What's been cooking at the fifth annual Luxe Restaurant Awards

Last year, I wrote about how the fourth Luxe Restaurant Awards proved the dominance of the Cape Town food scene after the Mother City took home the Lion’s Head share of accolades. This left Joburg, Durban and Gqeberha unable to handle the heat in the kitchen. Thankfully, this year I've had to eat my words.

First, there is a name change, as the fifth annual Luxe-Jonsson Workwear Restaurant Awards received a sponsor, something I cannot say for my soon-to-be launched Toasted Ice Top Two Tuckshop Awards, to be held every two years.

Second, of the 24 restaurant awards dished out this year, jou ma se favourite city bagged 12, while Gauteng took home 10 and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) managed two. The rest of the country did not even feature.

It is as if the Gauteng and KZN culinary establishments downloaded last year’s Luxe awards exam papers and prepared better.

The extra-curricular cramming seems to have paid off as Chef of the Year went to Johannes Richter of Living Room in Summerhill, Pinetown. Something must be cooking in Pinetown as the Sustainability Award will also reside in that area, at the Living Room.

Tutor fees also bore great marks for Joburg’s Embarc, which scooped the Bistro of the Year award, while Mama Samba in Rosebank won the Style Award and J’Something’s Artistry in Sandton the Lifestyle Restaurant of the Year.

The rest of the 2023 Luxe Restaurant Awards category winners are as follows:

Restaurant of the Year: Salsify at the Roundhouse — Cape Town

New Restaurant of the Year: Post and Pepper — Stellenbosch

Bar of the Year: Zioux — Sandton

Culinary Innovation Award: Wandile Mabaso — Bryanston

Culinary Media Personality of the Year: Lorna Maseko — Johannesburg

Culinary Rising Star Award: Jess van Dyk — Cape Town

Food/Lifestyle Series of the Year: Homegrown Tastes SA

Pastry Chef of the Year: Meg Meikle — Johannesburg

Pioneer Award: David Higgs — Johannesburg

Service Excellence Award: SIBA — The Restaurant — Cape Town

African Restaurant of the Year: Clara’s Barn — Cape Town

Cafe of the Year: Just Teddy — Hyde Park

Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: La Petite Colombe — Franschhoek

Grillhouse of the Year: Marble — Rosebank

Hotel Restaurant of the Year: SIBA — The Restaurant — Cape Town

International Restaurant of the Year: Tang Cape Town — Cape Town

Lifestyle Restaurant of the Year: Artistry — Sandton

Pop Up Experience of the Year: Vusi Ndlovu, Edge at the Mount Nelson — Cape Town

Street Food Experience of the Year: Ramenhead — Cape Town

Wine Service Award: Victor Okolo — Cape Town

People’s Choice Award: Homespun Blouberg — Cape Town

Contemporary Casual Restaurant of the Year: Ethos — Johannesburg

The winners were chosen by a team of anonymous food critics and a popular public digital vote. The panel of judges was convened by Chad Fourie, chief judge of the Luxe Restaurant Awards and MD of The Hospitality Counsel.