The country’s shining culinary talents were honoured at the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards at GrandWest in Cape Town on Sunday, 17 November 2019. Meet the impressive winners below.

Eike by Bertus Basson. Photo supplied.

The Top 10 restaurants:

1. La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)

2. The Test Kitchen (Woodstock, Cape Town)

3. The Restaurant at Waterkloof (Somerset West)

4. Wolfgat (Paternoster)

5. FYN Restaurant (City Bowl, Cape Town)

6. La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)

7. Eike (Stellenbosch)

8. Salsify (Camps Bay, Cape Town)

9. Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient (Elandsfontein, Pretoria)

10. Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)

A dish at La Colombe. Photo by Andrea van der Spuy.

We also honoured numbers 11 to 20:

11. Camphors at Vergelegen (Somerset West)

12. Overture (Stellenbosch)

13. LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate (Cowies Hill, Durban)

14. Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)

15. Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort (Constantia, Cape Town)

16. Le Coin Français (Franschhoek)

17. La Tête (City Bowl, Cape Town)

18. The Shortmarket Club (City Bowl, Cape Town)

19. Tjing Tjing Momiji (City Bowl, Cape Town)

20. Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)

Summerhill. Photo supplied.

All the winners

In addition to the announcement of the Top 10, stellar restaurants and individuals on the South African scene also received special awards. They are:

Eat Out S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Chef of the Year: Bertus Basson, Eike and Overture

Eat Out Retail Capital New Restaurant of the Year: Jewell’s Restaurant, Paarl

Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star: Katlego Mlambo, The Marabi Club

Eat Out Graham Beck Chefs’ Chef: Ivor Jones, Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia

Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award: Camphors at Vergelegen

Eat Out Nespresso Innovation Award: The Test Kitchen, Woodstock, Cape Town

Eat Out Service Excellence: The Test Kitchen

Eat Out Wine Service Award: Joseph Dhafana, La Colombe

Eat Out John Psillos Award for Outstanding Contribution to Service: Jennifer Hugé

Eat Out Bridget McCarney Game Changer Award: SA POC at the Table

Eat Out Irna van Zyl Food Media Icon: Dorah Sitole

Eat Out Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award: Annette Kesler

Eat Out VISI Style Award: FYN Restaurant