It is a sad day for the South African culinary scene, as the renowned Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient Hotel, headed by the talented Chef Chantel Dartnall, will close in early 2021.
In a statement, Chef Dartnall announced that she will sadly be closing the restaurant in early 2021 but will embark on a new journey in her life.
Restaurant Mosaic outside Pretoria has wowed local and international diners for the last 15 years since it opened in 2006.
“When Chantel opened Restaurant Mosaic in 2006, she had a vision: to introduce to South Africa’s culinary landscape the finesse, flavour, and artistry unique to her style of Botanical Cuisine. She knew she had something special to offer… ” said the restaurant’s PR team in a statement.
Chantel’s creativity and innovation have been widely admired by gourmets, and she is one of South Africa’s most decorated chefs: named TBC Best Female Chef in the World in 2017 and Chef of the Year by the Hospitality Counsel, the Restaurant Association of South Africa, the Haute Grandeur Global Restaurant Awards and the Eat Out Awards (twice).
Restaurant Mosaic has been listed among the top 100 restaurants in the world for some time, and is also acclaimed for its expansive but carefully curated wine cellar, having won numerous awards as one of the best wine cellars in the world.
“I am proud that I have been able to pioneer Botanical Cuisine locally,” Chantel affirms, “and it has been gratifying to see that a variety of chefs and restaurants have incorporated some aspects of this style into their own repertoires. My team and I have achieved all that we could have hoped for. We now leave behind a proud legacy as one of the top fine dining restaurants in South Africa, having also established a solid international presence.”
Restaurant Mosaic has helped to put South Africa on the map as a gastro-tourism destination; the global media coverage it has received has brought many visitors from abroad. Throughout, Chantel’s passion and dedication has never waned. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, she has been in her kitchen for every serving at Restaurant Mosaic.
It is now time for her to dream a new dream. Chantel will present her final dinner service at Restaurant Mosaic on Friday, March 26, 2021. To end of her time, she will introduce a “Best of Mosaic” menu in the first three months of 2021 to celebrate the last fifteen years.
After the restaurant closes, Chantel will divide her time between the southern Cape splendour at her secret hide away and La Ville Lumière, Paris, where new projects and further studies await her. She will be focusing on her cookbook, a literary-artistic labour of love three years in the making, full of recipes and insights she wants to share with the world
“This is not the end of Chantel Dartnall the chef – I will also be furthering my knowledge of European cuisine, focusing on my French language studies and enhancing my technical skills,” she said.
“During the lockdown in 2020 we have all had a chance to take stock. I have been considering this brave new adventure for a while, and this period helped to solidify my decision. We have attained all the goals we set out for ourselves and I will look back on our accomplishments with gratitude and humility, and at the same time I will embrace exciting new challenges!”
Patrons old and new are invited to reserve a table for 2021 at Restaurant Mosaic via the Dineplan app. Reservations for the 2021 season will be open from December 4, 2020 at 8am. Restaurant Mosaic’s final service will be dinner on Friday March 26, 2021.
Picture/s: Instagram / Restaurant Mosaic
