Top 20 restaurant nominees announced

It’s the moment we have been waiting for all year. Eat Out have announced the 20 nominees for this year’s Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards.

Judged by Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly and Wall Street Journal critic and World’s 50 Best Restaurants judge Bruce Palling, the Top 10 will be announced at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards on Sunday 25 November 2012.

The Western Cape dominates every year and 2012 is no exception with just 3 non-Western Cape restaurants showing up in the Top 20 list.

New entries for 2012:

Bizerca Bistro, makes an appearance in the Top 20 this year after winning Best Bistro in the category awards last year, will soon be relocating to Heritage Square.

Last year’s winner of The Boschedal Style Award, Makaron, is also included in this year’s Top 20.

Delaire Graff Estate Restaurant has edged onto the list this year. Well done guys!

2010 winner Rust en Vrede is back in favour after not making the Top 20 last year due to not being eligible because of a chef change.

Not eligible:

Nobu – In the Top 10 last year, not included this year, also due to a chef change. According to Eat Out’s criteria, a new chef has to be at a restaurant for a year for it to be eligible.

A couple of things we at Food24 HQ were chewing over:

Where is The Foodbarn? There is stiff competition no doubt, but not even in the Top 20?

We asked where Waterkloof was last year? And again, why has it not made 2012’s Top 20 list?

Tokara,
one of the most popular destinations in the winelands, was left out of
last year’s Top 10 much to the consternation of those “in the know” in the
industry. We wait with bated breath for Sunday 25 November when the Top
10 are announced at the “Foodie Oscars” ceremony to see if Tokara will make the Top 10?

Without further ado… here are the Top 20 nominees for 2012:

Babel (Franschhoek)
Bizerca Bistro (Cape Town)
Delaire Graff Estate Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
DW Eleven-13 (Johannesburg)
The Greenhouse ( Cape Town – 2011 winner)
Hartford House (KZN)
Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
La Colombe (Cape Town)
Makaron (Stellenbosch)
Overture (Stellenbosch)
Pierneef à La Motte (Franschhoek
Planet Restaurant (Cape Town)
Restaurant Mosaic (Elandsfontein, Gauteng)
The Roundhouse (Cape Town)
Rust en Vrede Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
The Tasting Room (Franschhoek)
Terroir (Stellenbosch)
The Test Kitchen (Cape Town)
Tokara (Stellenbosch)

The Pot Luck Club is not eligible to be nomited this year as per Eat
Out’s criteria – so it has been removed from the list leaving 19
nominees.

Your thoughts?