The 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards took place in Cape Town on Monday, March 31.
The ceremony was a star-studded affair, bringing together the country’s leading chefs, restaurateurs and industry figures for an evening celebrating South Africa’s culinary excellence.
Over eight months, a panel of eight anonymous, independent judges visited each shortlisted restaurant multiple times – during both peak and off-peak periods – to ensure a fair and all-encompassing assessment.
Eat Out’s star-rating system remains the gold standard in South Africa, with restaurants earning 1, 2 or 3 stars based on their final scores.
The criteria cover every aspect of the dining experience, from food quality and technique to service, ambience and value.
The coveted 3-star rating is reserved for restaurants scoring over 90 out of 100, while 2-star and 1-star ratings are awarded to those scoring between 80 and 89, and 70 and 79, respectively."
Best restaurant of the year
Salsify at the Roundhouse in Camps Bay was awarded Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year, having attained the highest score of any restaurant in the country.
The 2025 winners are listed below:
3 Stars
- Dusk (Stellenbosch)
- Fyn (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)
- La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
- Pier (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Salsify at the Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
- The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)
2 Stars
- Beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Chorus (Somerset West)
- Clara’s Barn (Stellenbosch)
- Epice (Franschhoek)
- Faber at Avondale (Paarl)
- Fermier (Pretoria)
- Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
- Mertia (Stellenbosch)
- Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Protégé (Franschhoek)
- Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)
- Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)
- The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
- Wolfgat (Paternoster)
1 Star
- Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)
- Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)
- Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic (Hout Bay, Cape Town)
- Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)
- Culinary Table (Lanseria)
- Eike (Stellenbosch)
- Ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Farro (Botrivier)
- Galjoen (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Hōseki (Stellenbosch)
- Kapokbos (Bonnievale)
- Le coin Français (Franschhoek)
- Les Créatifs Restaurant (Bryanston, Johannesburg)
- Marble Restaurant Johannesburg (Rosebank, Johannesburg)
- Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)
- Nevermind (Cape St Francis)
- Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)
- Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)
- Restaurant Klein Jan (Tswalu)
- Reverie Social Table (Observatory, Cape Town)
- Rykaart’s Restaurant at Longridge Wine Estate (Stellenbosch)
- Scape at Vrymansfontein (Paarl)
- Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)
- Table Seven (Salt River, Cape Town)
- The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)
- The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock, Cape Town)
- Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)
- Vuur Goose Island (Stellenbosch)
- Zioux (Sandton, Johannesburg)
The Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards celebrate more than just outstanding dining – they recognise the trailblazers shaping South Africa’s culinary future.
IOL Lifestyle