If you’re looking to expand your list of favourite restaurants to include some fine dining, and you live in the Cape, then you’re in luck.

The Western Cape dominated at this year’s Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards.

18 of the top 20 restaurants are local favourites, with only two hailing from elsewhere – Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient in Pretoria in ninth place, and LivingRoom at Summerhill Estate in Durban at number 13.

Before we talk about the top restaurant in the country, here’s the top 10, from BusinessTech:

• 10. Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
• 9. Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient (Elandsfontein, Pretoria)
• 8. Salsify (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
• 7. Eike (Stellenbosch)
• 6. La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
• 5. FYN Restaurant (City Bowl, Cape Town)
• 4. Wolfgat (Paternoster)

A reminder that Wolfgat has been killing it on a global scale. Earlier this year, they secured the title of ‘World’s Best Restaurant’ at the first World Restaurant Awards.

• 3. The Restaurant at Waterkloof (Somerset West)
• 2. The Test Kitchen (Woodstock, Cape Town)

And finally, drum roll, please…

La Colombe in Constantia has been named South Africa’s number one restaurant at the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards.

Moving from number three in 2018, it is the first time La Colombe has achieved the title of “Restaurant of the Year”, having previously peaked at second place in 2015 and 2016.

Over to Food24 for what sets this restaurant apart.

 La Colombe, has been wowing guests for decades. It has garnered countless accolades and undergone some pretty substantial changes over the years, including the major move from Constantia Uitsig to Silvermist Estate in 2014.

Since then, the interior has transformed a few times and menus have evolved but one thing has stayed the same; the tuna tataki course that’s become a true La Colombe trademark.

Executive Chef James Gaag tells the story behind this legendary little can of tuna:

That’s definitely not the tuna you lived on when you were a student.

I reckon it’s going to be even harder to get a reservation at La Colombe from now on, so you might want to get on that.

[sources:businesstech&food24]