2026 Woolworths Eat Out Awards: Meet the Chefs Behind the Stars

South Africa’s most prestigious restaurant awards had their big night on Monday, 23 March, at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town.

The 2026 Woolworths Eat Out Awards drew to a close eight months of anonymous judging across South Africa’s finest restaurants, with seven culinary experts rating food, service, atmosphere and value before handing out stars to 66 establishments. 

The awards belong to the restaurants in name, but it is the chefs who stand next to owners at the podium, who carry the weight of the result, and who become the face of what was recognised.

Among them are chefs representing our community who are doing some of the most exciting cooking in South Africa right now.

Chef Peter Duncan steered the ship at La Petite Colombe toward a three-star finish, proving his reputation as a rising star remains untouchable. His journey from The Private Hotel School in Stellenbosch to being mentored by industry icons shows in every dish. He mixes heritage flavours with theatrical flair, a skill that previously earned him international nods at the Best Chef Awards.

Hōseki in Stellenbosch took two stars, with chef Virgil Kahn in the kitchen. Kahn’s background spans CPUT’s Hotel School and international postings at The Westin, Nobu, and Gordon Ramsay’s Maze. His cooking at Hōseki draws from Cape Malay heritage and Eastern culinary tradition, a body of work that had already earned him the SWISS Culinary Innovation Award before Monday’s ceremony.

At Epice in Franschhoek, chef Charné Sampson led her kitchen to a two-star result. A Silwood School of Cookery graduate who refined her craft at La Colombe and The Test Kitchen, she has built a reputation for spice-driven fine dining over a career that saw her named among the Cape’s Top 10 Women Chefs in 2021.

Chef Geoffrey Abrahams co-heads the kitchen at COY Restaurant in Cape Town, which had an exceptional evening, receiving two stars and the VISI Style Award. His work centres on modern African cuisine, with sustainable ocean-sourced ingredients and heritage cooking methods forming the backbone of what COY puts on the plate.

Chef Dale Stevens represents the kitchen at FABER (two stars), where he remains a leader in the sustainable dining space. Head chef Nathan Clarke at The Test Kitchen Fledgelings contributed to a one-star win. Chef Clarke rose from a sculler to a culinary leader under Luke Dale Roberts. A self-taught talent, he emphasises contemporary, globally inspired dishes with balanced, precise flavours. He was notably honoured as the 2025 Eat Out Rising Star for his excellence and mentorship.

The special awards category brought further recognition. 

Catherine Adonis, pastry chef at Qunu, won the Eat Out Callebaut Dessert Award. Her training at the Valrhona École in New York and experience at the Mount Nelson and Jordan Restaurant have produced a body of work that blends classical pastry discipline with African culinary heritage. She was a 2025 Chocolate Masters Challenge finalist. 

Sommelier Elton Damon at La Petite Colombe received the Eat Out Wine Service Award, honoured for his expertise in botanical beverages and local varietals, guided by a service approach built around heritage and local identity.

Congratulations to all the winners. Below is the full list of the 2026 Woolworths Eat Out Awards recipients.

Restaurant of the Year: FYN

Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year: Johannes Richter of The Living Room. 

Eat Out Rising Star Award: Aren Pollack

Eat Out S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna Chefs’ Chef Award: Chef Ryan Cole

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

Eat Out Woolworths three-star restaurants:

• FYN, Cape Town;

• La Colombe, Constantia, Cape Town;

• La Petite Colombe, Franschhoek;

• MERTIA, Stellenbosch;

• Pier, Cape Town;

• Salon, Cape Town;

• Salsify at the Roundhouse, Cape Town; and

• The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate, Pinetown, Durban.

Eat Out Woolworths two-star restaurants:

• Belly of the Beast, Cape Town;

• Beyond, Constantia, Cape Town;

• Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia, Cape Town;

• COY Restaurant, Cape Town;

• Dusk, Stellenbosch;

• Epice, Franschhoek;

• FABER at Avondale, Paarl;

• Fermier, Tshwane;

• Good to Gather, Stellenbosch;

• Hōseki, Stellenbosch;

• Meraki by Charlie Lakin, Hillcrest, Durban;

• Ouzeri, 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, Cape Town;

• The Table at De Meye, Stellenbosch;

• The Waterside Restaurant, Cape Town;

• Vuur, Stellenbosch; and

• Wolfgat, Paternoster.

Eat Out Woolworths one-star restaurants 

• BLOEM at Paul Clüver Family Wines, Elgin;

• Cavalli Restaurant, Somerset West;

• Chefs Warehouse at Maison, Franschhoek;

• Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic, Cape Town;

• CHORUS, Somerset West;

• Creation Wines Tasting Room, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley;

• CURATE at Ellerman House, Cape Town;

• Cyra, Johannesburg;

• Eike, Stellenbosch;

• ëlgr, Cape Town;

• Embarc, Johannesburg;

• Ember & Oak, Constantia, Cape Town;

• Galjoen, Cape Town;

• Kapokbos Restaurant, Bonnievale;

• Le coin Français, Franschhoek;

• Leeto, Paternoster;

• Les Créatifs, Johannesburg;

• Marble Restaurant Johannesburg, Johannesburg;

• Melfort, Stellenbosch;

• Merchant Bar & Grill, Cape Town;

• Nevermind, Cape St Francis;

• Ongetem, Cape Town;

• Orangerie at Le Lude, Franschhoek;

• Qunu, Johannesburg;

• Reverie Social Table, Cape Town;

• Saint Restaurant, Johannesburg;

• Seebamboes, Cape Town;

• Spek & Bone, Stellenbosch;

• Table Seven, Cape Town;

• Terrarium, Cape Town;

• The Bistro at Brookdale Estate, Paarl;

• The Chefs’ Table, Umhlanga;

• The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg, Johannesburg;

• The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse, Cape Town;

• The Test Kitchen Fledgelings, Cape Town;

• Tyler’s, eMdloti; and

• Upper Union, Cape Town

2026 Eat Out Woolworths Special Awards:

• 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; and

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

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