Fabulous news from the Cape – for the first time since Lockdown started in South Africa, there are more Restaurant Openings than Closures!
Western Cape, South Africa (06 January 2022) – Do you remember when heartbreaking posts were being shared about the many restaurant closures around the country at the beginning of the Lockdown? Scores of business names were circulating as the list grew longer and longer. The restaurant industry had taken a massive knock, and thousands of South Africans were left out of work.
The latest permanent Lockdown Restaurant Closure list stands at 120 Restaurants in Cape Town and the Winelands. Casualties of the Covid Lockdown include The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Balducci’s and Belthazar in the Waterfront, Foliage in Franschhoek, The Shortmarket Club, La Tête, The Test Kitchen, and Greenhouse.
It is incredibly tragic. Many of these eateries were part of their communities, and their absence is a heartbreaking reminder of what this pandemic has done to “our normal”.
But it seems the lifting of the Curfew late on the 30th of December 2021 was the best gift that the Restaurant industry has received in the past 21 months and the tide is finally turning.
The ease of regulations meant that restaurants could remain open late on New Year’s Eve and that income was boosted by the more extended trading and better bookings for the evening, one which saw bookings sluggish until the announcement was made. One hopes that it is a good omen for the restaurant industry for the year ahead, coupled with the recent reversal of the travel bans instituted by the UK, the USA and Germany, being our major tourism source markets.
For the first time, the number of restaurant openings exceeds restaurant closures.
New restaurants have opened in Cape Town, and the Winelands, including Rykaarts Stellenbosch, MiCaffé in Bree Street with more restaurants about to open in The Barracks, a most disappointing Shoreditch House restaurant at The Winchester Hotel, and in Camps Bay Beach House, Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers & Ribs Summer Pop-Up Food Truck, Marcel’s Frozen Yoghurt, The Pottery, Bo-Vine, and Cause & Effect have opened. Since the beginning of Lockdown 21 months ago, 125 new restaurants have opened.
Check out the list of 125 restaurants that have opened below.
Restaurant Openings (Since the start of Lockdown on the 27th of March 2020):
- Ariel Modern Italian has opened in Sea Pont
- Barstaurant has opened at Glencairn Hotel in Simonstown, by the Tintswalo Group
- Beach House has opened on Victoria Road in Camps Bay, where Sunset Sessions used to be (now closed)
- Beyond at Buitenverwachting in Constantia, with Nicholas Walker as Manager, and Chef Julia du Toit heading up the kitchen. (Chef Peter Tempelhoff)
- Blue Coriander Indian restaurant has opened in Place Vendome in Franschhoek, the owner being a former chef at Marigold
- Bo-Kaap Deli has opened in Bo-Kaap
- Bodega Ramen on Wale Street
- Bokeh Creative Studio has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point
- Cabo Beach Club has opened in the Waterfront, ex Shimmy’s
- Café Euphoria has opened in Sea Point
- Cause & Effect Bar has opened in Camps Bay
- Chapter One in Kloof Street
- Chef Chen Sushi Bar pop-up, The Point Mall, Sea Point
- Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo Atlantic has opened
- Ciao Pizza, Long Street
- Clay Café has opened on Bree Street
- Crème de la Crème has opened in Camps Bay (now closed)
- Cucina has been opened by Chef Michael Broughton in Stellenbosch, and he plans to open Ember, The Stud Burger, and a Wine and tapas bar, all in Stellenbosch
- Culture Wine Bar has opened on Bree Street, a joint venture between Chef Matt Manning and wine fundi Chris Groenewald
- Curry Cave has opened on New Church Street
- De Vleispaleis Grillroom & Bar, a meat restaurant in the Black Horse Centre on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch (Restaurateur Stuart Bailey)
- Deep South Eatery in Glencairn
- Ding Dong Bar in De Waterkant, serving Bar Food (Chef Cheyne Morrisby)
- Don Dough Neapolitan Pizza is opening in Sea Point
- Drum has opened in the Black Horse Centre in Stellenbosch
- ëlgr has opened on Kloof Street, where Janse & Co operated previously. The restaurant with the most difficult name in Cape Town
- Ember Meat House, by Chef Michael Broughton, in Stellenbosch
- Ernie Els Wines Restaurant has opened in Stellenbosch
- Fancy Franks in Somerset West (Michael Townsend)
- Farro on Bree Street
- Fat Harry’s in Wynberg has reopened, with new owners, an interior makeover, and a new menu and staff
- Fideli’s on Parliament Street, where Kleinsky’s used to be (Chef Judi Fourie)
- FiftyFive Croissants in Wellington, by Hamm & Uys
- Firefly Café in Camps Bay
- Floozies (now renamed The Wolf House) has opened on Kloof Street
- Flower Café has opened in Woodstock
- Forneria Italia Beachfront has opened in Table View
- Four & Twenty in Constantia Uitsig
- FreeBird has opened in Kloof Street Village
- Geuwels at Vergenoegd Löw in Stellenbosch (Chef Bertus Basson)
- Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers & Ribs Summer pop-up Food Truck has opened in Victoria Road in Camps Bay. (Photograph above)
- Harvest Culture Eaterie has opened at Tyger Falls Waterfront, owned by Dale Schreuder, of former Dale’s Black Angus
- Himitsu restaurant at Camps Bay Retreat (Chef Cheyne Morrisby)
- Homespun at The Andros has opened in Claremont
- Hygge Hygge in Stellenbosch
- I Sapori has opened in Table View
- Ideas Cartel Bar has opened at Casa Labia, Muizenberg
- Johnny Shawarma in Sea Point
- Jooma has opened in Sea Point
- Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Chef George Jardine is leaving Jordan Restaurant in Stellenbosch, and Chef Marthinus Ferreira will take over the restaurant from mid-April 2022)
- Kauai has opened in The Point Mall
- KLEIN JAN at Tswalu Kalahari private game reserve (Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen)
- Kleine Zalze Restaurant has opened, with Chef Nic van Wyk
- KOFI has opened at Kloof Street Village
- Kopi has opened in Bo-Kaap
- La Petite Maison has opened in Langebaan
- La Sienna Café Bistrot has opened in Stellenbosch
- Lello’s Deli by Scarpetta has opened in De Waterkant
- Let’s Frite, by Chefs Reuben Riffel and Aviv Liebenberg in Franschhoek
- Lexi’s Healthy Eatery Vegan restaurant has opened on Regent Road in Sea Point
- Lime Tree Café has opened a Deli
- Local at Heritage Square, a retail collection of local food products, fresh and packaged, in the former HQ space
- Makers Landing has opened in the Cruise Terminal in the Waterfront, a collection of small food operators
- Marcel’s has opened in Camps Bay
- Mazza upstairs in the former HQ, as a Middle Eastern eating bar
- Mexicola Locale has opened in Hout Bay, another new Chef Cheyne Morrisby restaurant
- Mexicola Locale in Camps Bay where the Beach House is currently, at the bottom of the Bay Hotel, as well as a
- Food Truck in the Hotel parking area (Chef Cheyne Morrisby)
- MiCaffé has opened on Bree Street
- Michael Townsend’s Grand Pavilion has opened on Beach Road in Sea Point
- Misfits Restaurant by Ideas Cartel
- My Sugar has opened in Cavendish Square and in Canal Walk
- Nish Nush has opened on Bree Street, serving Schwarmas and Falafel
- Noah Café has opened in Tamboerskloof
- Nü has opened at Kloof Street Village
- OK JA has opened in Camps Bay (former Maison J)
- Oku has opened in Franschhoek
- Old Town Italy has opened in Constantia
- Old Town Italy has opened in Durbanville
- Old Town Italy is opening a flagship restaurant in the V& A Waterfront
- Osteria Hamm & Uys in Wellington
- Regent Burger Bar has opened where Craft Burger Bar was on Regent Road in Sea Point.
- Rijk’s has opened in Hout Bay
- Roots Café and Kitchen in Wembley Square (Brother and sister Jason and Mel Laing have taken over)
- Rosetta has opened on Bree Street
- Royale Eatery has opened on Vineyard Road in Claremont
- Rykaarts Stellenbosch opens in the first week of November
- Salt at Waterford Estate by Chefs Craig Cormack and Beau du Toit
- Salushi Express has opened in Cavendish Street, Claremont
- Schoon has opened at Kloof Street Village
- Schoon has opened in Stellenbosch Square
- Schoon has opened in The Point Mall in Sea Point
- Schoon has opened on Main Road, Sea Point.
- Seed & Circus has opened in Zonnebloem/District Six
- Sharon’s Cafë has opened at The Palms
- Shoreditch House restaurant has opened in The Winchester Boutique Hotel
- Starbucks has opened at Canal Walk
- Starbucks has opened at Cavendish Square
- Starbucks has opened in Camps Bay
- Steve Maresch of The Local Grill in Johannesburg is opening Bovine in Camps Bay where Ocean Blue used to operate, a specialist meat and wine restaurant, well as Beach House next door, a tapas restaurant, due to open at the end of November/early December
- Stud the Burger Shop, in Stellenbosch, by Chef Michael Broughton
- Sundoo South Indian Bistro & Tapas has opened in Newlands
- Taboulet & Co in Sea Point
- Tagine has opened on Prestwich Street
- The Botanicum Restaurant has opened at Morgenster
- The Greek Fisherman has opened in Sea Point, where La Mouette used to be
- The Green Orchid has opened at Vida Nova Retreat in Hout Bay
- The La Colombe Group is to open a restaurant in the Waterfront
- The Lawns has opened The Steak Club as a four month Winter pop-up
- The Manor at Nederburg has opened, in Paarl
- The Monk’s Kitchen has opened in Green Point
- The Office has opened in Sea Point
- The Poké Co Claremont has opened
- The Pottery has opened in camps Bay, where Mykonos used to be. It has branches in George, Ballito, and in Jeffrey’s Bay
- The Restaurant @ Paul Cluver
- The Restaurant at Grande Roche in Paarl (Chef Kevin Grobler)
- The Royal Oyster Bar on Bree Street
- The Test Kitchen Fledgelings has opened in the former The Shortmarket Club space, only open on Fridays
- Tomson on Bree Street
- Tortuga loca, in Muizenberg
- Vadas Pasteis de Nata & Café has opened in Stellenbosch
- Woolworths coffee shop NOW NOW Café has opened in Piazza da Luz in Sea Point
- Yama Sushi Emporium has opened in Franschhoek
- Yiayia’s Table in Mowbray
- Zest Restaurant has opened in the newkings boutique hotel in Piazza da Luz in Sea Point, owned by Utopia Executive Chef and co-owner Pavel Dimitrov
And lastly, former rugby player Ray Mordt is said to have won a tender to reopen the former Shimmy Beach Club towards the end of this year, with Chef Luke Dale Roberts, said to be responsible for the new restaurant. Chef Ryan Cole of Salsify at The Roundhouse is said to be involved in the new restaurant as well, but his restaurant is no longer a part of the LDR Group of restaurants owned by Chef Luke…. very confusing!
Restaurant Closures since the start of Lockdown:
- 95 at Morgenster, Somerset West
- 95 Keerom Street, Cape Town
- Aces & Spades, City centre
- Active Sushi, Hudson Street
- Addis in Cape Ethiopian Restaurant
- All Things Good, Stellenbosch
- Amore, Kenilworth
- Balducci’s
- Baker Brothers in Green Point
- Barstaurant in Glencairn
- Batavia Café, Bo-Kaap
- Bay Expresso
- Beachhouse in Camps Bay
- Belthazar Restaurants in the Waterfront
- Beluga in Green Point
- Blasters Family Restaurant, Cape Gate
- Bodega at Dornier, Stellenbosch
- Bones in Woodstock
- Brownies & Downies, City Centre
- Buitenverwachting Restaurant in Constantia
- Café Blouberg, Bloubergstrand
- Café Mozart, Church Street (now Mozart on Church)
- Cattle Baron Tokai
- Chi Cha in Sea Point
- Cold Gold Artisanal ice-cream
- Cowboys & Cooks has closed down in De Waterkant
- Craft Burger Bar, Sea Point
- Créme da la Créme in Camps Bay
- Dahlia on Regent is closing down for the second time, on 9 January 2022
- Dale’s Black Angus, The Paddocks, Milnerton
- Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent, Cape Quarter.
- Dapper Coffee Co on Bree Street
- De Wijnhuis, Stellenbosch
- Doppio Zero, Stellenbosch
- Empire Café in Muizenberg – has been revamped and reopened by Chef Clayton Bell (ex Villa 47)
- Entree in Franschhoek
- Exhibit A, Bree Street
- Fire Monkey, Claremont
- Firefish in the Waterfront has closed temporarily, only planning to open in September, if at all.
- Fláva, Wilderness
- Foliage closed in Franschhoek
- Fork in Franschhoek
- Fork on Long Street
- Frankie Fenner, Durbanville
- Go Go, Bree Street
- Goloso in Sea Point
- Greenhouse
- Guilio’s Café, Loop Street
- Haas on Buitenkant Street
- Jason’s, Bree Street Branch
- Jerry’s Burger Bar, Stellenbosch
- Jessy’s Waffles, Camps Bay
- Kalk Bay Theatre – is now housed at Brass Bell, using the Bikini Deck (open for performance nights only)
- Knead, The Point Centre
- La Bottega in Woodstock
- La Franca, Gardens
- La Mouette in Sea Point
- La Tête on Bree Street
- Lee’s Chinese Kitchen
- Lou Lou’s, Cape Quarter
- Maison J in Camps Bay
- Maker’s Mark, Tulbagh
- Mama Cucina, Riebeeck-Kasteel
- Masala Dosa Restaurant, Long Street
- Meraki, Stellenbosch
- Mink & Trout, Bree Street
- Mugg & Bean, Constantia
- Mykonos in Camps Bay
- Myoga, Vineyard Hotel, Newlands
- Mzoli’s in Gugulethu
- Neapolitana Pizzeria in Sea Point
- Noordhoek Café & Deli
- Ocean Blue in Camps Bay
- Ocean Blue in Camps Bay has closed down, for a second time
- Oven Baked, Muizenberg
- Oxalis Eatery on Wale Street
- Pastis, Constantia
- Peppertree Cafe
- Primi Eden on the Bay
- Primi Muizenberg
- Primi Willowbridge
- Restaurant at Waterkloof
- Restaurant Seven in Somerset West, owned by Chef George Jardine
- Rhodes Memorial Restaurant burnt down in the devastating fire on 18 April.
- San Marco, V & A Waterfront
- Schwarma Express, Sea Point Branch
- Shimmy Beach Club
- SHIO, De Waterkant
- SMAK Delicatessen and Eatery
- StarGarden Café, Fish Hoek
- TableThirteen, Green Point
- Tasca, V & A Waterfront
- Terroir, Stellenbosch.
- Thai Food Sushi, Sea Point
- The Beach House (ex Sunset Sessions) in Camps Bay
- The Butcher, Camps Bay
- The Butcher, Sea Point
- The Deli Coffee Co in the V & A Waterfront
- The Fat Greek, Table View
- The Kitchen, Woodstock
- The Larder, Claremont
- The Raptor Room
- The Shop in Sea Point has closed down.
- The Shortmarket Club
- The Stack, Gardens
- The Test Kitchen
- The Trumpet Tree, Stellenbosch
- Tigers Milk on Long Street
- Tintswalo Kitchen at Tintswalo Atlantic
- Tolhuis Bistro, Ceres
- Ton Khoon, Tyger Waterfront
- Two and Sixpence Tavern, Simon’s Town, after 21 years
- Under Oaks, Paarl
- Upper Bloem in Green Point
- Viande at Grande Roche, Paarl.
- Vicious Virgin Bar, Wale Street
- Will’s Café and Deli, Oranjezicht
- Yumcious Café, Durbanville
The Restaurant Closure and Opening Lists are updated continuously throughout the month by Chris Von Ulmenstein.
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