{"id":25260,"date":"2011-09-22T00:14:56","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T22:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=25260"},"modified":"2011-09-25T02:09:53","modified_gmt":"2011-09-25T00:09:53","slug":"american-express-platinum-list-highlights-cape-cuisine-capital-tough-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/american-express-platinum-list-highlights-cape-cuisine-capital-tough-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"American Express Platinum restaurant list highlights Cape cuisine capital, tough economy!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The number of 2012 American Express Platinum Fine Dining Programme restaurants has dropped for the first time in its 14 year history, down from 88 restaurants in 2011 to 78 this year, with twelve of last year’s winners having closed their doors, reports Chef!<\/strong>. \u00a0This demonstrates the severity of the hospitality crisis.<\/p>\n

The dominance of the Western Cape, with 33 of the 78 awards, highlights that the province is the cuisine capital of South Africa. \u00a0New award entrants are also largely from the Cape, being <\/a>Nobu<\/a><\/span>, Bistro Sixteen82<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, <\/a><\/span>Planet Restaurant<\/a><\/strong>, Reuben’s at the One&Only<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, and Pierneef \u00e0 La Motte<\/span><\/strong>,<\/a> out of eight new entrants. \u00a0Three re-admissions are The Restaurant at Grande Provence<\/a> <\/strong>(photograph),<\/span> Bosman’s at the Grande Roche Hotel<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, and Saagries in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

Chefs said that the recognition is welcome, in being a member of the fine dining programme, given the difficult time of the year, after a very long and bleak winter. \u00a0The major criterion for consideration by the Programme organiser Tamsin Snyman, in partnership with restaurant critic Victor Strugo, is accepting payment by American Express, which may have disqualified many other top restaurants (such as <\/a>Dash<\/a>,<\/span><\/strong> The Test Kitchen<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, Casparus<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, Johan’s @ Longridge<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, Terroir, Waterkloof<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Indochine<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, Tokara<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, and Delaire Graff<\/a><\/strong><\/span>) from being eligible for evaluation. The judges evaluated the quality and creativity of the cuisine, the service, the wine list, decor and ambiance, the overall excellence, and acceptance of a booking for a table of four on the same day.<\/p>\n

Eight of last year’s Programme restaurants did not make the 2012 list, including Rust en Vrede<\/a> <\/span><\/strong>(probably due to the departure of Chef David Higgs), <\/a>Haute Cabri\u00e9re Cellar Restaurant<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>(probably due to the recent change in chef), Emily’s, Myoga, Bizerca and Belthazar. Snyman said that ‘there is an increasing mediocrity on the South African fine dining restaurant scene’<\/em>, reports Chef! <\/strong>The restaurants that have closed their doors in the past year include Auberge Michel, Linger Longer, Jardine, and Hunter’s Country Restaurant.<\/p>\n

The 2102 American Express Platinum Fine Dining Programme restaurants are as follows, according to Business Day<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

CAPE PENINSULA<\/span>:\u00a0Aubergine<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Buitenverwachting, Bukhara (city bowl), Catharina\u2019s, Constantia Uitsig, The Food Barn, Gold, The Greenhouse, Haiku<\/a><\/span><\/strong>; Il Leone, La Colombe, Roundhouse, Savoy Cabbage<\/div>\n
CAPE WINELANDS<\/span>: \u00a096 Winery Road, Boschendal, Bread & Wine, Fraai Uitzicht 1798, French Connection Bistro, Jardine at Jordan<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Mimosa Lodge, Overture @ Hidden Valley<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, The Pavilion, Reuben\u2019s (Franschhoek)<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Seafood @ The Marine, Tasting Room at Le Quartier Fran\u00e7ais<\/div>\n
EASTERN CAPE<\/span>:\u00a0Hacklewood Hill (Port Elizabeth)<\/div>\n
FREE STATE<\/span>: \u00a0De Oude Kraal<\/div>\n
KLEIN KAROO<\/span>: \u00a0Kalinka Karoo Cuisine<\/div>\n
GARDEN ROUTE<\/span>:\u00a0La Locanda (George), Sand @ The Plettenberg, Zinzi @ Tsala (Plettenberg Bay), Serendipity (Wilderness), Trans Karoo (Great Brak), Pembreys, Zachary\u2019s at Pezula (Knysna)<\/div>\n
JOHANNESBURG<\/span>:\u00a0Bellagio, Bellgables, Bukhara (Sandton), Butcher Shop & Grill, Byzance, La Cucina di Ciro, Gramadoelas, La Campagnola, Le Canard, Mastrantonia, Metzuyan, Osteria Tre Nonni, Piccolo Mondo, Pigalle (Sandton), Roots @ Forum Homini, Saxon, Sel et Poivre, Wombles, Yamato<\/div>\n
PRETORIA<\/span>: \u00a0Geet, La Madeleine, La Pentola, Mosaic, Ritrovo Ristorante,<\/div>\n
KWAZULU-NATAL<\/span>:\u00a0Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, Daruma, Hartford House, Harvey\u2019s, Ile Maurice, Roma Revolving Restaurant, Spice, Sugar Club<\/div>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a> Twitter:@WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The number of 2012 American Express Platinum Fine Dining Programme restaurants has dropped for the first time in its 14 year history, down from 88 restaurants in 2011 to 78 this year, with twelve of last year’s winners having closed their doors, reports Chef!. \u00a0This demonstrates the severity of the hospitality crisis. The dominance of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,20,21],"tags":[4186,13382,2562,38,13399,13400,2221,2648,37,182,143,36,402,2209,1364,13401,10735,1510,2881,32378,13416,225,13383,13417,11123,13393,2228,13388,12320,13412,2177,13403,144,13392,142,554,2182,11298,13422,13421,3907,2565,40,3076,13387,13394,13404,39,13402,13395,13413,13414,13405,2296,13406,13407,13389,2564,35,1145,2180,33,7324,3503,13408,6611,8820,9074,13384,41,13415,13418,1606,61,34,13385,7327,11332,13409,13390,2181,13397,32388,13419,13420,11179,13391,447,1513,2690,11035,2297,7518,13398,13386,32387,32373,13410,13411,1363,13396],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t