THE TOP 10 RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA AS SELECTED BY EATOUT (This is a website and a magazine which reviews 100's of restaurants around the country)  - with comments by Pam!

This year’s top 10 restaurants in the country:

1. La Colombe, Constantia Uitsig Estate, Cape Town (about 20 minutes drive from the city centre.)  La Colombe has had a new chef for the last year – Luke Dale Roberts.  Luke was also awarded the position of Top Chef in the country.  This restaurant offers the delightful combination of formal cuisine in a relaxed setting.  Cuisine: French. 
2. Jardine, city centre, Cape Town: This is one of my personal favourites.  They have lovingly restored an old Victorian building in the middle of the city.  It is an intimate small restaurant where you can watch the food being prepared and enjoy views of the mountains.
3. Terroir, Stellenbosch.  The chef was one of my favourite chefs in Johannesburg.  He relocated here for a more peaceful beautiful life in the Cape wine region.  Initially I could not believe my luck – it took the Cape Town people about a year to figure out that they had a wonderful new chef in the region – as such bookings were really easy to get……….and then they got discovered!  On a serious note, Terroir is serious about fresh and innovative food, immaculate food presentation, excellent service and yet a very relaxed clientele who do not dress up! Indeed an experience.  The menu changes daily and is chalked up on a blackboard. 
4. Overture, Stellenbosch.  This restaurant has just turned one year old.  The secret was out after a few weeks on this one.  It has the most superb combination of attributes that made it an instant hit:

·         Located high on top of a mountain – it has sweeping views of the Stellenbosch wine district below it. 

·         It is a brand new building with a very modern architectural design.  The cellar is integrated with the offices and the restaurant at the tail end.  As such it seamlessly blends the wine making process with the food and the vines and the view.  Simply awe inspiring design. 

·         One of the country’s top chefs who has represented South Africa in cooking competitions overseas on numerous occasions. 

·         An inspired Chef – Bertus – who is having a lot of fun with his restaurant.  Every morning his team comes up with new dishes based on the fresh ingredients they have received.  The result is a tasting menu of around 8 courses to chose from.  I average around 3 courses each time – the portions are larger than the average tasting menu – as such one does not have to work through all 8! 

Note that this restaurant is incredibly hard to get a booking at unless you book in advance – so do not leave home before your booking is in place!  This is currently my favourite restaurant in the Winelands!

5. Café Mosaic – Pretoria –  untried by the Pam who resides in the Cape!
6. Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch – night opening only.  So only include this if you are staying in Stellenbosch or Somerset West.  It is about an hour’s drive from Cape Town.  Rust en Vrede focuses on fine dining and is home to top chef David Higgs.  This wine estate is one of South Africa’s top wine estates.  Their Rust en Vrede Estate Wine is listed in most years as one of the top 100 wines in the world by US Wine Spectator magazine
7. The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais – Franschhoek.  Note the restaurant offers a set tasting menu that is paired with wines; there is no a la carte option.  Margot Janse is one of the best chefs in the country.  This fairly new venture has allowed her to express her creativity as the menu changes extremely regularly and is based on what is fresh and in season.  Note that this restaurant is one of the most expensive in South Africa and that you need to sign a contract with your credit card details that allows them to deduct a cancellation fee if you do not show up for dinner.  It is best to book directly with them as you need to sign “the contract”!  If you are a “foodie” – this is a worthwhile mission!  Note that Le Quartier has a second restaurant on the premises – iCi – this is an intimate relaxed restaurant that is well worth visiting.  The food is simple and delicious.   This is a particularly nice spot for lunch in winter as it is warm, vibrant and cozy.
8. Roots at the Forum Homini Boutique Hotel (Johannesburg) - untried by the Pam who resides in the Cape!
9. Bizerca- Cape Town city centre – I really enjoyed Bizerca – however I am not sure that it is up to the same standard as the others on the list.  Chef Laurent Deslandes dishes are innovative and the flavour combinations are quite inspired.  The lighting is a bit too bright at night – perhaps I need to try this one during the day. 
10. Hartford House – Kwazulu-Natal Midlands: I would definitely recommend Hartford House for the setting, the accommodation and the colonial style restaurant on a large terrace.  This is worth traveling to Kwazulu Natal for!  If you visit you definitely need to spend the night.  It is a large rambling stud farm and the perfect place for peace and quiet and relaxation.  Close to Hartford House is Cleopatra – for a foodie you should do a night at Hartford House, followed by a night at Cleopatra Mountain farmhouse.  Beware do not spend more than a night at Cleopatra as you will roll out of there! Both of these are imperative for inclusion on an itinerary for a “foodie” visiting Natal!