Group? Salsify at the Roundhouse no longer part of the Group!

 

A surprise unplanned and delightful lunch at Salsify at The Roundhouse on Friday generated some surprise information from staff of the restaurant, based on questions I posed, hearing rumours about further plans for the restaurant.

Salsify at The Roundhouse is no longer part of the LDR Group, the name for Chef Luke’s collection of restaurants, exiting the Group since the end of last year the Salsify staff told us proactively. Chef Ryan Cole heads up the restaurant, retaining the same three backers who helped start the restaurant with Chef Luke almost three years ago. Continue reading →