A survey of more than 250 000 South African diners has found that the Western Cape boasts more of the top restaurants in the country than any province.
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Nearly 300 000 diners reviewed in excess of 1 300 local eateries on the Dineplan platform, rating their service, ambience, food and value for money.
The platform, founded in 2011, manages restaurant reservations and aims to promote SA’s favourite eateries.
More than 4.6 million reservations were made through Dineplan during the review period, reserving seats for more than 21 million people at restaurants across the country.
‘All reviews are generated by diners who have made and honoured a booking via the restaurant reservation platform, thereby eliminating fake reviews and ensuring authenticity,’ said Dineplan.
They recently shared the results of the second annual Dineplan Reviewers’ Choice Awards, which were dominated by venues based in the Western Cape.
According to reviews on Dineplan, the top restaurant is Good to Gather, a tiny farm-to-table establishment on Rozendal Farm in Stellenbosch, at the foot of the Botmaskop mountain.
‘After taking second place in 2022, this year the eatery not only ascended to become the country’s overall number one choice, but also took top honours in the ambience and food categories,’ said Dineplan in a statement.
Jess and Luke Grant, a husband and wife team, are the proprietors of Good to Gather, which features a three-course menu that switches every week and uses seasonal ingredients obtained from nearby small-scale farmers.
The top five restaurants are all located in the Western Cape and include The Reverie Social Table in Cape Town (which took first place last year), Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch, The Table at De Meye in Stellenbosch, and Stettyn Family Vineyards Tasting Room in Villiersdorp.
The reservation platform only accepted restaurants that had been using its service for the entire 12-month evaluation period.
The Newcomer Reviewers’ Choice Awards, however, were open to those who joined during this time, and five winners were chosen in each of the following regions: Cape Town & Winelands, the Garden Route, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and KwaZulu-Natal.
Reviewers’ Choice Awards 2023 – Top 20
- Good to Gather – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Reverie Social Table – Observatory, Cape Town
- Rust en Vrede – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- The Table at De Meye – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Stettyn Family Vineyards Tasting Room – Villiersdorp, Western Cape
- Belly of the Beast – Cape Town CBD, Cape Town
- Schneider’s Cape Floral Kitchen – Stanford, Western Cape
- Faber at Avondale – Paarl, Western Cape
- Newstead Lund Family Vineyards – Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
- Klein Roosboom Tasting Room – Durbanville, Cape Town
- Jewell’s at Spice Route – Paarl, Western Cape
- The Restaurant at Newton Johnson – Hermanus, Western Cape
- BluVines District – Montagu, Western Cape
- The Fat Butcher – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Addis in Cape Ethiopian Restaurant – Cape Town CBD, Cape Town
- Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Homespun at the Andros – Claremont, Cape Town
- Orangerie at Le Lude – Franschhoek, Western Cape
- Le Siemma Café Bistrot – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Stellenzicht Wines – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
To see the full list and find out more about the awards, click here.
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Picture: Elina Sazonova / Pexels