The Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town on March 23 was, for one night, the centre of South African dining. The room — filled with the pinnacle of the local industry — carried an electric energy: a hint of nerves, a few competitive side-eyes, but, above all, a shared sense of peers among peers.
Chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, front-of-house professionals, food critics and journalists — the full ecosystem of South African dining — gathered to mark another year of a food scene that continues, against considerable odds, to raise its own bar.
Underneath the applause was something more substantive than celebration: a growing confidence in the quality, breadth and ambition of what this country is producing, and a collective pride in its resilience.
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The night’s highest honour, the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year, went to FYN. For anyone who has sat at Peter Tempelhoff, Jennifer Hugé and Ashley Moss’s table — holding court high above Cape Town’s City Bowl — this will come as no surprise.
The judges described a world-class experience defined by precision, creativity and balance — a dining room where South African ingredients and identity do not so much collide with the purity and refined technique of Japan as engage in a fluent, convincing dialogue. It is widely regarded as one of the finest restaurants on the continent, and for good reason.
Johannes Richter of The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate retained the Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year title for a second consecutive year. Notably, he is doing this in KwaZulu-Natal, far from the Western Cape’s well-resourced culinary ecosystem, and at a level that invites genuine international comparison.
From within the serene suburb of Cowies Hill, the chef crafts a sustainability-led tasting menu that champions Durban’s culinary and cultural identity, with nostalgic nods to a childhood growing up in KwaZulu-Natal.
66 reasons to pay attention
Eat Out’s star-rating system is built on rigour: seven anonymous judges, eight months and restaurants evaluated across the country on food quality, technique, service, ambience and value. It remains the country’s most credible restaurant awards system. This year, 66 restaurants earned stars — a number that reflects not only growth, but maturation.
Three stars — the pinnacle, reserved for restaurants scoring 90 and above — went to eight restaurants:
- FYN;
- La Colombe;
- La Petite Colombe;
- Mertia;
- Pier;
- Salon;
- Salsify at the Roundhouse; and
- The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate.
Together they represent the breadth of South Africa’s top tier, from established leaders to newer, more experimental kitchens. The La Colombe group’s hat-trick is a testament to its enduring drive and impressive operation, reinforcing its position as a leading voice for South Africa on the global stage.
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A total of 21 restaurants earned two stars, from Wolfgat in Paternoster to Fermier in Pretoria, and Vuur Goose Island in Stellenbosch to Meraki by Charlie Lakin in Hillcrest.
A further 37 earned one star — a mark of distinction that, in a field this competitive, is anything but modest.
Encouragingly, this year’s awards reflected a meaningful shift in the industry’s shape, with greater diversity geographically and in terms of gender. A number of exceptional women claimed stars, signalling a gradual but important broadening of recognition beyond its traditional base.
Among the night’s defining moments was Carla Schulze of Salon becoming the first female chef to earn three Eat Out stars. At the same time, the national footprint continues to extend beyond the Western Cape, with Durban in particular showing a growing appetite for more elevated dining.
Sustainability on top
Perhaps the most consequential development of the 2026 awards was not a restaurant or a chef, but a category. For the first time, three Green Stars (Eat Out’s Sustainability Accolade) were awarded, recognising restaurants doing the hard, unglamorous, structurally demanding work of building a more sustainable food industry.
The LivingRoom at Summerhill took the Rural Green Star. Dusk in Stellenbosch claimed the Urban Green Star. Terrarium at the V&A Waterfront earned the Emerging Green Star. These are not honorary mentions; the criteria are exacting and the bar is high.
That sustainability continues to sit so prominently within the Eat Out framework as a formal measure of excellence — not a sidebar, but a core category — is deeply meaningful. It reflects where the industry is heading, both locally and globally.
The full honours
Service — often the element that separates a good restaurant from a great one — had its moment. Sommelier Elton Damon at La Petite Colombe took the Wine Service Award, a recognition of the craft and deep knowledge required to guide a table through a cellar as serious as the one on Franschhoek’s Leeu Estate.
The team at Mertia claimed the Service Excellence Award for the second year running, continuing to build a front-of-house operation that matches its exceptional kitchen under the guidance of co-owner Marais Kirtsten-Uys, whose international experience continues to shape one of the most polished service teams in the country.
The Eat Out Patrón Mixology Award went to sister restaurants Beyond and FYN, shining a light on Jennifer Hugé, whose role across both establishments has resulted in one of the most complete service and beverage programmes in the country.
Aren Pollack at Embarc in Parkhurst was named Rising Star — a young talent cooking with a conviction that suggests his best work lies ahead, and one who proudly reflects Johannesburg’s growing presence at this level.
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Newcomer Amura at The Mount Nelson, by Spain’s three-star Michelin chef Angel Leon, had a standout night, winning the Visi Style Award — thanks to the striking interiors by Tristan du Plessis of Studio A — and Best New Restaurant.
The Trailblazer Award went to Margot Janse, which in addition to a career of impressive achievements was also a nod to her work with Isabelo, her charity which provides daily meals to underprivileged schoolchildren in Franschhoek.
The Eat Out S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Chefs’ Chef award — voted for by peers — went to Ryan Cole of Salsify at the Roundhouse, an accolade awarded by the industry which he previously received in 2023.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Ken Forrester, whose decades-long contribution to hospitality has helped shape the industry, while Catherine Adonis at Qunu took the Dessert Award.
Eat Out’s culinary director Abigail Donnelly put it plainly: “It’s about more than only the food — it’s about the people, the stories and the community that bring it all to life.”
Hard to argue with that.
