Wondering what the new addition to our listings is? Styled as 3 forward slashes, you may have noticed the new feature followed by 3 seemingly random words. So what are they and how can they help you find your favourite restaurants?

In short, it’s a 3-word address created by innovative firm what3words. The company has taken on the unenviable task of dividing the entire world into 3m x 3m squares. Each of these squares then has 3 dictionary words exclusively allocated to it. This means that, with just 3 words, you can find the front door of a new restaurant or the correct turn-off in a poorly addressed area. For example, Overture Restaurant can be found at ///bridged.pardons.focus, and you can find Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient at ///extremes.embraced.contact.

The Restaurant at Waterkloof, the number 3 restaurant in the country, has the location of ///insurers.volunteered.arena. Photo supplied.

For the first time ever, this year’s edition of the Eat Out 500 included a 3-word address for every single listing. That’s because many of South Africa’s best restaurants can be difficult to find, and locating the correct turn-off to a winery can be particularly tricky without local knowledge of the area.

Escondido Tapas and Bar in Illovo: ///civil.coupler.daylight. Photo supplied.

To get to one of the country’s 500 best restaurants, all you have to do is find the 3-word address in the listing’s details and type it into the what3words app (available on iOS and Android). (Alternatively, just click on the 3 words on the listings.) You can then tap ‘Get Directions’ to navigate to that exact location using your preferred navigation app. (The app can be used with or without a data connection.) Tourists and locals can discover precise locations in 22 languages, including isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.

Tokara is one of the first of South Africa’s adopters of what3words. The main entrance is found at ///feeds.avid.curiosity and the selfie deck is at ///happy.tries.jetting. Photo supplied.

Now you’ll never have to end up lost and hungry again.