There is no shortage of restaurant awards on the F&B scene, usually voted by industry insiders and high-profile heavyweights. But now the people have spoken, following the unveiling of Dineplan’s Reviewers’ Choice Awards, celebrating the top 100 restaurants and dining experiences in South Africa. The restaurant reservations platform pulled in data from 320 000 diner-generated reviews, offering a representative view of consumers’ best-loved restaurants in the country. Notably, the top five establishments are all located in the Western Cape.
Here’s how it works: once diners have honoured their reservation, they are invited to rate and review their experience based on four key criteria – service, value, food and ambience. Thanks to consumer-driven awards like these, diners hold the power to shape the restaurant landscape, providing a unique opportunity to champion their preferred culinary hot spots while simultaneously setting the benchmark for industry excellence.
1. Good to Gather, Stellenbosch
Taking this year’s top spot is Good to Gather, a quaint restaurant located on Rozendal Farm in Stellenbosch. With its ever-changing seasonal menus that are heartfelt, wholesome and produce-driven, Good to Gather has quickly become a foodie favourite since its 2020 launch. Born during the pandemic in an era of dreaded lockdowns, the restaurant started as a pop-up serving lunch exclusively on weekends. Now the highest diner-voted eatery in the country, Good to Gather is indeed a rare success story that developed and thrived during an unlikely time.
“We feel incredibly honoured,” Good to Gather owners Jess and Luke Grant said in a statement.
“For us, it’s not just about serving food, it’s about the heart and soul we pour into every aspect of our restaurant. We are so grateful to every diner who has visited us this past year. For every meal and story shared. And that we have the great privilege of doing what we do, creating a space that connects food, nature, and people.”
INFO: Rozendal Farm, Omega Roadd, Rozendal, Stellenbosch, +27 71 610 0855
Here’s how the rest of the top 5 stack up …
2. Reverie Social Table, Cape Town
Coming in a close second is the Reverie Social Table, a unique ‘one table – five courses’ concept that’s taken Mother City by storm. Served table d’ hote-style, the Social Table five-course dinner party by chef/owner Julia Hattingh is perfectly paired with boutique wines from around the Western Cape, ensuring a full night of fun, food and new friends.
INFO: 226A Lower Main Rd, Observatory, Cape Town, +27 79 060 6971
3. Eatery at Winshaw Vineyards, Stellenbosch
A newcomer that opened in late 2023, the Winshaw Wine Tasting and Eatery is a charming family farm famous for its wines, Usana grass-fed/finished meat and pasture-raised eggs. Enjoy a leisurely lunch on the lawn or huddle up in the indoor space when the weather gets frosty.
INFO: Baden Powell Drive, Lynedoch, Stellenbosch, +27 83 650 9528
4. The Table at De Meye, Stellenbosch
Owned and run by chef couple Brendan Thorncroft and Leigh Williamson, The Table at De Meye is a farm-to-table dining concept serving up local produce in a picture-perfect Stellenbosch
setting. Keeping things fresh, quite literally, the restaurant’s weekly menu offers a seasonal selection of dishes from the farm’s locally sourced ingredients.
INFO: Muldersvlei Road Klapmuts, Stellenbosch, +27 72 696 0530
5. Schneider’s Cape Floral Kitchen, Stanford
Schneider’s Cape Floral Kitchen, located between Stanford and Gansbaai in the heart of the Floral Kingdom, is a one-of-a-kind restaurant by Michelin chef Jürgen Schneider and wife Susanne. Serving up an eclectic mix of dishes, the couple is all about foraging food from nature. Unique flavours like dune spinach, wild sage, buchu, confetti bush and seaweed are carefully infused into dishes, making it a much-loved fan favourite amongst foodies.
