Gourmet Awards Winners
Gourmet, in association with Discovery Vitality, is proud to present the winners of the Gourmet Restaurant Awards 2017, announced tonight (13 November) at an exclusive event held at Klein Constantia Wine Estate.
GOLD AWARD FOR CONSISTENCY AND CHEF EXCELLENCE
The Gold Award is presented to a chef who has performed consistently well across various platforms or over a number of years at one establishment. This year’s winner, Liam Tomlin, has excelled at his flagship Cape Town restaurant Chefs Warehouse & Canteen as well as his two newest ventures, Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (winner of the Small Plates award; see page 25), captained by chef Ivor Jones, and Thali (serving Indian tapas) manned by chef John van Zyl. Liam has also collaborated with Singita in reinventing safari food at both Singita Sweni and Singita Lebombo lodges. Here he has introduced a range of experimental, artisanal cooking techniques reflective of global food trends using cutting-edge technology and ethical, sustainable sourcing of ingredients.
Winner:
Liam Tomlin, Chefs Warehouse, Beau Constantia, Thali, Cape Town; Singita Game Reserves (Above)
Runner-up:
Chris Erasmus, Foliage, Franschhoek
Nominees:
Harald Breschelschmidt, Aubergine, Cape Town
Michael Broughton, Terroir, Stellenbosch
Christiaan Campbell, Boschendal, Franschhoek
Luke Dale-Roberts, The Test Kitchen, The Pot Luck Club, Shortmarket Club, Cape Town; LDR x The Saxon, Johannesburg
Franck Dangereux, The Foodbarn, Noordhoek
Chantal Dartnall, Restaurant Mosaic, Pretoria
Jacques Erasmus, Hemelhuijs, Cape Town
Marthinus Ferreira, DW Eleven-13, Johannesburg
Arno Janse van Rensburg, The Kitchen at Maison, Franschhoek
George Jardine, Jordan Restaurant, Jardine Restaurant, Stellenbosch
BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT
With food and travel going hand in hand, Best Hotel Restaurant is awarded to an establishment where the food is as much of a focus as the rooms, decor, service and overall experience. One of the most exciting collaborations this year is without a doubt the partnership between La Colombe and the luxurious Leeu Collection with the opening of La Petite Colombe at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, offering innovative 8- and 12-course tasting menus.
Winner:
La Petite Colombe at Le Quartier Français, Leeu Collection, Franschhoek
Runner(s)-up:
Luke Dale-Roberts x The Saxon, Johannesburg; Greenhouse at Cellars Hohenhort, Cape Town
Nominees:
Babel at Babylonstoren Farm Hotel, Franschhoek
Catharina’s at Steenberg, Cape Town
Delaire Graff Restaurant, Stellenbosch
Level Four, 54 on Bath, Johannesburg
Makaron, Majeka House, Stellenbosch
Nobu at One&Only, Cape Town
Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, Pretoria
The Grill Room at The Oyster Box, Durban
The Restaurant at Hartford House, KZN Midlands
View at Four Seasons Westcliff, Johannesburg
La Petite Colombe at Le Quartier Français
BEST TASTING MENU
This award fills the fine-dining category and focuses on the precision of preparation and plating, wine pairings and the theatre showcased in degustation menus. With experiential dining making waves across the globe our two winners are on par with this worldwide trend: The Test Kitchen takes diners through its Dark Room with smoking cocktails and edgy food pairings through to a Light Room with its open kitchen, classical music and pared-down decor; La Colombe introduces patrons to a curated space ‘Behind the Green Door’ for one of its courses.
Winner(s):
The Test Kitchen, Cape Town and La Colombe, Cape Town
Runner-up:
Restaurant Mosaic, Pretoria
Nominees:
Camphors at Vergelegen, Stellenbosch
Faber, Avondale, Paarl
Fermier, Pretoria
Overture, Stellenbosch
La Petite Colombe at Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek
The Kitchen at Maison, Franschhoek
Greenhouse, Cape Town
The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Somerset West
The Test Kitchen
Restaurant Moasic
HIDDEN GEM
The secret’s out – these are our favourite restaurants that tick the hidden-gem box and continue to surprise. Leading the pack is Wolfgat in Paternoster with its unbeatable location and considered plates – showcasing unique foraged West Coast ingredients – created by chef Kobus van der Merwe.
Winner:
Wolfgat, Paternoster
Runner-up:
Mzansi, Langa
Nominees:
Betty Blue, Hermanus
Camilla’s Kitchen, Prince Albert
Indian Summer, Durban
Karoux, McGregor
La Lampara, KZN Midlands
La Sosta, Swellendam
Pablo Eggs-Go-Bar, Johannesburg
Marianna’s, Stanford
The Table at De Meye, Stellenbosch
NEIGHBOURHOOD EATERY
These are the restaurants we keep going back to again and again and again. The type of places we refer to as ‘our second dining room’. The Chefs Table in Umhlanga, Durban, recreates the Masterchef experience with its open kitchen and seasonal ingredients arriving daily. ‘We never know what we’re getting,’ says chef Kayla-Ann Osborn, ‘so the menu changes daily.’
Winner:
The Chefs Table, Umhlanga, Durban
Runner-up:
Coobs, Parkhurst, Johannesburg
Nominees:
Alfies, Pretoria
Amore, Cape Town
Bellevue Cafe, Durban
Bellini’s, Johannesburg
Cafe Bloom, KZN Midlands
Eatery JHB, Johannesburg
La Tête, Cape Town
Sage Cafe & Deli, Litchi Orchard, Durban
Surf Riders Food Shack, Durban
The Glenwood Restaurant, Durban
Pesce Azzurro, Woodstock
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
This award is given to the best newcomer, opened in the last 12 months since last year’s Gourmet Restaurant Awards in 2016. Momo Soko, following on the success of sister venue Momo Baohaus, brings modern Asian streetfood to Illovo in the form of bao buns, soko skewers, ‘Momo’ bowls (buddha bowls served on a base of either rice, noodles or greens) and the ever-on-trend poke bowls consisting of Norwegian salmon with pickles, slaws, kale, greens, seaweed and Asian dressings. Ambience and service punch above their weight.
Winner:
Momo Soko, Johannesburg
Runner-Up:
Pablo Eggs-Go-Bar, Johannesburg
Nominees:
La Boqueria, Johannesburg
Bosjes Kombuis, Ceres
Three Wise Monkeys, Sea Point
Momo Baohaus, Johannesburg
La Petite Colombe, Franschhoek
Old Town Italy, Johannesburg
Reubens Restaurant & Bar, Franschhoek
Café du Cap, Cape Town
Schoon, Somerset West
Forti Grill & Bar, Pretoria
DECOR & DESIGN
With Condé Nast House & Garden and Gourmet being sister magazines, decor and design is high up on our agenda. At Marble, located in the Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank, local artisans express their craft in every design element.
Winner:
Marble, Johannesburg
Runner-up:
Mink & Trout, Cape Town
Nominees:
1904 Bistro Américain, Durban
Bosjes Kombuis, Ceres
Café Del Sol Tre, Johannesburg
Don Armando, Johannesburg
Orangerie at Le Lude, Franschhoek
Pintxada Tapas Bar, Durban
Shortmarket Club, Cape Town
Werf Restaurant, Stellenbosch
VITALITY WELLNESS
This award celebrates the strides chefs and restaurants have made to improve the nutritional benefits of their dishes. In line with Vitality’s nutrition principles of healthy eating habits with a strong focus on preparing whole, seasonal ingredients, the winners in this category support a balanced approach to eating from a variety of food groups with limited salt and sugar added to their dishes. Leading the pack is Cape Town’s Raw and Roxy.
Winner:
Raw and Roxy, Cape Town
Runner-up:
Tree Natural Café, Durban
Nominees:
Conscious 108, Johannesburg
Earth Mother Cafe, Durban
Free Food, Johannesburg
Fresh Earth Café, Johannesburg
Green Beans, Cape Town
The Greenside Café, Johannesburg
Leafy Greens Café, Johannesburg
Spirit Café, Cape Town
Plant, Cape Town
Sexy Food, Cape Town
Marrow, Cape Town
SMALL PLATES
Small plates are big right now. This is our pick of the best tapas-style eateries in the country with Chef’s Warehouse at Beau Constantia leading the way.
Winner:
CW at Beau Constantia, Cape Town
Runner-up:
Pintxada Tapas Bar, Durban
Nominees:
Bistro 1682, Cape Town
Chalk & Cork, Cape Town
Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, Cape Town
Culture Club, Bar de Tapas, Pretoria
Escondido, Johannesburg
Fork, Cape Town
Foxcroft, Cape Town
S43 Home to That Brewing Co, Durban
Makaron at Majeka House, Stellenbosch
Marigold, Franschhoek
Mulberry & Prince, Cape Town
Shio, Cape Town
Thali, Cape Town
The Foodbarn Deli, Noordhoek
The Pot Luck Club, Cape Town
Urbanologi, Johannesburg
KITCHENAID READERS’ CHOICE
Voted for solely by Gourmet readers through various social media channels, this is our people’s choice – your favourite restaurant in the country, picked by you. Throughout the year we have been running competitions calling for entries to vote; once having narrowed it down to the nominees, readers once again selected the winner. This award is not judged by our judges. This year’s winner, as chosen by you, is 9th Avenue Bistro, which has continued to remain at the forefront of the Durban dining scene since its inception in 2001.
Winner:
9th Avenue Bistro, Durban
Runner-up:
Ten Bompas Winehouse, Johannesburg
Nominees:
Chefs Warehouse, Cape Town
Cheyne’s, Hout Bay
DW Eleven-13, Johannesburg
La Colombe, Constantia
Marble, Johannesburg
Overture, Stellenbosch
Pierneef à La Motte, Franschhoek
The Test Kitchen, Cape Town
The Werf Restaurant at Boschendal, Franschhoek