Gourmet Awards Winners

Gourmet, in association with Discovery Vitality, is proud to present the winners of the Gourmet Restaurant Awards 2017

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.