Locals have long known it, and the arrival of the Time Out Market Cape Town in 2023 certainly foretold it, but now the World Culinary Awards gave the Mother City’s reputation as the gourmet capital of Africa their official stamp of approval. After thousands of votes – from industry players and foodie travellers alike – the World Culinary Awards named Cape Town as Africa's Best Culinary City Destination for 2024.
In what is the fifth outing for the annual Awards, the winners were unveiled at Summersalt Jumeirah Al Naseem in Dubai. And while Cape Town beat out the likes of Marrakech and Cairo to win the sought-after City award, Cape Town also owned the night as several local restaurants claimed top awards.
SALON, the latest signature restaurant by acclaimed chef Luke Dale Roberts, was named Africa’s Best New Restaurant, and since opening in April 2023, SALON has certainly made its mark on the city’s fine-dining scene with an inventive multi-course menu that takes inspiration from Luke’s global culinary career.
Across town, on the slopes of Table Mountain, Salsify at the Roundhouse was named Africa’s Best Landmark Restaurant for the second year in a row!
‘It has been six years since Salsify first opened its doors,’ said Head Chef for Salsify, Nina du Toit, accepting the Award on behalf of the Salsify team. ‘Awards like these acknowledge our efforts and reward us for the time we’ve taken to get here and the time we put into every day to make Salsify an exceptional experience for our guests.’
But Cape Town wasn’t done yet.
Siba The Restaurant at The Table Bay Hotel was named Africa's Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant 2024. The restaurant has since closed while the hotel is refurbished, but diners can enjoy a taste of Siba’s cuisine at The Siba Deli at the Time Out Market Cape Town.
The V&A Waterfront is evidently a culinary hotspot, with TANG awarded Africa's Best Asian Cuisine Restaurant, while out in the winelands Babel at Babylonstoren was awarded Africa's Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant.
Local intel: Time Out's pick of The 35 Best Restaurants in Cape Town!