We all know how good the Cape Town food scene is - winning a plethora of awards over the years, but the Mother City's food industry has just received another big boost and some extra recognition thanks to the South Africa Restaurant Awards (SARA).
A whole host of Cape Town restaurants are up for awards at the second annual SARAs, which will be held on 7 April 2025 at Hotel Sky in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The delicious usual suspects such as La Colombe, FYN, Pier and Nobu feature (all of which you may have read about in our guide to the 40 Best Restaurants in Cape Town), while Cape Town newcomer Room 91 and Mill St Bistro in neighbouring Stellenbosch crack the nomination nod too.
The extra cool part about these awards is that the winners are decided by a public vote, which you can take part in HERE. Voting is open until 30 March 2025.
According to the SARAs, the awards 'reflect the richness and diversity of South Africa’s culinary landscape, with this public-driven recognition serving as a testament to the vibrant and exceptional quality of the country’s restaurants, bars, chefs, and hospitality professionals'.
Check out the awards our Cape Town restaurants are up for below:
Best Culinary Experience 2025
- La Colombe (Cape Town)
- Kolonaki Greek Kouzina (Randburg)
- Post & Pepper Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
- FYN (Cape Town)
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Cape Town)
- Salsify at the Roundhouse (Cape Town)
- Belly of the Beast (Cape Town)
- Encore Restaurant (Three Rivers)
- Pier (Cape Town)
- Eike by Bertus Basson (Stellenbosch)
- SIBA – The Restaurant
- Trumps Grillhouse and Butchery (Sandton)
- TANG Asian Restaurant & Bar (Sandton)
Best Restaurant in Cape Town 2025
- La Colombe
- Nobu
- The Codfather
- FYN
- Pot Luck Club
- Salsify at the Roundhouse
- Ginja
- Chefs Warehouse
- Pier
- Grub and Vine
- TANG Asian Luxury Restaurant
Best Hospitality 2025
- Marble (Johannesburg)
- The Saxon Hotel
- The Greenhouse (Sandton)
- Second Story (Sandton City)
- Flames (Westcliff, Johannesburg)
- Level Four Restaurant (Rosebank)
- Belly of the Beast (Cape Town)
- The Beverly Hills Hotel (Durban)
- The Pot Luck Club (Woodstock)
- The Cellars-Hohenort
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Cape Town)
- Salsify at the Roundhouse (Cape Town)
- Pier (Cape Town)
- Mamasamba (Rosebank)
- Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
Best Family-Friendly Restaurant 2025
- Olive ‘n Twist (Roodepoort)
- Primi Piatti
- Spur Steak Ranches
- The Fat Olive (Lanseria)
- Papachinos
- Ocean Basket (Various Locations)
- Bambanani (Melville)
- The Company’s Garden Restaurant (Cape Town)
- Gioia Trattoria (Parkwood)
- JoyJozi (Dunkeld)
- The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)
- Encore (Three Rivers)
Best New Restaurant 2025
- Sinn
- Kings Kraal
- Golden Hour
- Akti (Rosebank)
- Habibi (Sandton)
- Cullinan Luxury Restaurant & Champagne Lounge
- Mill St Bistro (Stellenbosch)
- Gigi (Waterfall City, Midrand)
- Room 91 (Cape Town)
- Obscura Cocktail Bar & Eatery (Rosebank)
- Donna Modern Italian (Ballito)
Best Fine Dining 2025
- Flames
- Aikido
- Verdicchio
- Dusk Restaurant
- Clico Hotel
- 11th Floor Restaurant
- Aman Restaurant
- Level Seven Restaurant
- La Colombe
- Stephnie’s
- Nomad Montecasino (Johannesburg)
Best Restaurant in Western Cape 2025
- La Colombe
- Salon Cape Town (Woodstock)
- FYN (Cape Town CBD)
- Pier Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Salsify at the Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
- The Pot Luck Club (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Eike by Bertus Basson (Stellenbosch)
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Cape Town)
- Reverie Social Table
- The Fat Fish (Plettenberg Bay)
Best Restaurant / Nightclub 2025
- Max’s Lifestyle (Durban)
- Sankayi Restaurant & Lounge (Sandton)
- Alchemy (Ballitoville)
- The Address (Cape Town)
- Greenhouse on Festival (Pretoria)
- Tycoon (Johannesburg)
- Newscafe
The awards ceremony will be broadcast on South African streaming platform, VooVix TV, allowing audiences nationwide to join in celebrating the country’s culinary achievements.
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