Who would have thought that a cosy and intimate Kenilworth grill room would take the title of best steakhouse in South Africa?
When talking best steakhouses in South Africa, there are a few names which are consistently mentioned, but one such name, however, that doesn’t often get a look in due to it only opening late last year, is The Rare Grill – a relative newcomer to the city’s grill scene. In the short space of 8 months since opening, the new favourite has recently walked away with the accolade of best steakhouse in the country – making it the first Cape Town steakhouse to achieve first place in five years.
The Wolftrap Steakhouse Championship, a prestigious annual prizegiving which allows carnivores to vote for their favourite local steakhouse, tallies ten steakhouse finalists based on a public vote before a winner is judged by food personality and chef celebrity Peter-Goffe Wood. This year, The Rare Grill, a newcomer to the competition, was placed first.
Judging criteria is based on a wide-ranging, standardised score sheet which examines all aspects of dining out and encompasses the total experience, focusing on the quality of the steak and the side dishes which accompany the steak meal. In previous years, the awards went to Little Havana, Umhlanga Rocks (2015); The Local Grill, Parktown North (2013, 2014 and 2016)
This year’s finalists were:
- Rare Grill, Kenilworth
- Little Havana, Umhlanga Rocks (2015 Champion)
- The Local Grill, Parktown North (2013, 2014 and 2016 Champion)
- The Godfather, Centurion, Pretoria
- The Cricketer, East London
- Beef Boys Grill, Potchefstroom
- HQ, Cape Town
- Karoo Cattle and Land, Irene, Pretoria
- Jayz Grill, Pietermaritzburg
- The Grumpy Griller, George
Well done to The Rare Grill for bringing back this award to the Cape! Read the post-award interview with the team behind this Kenilworth eatery here.
Photography Pixabay