The restaurant industry is bubbling with a cautious sense of optimism as 2022 gets underway.
We’ve weathered the fourth wave without further lockdown restrictions being imposed, the curfew was finally lifted to a collective sigh of relief, and a variety of new restaurants, from fine dining and premium establishments to everyday eateries, are opening their doors.
Chefs Scot Kirton, David Higgs and Darren Badenhorst talk to us about their outlook for 2022 and how they see the South Africa restaurant industry emerging from the upheaval of the last two years.
Three top chefs share their inside perspective on the restaurant scenes in Cape Town, Joburg and Franschhoek, talking to S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna whose fine mineral waters are synonymous with the gastronomy industry.
La Colombe group bring fine dining life to a heritage building at the Waterfront
The La Colombe group showed the ultimate in optimism by opening not one but two new restaurants, Pier and The Waterside, at the V&A Waterfront in December 2021. “We had been in discussions with the V&A for a number of years, but until now they never had a site we thought would do our brand justice,” says Chef-proprietor Scot Kirton. “We always believed there was a big demand for a more refined dining experience at the Waterfront and when the opportunity presented itself, we grabbed it.”
Of having the confidence to make this move at this time, he says, “We had to stay positive and believe that recovery was around the corner. As a restaurant group we have been very well supported through the lockdowns and believed that even if there were no tourists around, we would find a way of keeping these two restaurants afloat until normality returned.” As it is they’ve found that tourists are slowly returning and currently about 25% of their clientele are foreign visitors.
Both restaurants have been quick to make their mark. “Guests are loving the theatrical part of Pier as well as all the hand-crafted crockery and incredible views,” says Scot. “And downstairs at The Waterside, the less formal approach, concentrating on flavour and giving the guest choices, has made this a spot, which the locals are really enjoying.” Of the Cape Town restaurant scene in general he says, “Certain parts of the industry have started to recover well, we are seeing a lot more restaurant openings and less closures. Things are looking positive.”
Marble Group expand their offering with a champagne bar and speciality grocery store
The Joburg restaurant scene has always been less dependent on tourism than Cape Town and is already getting its vibe back, Chef David Higgs of Marble Group says. “Our curfew has been lifted. This is a massive relief for South Africa, we like to go out late, and don’t want to be told when to leave. I think that was probably one of the most difficult things to manage. It was tough to get to 9 or 10pm, then having to tell people in your restaurant to leave. It just didn’t make any sense in my head!” Of the mood in Joburg he says, “The Covid-related curfews and liquor bans played the biggest role in dampening people’s spirits. But as soon as those curfews were lifted, even slightly, and we were able to serve liquor, the mood changed. There has always been a vibe about this city, but now we are definitely back into the swing of things.”
Mid-November turned out to be good timing for the opening of Zioux, the youngest luxury sibling of Marble and Saint. “Zioux is a place that touches all the senses – incredible music, the interiors are well thought-out and curated for escapism. Which is what we think everybody is looking for at this time. It’s a bit of luxury, it’s aspirational, and the food and drinks are vibrant, fresh, and with great flavours.” While excellent food goes without saying, mostly small plates touching on Mexican and Peruvian flavours, David says their focus is on the complete experience “You have to deliver 100% nowadays because people are really careful about how they spend their money.”
A lot of new restaurants are opening in Johannesburg at the moment. David has noticed that people are diversifying and there are lots of opportunities for growth. “At Marble Group, we are about to open our first convenience store – The Pantry which will provide a retail experience at the service station below Marble restaurant. There is definitely a good feel about this city, that’s for sure.”
The picturesque town of Franschhoek in the Winelands comes back to life
Franschhoek with its traditional focus on gourmet tourism and international visitors was extremely hard hit by the travel bans throughout the various lockdowns, but things are on the up according to Darren Badenhorst, Chef-proprietor of Le coin Franҫais, Le chêne, Ōku, Tuk Tuk Microbrewery and Yama Sushi Emporium. “We have had a very good season so far with a wide variety of clientele, both local and from abroad. We often depend on the international crowd in towns like Franschhoek, so the local “tourists” have been a welcome addition. I am hoping this trend of local getaways will offset our normally very quiet winter.”
Of surviving the pandemic, he says, ”I think keeping consistent opening schedules was a big help.
A lot of spaces closed for certain days or chopped and changed. Whereas we committed to staying open which has given our venues “always an option” status.”
While there aren’t currently many new restaurants opening in the village (in Franschhoek these tend to happen in September or October to make the most of the summer season), Darren says Franschhoek is getting back its buzz. “The constant foot traffic is hugely positive. It seems restaurants are getting back to thriving which increases competition and thus quality, which is what small towns need. Competition breeds excellence!”
There have been further encouraging signs of new restaurant openings in Stellenbosch and the Winelands – Quoin Rock wine estate recently launched their wine and tapas bar QBar, Rykaarts is a new family-run restaurant for all occasions, both in central Stellenbosch. Bertus Basson, 2019 Eat Out S.Pellegrino & Aqua Panna Chef of the Year opened Geuwels at Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate in September last year and will soon be launching a second restaurant in the heritage barn on the same estate, with a refined farm kitchen inspiration.
It’s wonderful to see how resilient the South African restaurant industry has proved itself, and to witness the new energy, growth and optimism that is taking it forward into 2022.
- S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters are once again geared to support the local gastronomy industry with its various initiatives and investment such as the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy.
For more information on S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters please visit their pages – https://www.sanpellegrino.com/
