handtomouth

Congratulations to the miracle workers who not only manage to run a good restaurant but also up the quality to the point that they are voted one of the world’s 50 best. A closer look at the dedication, grind, mayhem and skill it takes to run a good establishment makes this recognition very sweet. And in this case the awards were judged by foodies around the globe, so there could be some legitimacy to the list… anyway, two South African places made it onto a list that is headed by El Bulli. La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig – consistently one (if not the best) in South Africa; and Le Quartier Francais, the friendly place in Franschhoek. But a question pops to mind: what is the Le Quartier restaurant? If a visitor now arrives to sample this top 50 ranker, where does he go? For at least a year ago, Le Quartier, which used to be one restaurant, spilt into The Tasting Room, a fine diner where you choose a six or eight course dinner, and Ici, a bistro. The former is precise and poised, but with a poor wine match to the courses; the latter a relaxed and colourful eaterie with good food but lacklustre service at times. For the top 50, one assumes they mean Tasting Room, so why not name it so?