Three Cape Town-based restaurants — Aubergine, La Colombe and The Pot Luck Club — have each received a Haute Decade Award from the 2026 JHP Gourmet Guide for earning a Plate every year for 10 consecutive years.
In an industry as unforgiving as restaurants, maintaining that level of excellence over a decade is rare. In SA, where chefs grapple with volatile input costs, staff shortages, shifting trends and economic pressures, it’s even more noteworthy.
Many restaurants don’t survive beyond a few years, particularly independent owner-run spots. Rents in popular dining districts are often very high compared with potential revenue.
And while Cape Town enjoys global acclaim as a top foodie destination, the market is heavily reliant on international visitors and the busy summer season; winter can be challenging, with fewer tourists and locals often staying home.
The JHP Gourmet Guide Plates are among the country’s few structured, chef-focused rating systems. Another national benchmark is the Eat Out awards.
Jenny Handley, founder of the Gourmet Guide and involved in hospitality training, says the three Haute Decade winners are very different in style, yet have showcased consistent excellence year after year. “They’ve appeared in every Gourmet Guide because they continue to deliver,” she says.
Aubergine is classic rather than trendy — and housed in the historic 1830 former home of Sir John Wylde, the Cape Colony’s first chief justice. Handley says it is a restaurant “where wine leads the way”.
Chef Harald Bresselschmidt has an instinctive feel for when a wine is ready to be served — and then crafts a dish around it. He also tailors plates on the fly: express a fondness for a particular varietal, and the kitchen will conjure something that will always be “of a truly amazing standard”.
“They draw diners from all over the world who appreciate pure gastronomy — the marriage of food and wine.”
La Colombe, on Silvermist Wine Estate in Constantia, was one of the first South African restaurants to earn a place on the global stage — “rightfully so,” says Handley.
Their multi-course, choreographed dining journey is built on an obsession with refinement and exceeding expectations. Handley says diners flock for the signature tuna La Colombe, which evolves each year without ever disappearing from the menu.
Innovation runs through everything: food, wine pairing, service. “They exceed expectations all the way,” Handley notes. This year, the word that stood out for her was “restraint” — dishes of immense complexity made to appear effortlessly simple. “Executive chef James Gaag has worked relentlessly since his student days to become a globally recognised culinary figure,” she says.
The Pot Luck Club Cape Town, perched on top of the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock in Cape Town, is synonymous with bold, globally inspired flavours. One of the pioneers of tapas-style dining in Cape Town, it remains a favourite for its consistently punchy, balanced small plates. “And head chef Jason Kosmas, who has Mediterranean heritage, also has a love affair with the East — all those beautiful flavours somehow come together on the plate perfectly balanced.”
All three restaurants work tirelessly to ensure every aspect of the experience is exceptional — from attentive service to the way guests are guided through each course — leaving diners with a clear sense of what true consistency and craftsmanship mean.
This year, La Colombe was also awarded a coveted Gold Plate, joining the ranks of Salsify in Camps Bay and FYN in central Cape Town as restaurants achieving globally iconic status, a fitting recognition of a decade of culinary excellence.
Together, these Haute Decade winners remind us why Cape Town remains a destination where food, wine and artistry meet in perfect harmony.
