Ever finished a breathtakingly spectacular meal and found yourself wondering where the chef responsible goes to have the same experience? Wonder no more. We caught up with some of the top chefs in the country to find out where they’re having meals to write home about when they aren’t eating and cooking at their own restaurants.

A Tavola (Claremont, Cape Town)

Chosen by: Chef Peter Tempelhoff of Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort

 

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A post shared by Yifei Chris Yu (@chrisyifeiyu) on Mar 19, 2018 at 7:10am PDT

Bread & Wine (Franschhoek) ?

Chosen by: Chef Chris Erasmus of Foliage

He calls this spot his “old favourite” – “not just for amazing food but especially value for money”.
? Available for online bookings on the Eat Out app. 

 

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A post shared by Bread & Wines (@breadandwines) on Jul 12, 2018 at 7:34am PDT

Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)

Chosen by: Chefs James Gaag and Scot Kirton of La Colombe, and chef Michael Cooke of Camphors at Vergelegen

“I should have a loyalty card for the amount of times that I’ve eaten there!” jokes Michael.

Lavender-honey crème from Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia. Photo by Claire Gunn Photography.

Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)

Chosen by: Chef Chris Erasmus of Foliage (he cheated a little and chose two favourites!)

A salad from Chefs Warehouse at Maison. Photo supplied.

Chefs Warehouse and Canteen (Cape City Bowl)

Chosen by: Chef Freddie Dias of The Pot Luck Club

The chef says this Liam Tomlin restaurant is one of his perennial favourites in Cape Town.

Yellowtail with avocado, radish and ponzu at Chefs Warehouse and Canteen. Photo by Jan Ras.

Farro (Illovo, Joburg)

Chosen by: Chefs Giles Edwards of La Tête and Marthinus Ferreira of DW Eleven-13

“A stand-out meal this year was at Farro in Illovo,” says Giles. “It’s honest food in a great setting, cooked with exceptional skill.”

 

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A post shared by Farro (@farroillovo) on Sep 25, 2018 at 1:38am PDT

Fermier Restaurant (The Willows, Pretoria)

Chosen by: Chef Kobus Van Der Merwe of Wolfgat

A dish from Fermier. Photo supplied.

The Foodbarn Restaurant (Noordhoek, Cape Town)

Chosen by: Chef Wesley Randles of The Shortmarket Club

“[I enjoy going there] post-surf with beach sand-covered dogs,” describes Wesley.

A Foodbarn dessert. Photo supplied.

Four & Twenty Café and Pantry (Wynberg, Cape Town)

Chosen by: Chef Ivor Jones of Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia

He says he’s there “almost every week [for a] super chilled and great breakfast”.

 

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A post shared by Four & Twenty Cafe And Pantry (@fourandtwentycafe) on Sep 15, 2017 at 11:37pm PDT

Marble (Rosebank, Joburg)

Chosen by: Chef Adriaan Maree of Fermier

“It is a great venue and an amazing vibe (especially on a Sunday evening when we are off), great food and fantastic wines. It is like visiting friends!”

Lamb cutlets and chimichurri at Marble. Photo supplied.

Nobu (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

Chosen by: The Test Kitchen‘s Chef Luke Dale-Roberts – kind of.

“This is always a hard [question to answer] because as a small family we tend to rarely go for fine dining,” says Luke, “as it’s a bit much for Finley.” Finley is Luke’s 11-year-old son and Nobu is his favourite restaurant, making it a Dale-Roberts regular haunt.

A Nobu seafood dish. Photo supplied.

The Restaurant at Newton Johnson (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)

Chosen by: Chef Bertus Basson of Overture Restaurant

“[The head chef] Ricky [Broekhoven] used to work at Overture and I’m very proud of what he is cooking at the moment.”

 

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A post shared by Rickey (@rickeybroekhoven) on Apr 8, 2018 at 7:06am PDT

Surf Riders Food Shack (South Beach, Durban)

Chosen by: Chef Constantijn Hahndiek, formerly of Hartford House

“I don’t really have a favourite restaurant,” says Constantjin, “with such little time I prefer new experiences, but [it’s] always a great chow at Surf Riders.”

Fish tacos at Surf Riders. Photo supplied.

Wolfgat (Paternoster)

Chosen by: Chef Chantel Dartnall of Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient

Though she hasn’t technically been yet, it’s on top of her wish list: “Regretfully I really don’t have much time to discover all of the wonderful gems in South Africa, but I would really love to visit Wolfgat and enjoy an afternoon savouring the true flavours of the West Coast.”

 

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A post shared by Wolfgat (@wolfgat) on May 3, 2018 at 1:49am PDT

The nominees for the 2018 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards will be revealed very soon, stay tuned to Eat Out for the official announcement!  Don’t want to miss out on seeing who the winners will be? Limited tickets for South African foodie’s celebration of the year are still available, book yours now!

Share a favourite with one of the top chefs? Remember to review your experience at the restaurant using our app, which is free to download and makes it easier to find, book and review.