The Test Kitchen named Restaurant of the Year at the 2020 American Express Dining Awards

2020 American Express Dining Awards Gauteng and surrounding regions winners announced

15 Oct 2019

Located in the Old Biscuit Mill in the trendy suburb of Woodstock, The Test Kitchen is the epitome of contemporary fine dining. Established in 2010 by celebrated chef, Luke Dale-Roberts, this establishment has garnered many prestigious awards. Earlier this year, it was ranked number 44 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and was recognised as the top restaurant in Africa.

Restaurant of The Year: The Test Kitchen - Steve Hackner, Luke Dale Roberts

Three of Luke Dale-Roberts’s other eateries – Salsify, The Pot Luck Club and The Shortmarket Club – also made the cut.

 The top restaurants in the southern and western region were named as: 

• Babel at Babylonstoren, Paarl
• Camphors at Vergelegen, Vergelegen Wine Estate 
• Cavalli Estate Restaurant, Somerset West, Cape Town 
• Eike by Bertus Basson, Stellenbosch 
• Foliage, Franschhoek 
• Fyn, Cape Town CBD 
• The Greenhouse, Constantia, Cape Town
• Hacklewood, Hacklewood Hill Country House, Port Elizabeth
• Jardine Restaurant, Stellenbosch 
• Jordan Restaurant, Jordan Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
• La Colombe, Constantia, Cape Town
• La Tête, Cape Town CBD
• Le Coin Français, Franschhoek
• La Petite Colombe, Le Quartier Français Hotel, Franschhoek
• Overture, Helderberg 
• Protégé, Franschhoek 
• Rust en Vrede, Rust en Vrede Wine Estate, Stellenbosch 
• Salsify, Camps Bay, Cape Town
• The Pot Luck Club, Woodstock, Cape Town 
• The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Waterkloof Wine Estate
• The Shortmarket Club, Cape Town CBD
• The Test Kitchen, Woodstock, Cape Town  
• The Werf Restaurant at Boschendal, Boschedal Wine Estate 
• Zinzi, Plettenberg Bay

Style Award: Fyn - Chris Wood, Peter Tempelhoff, Steve Steinfeld, Jennifer Huge

Restaurants in the region also scooped five of the 10 category awards:

• The American Express Style Award – Fyn
• American Express Young Talent Award – Chef Ryan Cole
• Best Newcomer Award – Eike by Bertus Basson
• American Express Service Award 2020 – The Test Kitchen
• American Express Restaurant of The Year 2020 – The Test Kitchen