LivingRoom – South Africa’s #1 Restaurant

One of the best restaurants in South Africa was recognized at the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards 2022, and it’s located in the relatively unknown neighbourhood of Cowies Hill in KwaZulu Natal. As one of just five restaurants in the nation to win Three Stars at the event, the LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate also took home the biggest prize of the night: the title of Restaurant of the Year.

Here at The LivingRoom, chef Johannes Richter uses his refined French training and enthusiasm for Asian cooking skills to exhibit the region’s gastronomic variety, from farm to plate. They are family owned and operated and provide a quality dining experience that includes exquisite cuisine, good wine, and friendly service.

Upon awarding the prize, head judge Abigail Donnelly said, “With a particular sense of location, this restaurant pays attention to local ingredients, delivering its customers stunningly simple meals of astonishing depth and flavour.” Our winner, although being housed in what might be called unpretentious quarters for a fine dining business, has strong ties to the neighbourhood and uses only locally produced goods whenever possible. The chef’s background, classical training, and cutting-edge approach to sustainable cuisine create a meal that will stay with diners long after they leave the restaurant.

More than 300 eateries were evaluated, and the final 42 were chosen based on their scores in the following categories: menu composition (15 points), presentation (10 points), taste and technique (30 points), drinks (20 points), service (20 points), and atmosphere (5 points). La Colombe, Pier, Salsify at the Roundhouse, The LivingRoom, and Wolfgat are the only establishments that have achieved the 90% minimum required for the Three Star rating.

“It is a wonderful honor to be recognized alongside some of South Africa’s top dining locations, and it is also a testimony to how culture influences our business. We put in a lot of effort, all of us do, and it’s an honor to be recognized for it.
Chef Johannes adds

The award recognizes The LivingRoom’s commitment to its core values, which include a hyper-seasonal and endemic approach to cooking, using only locally sourced foods, and placing a premium on sustainability and ethical sourcing. The staff uses a variety of fermentation processes and preservation methods to stretch produce and by-products between seasons, reducing food waste while also enhancing the menu’s variety and depth of flavor.

Johanna Richter, who is in charge of the large wine programme, has carefully curated a collection of top-tier South African wines. A selection of these wines has been carefully matched with Chef Johannes’s meals and is offered as a matching option with the menu. Johanna also provides a well-considered non-alcoholic accompaniment, using syrups, tonics, kombuchas, and juices that are all prepared in-house.

On the evening of Sunday, November 20, 2022, in Cape Town, the honor was presented to Chef Johannes Richter and his wife, Johanna. The couple, who opened The LivingRoom, a restaurant within their family-run inn, in 2017, gave the honor to their staff.