Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards 2026

This year’s Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards were announced on Monday, 23 March. The judging process took place over eight months, a panel of seven anonymous, independent judges visiting restaurants across the country.

Eat Out’s star-rating system sees 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 go to those scoring between 80 and 89 and 70 and 79 respectively.

The winners were as follows:

3 Stars

• FYN (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)

• La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)

• MERTIA (Stellenbosch)

• Pier (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)

• Salsify at the Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)

• The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)

2 Stars

• Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)

• Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)

• COY Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• Dusk (Stellenbosch)

• Epice (Franschhoek)

• FABER at Avondale (Paarl)

• Fermier (Tshwane)

• Good to Gather (Stellenbosch)

• Hōseki (Stellenbosch)

• Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)

• Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)

• Protégé (Franschhoek)

• Rust en Vrede Restaurant (Stellenbosch)

• The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)

• The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)

• The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)

• The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• Vuur Goose Island (Stellenbosch)

• Wolfgat (Paternoster)

1 Star

• BLOEM at Paul Clüver Family Wines (Elgin, Grabouw)

• Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)

• Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)

• Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic (Hout Bay, Cape Town)

• CHORUS (Somerset West)

• Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)

• CURATE at Ellerman House (Bantry Bay, Cape Town)

• Cyra (Houghton Estate, Johannesburg)

• Eike (Stellenbosch)

• ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Embarc (Parkhurst, Johannesburg)

• Ember & Oak (Constantia, Cape Town)

• Galjoen (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Kapokbos Restaurant (Bonnievale)

• Le coin Français (Franschhoek)

• Leeto (Paternoster)

• Les Créatifs (Bryanston, Johannesburg)

• Marble Restaurant Johannesburg (Rosebank, Johannesburg)

• Melfort (Stellenbosch)

• Merchant Bar & Grill (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Nevermind (Cape St Francis)

• Ongetem (Gardens, Cape Town)

• Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)

• Qunu (Sandhurst, Johannesburg)

• Reverie Social Table (Observatory, Cape Town)

• Saint Restaurant (Sandton, Johannesburg)

• Seebamboes (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)

• Table Seven (Salt River, Cape Town)

• Terrarium (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

• The Bistro at Brookdale Estate (Paarl)

• The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)

• The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg (Melrose, Johannesburg)

• The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)

• The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock, Cape Town)

• Tyler’s (eMdloti)

• Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)

For the first time, three Green Stars were awarded to recognise restaurants leading the way in creating a more sustainable and responsible food industry. These are:

• Rural Green Star Award: The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate

• Urban Green Star Award: Dusk

•  Emerging Green Star Award: Terrarium

Special Awards

• Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year: FYN

• Eat Out Rising Star Award: Aren Pollack at Embarc

• Eat Out House of Suntory Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award: Ken Forrester of Ken Forrester Wines

• Eat Out Callebaut Dessert Award: Catherine Adonis at Qunu

• Eat Out Patrón Mixology Award: Beyond and FYN (sister restaurants)

• Eat Out Best Destination Restaurant: The Table at De Meye

• Eat Out Wine Service Award: Elton Damon at La Petite Colombe

• Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Service Excellence Award: MERTIA

• Eat Out VISI Style Award: Amura

• Eat Out Woolworths Best New Restaurant: Amura

• Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award: Margot Janse, chef and former Eat Out chief judge