Always stressed about finding the best place to eat, scouring the internet and polling friends before you head out?
Well, luckily for you, Dineplan has decided to take on that headache and compile a list of its top-rated restaurants throughout the country for its Reviewers’ Choice Awards for 2022.
Between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022, the restaurant reservation platform had more than 200 000 diners reviewing over 1 000 local restaurants.
During the 12 months, more than 3.6 million reservations were made using the platform, equating to 16 million guests seated at Dineplan venues around the country.
According to a statement, these reviews are one hundred percent diner-generated.
The statement notes that following a reservation, diners are asked to provide a review based on their experience, rating the food, value, service and ambience each out of five, with the option to comment.
Topping this year’s list of restaurants on the platform is Reverie Social Table in Cape Town.
Rounding out the rest of the top five are Good to Gather, The Table at De Meye, Belly of the Beast, and Homespun by Matt.
Chef patron at Reverie Social Table Julia Hattingh said they were 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 from being able to showcase the very best produce Cape Town and South Africa have to offer,” said Hattingh.
Marketing manager at Dineplan Paige Errera said the results were close, but it’s great to see some smaller names making the top of the list.
“From the reviews, we see that fine-dining establishments get a lot of hype in the media, and diners arrive with much higher expectations. It’s been interesting to see how everyday eateries tend to receive higher guest ratings compared to top-tier fine-dining restaurants.
“There’s also the discussion around perceived value. While these businesses have higher running costs and are arguably less expensive than international restaurants of the same class, diners appear to rate them more strictly on the ‘value’ criteria,” said Errera. The full top 100 list can be found here: https://www.dineplan.com/restaurants/reviewers-choice/2022
Have you checked out the latest IOL Food & Drinks digital magazine? Read it here.