The 100 most-loved restaurants in South Africa as per Dineplan reviews

For the first time ever, we are excited to release the results of our 2022 Reviewers’ Choice Awards. Gathering over 200,000 diner reviews for over 1,000 local restaurants listed on Dineplan, these are South Africa’s 100 most-loved restaurants for 2022 – as reviewed by you!

Taking the top spot this year is Reverie Social Table in Cape Town and rounding out the rest of the top 5 is Good to Gather, The Table at De Meye, Belly of the Beast and Homespun by Matt – all in the Western Cape.

The winners

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Reverie Social Table, based in Observatory, Cape Town, is run by chef and owner Julia Hattingh. This intimate, 18-seater restaurant specialises in giving guests a bespoke, 5-course dining experience and has been using the Dineplan reservation platform since August 2016. Reverie Social Table came out top in ambience, service and value, while Good to Gather, run by husband-and-wife team, Luke Grant and Jessica Shepherd, placed first in the country for food.

“We are so thrilled to receive such a wonderful accolade. I have always said that we get the absolute best guests at Reverie! It’s not just another meal, you’re having actual conversations in person while breaking bread. Add fabulous local wine and food made with lots of love – and you get a dinner party! I get so much happiness from these dinners and being able to showcase the very best produce Cape Town and South Africa have to offer.” – Julia Hattingh, Reverie Social Table

The full list comprises 100 restaurants across the country and is the result of over 200,000 reviews by Dineplan users submitted between the 1st of October 2021 and the 30th of September 2022.

Here’s how it works:

Following their meal at the restaurant, diners who have booked – and honoured – a reservation through the Dineplan platform are invited to rate and review the restaurant, rating each of the four main criteria – food, value, service and ambience – between 1 and 5. These reviews are 100% guest-generated and are intended to help other diners find the best restaurant for their requirements, while also providing insight and feedback to restaurants about their offering. Dineplan collates all the rating and review data to give restaurateurs actionable insights into their business.

Only restaurants that have been on the Dineplan platform for the full review period have been included in this year’s list. Here’s our list of 2022 Newcomers, which highlights restaurants that have received rave reviews but only joined Dineplan during the course of the year.

During the 12-month review period, there were over 3.6 million reservations made using Dineplan, equating to 16 million guests seated at Dineplan venues around the country.

Another thing that sets this list apart is that it celebrates the neighbourhood gems and more casual everyday eateries in each region. In the Eastern Cape, The Hussar Grill in Walmer, Gqeberha was highly rated across ambience, service and value. While not in the top 100, special mentions go to La Casa Nostra, in Durban, for placing in the regional top 3 for both food and service, 16th by KOI in Pretoria for placing in the regional top 3 for both ambience and service, and the Morning and Afternoon Tea at Saxon Hotel for coming in the top 3 for ambiance and service in Gauteng.

Find – and make a reservation at – all of this year’s winners here. And remember, if you want to see your favourite restaurant on next year’s list, take 1 minute and follow the prompts to review your restaurant experience after every meal.

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How winners are selected

To be eligible for a 2022 Dineplan Reviewers’ Choice award, a restaurant or hospitality venue must have been using the Dineplan platform for the entire 12-month review period (1 Oct 2021 and 30 Sep 2022), accept guest reviews via the Dineplan website and app, and still be accepting bookings and reviews via Dineplan. They also must have received a threshold number of Dineplan reviews within the review period. To qualify for a ‘newcomer’ Reviewers’ Choice award, the restaurant or venue only began using the Dineplan platform within the 12-month evaluation period with the remaining criteria being the same.