Joburg eatery comes out tops in countrywide Restaurant Week awards

Restaurant Week, the initiative that offers diners an opportunity to dine out at discounted rates at a selection of restaurants around the country, has come to a close and the results, as voted by the diners, have been released by the organisers. Good news for Gautengers is that the relatively new Joburg suburban eatery Liberté has taken top honours. 

Restaurant Week has grown in popularity and for this edition 125 restaurants participated and more than 25,000 patrons took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy dining out at discounted rates. Participants were invited to review the restaurant they had selected. 

Reviewers were asked to rate their chosen eatery out of 10 points in each of the categories: cuisine, service and ambience. From 1,198 reviews received for this edition, the scores were calculated on the highest scoring average from a minimum of 20 reviews from the participating restaurants.

Liberté in Craighall Park, Johannesburg, received an overall 9.9 points which included a 10/10 for service.

Liberté, the French word for freedom, is the brainchild of owner Natasha Maciel. This is her new baby as she also owns the much-lauded neighbourhood Italian favourite Pronto across the road. Maciel was overwhelmed when she received the news. “I was very emotional ... what an incredible honour for the little underdog with a big heart,” she said.  

Liberté is well known for its modern take on French classic dishes. Described as elegant and simple, the food is made with the best ingredients the restaurant can source. The restaurant has become a popular spot. 

Other restaurants that were highly rated in the April edition included:

Best of Cape Town: Homespun at The Andros, 9.9

Best of Johannesburg: Marble, 9.8

Best of Pretoria: Brasserie de Paris, 9.8

Best of the Winelands: Cavalli Restaurant, 9.8

Best of Durban: The Chefs' Table, 9.8

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