SA's finest restaurants honoured

OUTSTANDING achievements in the South African restaurant industry were awarded at the first ever Eat Out Restaurant Awards, held on December 9 at the Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town. The winners of one of the most sought-after accolades in the hospitality industry - The Editor's Top Ten were announced, in addition to an impressive string of new Eat Out achievement awards for outstanding performances in restaurants, chefs, front-of-house and the best new restaurants for 2002. This year also sees the introduction of Eat Out Star Ratings to honour top performers across the board. Starting with one star, it will be extended to three stars in future. The Editor's Top Ten were: Blue Danube, Cape Town (Western Cape) Bosman's, Grande Roche, Paarl (Western Cape) Cape Colony, Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town (Western Cape) Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant, Cabrière Estate, Franschhoek (Western Cape) Jemima's, Oudtshoorn (Western Cape) La Colombe, Constantia Uitsig, Constantia (Western Cape) La Cucina di Ciro, Parktown North, Johannesburg (Gauteng) La Madeleine, Lynnwood, Pretoria (Gauteng) Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek (Gauteng) Yum, Greenside, Johannesburg (Gauteng) Special Eat Out Awards: Chef of the Year: Margot Janse, Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek Restaurant of the Year: La Madeleine, Lynnwood, Pretoria African Restaurant of the Year: Moyo, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg Indian Restaurant of the Year: Bukhara, Cape Town Server of the Year: Franco McKellar, La Madeleine, Lynnwood, Pretoria Outstanding front-of-house: Cape Colony, Mount Nelson Hotel, Gardens, Cape Town / Bosman's, Grande Roche, Paarl Special Award: Walter Ulz, for excellence over 26 years as executive chef at Linger Longer, Sandton. Best New Restaurants of 2002 Johannesburg: Ove Flo, Greenside; Zafferano, Park Hyatt Hotel, Rosebank Pretoria: Cynthia's Indigo Moon, Brooklyn Cape Town: Madame Zingara, Cape Town Cape Winelands: Klein Olifantshoek, Franschhoek. KwaZulu Natal: Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse. Roll of Honour - 5 or more top ten awards Bosmans, Grande Roche, Paarl: 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002. (Miguel de Sousa)