WeeklySA_AdminSouth Africa’s leading chefs and restaurants were honoured at the 2026 LUXE Restaurant Awards held at MIRA Sandton in Johannesburg on Monday. Carla Schulze of Cape Town’s SALON was named Chef of the Year, while SALON also received a prestigious Three Star Award for excellence and consistency. The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg, part of the Luke Dale Roberts group and located at The Peech Hotel in Melrose, won Hotel Restaurant of the Year after a successful first year.
Both The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg and its Cape Town counterpart earned Two Star Awards, highlighting their continued popularity and strong culinary standards nationwide. Pictured on the left is chef Ebrahim du Toit (left) of Joburg’s The Pot Luck Club’s chef Ebrahim du Toit celebrating the milestone.
Every week, The Peech Hotel and The Pot Luck Club host two summer experiences in Johannesburg, blending sunshine, food, endless drinks and live entertainment in a stylish setting Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Guests relax in the lush Peech gardens, patio and rooftop bar while enjoying The Pot Luck Club Joburg’s new aperitivo inspired tapas menu paired with gorgeous house cocktails, chilled summer wines or local craft beer.
Their “Weekend Jazz Lunch with Bottomless Bubbles” happens on Saturdays and Sundays, from 12:30 pm onwards. Guests enjoy Weekend Live Jazz Lunches with bottomless bubbles, Mimosas and Bellinis.
EVENTS
Soweto Cheese & Wine Fest
The Soweto Cheese and Wine Festival returns for its fifth edition on March 29 at the Soweto Theatre Forecourt in Jabulani, promising a full day of food, wine and entertainment.
Organised by Soweto Cheese and Wine Live and Seven Colour Sundays in partnership with the Soweto Theatre, the event will feature curated cheese and wine pairings from local winemakers and established brands, including Tall Horse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of food stalls, designer fashion and lifestyle exhibitions.
Running from 12h00 to 23h00, the family-friendly festival will include children’s entertainment until 17h00, along with live music and performances. Tickets cost R150 and are available through Webtickets.
Stellenbosch Street Soirées
The popular Stellenbosch Street Soirées return this summer, offering wine lovers an opportunity to enjoy tastings, food and live music in the heart of the winelands.
Hosted along Drostdy Street in Stellenbosch, the evening street parties run from 18h00 to 20h00, when the road is closed to traffic and transformed into a festive outdoor venue. Guests can sample a rotating selection of wines from different estates while enjoying light meals from local food stalls and live performances by local musicians.
Upcoming events take place on March 11 and 25. Tickets cost R250 per person and include a tasting glass and 10 wine tokens. Tickets are available online from Plankton.mobi.
Victoria Yards Wine Festival
The Victoria Yards Wine Festival will take place on March 21 at the creative Victoria Yards precinct in Lorentzville, Johannesburg. The event will bring together more than 15 South African wine producers for a day of tastings, music and food. Running from 10h00 to 16h00, the festival offers visitors a relaxed opportunity to sample a variety of wines while enjoying live music and a selection of local food vendors.
Tickets cost R120 and include entry, a tasting glass and access to all participating wine farms. The pet-friendly event promises a vibrant atmosphere, making it an ideal outing for friends, families and wine enthusiasts alike.
Durbanville Hills’ Harvest
Wine lovers are being invited to step beyond the tasting room and into the cellar as Durbanville Hills launches its immersive 2026 harvest experience.
From February 18 to March 14, on selected Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the award-winning Cape winery opens its cellar doors for an intimate, hands-on programme designed to showcase harvest in motion.
Guests are led through the heart of the cellar, where cool-climate grapes sourced from the Durbanville region are undergoing transformation. The experience includes a rare opportunity to taste freshly pressed must — sweet, vibrant grape juice in the earliest stage of becoming wine — offering insight into a critical phase that most consumers never encounter.At blending tables prepared with a selection of red wine components, participants craft their own signature blend under the guidance of the winemaking team.
The experience concludes at The Tangram, the estate’s signature restaurant, where guests are served a two-course menu paired with selected wines.
Priced at R550 per person, bookings can be made via Webtickets.
Durbanville Under Stars
Durbanville Wine Valley is to host its much-anticipated “Tasting Under the Stars” on March 12.
As vineyards hum with the energy of harvest and cellars fill with the scent of fermenting grapes, participating wineries across the valley will extend their trading hours to around 21:00, hosting individual experiences that celebrate the season’s abundance.
Located 20 minutes from Cape Town, Durbanville’s cool-climate vineyards are at their most atmospheric in March. Rather than a single central festival, Tasting Under the Stars sees each participating cellar curate its own harvest-inspired event, as part of several events taking place marking the end of harvest in the region.
Bookings must be made directly with each participating winery.
Full details of all experiences are available on the valley’s website, www.durbanvillewine.co.
BROOKDALE SUNSET DINING
Brookdale Estate is turning February and March into a celebration of flavour, romance and vineyard living, as the Paarl Winelands destination rolls out a packed calendar of culinary milestones, wine highlights and golden-hour dining experiences.
The month’s festivities began on February 1, when the Bistro marked its third birthday, and will end on March 26. The anniversary follows a strong run of accolades, including recognition as a Top 10 Destination Restaurant in the Cape and a place among South Africa’s Top 20 Restaurants for 2025 by Dineplan.
Chef Gary Coetzee, who has shaped The Bistro’s contemporary seasonal offering in relaxed elegance and a strong sense of place.
Adding to the seasonal appeal, Brookdale’s popular Sunset Dinner Series continues throughout February, running every Wednesday and Thursday evening until 26 March.
With sittings at 17:30 and 19:30. – Compiled by Len Maseko: lenmaseko@weeklysamirror.news
