South Africa Restaurant Awards 2026 Celebrates a Landmark Third Edition Honouring Culinary Excellence Across the Nation

Johannesburg, South Africa – The South Africa Restaurant Awards 2026 returned in spectacular fashion for its 3rd annual edition, bringing together South Africa’s most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality pioneers, and culinary innovators for an unforgettable evening at the prestigious Hotel Sky Sandton. Hosted by acclaimed actor Lewellyn R Cordier and media personality Tiffany Katelyn Francis, the glamorous evening combined entertainment, prestige, and culinary excellence in a world-class celebration of the country’s thriving hospitality sector.

Broadcast nationally on Channel ONE Africa (TV & Radio), the ceremony delivered a world-class celebration of culinary excellence, innovation, and hospitality leadership, highlighting the restaurants, personalities, and establishments redefining South Africa’s food and dining landscape.

From luxury fine dining destinations to beloved family establishments and emerging culinary brands, the 2026 edition reflected the resilience, creativity, and international competitiveness of South Africa’s hospitality industry. The atmosphere throughout the evening was electric, with guests treated to premium experiences, industry networking, and high-profile presentations celebrating the very best of African hospitality and gastronomy.

The South Africa Restaurant Awards 2026 further cemented its position as one of the continent’s premier hospitality recognition platforms, celebrating excellence across regional, national, and speciality categories, with more than 1.2 million public votes submitted in support of South Africa’s leading restaurants, chefs, and hospitality establishments.

A Night of Winners, Prestige & Culinary Recognition

This year’s ceremony celebrated exceptional achievements across the restaurant and hospitality sectors, honouring both established industry leaders and rising stars shaping the future of dining in South Africa.

FULL LIST OF SOUTH AFRICA RESTAURANT AWARDS 2026 WINNERS

Best Culinary Experience 2026 (Sponsored by Los Locos Tequila)
Winner: Tempo Luxury Restaurant (Sandton)
Runner-Up: AMAN Restaurant (Sandton)

Best Restaurant in Cape Town 2026 (Sponsored by Aquatir SA)
Winner: La Colombe Restaurant (Constantia)
Runner-Up: PIER Restaurant (V&A Waterfront)

Best Restaurant in Pretoria 2026 (Sponsored by The Capital Distillery)
Winner: Kream Restaurant (Brooklyn)
Runner-Up: PRIVA (Waterkloof Heights)

Best Restaurant in Sandton 2026 (Sponsored by L’Or Espresso South Africa)
Winner: AURUM Restaurant (Sandown)
Runner-Up: Tempo Luxury Restaurant

Best Fine Dining 2026 (Sponsored by L’Or Espresso South Africa)
Winner: Flames Restaurant (Westcliff, Johannesburg)
Runner-Up: AMAN Restaurant (Sandton)

Best New Restaurant 2026

Winner: S!gns (Sandton)
Runner-Up: Zuney Wagyu Burgers (Rosebank)

Best TV Cooking Show 2026 (Sponsored by L’Or Espresso South Africa)
Winner: Expresso Culinary Hotline
Runner-Up: SA Food Stories with Nicci Robertson

Best Chef 2026 (Sponsored by Kitchen Samurai)
Winner: Moses Moloi
Runner-Up: Bonga Williams

Best Hospitality 2026

Winner: Trumps Grillhouse & Butchery (Sandton)
Runner-Up: Flames Restaurant (Westcliff)

Best Hotel Restaurant 2026 (Sponsored by Avante Brandy)
Winner: Qunu Restaurant (The Saxon Hotel)
Runner-Up: Eclipse Restaurant (Hotel Sky Sandton)

Best Family-Friendly Restaurant 2026 (Sponsored by Spier Wines)
Winner: Encore Restaurant (Three Rivers)
Runner-Up: The Old Oak Restaurant & Family Centre (Linksfield North)

Best Restaurant Chain 2026 (Sponsored by MondayRepublic.com)
Winner: Col’Cacchio

Runner-Up: Ocean Basket

Best Bar 2026

Winner: Alto234 (Sandown)

Runner-Up: Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)

Best Restaurant in Eastern Cape 2026

Winner: Muse Restaurant (Gqeberha)
Runner-Up: Grazia Fine Food & Wine (East London)

Best Restaurant in Northern Cape 2026

Winner: Inni Kraal (Colesberg)

Runner-Up: The Fat Greek (Kimberley)

Best Restaurant in North West 2026

Winner: La Terrazza Restaurant (Hartbeespoort)
Runner-Up: Vela Contemporary Portuguese Restaurant (Hartbeespoort)

Best Restaurant in Western Cape 2026 (Sponsored by Dechavel Watches)
Winner: La Colombe Restaurant (Constantia)

Runner-Up: FYN (Cape Town)

Best Restaurant in Durban 2026

Winner: 9th Avenue Marina (Durban)
Runner-Up: Zai Restaurant Durban (Morningside)

Best Restaurant in Gauteng 2026 (Sponsored by Yoghurt Cheese)
Winner: AURUM Restaurant (Sandown)
Runner-Up: Trumps Grillhouse & Butchery (Sandton)

Best Overall Guest Experience 2026

Winner: Olives and Plates (Hyde Park)
Runner-Up: Die Pienk Kerk (Melville)

Best Customer Dining Experience 2026 (Sponsored by LITA Water)
Winner: Curate (Cape Town)

Runner-Up: Marble Cape Town (Cape Town)

Best Restaurant / Nightclub 2026

Winner: Greenhouse on Festival (Pretoria)

Runner-Up: Rockets (Bryanston)

Elevating the Experience Through Industry Partnerships

The South Africa Restaurant Awards 2026 was proudly supported by an exceptional line-up of partners and sponsors whose contributions elevated the ceremony into a premium hospitality and entertainment experience.

This year’s sponsors included Aquatir SA, L’Or Espresso South Africa, LITA Water, Avante Brandy, The Capital Distillery, Kitchen Samurai, Yoghurt Cheese, Spier Wines, Los Locos Tequila, MondayRepublic.com, NomaYini Projects and Dechavel Watches, reflecting a shared commitment to celebrating and advancing excellence within South Africa’s restaurant and hospitality industry.

Investing in the Future of Culinary Excellence

One of the standout highlights of the evening was the dedicated Culinary Education Showcase, where two of South Africa’s respected hospitality institutions, the International Hotel School and Steyn’s Culinary School, participated in an exclusive curated tasting suite experience. Students showcased exceptional culinary creations to invited guests, sponsors, media, and hospitality executives, offering a glimpse into the future of South African gastronomy.

The initiative further reinforced the South Africa Restaurant Awards’ commitment to developing emerging talent and creating meaningful industry exposure opportunities for the next generation of chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality professionals.

Recognising the Depth of South African Hospitality Talent

The inclusion of runner-up recognition across categories further demonstrated the exceptional level of competition and the growing standard of excellence within South Africa’s restaurant and hospitality sector.

With restaurants from across Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape, and Pretoria represented among the winners, the awards highlighted the rich diversity and national strength of South African cuisine and hospitality innovation.

About the South Africa Restaurant Awards

The South Africa Restaurant Awards celebrates excellence, innovation, and leadership within the South African hospitality and culinary industry. The awards recognize outstanding restaurants, chefs, hospitality establishments, and culinary personalities shaping the future of African dining while elevating South Africa’s position as a world-class food and hospitality destination.