Eat Out have just announced the 20 restaurants shortlisted for the 2011 Eat Out Restaurant Awards to be held on the 20th November 2011.
Says Eat Out editor and judge for the competition Abigail Donnelly:
“I have tasted remarkable creations cooked with enthusiasm, and the combination of flavours and rigorous techniques has made sure that the element of surprise is always kept alive,”.
“2011 is definitely the year of the egg and the wild sorrel. Many chefs have displayed a strong sense of nature through foraging in forests or veggie gardens, and pure South African storytelling has also been celebrated.”
The final Top 10 restaurants will be revealed at the Eat Out Awards ceremony on the 20th November 2011 where the top SA restaurant and chef will be announced.
The 20 nominees are as follows:
Azure Restaurant (Cape Town)
Babel (Franschhoek)
Bosman’s (Paarl)
DW Eleven-13 (Johannesburg)
The Greenhouse (Cape Town)
Hartford House (KZN)
Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
La Colombe (Cape Town)
Nobu (Cape Town)
Overture (Stellenbosch)
Pierneef à La Motte (Franschhoek)
The Planet Restaurant (Cape Town)
The Restaurant at Grande Provence (Franschhoek)
Restaurant Mosaic at Orient (Elandsfontein, Gauteng)
Roots (Krugersdorp, Gauteng)
The Roundhouse (Cape Town)
The Tasting Room (Franschhoek)
Terroir (Stellenbosch)
The Test Kitchen (Cape Town)
Tokara (Stellenbosch)
Congratulations to Abigail Donnelly on a huge task and very well done to all the restaurants who made the Top 20!
Interesting to note that last year’s winner Rust en Vrede has not made the Top 20. David Higgs, 2010 Chef of the Year, recently left Rust en Vrede to make a move to Joburg and, according to Eat Out, a new chef has to be at a restaurant for a year for it to be eligible.
What do you think of this list? Are there other restaurants you would like to see included?