2014 Eat Out Awards nominees announced

The nominees, in alphabetical order, are:
• Bread & Wine
• DW Eleven-13
• Five Hundred
• Jordan Restaurant
• La Mouette
• Makaron
• Overture
• Planet Restaurant
• Restaurant Mosaic
• Rust en Vrede
• Terroir
• The Greenhouse at Cellars-Hohenort
• The Kitchen at Maison
• The Pot Luck Club
• The Restaurant at Newton Johnson
• The Restaurant at Waterkloof
• The Tasting Room
• The Test Kitchen
• The White Room at Dear Me
• Tokara

This year, Abigail Donnelly, Eat Out editor and judge for the annual restaurant awards, was supported by five anonymous judges, whose identities will be revealed on awards night on 16 November in Thunder City, Cape Town. With the determining factors being excellence in food, service and ambience, the judges ate at restaurants across the country to determine the nominees, and each judge scored restaurants individually on a scorecard.

Significant and newsworthy changes

Donnelly said: "I am very excited about this year's list of nominees. We've seen a number of significant and newsworthy changes at the country's top restaurants over the past year, which means that - besides the excellent restaurants we've celebrated before - there are some very deserving newcomers on the list. We look forward to honouring these phenomenal restaurants for their stellar work at this year's event, which is going to be the biggest awards ceremony we've hosted yet."

The winners of the Restaurant of the Year, San Pellegrino Chef of the Year, Grolsch Service Excellence Award and the Top 10 Restaurants will be selected from these 20 restaurants and announced at the annual awards ceremony.

The recipients of the awards for Best Steakhouse, Best Asian Restaurant, Best Italian Restaurant, Best Country-style Restaurant and Best Everyday Eatery, as well as the winner of the Boschendal Style Award and Nederburg Rising Star Award, will also be honoured on the night. Tickets for the 2014 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards are available via Webtickets. For enquiries contact Julie Potgieter at az.oc.stneveaidemwen@eiluj.

Follow @Eat_Out on Twitter to join the conversation and to see live updates on the night and like the Eat Out Facebook page. The Eat Out magazine 2015 will launch on the night of the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards and will be available at selected Woolworths, Exclusive Books, Pick n Pay, Spar and CNA stores.