Chef Chantel Dartnall to close Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient Hotel in 2021

While this marks the final chapter of the Mosaic story, Chef Dartnall ’s story continues – and she is excited to embark on a new journey in her life, pursuing a variety of possibilities and stretching her horizons.

Chef Chantel Dartnall

When Chef Dartnall opened Restaurant Mosaic in 2006, she had a vision: to introduce to South Africa’s culinary landscape the finesse, flavour and artistry unique to her style of botanical cuisine. She knew she had something special to offer.

Guests began to travel from near and far to the Francolin Conservancy outside Pretoria – from across Gauteng, South Africa and the world. Over time, many of them became not only regular patrons but close friends. Dartnall’s creativity and innovation have been widely admired by gourmets, and she is one of South Africa’s most decorated chefs: named TBC Best Female Chef in the World in 2017 and Chef of the Year by the Hospitality Counsel, the Restaurant Association of South Africa, the Haute Grandeur Global Restaurant Awards and the Eat Out Awards (twice). Restaurant Mosaic has been listed among the top 100 restaurants in the world for some time and is also acclaimed for its expansive but carefully curated wine cellar, having won numerous awards as one of the best wine cellars in the world.

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“I am proud that I have been able to pioneer botanical cuisine locally,” Dartnall affirms. “And it has been gratifying to see that a variety of chefs and restaurants have incorporated some aspects of this style into their own repertoires. My team and I have achieved all that we could have hoped for. We now leave behind a proud legacy as one of the top fine dining restaurants in South Africa, has also established a solid international presence.” Restaurant Mosaic has helped to put South Africa on the map as a gastro-tourism destination; the global media coverage it has received has brought many visitors from abroad.

Throughout, Dartnall’s passion and dedication have never waned. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, she has been in her kitchen for every serving at Restaurant Mosaic. Like all artists, however, Dartnall also has a yearning to explore, to learn and to dream new dreams. She will start her new chapter next year, after presenting her final dinner service at Restaurant Mosaic. So, for the first three months of the new year, she has the privilege of presenting a ‘Best of Mosaic’ menu to celebrate the last 15 years.

Announcing the decision to close Restaurant Mosaic allows Dartnall to reminisce and to reflect on aspects of her legacy that are close to her heart, paying tribute to her ‘brigade’; both the visible and the hidden members of the team “who work so incredibly hard to position Restaurant Mosaic as one of the most awarded restaurants in South Africa, and to achieve our mutual goal of creating a truly unforgettable dining experience”.

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While she is saying goodbye to her Mosaic ‘family’ of colleagues and guests, this new departure for Dartnall gives her the chance to enjoy much-needed personal and family time. She will be focusing on her cookbook, a literary-artistic labour of love three years in the making, full of recipes and insights she wants to share with the world (for those who have dined at Mosaic as much as those who have not) and also with her culinary peers. And not to worry, she reassures her foodie fans, “This is not the end of Chantel Dartnall the chef – I will also be furthering my knowledge of European cuisine, focusing on my French language studies and enhancing my technical skills.

During the lockdown in 2020, we have all had a chance to take stock. I have been considering this brave new adventure for a while, and this period helped to solidify my decision. We have attained all the goals we set out for ourselves and I will look back on our accomplishments with gratitude and humility, and at the same time I will embrace exciting new challenges!