South Africa’s best casual restaurants announced

South Africans have spoken – the country’s favourite eateries in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have just been revealed at the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries celebrations in Johannesburg and Cape Town on 17 and 25 September respectively.

These great restaurants were voted for by the public and vetted by Eat Out’s professional critics. Public ratings for restaurants in each category, taken from reviews on the Eat Out app and website (eatout.co.za), were tallied with scores from Eat Out in a 50-50 balance.

Not only is a review a vote for a favourite restaurant, it helps feed a hungry child: Eat Out pledges a meal through Rise Against Hunger for every review it receives. To date, Eat Out has helped feed over 13 500 children.

“We love the fact that these winning restaurants are determined by the people who eat there and review them the most,” says Adelle Horler, Eat Out’s editor in chief. “A lot of glory goes to fine dining establishments, but we also need to celebrate the everyday eateries that keep us coming back again and again, for favourite dishes prepared just the way we like them. By celebrating these eateries, we share the neighbourhood gems you may not even know about yet.”

This is the fifth year that Eat Out, together with Mercedes-Benz, has motivated the public to help select and applaud South Africa’s favourite everyday restaurants via the star rating system on the Eat Out app and website.
Presented by Zola Nene, Eat Out’s ‘Foodie at Large’, the 2019 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries winners and highly commended restaurants in South Africa are:

Western Cape
Durbanville Hills Best Bistro
Winner – The Shop Restaurant, Three Anchor Bay
Highly commended – Groot Phesantekraal Restaurant, Durbanville

Best Coffee Shop
Winner – Pajamas and Jam Eatery, Strand (winner of this award for the second consecutive year)
Highly commended – Boston Coffee, Bellville (high commended in this category for the second consecutive year)

Hellmann’s Best Burger Eatery
Winner – De Vrije Burger, Stellenbosch
Highly commended – Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers and Ribs, V&A Waterfront

Tramontina Best Steakhouse
Winner – The Fat Butcher, Stellenbosch
Highly commended – Rare Grill, Kenilworth (winner of this category in 2018)

Best Tapas Eatery
Winner – ChiCha Wine and Tapas Bar, Sea Point

Best Asian-Inspired Eatery
Winner – Tjing Tjing Torii, Cape Town CBD
Highly commended – Bao Down Restaurant, Oranjezicht

Best Italian-Inspired Eatery
Winner – Scarpetta, Woodstock

Best Country-Style Eatery
Winner – Karoo Art Hotel Restaurant, Barrydale (highly commended in this category in 2018)

Best Indian-Inspired Eatery
Winner – The Indian Chapter with Prim Reddy, Bloubergstrand (winner in this category for the fourth consecutive year)

KwaZulu-Natal
Best Coffee Shop
Winner – Café Mayfair, Hillcrest

Hellmann’s Best Burger Eatery
Winner – Smokin’ Joe’s, Durban

Tramontina Best Steakhouse
Winner – Butcher Block, Umhlanga

Best Country-Style Eatery
Winner – Oaklands Country Manor, Van Reenen

Gauteng
Durbanville Hills Best Bistro
Winner – Tin Roof Café, Mooiplaats
Highly commended – Douglas + Hale, Parktown North
Best Coffee Shop
Winner – Café Billi Bi, Modderfontein
Highly commended – Afro-boer, Die Wilgers (winner in this category in 2018)

Hellmann’s Best Burger Eatery
Winner – The Countess, Mellville

Tramontina Best Steakhouse
Winner – Che Argentine Grill, Parkwood

Best Tapas Eatery
Winner – NGC, Randburg
Highly commended – Mix Cocktail Bar, Rosebank

Best Asian-Inspired Eatery
Winner – Momo Kuro, Rosebank

Best Italian-Inspired Eatery
Winner – Casa Bella, Montecasino

Best Mexican-Inspired Eatery
Winner – J. Rabbit Tequileria, Sandton

Says Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz South Africa Cars: “South Africans have spoken yet again, placing their votes behind their favourite local eateries. It takes attention to detail, a dedicated team and hard work to run a successful restaurant with delicious food, and we congratulate the winning restaurants for winning over the hearts and votes of those who matter the most to them – their patrons.”

The qualifying restaurants were those that received the highest average star ratings between 1 October 2018 and 31 July 2019, followed by the critics’ review period in August 2019 for those qualifying restaurants that received the highest average star rating but didn’t have a critic’s review for the period. Final scores were based on a 50-50 composite rating determined by both the public and the critics.

CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.