Last night, the 13 restaurants that were awarded the highest accolade of three stars in the printed 2009 Rossouw’s Restaurants guide were invited to a celebration at Rust en Vrede for a short ceremony where I handed them a commemorative certificate followed by the appropriate celebration: a relaxed four course meal. Interestingly, this event nearly co-incided with my very first meal at Rust en Vrede a year ago and the “less is more” philosophy of the restaurant still impresses and delights – my thanks to David Higgs and the team for a superb evening.
The 13 three star winners are (in alphabetical order): Aubergine (Cape Town); Bosman’s at Grande Roche (Paarl); Butcher Shop and Grill (Sandton); Ile de Païn (Knysna); Jardine (Cape Town); La Colombe (Constantia); Magica Roma (Pinelands); Mariana’s (Stanford); The Tasting Room (Franschhoek); Thomas Maxwell Bistro (Sandton); Ritrovo (Pretoria); Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch); Zachary’s (Knysna).
The event was co-hosted by StreetSmart, the charity that’s featured in the guide and which helps street children through the donations of diners at participating restaurants. You can see which restaurants support StreetSmart here. It’s a fast growing group, and if you are a restaurateur, why not consider signing up?
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17 Comments
I had a fantastic lunch at Terroir last year.
Is the dining-room’s lack of sophictication counting against them?
Not really Bob, they had a patch of very patchy service was more the trouble. I do rate the food very highly, and two and a half stars is a fine score.
mmmm,service was pretty average but isn’t that the way right across the country anyway?
It is in my opinion.
when i go to a restaurant of this calibre or striving to be, i expect a waiter to know more than just the menu. Where is the poise, style and show from the service team?
For a start, a good restaurant(read-top fine dining)charging $$$, I don’t expect to have my order taken by a waiter/busboy anyway. That is the job of the Maitre and his assistant. The rest are there to fetch,clear,etc,etc….until they have put in the appropriate hard yards and been promoted. Likewise with the wine service.
Is there a service person in SA that even knows what a Chef de Rang is?(spelling?)
I could write pages about service issues that I have in SA. Every waiter fighting for his/her table to collect his/her tip.
A waiter is a waiter is a waiter? Not in my experience or opinion.
Rest assured, the Yanks and Ozzies are dishing up the same kind of kak.
Now JPR,I’m going to assume you’ve sat at a 3* table in London or Paris and seen the way Geriod or Pascal or Dietmar or Antonio has run the service?
This has nothing to do with training or attending the Stellenbosch wine academy. More to do with years of ground work doing nothing but running food, setting tables, polishing glasses and collecting crap pay.
In light of this, is it not a little pointless evaluating any of our restaurants on service standards at all?
It’s not as if you are comparing the good with the bad…..more like comparing the bad with the not quite as bad?
PS: To be fair La Colombe was ok but I’ll never accept paying $$$ and having my order taken by someone who is not a career service person with years of experience and whose only ambition is to be the best service person that he/she can be.
Bob, you must have a pretty hard time enjoying yourself eating out in SA?
I don’t know where Bob has eaten in Paris and London but I certainly dont want our restaurants to imitate the pretentious service of some of the 2 and 3 star establishments. 99% of international visitors I speak to really rate and enjoy the friendly and unassuming service in Cape Town restaurants. The dining experince is generally world class in the Western Cape, which is reflected by 5 of our restaurants being in the top 100 in the world.I think very few diners share Bob’s expectation, not to mention the impact on costs should we employ Maitre D’s at Michelen star level.
But that is just it, is it not?
“Friendly”
….never classy,competent, anticipated, professional, etc,etc,etc.
nope….”friendly”
Whopeedo.
My Nan can do That.
hell, she can even spill the food all over your lap…be friendly AND apologetic?
….humble?
There’s another good one for you?
Brilliant
….in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
PS:…those in the know will tell you that the San Pelligrino Top 50 is the most laughable list in the world based on the publics’ current favorites and not to be confused with the Best 50 restaurants.
Like most lists…it’s better to be on than not but is nothing less than the industries biggest sales and marketing ploy.(not that I am anti-this either as I am pleased for any attention that good food receives)
Read the list….it is certainly not for real though.
Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athena behind the Tasting Room and La Colombe?
Come on….? You honestly think? There are plenty of examples if you’ve eaten in the restaurants abroad.
Gordon Ramsay dropping right out of the top 100?
Did he suddenly serve crap food that dropped him 90 odd places in 1 year?
Nope…..more likely his behavior outside of the kitchens has dropped him off-of-the flavor-of-the-month-list?
Biggest laugh…..Tetsuya in Oz. Their version of Ruebens based on my experience there. Gets into the top 20 or something.
With respect, I think JakeS is unfamiliar with the realities of the South African restaurant market. All of us involved in the food and beverage industry would love nothing more than to employ top qualified maitre D’s, sommeliers and waiters that are trained and willing to pursue a career as a waiter. That is the theory: the reality is that South African consumers are not willing to pay appropriate prices to sustain a salary bill which take into account employees of that nature. Let’s look at the reality: my wife and I had a wonderful dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Hospital Road. This 42 seater restaurant has approximately 50 staff members which include 3 sommeliers. The bill, which included 3 courses, 2 glasses of champagne and 1 bottle of wine, came to 320 pounds. An evening at La Colombe would cost us approximately 80 pounds. This is the essence of why Jake is unreasonable in his expectations. By the way, I am happy at 80 pounds with friendly service.
As for the Top 100 Restaurant List, I agree with Jake’s comments that these lists are not the be-all-and-end-all. Moreover, Ramsay’s flagship in Hospital Road should surely be in the top 20. However, having eaten at about 15 of the top 100 restaurants, I think The Tasting Room and La Colombe sits comfortably in the top 50. Especially as their executive chefs are in the kitchen almost every night.
GRG
…so can you clarify.
Should the Rand make substantial gains vs the Pound/Dollar/Euro.
We can expect South Africa to start delivering “world class” service? (As I see it)
BECAUSE
…..South Africa will no longer be considered “good value for money” by the overseas market thereby forcing these restaurants to compete with restaurants charging the same and demanding the same expectations?
Does this not seem ridiculous?
Again, I have to disagree with your,”sitting comfortably in the top 50″ reckoning? You yourself point out the Gordon should be in the top 20, therefore I will assume that SA does not have a restaurant of that caliber…read- 3 Michelin stars? Following that line of logic…..there are approximately 70 odd 3 stars covering the main dining destinations that Michelin publishes.
…..do you see where I am heading?
Again, look at the Top 50 list. Numbers 50-100.
Marcus Waring
l’arpege
robuchon
hibiscus
Gavroche
le cinq
Alain ducasse
ambroisie
De Librije
Dieter Muller
Maze….(the real one)
De Karmeliet
101….Gordon
….and this does not include any of the unknown Japanese restaurants rated at 3 Stars for serving Japanese food in Tokyo.
so there you have it.
Does this mean that I do not rate South Africa’s restaurants, of course not.
I love most of the restaurants in South Africa that I have tried. A lot of them genuinely have unbeatable settings.
But, to date, in all honesty…South Africa’s best still have a lot of work to do before truly being compared with the best in the other major culinary destinations.
Very suprised to see Overture didn’t make the 3 stars – I rate them at the very top of the restaurant game in SA – had a shockingly bad fillet dish at Ritrovo not long ago when I was in Ptown and a very average rabbit risotto at Thomas Maxwell in Jozi.
Does three stars indicate perfection? No. It indicates a really excellent restaurant in its category, one that has personality and offers a unique experience with very good food, again for its price. Bazil, I also have not eaten only perfect dishes at my three star awardees, but these are places that rise above the rest.
Well, I definilately think Overture offers all of the above.
JP, I just wanted to compliment you on the superb function. I enjoyed the evening and the food and wine pairing was one of the best I’ve had.
On this topic of service about which we could probably write a whole book:
As with most things, it depends on your expectations. There are those who expect a certain level of service and like things to be done ‘correctly’. But for myself, I often find that environment unenjoyable. GRG mentioned friendly and unassuming service, and I think he has a point.
There is no doubt that a waiter with a lot of experience can definitely add more value because that experience can is not only to do with service but also in interacting with the customer. Some customers like to chat with the waiter, others just want to hear about the menu and order. Some like to have things recommended, others like to make their own choice. An experienced waiter knows this and can adapt to the customer.
I don’t necessarily need brilliant service to enjoy the experience (although really good service does obviously enhance any experience), but bad service can and does ruin a meal. We can all agree on what would be bad service: not speaking english (in SA), not knowing the menu and the dishes, not knowing the wine list, not being available when needed, being surly or uninterested, etc.
Good service should be expected, brilliant service should be praised and bad service should be reported.
JakeS, the unwillingnes of local diners to pay prices that will allow the service you desire has nothing to do with exchange rate.I agree that we do not have restaurants that will receive 3 Michelin stars, but you must remember that the criteria for 3 stars extend beyond the quality of the food and include staff/client ratio,cutlery/crockery etc. My personal preference is great food in an unpretentious environment without overwhelming servive. The Atelier Robuchon concept originated from his desire to avoid the excesses that goes with 3 stars. In my view,in SA only Aubergine,Zachary’s,Bosmans, La Colombe and Tasting Room could be considered for 2 Michelen stars. But that does not mean that the food experience of the other top ones are not exceptional.
GRG, it seems as if you have travelled afar and eaten in some fabulous restaurants. Service does not appear to rate too highly on your list of priorities. Jakes, you too, seem to have had some exceptional service in places.
I have had a few interesting experiences and would like to contribute: at the Fat Duck in Brey, you might have hear of it… service was invisible. As you thought about needing something, waiters would appear… not overbearing, stuffy and in your ‘every view’ but rather there when you needed some attention and not there when you were trying to, privately enjoy your experience. The problem with 3* M service is that often it is too fussy, formal and intimidating. Pretentious in the extreme!!..
Hospital Rd was undoubtedly absolutely fabulous food, worthy of a top ten in my view, the service however was a little intimidating, millitary like, a bit cold and almost too perfect. The soul that JPR refers to was missing… Whereas at the Fat Duck they were completely in tune with what we needed at precisely the right moment every time.
We have a long way to go in SA but please let us not become stuffy and pretentous. Friendly does not excuse incompetance, I agree but let us train our waitering staff appropiately… they have the willingness but lack the skills to deliver superior service.
Back to M *’s, I don’t think any of our local top restaurants would meet the 2* criteria. According to the M* rating system, in my experience, La Colombe, Aubergine, Bosmans and Nova would easily qualify for at least a star. Jardine’s food, hands down, but the interior is appauling.
What do you guys think??
Thanks for the contributions Nicola, and the conversational tone! I agree that the best service, for me, combines technical prowess and propriety with seamlessness – an invisibility that makes all look effortless. I also think there may be an “old” style (with more pomp and certainly reserve) and a “new” style (with more approachability which could be construed as “too familiar”) – but both need to seem effortless to be a cut above.
We just got back from – Massimo’s Pizza Club in Hout Bay – JP, I’m not sure if you have a Pizza Catergory, but if you do then this is a 3 star pizza pozzy !! This is without any doubt – ( and I really don’t need any input here ) the best Pizza in CT, if not SA – seriously authentic, seriously flavoursome pizza. Pizza Club has taken over the scarecrow farmstall coffee shop cum childrens playground at night and the scarecrow interior and italian pizza local sit somehat uneasily side by side however, husband and wife team Tracey and Massimo are delivering the REAL thing. Try BIANCA : Smoked Mozz, Rosemary, Garlic. COPPA: Tomato. Mozz, rocket & Coppa. FINOCCHIO: Fennel, garlic butter, mozz & parmesan. PANCHETTA: tomato, mozz, pancetta, mushrooms. The Pizza’s are seriously good – thin based, wood baked and topped with quality italian ingriedients. Wine list is short and sweet with a handfull of accessible whites and reds all @ R65 a bottle ( can u believe ?? ) After dinner we had a selection of homemade ice creams ( R30 ) – the dark choc is a work of art. The menu is either Ala carte R44 – R79 per pizza or R88 for the pizza feast which includes a salad and all you can eat pizza where Massimo keeps sending out varied topped pizza’s until you can’t anymore. Also a R140 3 course menu for Tables of ten or more which includes antipasto.
The Homemade Limoncello is a MUST – a zingy pick me up ( R18 )Bill for 2 incuding a Beetroot & Feta Salad, corkage, 2 Pizza’s, 2 Ice Creams and 1 Limoncello – R290.00 – Book soon – you will thank me !! Tel 073 390 1373 or 021 7907906 http://www.pizzaclub.co.za Wed – Sat Dinner closed whole of June
Please see my post of 22 May, we seem to be in agreement.