The last set of nominated restaurants has just been revealed, completing the list of 20. They are:


  • Camphors at Vergelegen;
  • Chefs Warehouse;
  • DW Eleven-13;
  • Five Hundred;
  • Foliage;
  • Greenhouse at Cellars-Hohenort;
  • Indochine;
  • Jordan Restaurant;
  • The Kitchen at Maison;
  • La Colombe;
  • Overture;
  • The Pot Luck Club;
  • The Restaurant at Newton Johnson;
  • The Restaurant at Waterkloof;
  • Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient;
  • Rust en Vrede;
  • The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français;
  • Terroir;
  • The Test Kitchen; and
  • Tokara.


The identities of the three anonymous judges who joined chief judge Abigail Donnelly in dining their way around the country to determine the nominees – and ultimately the winners – were unveiled last week. They are Jackie Cameron, award-winning former chef at Hartford House and owner of the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine; MasterChef SA judge and professional chef Benny Masekwameng; and award-winning food writer and celebrity TV chef Siba Mtongana.

The Top 10 Restaurants and the winners of other coveted awards, including the San Pellegrino Chef of the Year, Nederburg Rising Star, Boschendal Style Award, Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award (in association with Novus Holdings), Wine Service, Service Excellence and a new Woolworths Sustainability Award will be announced at the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards ceremony on Sunday, 15 November at Mistico Equestrian Centre, near Paarl. The announcement of the nominees kicks off a video campaign by Mercedes-Benz and Eat Out, with luxury prizes up for grabs.

Abigail Donnelly, Eat Out editor and chief judge, says: “This year the nominees amazed us with the scope of their imagination. In addition to pushing boundaries, chefs also told stories on the plate and made local ingredients the hero. This celebration of our country’s top produce and people will continue at the restaurant awards ceremony, set to be the best Sunday lunch of the year.”

A limited number of tickets is available for the 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards at a price of R1495 per person. Bookings can be made via www.eatout.co.za/bookings.

For more information, visit www.eatout.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.