On Sunday 20 November, we’ll announce the brand new Top 10 restaurants in South Africa. Here, in alphabetical order, are the 20 nominees.

• Camphors at Vergelegen (Somerset West)
• Chefs Warehouse & Canteen (Cape Town CBD)
• DW Eleven-13 (Dunkeld West)
• Foliage (Franschhoek)
• Greenhouse (Constantia)
• Hartford House (Mooi River)
• Indochine (Stellenbosch)
• Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
• The Kitchen at Maison (Franschhoek)
• La Colombe (Constantia)
• Nobu Cape Town at One&Only (V&A Waterfront)
• Overture (Stellenbosch)
• Pierneef à La Motte (Franschhoek)
• The Pot Luck Club (Woodstock)
• The Restaurant at Waterkloof (Somerset West)
• Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient (Elandsfontein)
• Rust en Vrede Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
• The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français (Franshhoek)
• Terroir (Stellenbosch)
• The Test Kitchen (Woodstock)

See what the judges had to say about each of the nominees below:

The identities of the anonymous judges who have dined around the country with chief judge Abigail Donnelly to select this year’s nominees – and ultimately, the winners – were revealed in a video on the Eat Out website at the end of September. They are Carianne Wilkinson of the Silwood School of Cookery and chef David Higgs.

Says Abigail Donnelly, Eat Out editor and chief judge: “The outstanding restaurants celebrated this year show a clever combination of consistency, evolution and playfulness. Rock ’n roll dishes have been created by these stars of the food world. The line-up, which includes regulars, reappearances and new names, proves that it’s not about trends, but rather about pure dedication.”

Other champions that will be announced at these annual food Oscars include the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star and the recipient of the Eat Out Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award. A separate judging process has also determined the winners of the Eat Out Boschendal Style Award and two new accolades, the Eat Out Retail Capital New Restaurant of the Year and the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award. Visit our Awards tab for more details on the judging criteria for each award.

Limited tickets are available for the 2016 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant awards at R1495 per person. Bookings can be made online, here. For enquiries, contact awards@eatout.co.za or call 021 417 1257.

Follow Eat Out on Facebook to see the rest of the nominees as they’re announced this week.

Win a meal at one of the nominee restaurants

Win a chauffeur-driven weekend in a Mercedes-Benz, two nights’ luxury accommodation, and a meal at one of the top 20 nominated restaurants for the 2016 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards. Only open to readers in South Africa. Domestic flights will be included if necessary. Enter here.