The explosion of restaurant openings in Cape Town and the Winelands in the last two months is a concern to many, both as restaurant lovers, in that one cannot keep up, and as restaurant owners, as there is not enough business for everyone.
Last month saw the opening of Seta at Villa 47, Le coin Français by Darren Badenhorst in Franschhoek, The Bistro and Deli at La Paris outside Franschhoek, Chef Duncan Doherty’s Eatery at Colmant in Franschhoek, and Boschendal at Oude Bank in Stellenbosch, amongst others.
We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously, and welcome such news.
Restaurant Openings
# Villa 47 has relaunched its Stuzzico and Restaurant restaurants, as SETA and Pierino Penati, respectively. The latter restaurant (photograph) has opened in conjunction with Italian Michelin star restaurant owner Chef Theo Penati.
#. Chefs Warehouse at Maison opens officially on 1 December, but its new Head Chef David Schneider starts today.
# Chef Darren Badenhorst’s Le Coin Français fine-dining restaurant has opened in Franschhoek.
Le coin Français By Darren Badenhorst to coin it with French fine dining cuisine!
# Tiger’s Milk has opened its restaurant and Bar Splendido on Kloof Street and Rheede Street in Cape Town
#. Roast & Co has opened alongside HQ, in the former Bizerca Bistro space, in Heritage Square
# The Hard Rock Café has opened in The Promenade in Camps Bay.
Restaurant Review: Hard Rock Café Cape Town in Camps Bay not rocking yet!
# Swirl has opened at Stellenbosch Vineyards, formerly the space of Bistro 13.
# Davy Croquettes has opened in Gardens.
# Chef Sheldon Raju has announced the opening of an African restaurant in Camps Bay this summer.
# Bootlegger Café & Grill has opened in Constantia in conjunction with Chef Eric Bulpitt of FABER, next door to Foxcroft, in the former Greens.
# The Franschhoek Beer Co is opening its eatery shortly.
# 5th Avenue Restaurant & Tapas Bar has opened in Tygervalley
# Marrow has opened in Loop Street.
#. La Petite Colombe has opened at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, with Head Chef John Norris Rogers
# Tiger’s Milk has opened in the SanClare Building in Claremont, in Century City, in Bryanston, in Stellenbosch, and in Pretoria. Tiger’s Milk Cedar Square opens in Fourways in November.
# Harbour House is to open in Johannesburg
# Jamie’s Italian is to open in Cape Town.
# Cheyne’s is opening a cocktail sake bar, to be called Fire Monkey.
# Chef Bertus Basson is the new Chef Patron of the Bertus Basson @ Ritz Hotel Revolving Restaurant in Sea Point. The opening of this restaurant is continuously being delayed, with a number of reasons cited for this.
# Terra Madre has opened in Elgin, for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, owned by Nicole Precoudis.
# Cabana will open in The Ritz
# Solo Restaurant has opened on Loop Street.
# El Burro has opened in Newlands
# Vista Marina is to open next to the Two Oceans Aquarium.
#. Hokey Poké has opened in the city centre, offering Hawaiian cuisine.
# The Sorrows Bar and Eatery has opened on Kloof Nek Road.
#. Osteria Tarantino has opened in De Waterkant.
# Woolworths has opened a health restaurant NOWNOW on Longmarket Street, at Old Mutual, and in the Silo District in the V&A Waterfront. It is now run for the retailer by TriBeCa, operators of the WCafés.
# Chef Margot Janse is rumored to be opening a restaurant on Môreson wine estate outside Franschhoek, with Susan Huxter.
# Lou Lou’s Bar has opened in the Cape Quarter.
# The Crazy Horse Gastropub has opened on Bree Street.
# Melissa’s is opening in Hermanus.
# Hussar Grill has opened in the Protea Hotel in Franschhoek.
# Cábron Taco Bar has opened
# The Hungry Herbivore has opened
# Unframed artisanal ice cream has opened a second branch, in the V&A Food Market, and a pop-up in Camps Bay.
# Jason’s Bakery is to open on Main Road in Green Point.
# SCHOON has opened in Somerset West, after its closure in Stellenbosch and handing over its space to Boschendal. It is a disappointment to any past patron of the former Stellenbosch operation.
# A Steakhouse is said to be opening in McGregor.
# An Italian restaurant is being built at Delaire Graff.
# Nonna Lina Sea Point has opened.
# Vigour & Verve has opened at the new Sunsquare in the Cape Town CBD.
# The Yard has opened in the Silo District in the V&A Waterfront.
# Coco Safar is to open in Sea Point.
# Kleinsky’s Delicatessen has opened on Church Square in Parliament Street.
# The Kove Collection is opening Bilboa restaurant and Chinchilla Rooftop Bar in Camps Bay this month.
# KapaTee has opened on Church Street, as a store and tearoom.
# La Paris Bistro & Deli, and wedding and event venue, has opened outside Franschhoek.
# La Petite Manoir is to open in Franschhoek.
# Chef Duncan Doherty has opened a long table-style restaurant at Colmant in Franschhoek in November.
#. Si Cantina Sociale eatery and bar has opened in the Silo District in the V & A Waterfront
# Manga sushi outlet has opened in Church Square.
# Seattle Coffee Co is opening in Church Square.
# Afro’s Chicken is to open at 4 Spin Street.
# Beerhouse is opening another branch in Cape Town, and in Durban in December.
Beerhouse on Long in Cape Town offers innovative BrewFood Feast, alongside 99 beers!
#. Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen of JAN restaurant is to open a restaurant in the Cape.
# Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen has opened MARIA in Nice, as an event dining venue.
# Limnos Bakery has opened in the V&A Waterfront.
# Oui restaurant has opened at Radisson RED in the Silo District of the Waterfront.
# Patina has opened in Newlands.
# Limnos Bakery has opened in Cavendish Square, and will open in Table Bay Mall in April.
# Ribs & Burgers is to open in Table Bay Mall
# Khavé Road is the new name of the coffee shop previously called Coco Safar in Cavendish Square.
# The White Rabbit has opened in the V&A Waterfront, another restaurant in the Kove Collection.
# Skal Bar & Eatery has opened in Brackenfell.
# Brocha Urban BBQ is to open.
# Chef Bertus Basson is to open De Vrije Burger in Stellenbosch, his sixth restaurant!
Restaurant Closures
# Searle’s in Greyton has stopped operating, and is for sale.
# Bistro13 has closed down at Stellenbosch Vineyards.
# Baked Bistro on Long Street and at Regent Road in Sea Point have closed down.
# Love, Revenge, and Cappuccino has closed down in the V & A Waterfront.
# Bistrot Bizerca has closed down.
# The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français has closed down.
# Blues restaurant has closed down in Camps Bay, after 30 years of operating.
# Mezepoli has closed down in Camps Bay.
# Raya Kitchen, belonging to Kitima, has closed down on Wale Street.
# Bon Appétit Keam Restaurant has closed down in Grabouw.
# Mother’s Ruin on Bree Street has closed down
# Plant on Buiten Street has closed down.
# Flora’s Eatery in McGregor has closed down.
# Mangata in Simon’s Town has closed down.
# Marc’s Table in Green Point has closed down due to the sale of the Sugar Hotel, but is looking for new premises.
# Tre Steampunk has closed in the city centre.
# The Bromwell in Woodstock appears to have closed.
# Yuzu Kitchen & Bar has closed.
# La Belle Bistro & Bakery in Mouille Point has closed down.
Restaurant changes
# The Long Table Restaurant and Café at Haskell Vineyards closed last year, and will re-open in November after an extensive renovation, upgrade, and general maintenance, to be run by the winery itself when it re-opens.
# Adam Whitehead of The Power & Glory has taken over the Rafiki space to create a new eatery The Sunnyside Grill.
# Origins at The Marine has taken over the Seafood Pavilion space at The Marine Hotel in Hermanus.
# Hail Pizza has opened in the courtyard at Clarke’s on Bree Street.
# Richard’s Supper Stage has relocated from Sea Point to The Rockwell Dinner Theatre in Green Point. The downstairs Bistro has closed down..
# The Classic Car Bar pop-up restaurant in the V&A Waterfront has closed down, with new Kove Collection restaurant Firefish having opened in the space.
# Zenzero in Camps Bay has reopened, after an extensive renovation.
# The Italian owners of La Sosta in Swellendam have sold the restaurant. It is operated under the same name by the new owner.
# Chef Giorgio Nava has converted his Carné Constantia into 95 at Parks Restaurant, Bar & Lounge.
# Aromatish Café and Bakery has opened where Yvette’s used to be in Hermanus.
# Harbour Rock restaurant has taken over the operation of the Spookfontein restaurant in the Hemel & Aarde Valley.
# Eats11 has opened at Villa Exner in Grabow.
# Café Des Arts in Franschhoek has been sold.
# Slug & Lettuce has re-opened on Kloof Street.
# Panama Jack is moving to the Cruise Liner Terminal in the Cape Town Harbour at the end of November.
# Boston Burgers on Buitengracht Street has changed its name to Craft Burger Bar.
# Janse & Co is opening in the former Yuzu space on Kloof Street in December, owned by Chef Arno Janse van Rensburg of Maison, with Liezl Odendaal.
# Heritage Cottage has opened where Mon Desir used to be in Hermanus, operated by Chef Warwick Taylor of SOURCE, with Head Chef Dean van Huyssteen.
# Boschendal at Oude Bank has opened in Stellenbosch, where SCHOON de Companje used to be, as a Boschendal Farm Shop, Bistro, Bakery, and wine tasting facility.
Chef and Restaurant staff changes
# Chef Angelo Scirocco is opening WF, his own restaurant, in Pretoria.
# Oskar Kotze has sold Sevruga, and his restaurants in Johanneburg, Pretoria, and Durban. He retains Beluga in Cape Town.
# Chef Guy Clark has been appointed as the Executive Chef at Tintswalo Atlantic.
# Tracy-Leigh Genricks is now the sole owner of Four & Twenty Café.
# Chef Warwick King has left The Stack and joined Delaire Graff
# Chef Conrad van den Heever has left Seabreeze Fish & Shell, to join De Grendel. Chef Phil Alcock has taken his place at SeaBreeze.
# Chef Brad Ball has left Peddlars on the Bend, and is now Executive Chef at the Harbour House Group.
# Chef Laurent Deslandes has joined Cape Town Club.
# Chef Wessels van Vuuren has taken over the management of Café Blu in Hermanus.
# Pastry Chef André Steyn has moved from Delaire Graff to La Colombe.
# Chef Jason Kosmas has joined The Stack, from Chef’s Warehouse Bree Street.
# Chef Marco van Rooyen is heading up the restaurant at Rivendell, near Kleinmond and Bot River.
# Chef Martin Senekal is the new Group Pastry Chef at the Leeu Collection in Franschhoek.
# Chef Michael Deg of Delaire Graff has moved to Equus at Cavalli Estate.
# Sidwell Yarrow has been appointed as Executive Chef at La Petite Ferme.
# Chef Guy Bennett is the new Executive Chef at Grande Provence.
# Chef Kieran Whyte has left Charango, and is the new Head Chef at Delaire Graff.
# Silo Hotel Restaurant Manager Dylan van Blerk has moved to La Petite Ferme. Siseko Gubangxa is the new Restaurant Manager, and Louis Page is the new Assistant Restaurant Manager. Craig Versfeld is the new Food & Beverage Manager.
# Jürgen Welp and Simon Rudd have been appointed as GM and Deputy GM, respectively, at the new Tiger’s Milk Kloof Street.
# Sommelier Pearl Oliver has left the Taj, to join the One&Only Cape Town.
# Jakobus Lochner is the new Restaurant Manager at Maison.
# Nico Vorster is the new Chef at La Paris Bistro & Deli
# Alice Mfundsi is the new GM of La Paris Bistro & Deli, and the Estate, outside Franschhoek.
# Chef Maritz Jacobs is the new Executive Chef of Longridge restaurant.
We welcome all restaurant news: chrisvonulmenstein [at] gmail.com
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein
