La Colombe in Constantia was named the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year thanks to attaining the highest score of any restaurant in the country.
Also read: La Colombe named as one of the best restaurants in the world
This award is but one of many accolades the Cape Town-based restaurant has garnered, including being named one the best establishments to dine at in the world as per TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Best of the Best Restaurants Awards.
According to the judges, La Colombe is an ‘institution on South Africa’s fine-dining scene. It has been a consistent award winner, both locally and internationally, offering a menu that is executed with impeccable precision and attention to detail.’
‘Thank you to the Eat Out Woolworths Awards for this honour – it would not be possible without the passion and dedication of our incredible team. I couldn’t be prouder of the talented chefs on our team – this award is dedicated to them,’ says James Gaag, Executive Chef at La Colombe.
‘I’d also like to thank every single person who has dined with us over the past year – the consistent support is what makes us constantly strive to be the best we can. Food is our theatre – and the show is dedicated to you.’
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More than 800 guests gathered to celebrate South Africa’s culinary excellence on Sunday night at the GrandWest Grand Arena. The country’s top restaurants were awarded three, two or one star in a judging process led by Chief Judge Abigail Donnelly.
The criteria encapsulated the entire dining experience, from décor and ambience to service, the wine list and the quality of the ingredients. Restaurants had to score between 70 and 79 out of 100 to one star, between 80 and 89 to win one star, and more than 90 to win three stars.
‘This year’s winners have demonstrated a seamless combination of consistency and quality, coupled with a commitment to progression and experimentation. We have seen the young and upcoming shine and the established legends generously imparting their wisdom, fostering a wonderful spirit of mentorship within the community,’ says Donnelly.
‘The celebrated establishments tonight have fearlessly articulated their visions, captivating guests with exciting ingredients, unique spaces, exquisite service and a sincere love of their craft.’
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Here are this year’s winners:
One-star restaurants:
- Acid Food & Wine Bar (Randburg, Johannesburg)
- Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)
- Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)
- CHORUS (Somerset West)
- Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)
- Eike (Stellenbosch)
- FABER at Avondale (Paarl)
- Farro (Botrivier)
- Fermier (Pretoria)
- Le coin Français (Franschhoek)
- Les Créatifs Restaurant (Bryanston, Johannesburg)
- Madre Stanford (Stanford)
- Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)
- Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)
- Protégé (Franschhoek)
- Proud Mary (Rosebank, Johannesburg)
- Rykaart’s (Stellenbosch)
- Séjour (Houghton Estate, Johannesburg)
- The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)
- The Melting Pot (Elgin)
- The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock Cape Town)
- The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Zioux (Sandton, Johannesburg)
Two-star restaurants:
- Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)
- ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Epice (Franschhoek)
- Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)
- Nevermind (Cape St Francis)
- PIER (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Restaurant Klein JAN (Tswalu)
- Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)
- Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)
- The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)
- The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)
- The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg (Randburg, Johannesburg)
- Wolfgat (Paternoster)
Three-star restaurants:
- ARKESTE by Richard Carstens (Franschhoek)
- Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Dusk (Stellenbosch)
- FYN (City Bowl, Cape Town
- La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)
- La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
- Salsify at The Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
This year, 51 restaurants formed part of the starred list, an increase from 42 last year, says Eat Out brand custodian Aileen Lamb. ‘[A] testament to our restaurant industry continuing to evolve and ascend to new heights. What a privilege it was to eat out in 2023! Thank you to Abigail and her judging panel – Joseph Dhafana, Marisa Munroe, Mokgadi Itsweng, Herman Lensing and Karen Dudley – for their dedication to highlighting the best of the best and pushing the industry forward.’
Furthermore, 14 special awards were handed to individual restaurants, chefs and individuals. Ryan Cole, the head chef and co-owner of Salsify at The Roundhouse in Camps Bay, received the Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year award, as well as the Eat Out Birkenstock Chefs’ Chef of the Year Award.
Anwar Abdullatief of The Happy Uncles in Salt River received the Eat Out Valpré Rising Star Award.
Here are the remaining special award winners:
- Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award: The LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)
- Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Service Excellence Award: Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)
- Eat Out Woolworths Wine Service Award: Bafana Zondo, Dusk (Stellenbosch)
- Eat Out Lexus Style Award: Restaurant Klein JAN (Tswalu)
- Eat Out Retail Capital Best New Restaurant Award: Boma on Bree (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Eat Out Highland Park Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award: Germain Lehodey
- Eat Out Cacao Barry Dessert Award: Motheba Makhetha, The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)
- Eat Out Patrón Mixology Award: La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
- Eat Out Lexus Best Destination Award: Wolfgat (Paternoster)
- Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award: Siba Mtongana, SIBA – The Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
‘We saw these values in all the winners this year, and that makes us very proud to be the headline sponsor of the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards,’ says Roy Bagattini, Woolworths Holdings’ Group CEO.
‘The restaurant industry delivers a significant contribution across several economic touchpoints – including formal and informal employment, marketing, supplier procurement, and property rental. Many people rely on it for their livelihoods. Which is why these awards matter. When a restaurant or chef or sommelier wins, the industry wins too – and that, in turn, delivers a boost to the food and beverages supply chain as a whole.’
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Also read:
2023 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards to reveal the best of the best
Picture: La Colombe Restaurant / Facebook