Salsify at the Roundhouse received the highly coveted Restaurant of the Year award.
The 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards took place at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town on March 31, showcasing South Africa's top chefs and restaurateurs.
This year's judging process was more thorough and transparent, with eight anonymous judges visiting each shortlisted restaurant multiple times over eight months to ensure fairness.
“This year’s winners represent the best of South African dining,” says Abigail Donnelly, Eat Out’s Culinary Director. “The new judging approach ensures every star truly reflects consistent excellence, from innovation to the guest experience.”
Eat Out’s star ratings remain the gold standard, with restaurants earning 1, 2, or 3 stars based on their scores. A 3-star rating is given to those who score above 90, while 2 and 1 stars go to those scoring between 80-89 and 70-79, respectively. Earning a star is a major achievement, with only the top restaurants making the cut.
Congratulations to 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Award winners
One Star
- Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)
- Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)
- Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic (Hout Bay, Cape Town)
- Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)
- Culinary Table (Lanseria)
- Eike (Stellenbosch)
- Ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Farro (Botrivier)
- Galjoen (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Hōseki (Stellenbosch)
- Kapokbos (Bonnievale)
- Le coin Français (Franschhoek)
- Les Créatifs Restaurant (Bryanston, Johannesburg)
- Marble Restaurant Johannesburg (Rosebank, Johannesburg)
- Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)
- Nevermind (Cape St Francis)
- Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)
- Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)
- Restaurant Klein JAN (Tswalu)
- Reverie Social Table (Observatory, Cape Town)
- Rykaart’s Restaurant at Longridge Wine Estate (Stellenbosch)
- Scape at Vrymansfontein (Paarl)
- Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)
- Table Seven (Salt River, Cape Town)
- The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)
- The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Vuur Goose Island (Stellenbosch)
- Zioux (Sandton, Johannesburg)
Two Stars
- Beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
- CHORUS (Somerset West)
- Clara’s Barn (Stellenbosch)
- Epice (Franschhoek)
- FABER at Avondale (Paarl)
- Fermier (Pretoria)
- Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
- MERTIA (Stellenbosch)
- Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Protégé (Franschhoek)
- Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)
- Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)
- The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Wolfgat (Paternoster)
Three Stars
- Dusk (Stellenbosch)
- FYN (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)
- La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
- Pier (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Salsify at the Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
- The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)
Special awards: Excellence beyond the plate
The Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards celebrate exceptional dining and the innovators shaping South Africa’s culinary future. Special Awards recognize sustainability champions, rising stars, and industry icons for their creativity, service, and craftsmanship.
Salsify at the Roundhouse in Camps Bay was named Restaurant of the Year, scoring the highest in the country. Judges praised its blend of history, local foraging, and storytelling through the menu, complemented by attentive, friendly service that makes guests feel special.
The remaining special award winners were:
- Eat Out Woolworths Wine Service Award: Michelle Erasmus (La Colombe)
- Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award: Bertus Basson (Eike, Spek & Bone, CHORUS, Clara’s Barn)
- Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Service Excellence Award: MERTIA
- Eat Out House of Suntory Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award:Franck Dangereux (chef-owner of The Foodbarn Café & Tapas and founder of La Colombe)
- Eat Out VISI Style Award: COY
- Eat Out Lexus Best Destination Restaurant: Kapokbos (Bonnievale)
- Eat Out Yoco Best New Restaurant: Cyra
- Eat Out Callebaut Dessert Award: Epice
- Eat Out Patrón Mixology Award: La Petite Colombe
- Eat Out S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Chefs’ Chef: Ivor Jones